Hello. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions, as far as better protection while racing. I currently wear a Vance & Hines full suit, with body armor and a good back protector built in to it. Fortunately, that suit saved my @## in a crash last season. So, this season I would like to have even better protection, especially since I saw one of my friends get run over by another bike, while racing in the Pocono's. I'd like to hear ideas about adding another back protector under my suit as well as a back hump, or would that be overkill and limit my mobility. Also, I'd like to hear suggestions on knee protection. In my crash, I was hit from behind on my knee, causing my PCL to tear. Besides the knee protection that's already in the suit, I'm thinking about wrapping my knees or wearing a Kevlar-type of knee brace that will allow bending for racing, but also help with better protection. Thanks for your help and suggestions.
Dev
My philosophy is that whatever makes you feel safe, use it all the time. I've got a Bohn back protector and a speed hump/neck pad. Considering that my bike has run into me a couple of times and I have no injuries, I think the investment is worth it to me.
However, I once wrapped my knee up with an ace bandage after a crash and it severly limited my mobility. The wrapped bunched up and reduced the range of motion so much that I couldn't get off the seat to turn the bike. Whatever you choose to use, make sure you have full range of motion, or your riding will suffer.
IMHO, a built in back protector will not protect you as well as a worn back protector. In all the suits I've had, I've pulled out the "supplied" back protector and run with my separate back protector.
As for wrapping the knees??? Well, I don't think you could wrap it tight enough to do any good and still have mobility/circulation.
Keeping in good physical shape and stretching goes a long way in minimizing injury caused by crash. Obviously it won't help in all situations, but it's definitely worth your time and effort.
Besides that, keeping in good shape will give you better odds of staying upright.
QuoteKeeping in good physical shape and stretching goes a long way in minimizing injury caused by crash. Obviously it won't help in all situations, but it's definitely worth your time and effort.
Besides that, keeping in good shape will give you better odds of staying upright.
Thats Sound advice.
In addition to the other suggestions...
I wear Impact Shorts, they are marketed for our off road friends. The cover the Tail bone and hips, hips ofcourse don't have armor in the aver. suit. They are Cheap and comfortable, basicly Bicycling shorts with pads.
Greetings, I raced with CCS the first year they started, 1983 or 4.
A freind of mine raced with Baseball Catchers Knee protectors. They have good protection for the Shin and Knee Cap, no one at teck ever said anything about them. He wore them on the outside of his suit, they had 2 elastic bands, top and bottom, I even tried them at Daytona.
They bind up a little and I did not like the bound up feeling, but he liked them and always wore them.
I dont know what Tech would say about them now days, but they certainly did offer extra protection.
Good Luck. H. M.
I've been wearing Vanson suits since 1991. They have a built in back protector, but Vanson suits builds suits quite a bit better than anyone else. Oh, and I've field tested stuff to. In 1991, I was knocked down at an AMA National, knocked out too. I slid on the track face down. The rider then got on the brakes and ran over my body starting at my left kidney, across my back, over my neck, and over my head. I had a massive chin injury, and I was unable to make any funny noises for about a month because my thorax was so hammered.
The back was never an issue with the built in protector from Vanson.
As for knee braces, you'd have to go to the MX market stuff, like CTI?. They have knee braces.
Invariably, there is always a risk, and you always try to be prepared.
i played running back and ended up with the "running back knee" injury...
after falling and tearing my acl, im gonna try that brace that they use in football, it was pretty bulky back a few years, but its lighter and thinner now, ive seen em in walgreens, dont remember the price, but they have two straps, one just above the knee and one just below, and they had this heavy material type of metal running along the outside of the knee and one on the inside, they are appearing to be using a lighter more durable, or at least "as" durable material now. i'll have my suit adjusted to fit them in, but thing is, they are for keeping the knee from bending the wrong way, but dont restrict normal movement....
oh, and of course, the metal has a hinge on bth sides of the knee...
ike
It would be cooler if it didn't have the hinge. You could walk around the pits like a pirate..."Arg, bring the wench to my cabin...Arg!" ;)(Needs a patch...LOL!)