What's your 'Chinese' Protection?

[bigdamo]

Thanks for the heads up bigdamo. Never heard of those things before.
On the Leatt website it said the price for a road-bike neck brace would be US$ 419.00 which equals 2 638.85477 Chinese yuan.

I just found those 'Leatt' neck braces on Taobao. They sell between 500rmb and some over 5000rmb.
The cheap ones have to be fake and I don't know if I'll be getting a real one if I pay 2600 odd rmb for one on Taobao.

I did a little looking around on their website and I'm pretty impressed. I'm just not sure whether or not I'm really going to need one of those if I'm not really doing any professional racing. I know, someone is probably saying "You can never be too safe" but I'm also considering the time when I'm so clogged up with gear that I can't concentrate properly and then get into an accident.

On the other hand, the road-bike neck brace doesn't look heavy or restricting and it could save my neck (pun intended).
Attachment 6503Attachment 6504

P.s. There are a couple selling on Taobao for 3000 and 3500.
P.s.s. I think I'll ask my dad to get me one from the states.

You should be able to get the Leatt there are other companies that do the neck brace as well from a American motorcycle online shop cheaper.

[TB-Racing]

G'Day,

Before getting one of the plastic harness would look into the "airbag jackets" on offer: Dainese / Spidi and may be other manufacturers......

[euphonius]

Dear SoberPete,

I would do a bit more homework about these braces. I'd be willing to bet that orthopedists, and particularly spine and neck specialists, would have a wide range of opinions about these devices and their potential to help or harm. Just looking at the design, I can imagine they could have the negative effect of forming a fulcrum between your shoulder and head, so in the presence of strong lateral forces the device could have the effect of levering your upper vertabrae apart, with the potential to stress and damage your spinal cord. I have no evidence of this, but just looking at them logically.

At risk of repeating myself with uninvited observations, I'm confused by the scattershot approach you are taking to your own physical safety. As someone else has suggested, look through the endless threads in ADVRider.com, and see what adventure riders are wearing. You will see lots of guys with integrated suits, which have all their armor built in and properly positioned over arms, shoulders, hips and knees. There's probably a fair amount of discussion about strap-on protectors, and the big question will be whether they stay put in a getoff; generally speaking, I suspect they provide at best some protection in the initial impact. But if you get off at speed, you will either tumble or slide. In either case, there are all kinds of forces trying to rip those strap-ons from your body.

Expense is a factor, but safety equipment has to be just as important as your bike itself, actually more important. Each time I visit the US, I dig into Craigslist, which is filled with ads by financially strapped guys who are selling their bike and all their gear, often for a song. Near-new stuff for a quarter of original retail.

Think clearly about the kind of riding you'll be doing, and what kind of protection you'll need for that kind of riding. Then get the right gear and strive to be the best possible rider you can. Gear helps a lot, but is far less important than the skill and judgment and wisdom that comes with experience. (And I speak as a relative newb...)

cheers

[bigdamo]

Dear SoberPete,

I would do a bit more homework about these braces. I'd be willing to bet that orthopedists, and particularly spine and neck specialists, would have a wide range of opinions about these devices and their potential to help or harm. Just looking at the design, I can imagine they could have the negative effect of forming a fulcrum between your shoulder and head, so in the presence of strong lateral forces the device could have the effect of levering your upper vertabrae apart, with the potential to stress and damage your spinal cord. I have no evidence of this, but just looking at them logically.

At risk of repeating myself with uninvited observations, I'm confused by the scattershot approach you are taking to your own physical safety. As someone else has suggested, look through the endless threads in ADVRider.com, and see what adventure riders are wearing. You will see lots of guys with integrated suits, which have all their armor built in and properly positioned over arms, shoulders, hips and knees. There's probably a fair amount of discussion about strap-on protectors, and the big question will be whether they stay put in a getoff; generally speaking, I suspect they provide at best some protection in the initial impact. But if you get off at speed, you will either tumble or slide. In either case, there are all kinds of forces trying to rip those strap-ons from your body.

Expense is a factor, but safety equipment has to be just as important as your bike itself, actually more important. Each time I visit the US, I dig into Craigslist, which is filled with ads by financially strapped guys who are selling their bike and all their gear, often for a song. Near-new stuff for a quarter of original retail.

Think clearly about the kind of riding you'll be doing, and what kind of protection you'll need for that kind of riding. Then get the right gear and strive to be the best possible rider you can. Gear helps a lot, but is far less important than the skill and judgment and wisdom that comes with experience. (And I speak as a relative newb...)

cheers

These neck braces have been out for a quite a few years now.When they first came out there was quite abit of discussion on the safety side and quite a few opinions like yours.The fact remains people are wearing them still and all say they won't go back many have been in accidents that they say the brace saved their neck so to speak.

Yeah possibly he is going abit overboard.I would have just bought a good riding jacket with shoulder and elbow guards in the jacket but he has already gone and bought the gear that he has.As I said I also have a full body armour suit like his it has saved me from injury many a time and no it doesn't move around.I have hit a few trees in my time too and to many get offs to remember .I won't ride with out knee guards or elbow protection even on my trials bike and that is low speed get offs

[soberpete]

Dear SoberPete,

I would do a bit more homework about these braces. I'd be willing to bet that orthopedists, and particularly spine and neck specialists, would have a wide range of opinions about these devices and their potential to help or harm. Just looking at the design, I can imagine they could have the negative effect of forming a fulcrum between your shoulder and head, so in the presence of strong lateral forces the device could have the effect of levering your upper vertabrae apart, with the potential to stress and damage your spinal cord. I have no evidence of this, but just looking at them logically.

At risk of repeating myself with uninvited observations, I'm confused by the scattershot approach you are taking to your own physical safety. As someone else has suggested, look through the endless threads in ADVRider.com, and see what adventure riders are wearing. You will see lots of guys with integrated suits, which have all their armor built in and properly positioned over arms, shoulders, hips and knees. There's probably a fair amount of discussion about strap-on protectors, and the big question will be whether they stay put in a getoff; generally speaking, I suspect they provide at best some protection in the initial impact. But if you get off at speed, you will either tumble or slide. In either case, there are all kinds of forces trying to rip those strap-ons from your body.

Expense is a factor, but safety equipment has to be just as important as your bike itself, actually more important. Each time I visit the US, I dig into Craigslist, which is filled with ads by financially strapped guys who are selling their bike and all their gear, often for a song. Near-new stuff for a quarter of original retail.

Think clearly about the kind of riding you'll be doing, and what kind of protection you'll need for that kind of riding. Then get the right gear and strive to be the best possible rider you can. Gear helps a lot, but is far less important than the skill and judgment and wisdom that comes with experience. (And I speak as a relative newb...)

cheers

Dear Euphonius,

Apparently the Leatt brace is designed to... well, here's a cut from their website:
With the Leatt-Brace® fitted, the force will instead transfer from the ground to the helmet, through the helmet onto the Leatt-Brace® once contact is made, some of the force will therefore be transferred to the brace and dispersed to the less vulnerable parts of the torso. If the impact is significant enough, the brace is designed to fail in crumple zones (similar to those seen in cars), thereby helping to absorb some of the energy of the impact.
Despite this reassurance I know it won't save someone from everything. I'm still looking at getting one but I know I should check out ADVrider first. That site will take some time to look though.

I've glanced at those airbag jackets before but never really investigated them. Does anybody on this site own one?

If you, sir, are relative to a newb then I'm a likely comparable to an unborn fetus.

I've been pretty hasty buying equipment recently. I'm slowing down now and thinking of getting one of those roadcrafter one-peice suits in the future. I believe they have integrated armour and there are even some road-slider Velcro patches that can be added for a little extra cash. Again, I should check out ADVrider first.

[TB-Racing]

I've glanced at those airbag jackets before but never really investigated them. Does anybody on this site own one?...... thinking of getting one of those roadcrafter one-peice suits in the future.

G'Day,

A while ago the SPIDI lifestyle shop Shanghai (Pubei Road) had two black Spidi "airbag" jackets on display.

Highly recommend to try the AEROSTICH Roadcrafter suits if you have a chance before ordering, have two riding buddies here in Shanghai and they ordered over the internet last year and both had to exchange them several times due to fitment issues (sizing).....
They are happy with the one piece AEROSTICH suits after the fitment issue were sorted.

[ZMC888]

Pete, those neck braces are generally used for dirt biking and downhill mountain biking, I wouldn't bother with one on a road bike personally.

[bigdamo]

Pete, those neck braces are generally used for dirt biking and downhill mountain biking, I wouldn't bother with one on a road bike personally.

ZMC888 is right.Plus the Chinese will look at you funny.

I don't care how they look at me.

[ZMC888]

ZMC888 is right.Plus the Chinese will look at you funny. I don't care how they look at me.

Yeah, um not wanting to wear dirt biking impact protection is just a massive compromise on safety if you ride a road bike with no intention of going off road?

[bigdamo]

Yeah, um not wanting to wear dirt biking impact protection is just a massive compromise on safety if you ride a road bike with no intention of going off road?

To not explore the dirt roads is just sacrilege.Well up here it is.

Plus most of the tar roads may as well be dirt roads the way they are cut up.