Do any of you ride with a Leatt brace?

[dgstandard]

If so, which one? Does it affect your riding? Are there many guys wearing them at the ISDE, local scambles and enduros? What are they wearing?

I did some work for a fellow a couple weeks ago who was just riding along with his buddies and now he's a quad...this scares the sh*t out of me.

 

[roostafish]

I think they are a good idea. I've seen some guys wear them, even ridden with guys who have them but it never really interested me. The cheapo ones have interested me because the seem less cumbersome. I'd really like to know as well.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

I've been riding with a Leatt brace (club model) for over 2 years now. It's a little cumbersome in super technical terrain and when working on the bike with the helmet on, but otherwise it's no big deal. I like the peace of mind since it lowers the risk for neck injuries (IMHO). I highly recommend it and wish more people wore them.

 

[Keg]

I have a Leatt GPX Glub. It is annoying when you are not riding but when on the bike I don't notice it.

I always thought that my neck had more range of movement than the gap between my helmet and body armour. So I could not damage my neck. But everyone I ride and race with seem to have them so I bought one.

Talking to a medic, he said a neck brace will stop a neck/spine compression when you land on the top of your head. And it also reduces any whiplash effect of landing on your face and your legs coming over your head.

I guess you can't be too safe!

 

[flybars]

When I find one that will fit my short neck and be able to wear my pack, I will get one. Hopefully the industry will keep improving on the ergonomics.

 

[webmaster]

I was looking through old videos of Danny Magoo Chandler who just passed away this last week at Age 50. The crash where he was paralyzed from the 1985 french supercross were pretty shocking to me. He wasn't going all that fast.

The race had actually ended and he was crossing the finish line. He did a little jump showoff for a photographer - pancaking his bike he pulled it back to almost straight to land and then went off the track to his left. In an interview he said that the photographers flash temporarily blinded him. Hit a haybale and went over the bars - landed head first and rolled forward. Seemed really slow.

I can only imagine what his career would have been like if this wouldn't have happened. He was known as not the best rider - but definitely the fastest of his era - when he was "on" and didn't crash - he would simply walk away from the field.

Paralyzed at age 25 in a slow speed get off. He advocated the user of "neck rolls" e.g. leatt brace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCq4R1Oxu4c&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Here is a video of highlights of him winning the 1982 "superbikers" competition - what was to become supermoto...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUEyWgyQOKg

Jeff

 

[flybars]

Jeff, do U think a neck brace would have stood up to those forces?
Btw, thanks for posting that info about Magoo. I was able to watch a few more of him while I was at it. Man that guy was exciting to watch! Sad story. I hope he was able to get that Van.Thanks, Bob.

 

[Eric K]

I have been consistently wearing a Leatt adventure while trail riding (which has nearly the same range of adjustment as the Leatt sport.)

I have not had any header crashes so I can't vouch for its effectiveness. However, it clearly restricts the range of head motion.


The downsides are...

- It interfered with my Adams apple when sliding back - until I carved out the plastic underneath the padding in the throat area.

- The brace prevents me from looking up high when riding in the standing up attack position.

- It prevents me from looking down when working on the motorcycle unless I lean forward.

- It retains more body heat - not good in warm weather, good in cold weather.


In spite of the downsides I still wear it. Aside from my head, my neck is the last thing I want to break.

 

[flybars]

Eric, do U where a backpack with a water bladder? I've been reading about all the different brands, and the Omega looked like it would be cooler in hot weather, and more comfortable. But one or two of the guys in a review mentioned it doesn't fit well with a backpack. So just wondering if your Leatt would.

 

[Brian VT]

I wear a rubber neck roll that football players use. I doubt it's as effective as a Leatt, but I hardly notice that it's there and it was inexpensive. I'd like to try a Leatt some day.

 

[webmaster]

Jeff, do U think a neck brace would have stood up to those forces?
Btw, thanks for posting that info about Magoo. I was able to watch a few more of him while I was at it. Man that guy was exciting to watch! Sad story. I hope he was able to get that Van.Thanks, Bob.

Unfortunately, he passed away before he was able to receive the van. I think it was purchased and being customized for his use at the time of his death. Really Sad.

Brad Lackey made a statement about working with the family, etc. on what would happen next with the fund raising and van, etc.

jeff

 

[dgstandard]

I remember when that happened to Magoo. I was a kid then and did not understand or appreciate the magnitude of his injury.

I tried on an Alpinestar brace on the weekend. It was too small but I could see how movement could be restricted.

I am going to look into the Omega braces a bit further.

Thanks for all your input.

 

[GMP]

The biggest downside of the Leatt is its a clavicle breaker, thats where it transfers the energy of an impact, through a very small contact area. Now before you flame me and say "its better than a broken neck", there have been a lot of cases of broken clavicles from minor crashes that normally would not have caused a neck injury, stuff that you experience daily riding offroad. This is from the riders themselves, and I know a guy who broke three like this! A clavicle takes on average 8 -12 lbs to fracture. I have a plated right clavicle, I tried on his Leatt, NO WAY could I wear that. The hard frame rested on my plate like a center punch waiting to get hit with a hammer! I couldn't even stand it on me in the shop. The EVS was a lot more comfortable, but I think it would be more cumbersome riding. I have not tried the others. I use an EVS neck roll, of course its not like a full brace but its wearable to me.

 

[roostafish]

I had similar concerns, knowing how fragile the clavical is. I do like the idea of the neck roll. Haven't bought one yet, but they're lots cheaper than all the crap I've been throwing money at lately, so I probably should.

 

[swazi_matt]

I have been using a leatte for about a year now, and until you have it setup correctly it is horrible. It took me three rides to get it set properly and now i do not notice it while riding.

I would not recommend the adventure brace (unless you have a long neck) because it has limited adjustments and if you cannot adjust it so that iti is comfortable you will not use it.

From what i have read the neck rolls are more for clavical protection and will actually worsen a neck related fall by creating a fulcrum and increasing the strain on your neck.

There are other options out there now (pro grip, omega, evs, A stars) and i think in a few years they will be as common as helmets

 

[GMP]

Yes there are more options now. Leatt was the first and has a certain design philosophy, that being the brace is rigid and TRANSFERS all the energy to the clavicle area. While it has saved riders I'm sure, the sacrificial clavicle is unacceptablre to me, having had three surgeries and a lot of down time. And if you have plate already its horrible, unless your fat there is not much meat there (I can feel and count the screw heads in mine).

The EVS design philosophy, from examining the brace, is one of progressive ABSORBTION of energy to a certain point and then TRANSFER of the rest but over a much wider area of the shoulder. To the untrained individual, this brace appears like "cheap plastic" and inferior to the Leatt. To me as an engineer, it makes a lot more sense. I have not looked at the other options but would choose one with this design in mind. I would like to get one for my younger son soon.

As far as which is more effictive, time will tell, but the Leatt being the first has more data available. Its a personal choice, and many just feel more comfortable using what is more established.

Look at them all, try them on, and remember its all about energy transfer/absorbtion, it has to go somewhere.

 

[Skidad]

Glenn, I like your thought process and advice on this issue. I would really prefer not to go down the road that you and Steve (NH Rider) went through with the collar bone problem.

While I'd like to have one of these things it's hard to know without trying them all on and as usual for around where I live no one carries more than 1 model if that. Now you resort to mail order/return/repeat which is a pain.

Anyone see a big neck brace shootout in any of the mags???

 

[flybars]

Thats a good idea. I know Dr. Mark on TT had a knee brace performance comparison, and whether or not it could be used as a preventative to an uninjured knee.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i use an evs rc3 race collar. i've broken both collarbones in wrecks (1 twice..) - - i think the helmets hit the collarbone in the wrecks and caused the breaks. i've wrecked substantially in the dirt since using the collar, and have not broken either since. not to say that it won't happen, but it definitely pads the helmet from contacting the clavicle directly...

i would probably consider a leatt or similar, just haven't had a chance to try any of them out for fit. i'd like to try the evs rc evo - it looks like it might pad collarbone and prevent neck injuries.. and since i use an evs flux chest protector, it looks like the fit would be optimal...

 

[Brian]

I came to the same conclusion as GMP, dam engineering schooling . I believe the Omega brace looks like a good option, built along the same lines as the EVS (progressive energy absorption and then energy transfer, like a car "crumble zone"). I've been meaning to go try on both the EVS and Omega brace, I'll have to do that soon.