Hi all, i expect this has been debated before but, Watching my youngest and realising he is starting to get quick and confident came to the conclusion that it was time to invest in a neck brace, Its was not until i started to do some research that i realised thing may not be that clear cut, in that there may be possible dangers with the braces themselves . I understand that the final say is mine and mine alone . But input is always welcome.
Funny you bring this up, I was just talking to a friend about getting one for this season. Im anxious for feedback as well.
I put both my boys (and myself) in to the Leatt braces as soon as they came out. They were older (14 & 18). Before that we all wore dense foam collars to help in this regard. I've seen enough in the way of neck injuries that I feel the benifits outway the risk.
I believe they work and are good. Sure anything can introduce other factors but think the upside on these, especially for higher speed riding and MX/SX is very good. They have been out for a long time and all the pros use them as well as most amature MXers. If there were real and huge issues we would be hearing about it. Just my opinion on the subject.
I use a Leatt (Fly Zenith) and like it fine. I don't notice it much and I do ride fast in the open stuff so my wife is happier I use more protection, (she's a nurse) so it keeps momma happy It's your choice and I can tell you it doesn't bother me or hinder me while riding. Shop around because I found mine at motorcyclecloseouts.com for less that half of retail.
I stopped wearing my EVS Evo brace after 3 concussions, one so bad I'm still feeling it 5 years later. I'm using a neck collar now, but would consider an alpine stars bionic or atlas if the price was right.
Have heard of reports of broken collar bones, but if the brace has been compressed that hard by helmet what would have happened to your neck with no brace?
So how old is your kid and what riding do you do? -- I know nothing of these braces but I think that they stop the extreme forward and rearward pitching of the head in case of a crash... I don't crash alot but the absolute worse feeling crash I have had in recent times, was on a track and I came up a little short on a small jump and the bike tossed me back&forth like I was on a bucking bull at the rodeo... My head was snapping back and forth .... Never, ever felt that on a normal trail ride crash so I can see where that brace could help in this 1 specific case. One thing that that I got from that track crash was total head weight matters. If the helmet weight was less, my head may not have snapped around so much ... So I think you could invest in a light-weight helmet also for your son ... And try to teach your son not to duck his head on a crash. Same as the nfl players. Look at what you are gonna hit to keep the neck from taking the impact. -- Any gear we wear is insurance. Best not to need insurance. Learn to ride and CRASH correctly. Make sure he understands how to 'lay-a-bike-over' as a last resort way to save yourself ...Bike riding is on-the-fly risk management. My son did not ride and I'm glad of that ....
He is Thirteen and has a KTM SX85 he is just talking of doing some competitive MX . And of course at this age is fearless
I like neck braces that do not place the load directly on your spine on impact. Regardless if they are designed to break away or not, it is not a good idea. I have two friends who have been paralyzed after falling with the units on, exact same injury at the same point in their spines. Chris Blais is one of them and he wore the original prototype for Leatt which I feel caused his injury. The Atlas is a prime example of a brace which does not place pressure directly on the spine.
I've thought about them for years, have one sitting on the shelf right now. Have yet to use it though, I've had a few concussions and a couple broken collarbones from mountain biking. Some scary crashes like head planting into a stump getting c-spine x-rays and having a pretty bad concussion for 3 months. Or nose casing a jump and doing a full scorpion. I don't think they're a bad idea. I just don't like the fact they limit motion (which isn't always necessarily harmful) and place it on the thoracic spine/clavicles. Perhaps increasing the risk of a concussion as well. They are not guaranteed to work and people still become paralyzed with them on. I have a hard time keeping my ego in check and worry throwing on a brace thinking im invincible opens up the possibility of more wrecks. I just try to learn from every crash. Riding within your limits, Staying focused, looking where you want to go, and knowing the terrain are huge and neglecting these for even 10 seconds can get you hurt. Just my two cents. My opinion would be slightly more towards a brace if we are talking mx/jumping instead of enduro. But at the same time the points I made remain the most important.
The new Leatt also splits the spinal area. I use the older version & may go to an Atlas soon. I was told there are some Atlas braces online for $169 or so. I've had a few hard crashes that could have been worse.
As a guy with a spine fused in three places - I use one. Did "a" fall put me under the knife? I dont know...but I am sure one of my 1000 falls over the course of 4+ decades has not helped any! My surgeon rides and he has one (an AlpineStares) - so I bought the same one. All that being said, when it is uber hot out, I ditch it and where my compression suit in lieu of my chest protector/neck combo. Dumb. Like Aviduser stated above, it is all about measured risks. All that being said when I think back of all the spectacular crashes I have had, the one I believe did the most spine damage was a 2 mph lefge bobble that put me over the bars in slo-mo. I laded square on my head and all my body weight and the weight of a KTM came down on it. THAT was the worst one - tipoff was a metallic taste in my mouth (well that and I was unconscious!). All the "risks" of using a protector simply dont kick aside the benefits. The truth is a direct compression or whip is a VERY common getoff accident and is exactly what these things help prevent.
You just never know about what "the" accident is going to be that does you in-you can only try to prepare and train as best you can to limit the likely-hood of injury. The only personal experience I have was a friend who worked with me that ended up getting paralyzed at an enduro-he doesn't even remember the crash.
Reading the responses make me think the simple old school doughnut might be the right product for a lot of people. Limit range but not transfer to much impact to other areas like the spine.
Well a tour of the local bike shop is in order try every thing on see what fits best and how it loads . As always thanks for the positive input ride safe. Dave
Decided to check out this link...have a buddy who is in a halo after sustaining a Jefferson fracture of his 1 st cervical vertebra...showed me the image.....broken and displaced...how he survived is beyond me. This happened less than 2 weeks ago while snowmobiling..I am buying a neck brace and thinking of the LEATT GPX trail for 269 at Royal Distributing. I was humbled 2yrs ago now...when I went over the bars and completely disclocated my right AC joint and dislocated my shoulder as well when training in spring for Mt. bike racing....I still remember thinking ah...over the bars..no biggie...but it made life a little challenging for a while. Made me realize that sheit can happen fast....As i get older (turning 42)...it appears that the body breaks a little easier than it did in past. The neck is kinda important so...hands down...buying one NEXT week ..Oh yeah..also important to note....time in the gym to prepare for this sport is as golden as any carbon fibre helmet etc that one can buy
I totally agree that when you hit your 40's and you continue to ride like you're 20, hitting the gym or having a good workout regimen is paramount.
