Neck protection

Yea or nay ? Discuss.

I ride mountain bike as well and now the WRR. I am going to get myself one simply because, in the grand scheme of things, it's cheap. I have kids etc so can't afford the alternative.

Not yet, but it is going to be part of my gear soon. I have seen the results of MC and bicycle accidents, with no gear, while working in the ER, so I want every bit of help I can get.

Life is full of choices and compromises. I want to err on the side of caution in order to try to maintain all the sensations of my parts below the neck.

Jon

I don't, simply be cause I'm new at this and haven't gotten around to that peice of equipment yet. For those who do, are they in the way at all?

I think neck braces are a track or enduro item. Seems like the wrong thing for a DS bike ride.

DS on the road is fine, but if your off in the bush playing its easy to flip off the bike...

I have worn them. They do take some getting used to but after a few rides you don't notice them. I don't find that they affect head movement at all once you just get over the fact that its there. They are light and comfy. On a HOT HOT day you do sweat under them a bit but then I sweat like a bastard when its hot with or without it on.

$500 now, or chair for life...I choose $500 now

IAmABug wrote:

DS on the road is fine, but if your off in the bush playing its easy to flip off the bike...

Are you saying they are fine for street use...no side to side hindrance? I have nothing against them and would use one if they work well for the pavement portion DS riding.

I have a similar concern with using MX helmets with goggles when on the road. I know they do interfere with side views and that ain't good with side traffic.

My experience is all on the mountain bike. I ride big stuff. Jumps skinnys tight trail and wide open atv type trails. I had no issue seeing up down left right. I don't recall any issue with side to side. I think if there was any issue i got used to it. My $0.02. Only one spine is my thought on it.

After one of my buddies got shot like a lawn dart off his WRR, and head first into the ground, we all got one. Luckily he already had his.

I bought an Alpine stars neck brace..Bionic Neck System. The cheaper special blend one, not the CF one.

I wear one of the cheap donut thingies in the dirt. I've already got blown discs at C 4,5 & 6 and bone spurs.

This is an interesting thread.

IAmABug wrote:

DS on the road is fine, but if your off in the bush playing its easy to flip off the bike...

I have worn them. They do take some getting used to but after a few rides you don't notice them. I don't find that they affect head movement at all once you just get over the fact that its there. They are light and comfy. On a HOT HOT day you do sweat under them a bit but then I sweat like a bastard when its hot with or without it on.

$500 now, or chair for life...I choose $500 now

I with you on this .. I bought a Leatt Club 3 recently and seems like a better design than the previous Leatt models .. the thing is super adjustable and very comfortable. If your exploring in the bush, it would probably be wiser to be geared up. I probably will not wear it all the time, but i plan to when riding mx on the YZ and when riding technical stuff on the WR. On the WR, you can have a fall on a dirt road or simple trail, and I will probably not have the neck brace on, but thats the call your gonna have to make .. I will make the call depending on my riding destination and type of riding.

A neck brace is on my list of wants. I think that it will let me risk being a little crazier off road.

I've nursed quadriplegic patients for a few years. They told me that it's not a lot of fun. It's really easy to break your neck. Most of us are just lucky that it doesn't happen to us. When you're flying through the air, waiting for the crunch, ......... it's in the hands of the gods.

I MUST buy a brace soon!

i wear a leatt and the question is, why not? i wear it all, asterisk knee braces, leatt pro chest protector, acerbis pressure suit, neck brace. all that helps when you go down, and for the cost of the protection is nothing what hospital bills are. so why not wear it?

My brace is in the mail. I doubt it will get used much riding around town, but the plan is to wear it every time I'm riding off road.

I'm not 100% sold that current technology neck braces are actually safe. I'm pretty sure they will help with some types of injuries / crashes but I don't like how some designs transfer energy to another part of the body that may or may not be better to absorb that energy. On the other hand, this is how safety product designs start and evolve into something better.

Agree. We're all crash dummies.

My own experience... No problem with side to side protection. I've been down hard that way in a lowside and the helmet (cracked it) holds your neck pretty straight. Front to back though is a major problem and where I think the braces are good.