I'm enjoying downhill oriented riding more and more lately and am really pushing myself, but I'm far from being what people would classify as a competent Downhill Rider!!
I've also had a couple of falls (a few years back) where I found myself in A&E, one with whiplash injuries.
I've recently been thinking about a neck brace; partly for the protection and partly for the psychological confidence boost when tackling bigger stuff.
So....
How many riders put on a neck brace when they put on a full face helmet?? Is it something people only do when taking part in DH racing?
Wrong forum or simply no wearers?
always wear one when I'm in a full face lid. It doesn't give me a psychological boost but I'd like to prevent any rotational neck/spinal injuries if possible.
Wrong website, not many DHers around here.
I've never worn one, never really felt the need (obviously I'm now going to break my neck when next on the dh bike)
Thanks; I suppose if I'm wearing a full-face I'm anticipating the risks to be higher and I probably should look at a brace.
That said I'm not what you'd call a proper DHer as such. I tend to bottle at 3 spot runs and settle at the 2 spot ones if that makes sense. Although I'm slowly improving/confidence growing (with a firm grip on my limitations!) 😀
Probably not that helpful but...
I broke my neck riding over a 2ft high lump in the ground in my local woods. Anything's dangerous if you do it wrong...
FWIW, I won't be wearing a neck brace when I'm next able to ride over there.
My thoughts here:
The GF used a Leatt a few years ago when she was riding with her full face kid. She'd liked it but wished she'd paid more for more adjustable version. They're a good bit of kit.
Coming from background in trauma and injuries I'm happy with the science behind it.
I don't wear one, but I think if you feel better wearing one then go for it
Jamesfts,
Thanks for the link; I did try to search.... 😐
Have a bit of DH today and tomorrow and will see how I feel. Having had my whiplash a few years back (which was bloody awful) It does seem to make sense. That said, my riding, approach to obstacles and willingness to seek advice/coaching means I have a totally different skill set and mindset compared to back then.
I suppose a couple of hundred quid, although pricey, isn't a huge cost on safety when dropper posts are more and I've got one of those!