For those of you that wear neck braces when riding, what brand are you using and how do you like the fit ?? I now have an older thor chest protector and I'm wondering how well it will fit with this. I've never tried on a neck brace before. I recently met a tree up close and I'm thinking this would be a good piece of equipment to be wearing. Thanks
I started out with a Leatt GPX 5.5 + matching chest protector. It was bulky and didn't fit me that great (stocky and with a short-ish neck). I eventually tried an Atlas Air + defender chest protector which I have been wearing for about 2 years now. Leatt Atlas Leatt Atlas
I wear the atlas as well. I match that with a TLD chest protector. They match up well. The problem I have is that I wear my chest protector under my jersey I wear a T-shirt under that. The neck opening tends to be an issue. Even the v shaped ones are tight around the base of the brace. There are straps to keep the brace in place, and having some help to get them connected helps.
I'm using a Leatt Fusion 3.0. Riding with a brace certainly took a little getting used to, but once I did, it's well worth it. I like that the brace and chest protector are one unit. I've taken some pretty good digs lately and I can say with confidence that it has prevented me from going to the hospital. About the only complaint is that I can't look up as far as I can without it, but I figure that's kinda the point of wearing it. Use-able range of motion without allowing too much movement in a crash.
I have been wearing a cervical collar for more than 10 14 years (right now an EVS RC2) and I feel totally naked without it on. OTOH, while I'm riding I'm in the habit of moving my head to and fro about every 20 minutes to make sure it's on... you just don't feel it's presence. 2 thumbs up. The biggest negative is that it *might* be hotter (not really) than nothing, but can you turn that supposed negative into a positive by scrunching your shoulders up slightly at speed: instant cooling air rushing over your head, when your helmet lifts a tiny bit. For a couple of reason, I don't wear a neck brace. One reason is because I wear a pressure suit with spine protection, and most braces are not compatible with this system. I've gone over the handlebars, and landed on my head and rolled on to my back, where I laid flat wishing the air would re-enter my lungs. Got my bell rung a bit, but no sore neck or anything like that. One data point for sure; but I'm convinced. I'm too old now to even consider surviving that again.
Thanks for the input. Right now I'm looking at an Atlas Air or possibly an EVS cervical collar. I like the Atlas but not sure how well it will work with my current chest protector.
I bought my first neck brace in 2008. It was an EVS but I can't recall the model. In the first race I wore it I had a minor crash going across some ruts in the mud and went down. It was the last race of the season and good thing because I didn't realize it until later but I was concussed. I got better over winter. First ride of the next season I went out to a local sand track and basically fell over in a turn because I wasn't really going fast enough through the deep sand. It took me about a day to realize that I was really badly concussed and about 3 years to get over it. Thinking back and recalling both crashes I now know exactly what happened - I can even recall the feeling of what was going on in both crashes. When I hit my head on the ground, as minor as it was, it wasn't able to move because of the neck brace but my brain kept moving in my head resulting in a concussion. So that was the end of my neck brace. I haven't used it since but I have been using an EVS neck roll/cervical collar, have had similar minor crashes and no more problems. Yesterday I committed to buy an Alpinestars brace from a fellow club member. It's used and the price is right. So I'll try it on and if I think it's going to restrict my head's mobility enough that I may get another concussion I'll just sell it to another club member.
weird. If I'm reading you right, you think the brace was too stiff or rigid, contributing to a concussion; but with the cervical collar you haven't experienced that? I do gotta admit, I like the smoother stop of my head with the EVS, when it reaches "full travel". <shiver> yeeech, I hate thinking about it. I will have to think about the implications of your observation. hmmmm.
Correct. Going to give the Alpinestars brace a try. I'd really prefer to wear one if I can, though I think the collar probably does most of the same thing anyway
