Knee braces/protection

[Tristan.]

A couple of weeks ago I broke a bit off my tibia, in a really small accident with a really really unlucky awkward landing - essentially I was going slowish on a mild lane, back wheel dropped into a rut and the bike had a big wobble then went down hard enough to dislocate my shoulder when I landed, then break my leg when it landed on me. This was because my leg was on the edge of the rut so there was a pinch point between that and the bike.

Now I wear some fancy as fuck Asterisk knee braces, that I got second hand for not a huge amount. They're not designed for impact protection, but I'm pretty sure I would of come off much much worse without them, chiefly cos they protect from the lower moving laterally away from the upper leg. Had I not had them I'm pretty sure my knee would of been very painfully dislocated and I certainly wouldn't of been able to ride away afterwards.

So bit of an anecdote really, but that was a crash you could have on any days off roading, I know I won't ride without them again but very few people seem to use them, interested in others thoughts/experiences

[thx1138]

I wear knee pads, I don't wear braces.

I nearly always trail ride with moto cross boots, and knee pads, and body armour. Sometimes I might skip the body armour and have either elbow pads, or a jacket with elbow and shoulder pads. On rare occasions I don't have anything, like a cheeky lane on the way home from somewhere as I'm passing it.

I have come off and hurt myself, think big bruise, rather than dislocation, trail riding, and think it would have been far worse without the correct boots and knee pads.

I've looked at braces online, places like ghostbikes and they seem really pricey.

Nearly every off I have on a dirt bike my left knee seems to strike the ground....

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Imle, it seems like a trade-off between non-restrictive gear that makes a quick, corrective dab very, very easy - and, otoh, clobber that's really protective but hinders you physically. I much prefer erring towards the former, but I can imagine this changing if I knacker myself up.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[thx1138]

[Fladdem]

I crashed on Ridgeway lane once as well, about 18 months ago, where that bent up gate is? I didn't cause it, but I did slide into it, I came gunning through that chicane on my TTR, up towards the gate, which is almost always open, I had the throttle held wide open and the engine was screaming, it was the first time I'd worn MX boots, but I was wearing some skinny jeans and a hoody.

This one time, and never again afterwards, that gate was closed. I panicked and slammed the brakes on, brand new big bulky boots resulted in immediate back brake lockage, I tried to regain control but had ran out of time, the bike slipped and I went sliding down the gravelly dust on my left side, there's a dink in my old lid from where it hit the floor. I ripped most of my left leg to bits. I had to pick the bike up while dazed and damaged, I was on my own and it was about 9pm, when I did the bike was in 6th gear, so either I was flat out in sixth, or fifth and the crash changed it up one, so I must have been doing about 60mph.

I'm surprised finding you upside down didn't remind me at the time.

I've bought some 661 Rage MTB knee pads after that, logic being they're meant to be comfy while peddling so just standing around on a dirt bike won't be uncomfortable. Although I wear them once in a blue moon, maybe at a track/pay and play or when I rarely compete, usually I just wear my red route kevlar jeans with the built-in knee pads.

I've got all the gear, I just hate the blocky feeling Mr Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was talking about, so never wear it.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[drzsta]

Never used either and don't know many people who use them. Have no interest in using knee braces.

[drzsta]

Never used either and don't know many people who use them. Have no interest in using knee braces.