Do back protectors make sense?

[Bender]

I have a query regarding back protectors and the pluses and minuses of wearing them. There is a plan to do some track days for the experience of it, but you may not get on the track without wearing a back protector.

My jacket does not have a pocket to accommodate a back protector so I will have to buy a stand alone protector or a new jacket with a back protector included.

Here’s the query. I can see the back protector being excellent for track-style accidents which are most often a lowside with a reasonable amount of run-off. Sliding along on your back, the back protector makes a huge amount of sense.

The on-road accident is far more varied, with less run off and, presumably, the back protector offers less protection.

Also, the back protector, to be effective, has to be strapped on pretty hard, which over the course of a long ride must become quite uncomfortable.

What do people with back protectors say – is there anyone who has had a road accidents who can vouch for the effectiveness of the back protector? How do you handle them on long rides?

[roadracingoldfart]

Well ask yourself a question..... is there any reason to protect yourself as much as possible ???
Answer , YES.
They are not annoying to wear on the road or track if you buy one that fits nicely and hasd a good broad waistband and an arm strap thats not to thin.
There is no way i would go for anything but a to and from work (3 kms) without wearing the leathers and the back protector, good gloves and good boots. (and a helmet for you perfectionists) .

I have had quite bad highsides with and without a protector in days gone by while racing and i feel unsafe without it on my back now.

Paul.

[SPP]

I wear a protector everywhere (left the pad in my jacket, removed the pad from my suit to free up room). I got used to it pretty quickly, its reasonably comfortable and mine isn't a super expensive one either. It feels wrong not having one on now, like riding without gloves feels wrong.

The more money you spend, the better the protection, comfort, and manouverability e.g. knox... but again, you don't need to spend mega bucks to get better protection than a "cheese sandwich" quote: quasimoto

Why doesn't everybody wear one? It's got to be better than a bare back?

[MSTRS:Me]

Sliding along on your back, the back protector makes a huge amount of sense.

I thought they'd be more use in helping to prevent (or lessen) impact injures. A good jacket, preferably leather, will provide its own slide protection for your skin.

[rapid van cleef]

funny you should mention a cheese sandwhich

. ride magazine in uk conducted impact tests of various armour in a range of jeans and jackets(leather) and then also tested random obejcts. some armour actaully had lower impact absortption per sq cm than a cheese sandwhich!

on saying that, back to the query, anything i can do to minimise the risk of injury during an off is a bonus. id rather be very hot n sweaty when at the lights for a few seconds than loose the skin on my arse, back, weherever for the rest of my life. back protectors, like your bike clothing should fit your body shape properly and good ones are very comfy. i have a forcefield 2 back protector and once its on, i dont notice it.

wouldnt ride without it

most back protectors fitted to off the peg jackets are almost a token gesture by the manufacturer, according to lots of case studies, but according to all the research ive done, itse better than not having one.

how much do you value your spine and your ability to control your legs etc? if wearing a back protector can help to minimise any such injury, then im in. also broken ribs on ur back are very very painful. my brother flipped his bike and broke several ribs at the back in a very low speed spill. that was 5 years ago and it still is an issue for him. maybe if he had a protector on, it would not have been so bad?

[SPP]

Ride magazine in uk conducted impact tests of various armour in a range of jeans and jackets(leather) and then also tested random obejcts. some armour actaully had lower impact absortption per sq cm than a cheese sandwhich!

Now that is interesting. Quasi mentions it in one of his jacket reviews.

my brother flipped his bike and broke several ribs at the back in a very low speed spill. that was 5 years ago and it still is an issue for him. maybe if he had a protector on, it would not have been so bad?

That's right. Boomer used to go on about the value of back protection citing his rooted back as all the evidence we needed to go out and get one.

[Metastable]

I don't ride without a back protector. To be honest, the rigid type protectors that have a kidney belt, as opposed to the ones that fit inside the jackets offer great protection. It isn't for abrasion resistance, but rather impact resistant and perforation resistance (think pointy).

They are very comfortable to wear, I don't even remember I have it on to be honest. So ya, it is worth it even on the road. What happens if you bin it on a corner and hit one of those >>>> signs, or a tree?

The rigid bits helps to disperse the force over a wider area.

[MarkH]

Also, the back protector, to be effective, has to be strapped on pretty hard, which over the course of a long ride must become quite uncomfortable.

Not necessarily. I rode from Auckland to Christchurch (does that qualify as a long ride?) wearing my Knox Aegis back protector - it wasn't uncomfortable at all.

[Kickaha]

I thought they'd be more use in helping to prevent (or lessen) impact injures. A good jacket, preferably leather, will provide its own slide protection for your skin.

It is a lot more comfortable sliding down the road wearing a back protector under your leathers than without one

[Swoop]

PM Biggles08 regarding back protectors.

They make a lot of sense.

[MSTRS:Me]

It is a lot more comfortable sliding down the road wearing a back protector under your leathers than without one

If you are on your back....
I don't doubt you are right...never done it myself to know.
But surely that is a desireable side effect, after the primary protection against impact injury?

[rie]

I agree with the safety aspect that everyone else has mentioned. Don't scrimp and buy the equivalent of a cheese sandwich. Invest in a good one. As for comfort, I think you will find that most back protectors that you strap onto your body is more comfortable on long road rides because it supports your lower back. This is especially the case for sportsbike riders who are leant forward in an extreme position, but applies regardless of what you are riding.

[=cJ=]

Every time my suit goes on, my back protector goes on first.

I don't actually fit my suit properly without the protector on (too much of a runt to fill it out) , so it makes sense

[vifferman]

I've got one (a secondhand but untested 7-plate Teknic one) and after a few minutes, I don't notice it. The last major spill I had (taken out by a u-turning car), I bounced off the car and landed on my back. The jacket I had at the time was a Teknic Hurricane that had a built-in back protector - not the kind that slips into a pouch, but rather one that was moulded into the back of the jacket. That was the first and only time I've ever landed on my back, and although I was a little sore, it passed quickly and I didn't even have any bruising on my back, and no injuries (apart from my left leg).
My current jacket cost a lot more'n the Teknic, and has only a small pouch with some memory foam in (now two thicknesses). So when I go on highway rides, I strap on the back protector.
Interestingly (or perhaps not), I've only ever binned around town, and so at speeds of less than 50km/h.
Anyway, to answer your question, yes, a back protector does make sense, just as much as a helmet.
If you're going to buy one, the best one is one that extends both as high up and low down as possible, so it gives some protection to the lower part of your neck, and to your coccyx. I've broken the latter (on a bicycle) and it's not fun.

[Usarka]

Here’s the query. I can see the back protector being excellent for track-style accidents which are most often a lowside with a reasonable amount of run-off. Sliding along on your back, the back protector makes a huge amount of sense.

Who cares about a low slide, that's what leathers are for. I'm more concerned about smashing into things - which is why I wear mine on the road almost religously.

As my old pa used to say, wank before riding and wear a back protector.