Leatt Brace is NO GOOD!!!!

[ThunderChicken]

Do you honestly think that the Leatt didn't help when his head impacted that tire in the video? He walked away from that crash(after he woke up) that in itself is proof enough to me. I have no professional training but i know that a neck donut wouldn't have absorbed or spread that impact like the Leatt did. Oh the other thing, there was no way to tuck and roll your way out of that one.

That's the 1 in a million crash that the brace is designed to protect against.

However, I will have 30 little crashes before I have a getoff like that. What's the point of having the brace if the thorasic bar destroys my upper back during minor crashes? Or, what's the point of having the brace if it impedes me from rolling out of a common crash?

[Mike546]

That's the 1 in a million crash that the brace is designed to protect against.

However, I will have 30 little crashes before I have a getoff like that. What's the point of having the brace if the thorasic bar destroys my upper back during minor crashes? Or, what's the point of having the brace if it impedes me from rolling out of a common crash?

It's the one in a million crash the we have to protect ourselves from. We wear seat belts every day, not for the fender bender but for the head on crash that you may never have in your lifetime.

Do what you want. I don't have time for this anymore. I have to go to the garage and remove the airbags from my truck.

[RobbieRacer]

Don't forget the fulcrum effect of neck rolls! Looks like Leatt will need to come up with a modification to disperse the loads on the thorasic bar. Meantime, don't crash on your back.

[outacontrol3]

What I am questioning is this - Why are there no independent crash safety guys talking up these products?

Joe

David Bailey and Ernesto Fonseca both gave a 30 min interview on the importance of the leatt, both guys who suffered life changing paralysis, both dont have a dime in it, and both will never have the need to put one on. To me thats as honest of an opinion as it gets.

CAn you also come remove my air bags in my truck, or should i put on my neck brace and go hit a tree to deploy them??

[JJStunts816]

It's the one in a million crash the we have to protect ourselves from. We wear seat belts every day, not for the fender bender but for the head on crash that you may never have in your lifetime.

Do what you want. I don't have time for this anymore. I have to go to the garage and remove the airbags from my truck.

Not wearing a neck brace, and not wearing a seatbelt are a little different IMO..

A helmet vs a seatbelt would be more on par IMO

What I find weird, is how no one wears spine protectors on dirt bikes?

I'm not a racer, more of a onroad guy, but this week I'm picking up a new spine protector..

I just think, if your gonna wear a neck brace, should probably wear a spine protector too right?

[flynride525]

Another moronic thread, where some idiot knocks a product, but with no basis in fact, just idiotic speculation. Did you just do this so you could sit back and see the reaction? Another brave person behind the anonymous keyboard

I'm right here big boy....

[flynride525]

After coming back and reading all this...I just have to laugh. I have never seen a dirtbike product polarize so many people. I still have seen no scientific evidence to support or deny this brace. That is why I say that the brace is overhyped and a wonderful job of marketing. Where is the evidence to support this product??? Where is it????? Don't tell me about your magnificent crash and how the brace saved your life. How do you know??? All you know is that Leatt came up with a brilliant marketing strategy and they introduced the product at a great time. Show me the ANSI cert or the NIST cert or some type of agency that will stand behind this product. Until you can.....Its all hype.....

[chadk66]

After coming back and reading all this...I just have to laugh. I have never seen a dirtbike product polarize so many people. I still have seen no scientific evidence to support or deny this brace. That is why I say that the brace is overhyped and a wonderful job of marketing. Where is the evidence to support this product??? Where is it????? Don't tell me about your magnificent crash and how the brace saved your life. How do you know??? All you know is that Leatt came up with a brilliant marketing strategy and they introduced the product at a great time. Show me the ANSI cert or the NIST cert or some type of agency that will stand behind this product. Until you can.....Its all hype.....

what would you recommend doing that would certify the leatt. It would be pretty hard to do simulations of crashes that happen in motorcycle racing. People seem to think that it's easy, just use a crash test dummy like we all see on tv hooked to a bunch of sensors. Well it's not that easy given the types of crashes that happen on motorcycles. I would also like to see something but it's probably not very practical. I guess they could put a sticker on it that says approved for all of you that need that.

[tylerNOTshirley]

After coming back and reading all this...I just have to laugh. I have never seen a dirtbike product polarize so many people. I still have seen no scientific evidence to support or deny this brace. That is why I say that the brace is overhyped and a wonderful job of marketing. Where is the evidence to support this product??? Where is it????? Don't tell me about your magnificent crash and how the brace saved your life. How do you know??? All you know is that Leatt came up with a brilliant marketing strategy and they introduced the product at a great time. Show me the ANSI cert or the NIST cert or some type of agency that will stand behind this product. Until you can.....Its all hype.....

Doctors that stand behind the brace...

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=20&id=4

Scientific evidence.....

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=19&msg_id=86&id=3#86

Are there ANSI or NIST certs for Tech 8s or 10s? Probably not but they are still one of the best boots to buy, along with SG10s. You wonder why so many riders are "polarized" from a single product........well it's the first to actually attempt at significantly reducing the risk of paralysis from a neck injury in the event of a crash. After seeing my best friend break his neck after going over the bars, I got a brace (took 9 weeks but I got it). With the brace maybe he would of only broken or cracked his C-6 vertebra instead of smashing C-4, C-5, and C-6 with out the brace. People are so critical of Leatt because the brace is expensive and everyone is talking about them. They must be on to something because now Alpinestars and EVS are coming out with them that look identical........hmmm that's interesting. If you don't want to wear a neck brace that's fine but don't get upset with people that want to talk about the brace or wear the brace.

[CamP]

What's the point of having the brace if the thorasic bar destroys my upper back during minor crashes?

The Thoracic bar on the Leatt is designed to break off in a severe impact. I landed directly on my back in the landing zone of a 60' jump last year and I sustained no injuries from the brace. I did break a rib in my lower back, well away from the Leatt's t-spar.

Also, I broke T7 in a skiing accident and my doctor said that part of the spine is very strong. I don't think the little piece of carbon fiber holding the t-spar onto the leatt is even close to being strong enough to damage the vertebra in that part of your back.

[chadk66]

Doctors that stand behind the brace...

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=20&id=4

Scientific evidence.....

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=19&msg_id=86&id=3#86

Are there ANSI or NIST certs for Tech 8s or 10s? Probably not but they are still one of the best boots to buy, along with SG10s. You wonder why so many riders are "polarized" from a single product........well it's the first to actually attempt at significantly reducing the risk of paralysis from a neck injury in the event of a crash. After seeing my best friend break his neck after going over the bars, I got a brace (took 9 weeks but I got it). With the brace maybe he would of only broken or cracked his C-6 vertebra instead of smashing C-4, C-5, and C-6 with out the brace. People are so critical of Leatt because the brace is expensive and everyone is talking about them. They must be on to something because now Alpinestars and EVS are coming out with them that look identical........hmmm that's interesting. If you don't want to wear a neck brace that's fine but don't get upset with people that want to talk about the brace or wear the brace.

Well folks, there you have it!

[chadk66]

The Thoracic bar on the Leatt is designed to break off in a severe impact. I landed directly on my back in the landing zone of a 60' jump last year and I sustained no injuries from the brace. I did break a rib in my lower back, well away from the Leatt's t-spar.

Also, I broke T7 in a skiing accident and my doctor said that part of the spine is very strong. I don't think the little piece of carbon fiber holding the t-spar onto the leatt is even close to being strong enough to damage the vertebra in that part of your back.

That was my feeling also. But I didn't want to be the one to break it to him.

[steve_97060]

That was my feeling also. But I didn't want to be the one to break it to him.

so what you are saying, is because Cam didn't have anything happen to his ribs at the point of contact that makes his experience more relevant than ThunderChicken's who had an inury at that location?

[CamP]

so what you are saying, is because Cam didn't have anything happen to his ribs at the point of contact that makes his experience more relevant than ThunderChicken's who had an inury at that location?

That's not the point. I believe TC would have broken his ribs regardless of whether or not he had the brace on.

[chadk66]

so what you are saying, is because Cam didn't have anything happen to his ribs at the point of contact that makes his experience more relevant than ThunderChicken's who had an inury at that location?

No, what I'm saying is I don't believe the leatt contributed to either one.

[old 4 cycle]

Doctors that stand behind the brace...

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=20&id=4

To my mind, South African trauma docs are NOT sports medicine or biomechanical crash safety experts.

Scientific evidence.....

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php?page_id=19&msg_id=86&id=3#86

Are there ANSI or NIST certs for Tech 8s or 10s? Probably not but they are still one of the best boots to buy, along with SG10s. You wonder why so many riders are "polarized" from a single product........well it's the first to actually attempt at significantly reducing the risk of paralysis from a neck injury in the event of a crash. After seeing my best friend break his neck after going over the bars, I got a brace (took 9 weeks but I got it). With the brace maybe he would of only broken or cracked his C-6 vertebra instead of smashing C-4, C-5, and C-6 with out the brace.

Science, but NOT from independent sports medicine or biomechanical crash safety experts.

The cars guys find ways to identify and classify injury mechanics to establish the desirability of a safety product, and they manage to design and implement independent tests to measure effectiveness.

People are so critical of Leatt because the brace is expensive and everyone is talking about them. They must be on to something because now Alpinestars and EVS are coming out with them that look identical........hmmm that's interesting. If you don't want to wear a neck brace that's fine but don't get upset with people that want to talk about the brace or wear the brace.

To me the issue is not Leatt but the whole issue of whether these products potentially do more harm than good.

Why are Alpinestars and EVS joining the bandwagon? Take a look at Leatt's financials they just published. In 2007 they had sales of $17million and profit after tax of $6million. That's 35%. Nice. Sales of $17million means at least 50,000 units, maybe more if they sold them at a decent discount to thier dealers. I'm surprised its taken so long for Alpinestars and EVS to get their act together.

I'm happy for these companies to make money - its the way the world goes around.

I want to buy safety gear.

I do not think that it is asking too much to expect that manufacturers who sell safety products should validate the need for their products and the performance claims they make with reference to INDEPENDENT expert analysis and testing.

Joe

[eli366]

Even if this is the Leatt brace, no peice of safety equipment eleminates the risk of you hurting yourself.

exactly, there is no way to eliminate all risk. Well, I guess you could stop riding and play checkers in your spare time.

[loopsrider]

OM......F'N.....G

I got to the third page of this stupid thread and wanted to punch myself in the face.....

18 F'n pages over someone who broke their mid back and complaints why a NECK BRACE didn't make them invincible to mid-spine injury...

It may have got worked out in the next 15 pages but I couldn't read the stupidity any longer..........

How about when someone actually breaks their neck we revive this thread.... Till then it's kinda like this............??

[Mike546]

From the Leatt site.

The thoracic member allows for brace fitment, prevents rotation of the brace, and allows for the transmission of hyperextension and hypertranslation forces from one spinal segment to approximately eleven. It is completely safe; you can fall directly onto your back wearing a brace without injury. The energy is applied to the muscles that run on either side of your spine, is enclosed in padding and has been used in testing with numerous riders, many of whom have had big falls and crashes!

[ThunderChicken]

1. I fell directly on my back breaking two of my ribs exactly under the thorasic member. BTW, that was at UMC Desert Scrambles back in Sept/Oct. My upper back is still ***** up. I have spasms in my scapula/ribs area where the impact occured. I've never had back problems. Never. This was a every day get off that should have been insignif. I believe (and my wife, a practicing Physical Therapist with a Doctorate from Loma Linda University) that this injury was the direct result of the Leatt Brace causing a folcrum point in my back. Basically when I landed I felt like I was a round piece of wood being split with a wedge.

2. The worst part about this is I had another getoff prior to breaking my ribs, at Invaders Desert Scrambles in August in a sandwash. I lowsided and felt like someone was holding my legs in the air and my upper body felt like I was wearing one of those barrels rodeo clowns wear. I couldn't move to get curled up and I basically waited/watched as my helmet acted as a leading edge skipping across the sand. I felt like a human plow. Again, i feel that the brace kept me from doing what I instictively know how to do.

That's my impression. We have been subject to such marginal safety equipment from "apparel companies" for so long that the first time something somewhat solid comes along it appears foolproof.