Knee braces?

[Danger]

Ok seeing as the EVS neck braces have been delayed, what experiences do you fullas have with knee braces, good bad and the ugly. Need something for a birthday present in July, this might be something useful.
I can get the Asterix knee braces but I have heard they are not that good from one person who has used them. Anyone used them or have any comments?

[scott411]

i use CTI 180's (the prodction ones not the custom ones) but most of the guys hat work here run asterix, and i will get asterix to replace mine soon, the CTI's have been good but the asterix have better inpact protection,

we have sold EVS WEBS in the past as well, all brands have come apart after some time but asterix seem to have the best supply of parts (the hinges start to fail on all of them), EVS ware alright, then went really bad (no parts at all) and are getting better again with a better importer, they do not last as well as the asterix imho,

m

i have not heard good thigns about the POD knee brace, it does not last that well and parts are not easy to get

[ali-s]

I bought a pair of EVS 2nd hand off a mate who sold them cos they were just too big ( as in riding with knee caps three times too big)and cut the backs of his knee's to shreds - and guess what ....they felt really uncomfortable, couldn't get used to that knee feel on the bike, and they duelly cut the back of my knees ( where the retaining straps fix round your calf and lower thigh) to shreds, and on a minor note were bloody impossible to get a pair of mx pants over the top of em sometimes - sold them on and bought a pair of the high end old school fox knee protectors - absolute heaven in comparo - all this is in a trail riding/xc scenario tho' - so maybe they're not really designed for extended riding - a 20 min + 1 lap moto might be ok.

[B0000M]

ive got sum 99ish model evs knee braces, the upper of the lower half strap messes up the back of your knee, the fabric rips where the steel ends and thr steel messes up your legs. and the pivots fuck your tank / shroud decals

mine stay in my gearbag for these reasons

[dammad1]

I was thinking about buying some as well, but there is alot of debate on the net about the effectiveness of them and in some cases they argue that they can cause more serious injuries because when the knee doesn't give something else has to. There is a big medical study going on at the moment and on Thumpertalk they are asking for people with braces to participate.

After all the argueing about it I just decided to stick with good impact protection and the fly guards that I currently have do the job nicely and have even stood up to a few fence posts. LOL

[notch]

Ive had both the EVS and the Asterix. The evs took much longer to take on and off (pain in the ass), and wore out quickly. The asterix however is really comfortable (lots of adjustments), clips on and off easliy, and has lasted really well.

[yamafitter]

I have had knee issues for 20 years now. Had an artifical ACL screwed into the left knee 15 years ago. I still ride club enduros and hare scrambles and the off-road trail ride series here in Ontario Canada. I am also a volunteer ski instructor for the disabled and skied about 60 days last season.
I would not be able to do any of this without my braces since there is too much instability especially in the left knee. (I probably should have the knee replaced). I use two custom CTi2 braces. The brace has to fit properly to have any effect and you just cannot get the required fit with the "off the shelf" units. Also the hard frame of my braces protect against rotational forces which is not the case with some of the fabric units.
As far as the knee braces just transferring to load somewhere else, the braces will spread the forces out over a larger area thereby decreasing the risk of injury. I did have a stupid fall a few years back where the back end of the bike slid out and I got the left leg twisted under the bike and broke my ankle in two places and fractured the tibia near the tibial plateau (where the tibia forms the bottom of the knee joint). Had to get back on the bike and ride 30 km to get help (not one of my more fun days). Having gone though that I would rather take that injury than blow up the knee again. Legs heal in a couple of months. A knee can put you out of the running for up to a year. Just ask Tiger Woods.:(
I'm currently on the mend from rotator cuff surgery (no bikes for 3 months). Getting old SUCKS. Thankfully I have extended benefits through work ($3400 Can for the braces).

[crackle]

Hi, I think that there are a few considerations(price/use/pervious damage) to look at before buying braces. Knees are probably one of the most injured part of a dirt bikers anatomy, so I definitely reccomend some protection. At least run a cheap pair of knee/shin guards under your pants(usually about $30 and made by most gear brands). I have mainly used $100 pivot type knee armour, until last year when I decided that it was time for an upgrade. I have some mates running the EVS Vision ($449 per pair), which are what I went for as they seem a good step in between the budget and top end POD/CTI/Asterisk(over $1000/pair). I have never had knee damage so I wanted braces for prevention rather than cure. The Vision only has two straps which I love as it is quick to fit and the straps stay well away from the inside of my knee where the worst chaffing occurs. I also use the brace socks to provide added comfort and the fit is good for me.
I tried on the podmx braces and was almost going to buy them as the action is great and the quality is good, they are the lightest and they fitted me well. My wife dislocated her knee cap a few years ago and now wears the new and improved model asterisk, which has been fine also. So I would go for custom fitted CTI braces if you have a spare 3k to spend, or go the POD, Asterisk or CTi off the shelf models for $1100-$1500, or if you are a tight arse like me and your knees are pretty good try the EVS vision for size at $449.
The EVS must be doing something as my latest big crash landed me so hard off a jump sideways that my bike high sided me into the ground and I broke my femur and my elbow(can't seem to find elbow guards I like)! If I wasn't wearing braces my knee would have been a huge mess as the knee is far weaker than the femur. Better to clean brake a femur and get a rod put in than mess with a knee and tendons and cartilage etc. So spend as much as possible, cause I can almost walk after 3 weeks, and will go back to work soon, but would be no where near it without braces.
Cheers and keep it twisted, from Craig.

[Danger]

If I wasn't wearing braces my knee would have been a huge mess as the knee is far weaker than the femur. Better to clean brake a femur and get a rod put in than mess with a knee and tendons and cartilage etc.

People have died from breaking the femur so I think you are very lucky. Good info thanks.

[crackle]

Yeah, I heard that too, aparently there is a main artery that runs down the inside of your leg/femur, and if it gets damaged ya can do some bleeding.... thank f*** mine is all good, and now stronger than ever with reinforced titanium.... Cheers from CS

[Reckless]

Hey Scott what where those knee protector ones you posted pics of in another thread a couple of weeks ago. I cant find the damn thread now or the pic I saved.

Those EVS vision look ok though!!

[Reckless]

Sorry Scott it was this link http://www.mrmotorcycles.co.nz/product_info.php?cPath=47_37&products_id=714 someone else posted to your site.
I don't have a spare $500-00 so I'll probably replace my UFO full flex Hinged knee guards with something like this as the next step up.

[Pierce]

Yeah you tend to get loads of different opinions on braces. Having recently done my ACL and a grade 2 tear of the MCL I'm a bit conscious of doing it again. Asked my first physio about knee braces (she thought they looked quite good), current physio said he doesn't believe in them... He thinks it's only the americans that wanna get everyone in braces and in a lot of cases drop your confidence levels.

I guess what I'm saying is everyone has different opinions given different experiences.

I think I'd still like to get knee braces though. Defo gonna invest in a neck bace though!!!

[crackle]

The thor force guards look ok, not sure about having to do up 6x straps each time, but ya would get used to it... I do like the extended thigh protection as seen from a better pic(not sure it would have saved my knee or femur though!):
http://www.thormx.com/product.jsp?path=1011,1015,1042,5011
They are about at the top end of hinged pricing, as we(WILDWESTHONDA) stock the Fox Raptor we can do for $140 and they have much the same features:
http://shop.foxracing.com/ecomm/AutoForward.do?forward=home.pagedef#aforward=asyn&proId=10439&cid=62&cname=Knee%20Protection&proNumber=08019&imgName=08019001F.jpg

Shayne King once told me about a year ago that he just wears the cheap knee protection and has never had a problem, but his brother Daryll and Hurlz have had majors.... so I think he is one of the few lucky ones!
cheers from Craig.

[Reckless]

I quite like the look of the Thors they best seem to duplicate the Knee brace a bit more. And the extra straps won't be a problem for me as I only put them on once for the day generally and surley a better fit/support will add to the protection. The Fox ones look a bit more like the ones I have now but you can't see how sturdy the side hinges are from those pics. Of coarse it all depends on how they fit. The thors got good reviews from the guys that have them here and they where the only ones that did really.

Good links though thanks for those! Not sure if I'm keen on the Plaid pattern on the Thors???

And I'd say Shane King is one of the lucky ones. I have a good mate whos son races top MX and he's screwed his knee and is still having dramas with it. Then there's our Katherine Prumm as well. I think the knee is a big Danger point in our sport. I'm Upgrading Knee then neck when the Leatt adventure comes out.

[NordieBoy]

Sorry Scott it was this link http://www.mrmotorcycles.co.nz/product_info.php?cPath=47_37&products_id=714 someone else posted to your site.
I don't have a spare $500-00 so I'll probably replace my UFO full flex Hinged knee guards with something like this as the next step up.

I'm liking mine more as I get used to them.

If I was more serious I'd cut the straps off and use insulation tape instead.

[marks]

If I was more serious I'd cut the straps off and use insulation tape instead.

And then - if you were a real man... you could just run a jib knife down the back of your leg at the end of the ride to get the tape of quickly....

BTW - very happy with my Thor guards - a quality product.

[Sparky Bills]

The POD Knee braces are a good option too...

[NordieBoy]

And then - if you were a real man... you could just run a jib knife down the back of your leg at the end of the ride to get the tape of quickly....

BTW - very happy with my Thor guards - a quality product.

If I was a real man the ride would never end :D


And you didn't even get the plaid Thors.