Neck braces for ADV riding?

[Night Falcon]

Have been weighing up the merits of neck braces for adv riding. Are they worth it I ask myself? Like all safety gear you really only get the full value from it when it all turns to custard which I try to avoid (unsuccessfully at times) so how do you decide what gear is essential and what is too much?

I was chatting with GSer the other day who recently broke some bones in his shoulder and wondered if a neck brace might have made things worse, better or no different? I don't think I've seen any other ADV rider wearing a neck brace so maybe they're more for the hard core enduro/mx crowd?

[Padmei]

I've thought seriously about them. I see that they are popular in Aussie & SA but I reckon it's mor to do with doing long fast stuff then hitting soft sand. The adv riding I tend to do is slower on offroad/ dangerous conditions & I think the chances are higher of me sliding rather than going over the bars

[Oscar]

I broke a bone in my neck back in the day and tried racing with a brace, but I couldnae get used to it.
As I get older the ground seems to be getting harder, so I keep thinking about trying again.

[NordieBoy]

I like my Omega from Torpedo7. Cheap and not intrusive/restrictive. Was $200 on sale.

I ride solo a lot and use it riding in the hills if the terrain promises to be gnarlier or faster than normal.

Racing - definitely.

Did you see Jonny Walkers head snap back at Erzberg? That was without a neck brace.

Chris Birch is sold on them nowadays.

[socialites]

I believe a neck brace is a very important piece of safety gear, and I own and wear a Leatt, but never while adventure riding. I would only wear it on my other dirt bike when out doing MX or trails. Adventure riding in my opinion is way to placid.

[scott411]

the neck brace debate has evolved, early on if you questioned a Leatt Brace it was like you were a Holicost denier, i have tried some but do not wear them, I have not seen any independant science that makes me think ill be that much safer in one, i have no doubt in certain crashes some of them will be good to have, but i know some of them make shoulder and back injuries worse in certain crashes as well,

A heap of top MX riders have stopped wearing them incl Ben Townley, Ryan Dungey, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey, and they would most likely get paid to wear certian brands if they wanted to,

I think before you decide on a brand see what fits better, certain body shapes fit different brands better, and take your helmet and riding jacket/armour in when you try it,

[Night Falcon]

the neck brace debate has evolved, early on if you questioned a Leatt Brace it was like you were a Holicost denier, i have tried some but do not wear them, I have not seen any independant science that makes me think ill be that much safer in one, i have no doubt in certain crashes some of them will be good to have, but i know some of them make shoulder and back injuries worse in certain crashes as well,

A heap of top MX riders have stopped wearing them incl Ben Townley, Ryan Dungey, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey, and they would most likely get paid to wear certian brands if they wanted to,

I think before you decide on a brand see what fits better, certain body shapes fit different brands better, and take your helmet and riding jacket/armour in when you try it,

Interesting you say some of the top riders nolonger use neck braces. I guess it comes down to what you feel the most comfortable wearing or in this case not wearing. I have no doubt that in the right circumstances a neck brace is gonna be worth it, but it might equally be not worth it in certain crashes....if only you could tell what type of crash your going to have before you have it, then life would be much simpler

[Box'a'bits]

Then they wouldn't be called accidents. They'd be called deliberates....

[Night Falcon]

Then they wouldn't be called accidents. They'd be called deliberates....

and ACC would have to become DCC

[Gremlin]

I've thought seriously about them. I see that they are popular in Aussie & SA but I reckon it's mor to do with doing long fast stuff then hitting soft sand. The adv riding I tend to do is slower on offroad/ dangerous conditions & I think the chances are higher of me sliding rather than going over the bars

I think this is the key. If you ride like a Dakar rider then certainly, but usually my biggest worry is the bike hurting me as I topple over (usually at speeds below uh... 0). Therefore, I wouldn't see much point. I do however wear a full back protector and chest protector, but again, probably not going to serve much purpose when doing adv riding, more for the road (and it's bloody good).

[MXNUT]

I have worn a leatt neck brack on my dirt bike for the last 4 years now and would not be without it.

When i first got it i was surprised how unobtrusive it was, did not really notice any downside when riding with it on ( the same cannot be said of my knee braces, they are really constrictive ).

Seen too many ( and had a few myself ) nasty accidents with people going over the handlebars and head first into the ground.

Not sure about the claims that wearing a neck brace could cause more back or shoulder injuries, but even if they are true i would far rather deal with a back or shoulder injury than a broken neck.

The brace that i have got would be too restrictive to wear on the road as it does not allow alot of head movement when turning around.

Having said that there are now adventure and road model braces out there, so i would be interested to try 1 of them

[george formby]

I like my Omega from Torpedo7. Cheap and not intrusive/restrictive. Was $200 on sale.

I ride solo a lot and use it riding in the hills if the terrain promises to be gnarlier or faster than normal.

Racing - definitely.

Did you see Jonny Walkers head snap back at Erzberg? That was without a neck brace.

Chris Birch is sold on them nowadays.

See it? I heard it