they are cheaper than an ambulance/hospital bill
To Leatt or not to Leatt?
- Thread starter ultraNoob
- Start date
works great. I have been using that combo for 3 years. Adjust the rear down all the way for DH.
I have a leatte now and am used to it, but find I can only look a certain amount ahead even with the adjustments fixed.
Im curoius though to see why some of the top pros chose to remove theres after a season of riding it or testing them. Ex. Gwin, n I know theres more, just can't think of them at the moment.
Im curoius though to see why some of the top pros chose to remove theres after a season of riding it or testing them. Ex. Gwin, n I know theres more, just can't think of them at the moment.
What's this bolt mod all about then?
flipping the nuts in the back. Gains a couple of mm of downward adjustment.
So if people had a choice between the Adventure and GPX model what would they get? Tossing up between the two as I've had some pretty ****ty crashes invovling landed on my head once or twice and not too keen on living 50 years in a wheel chair.
I'm also running a 661 helmet, can't remember which one... possibly strike? Anyone had any issues running a leatt with that helmet?
I'm also running a 661 helmet, can't remember which one... possibly strike? Anyone had any issues running a leatt with that helmet?
I'm running a Leatt GPX Club since July. I decided to get one after my crash in Sol Vista on the first big jump in the 3-pack.
Basically, I use it for DH and moto and now will refuse to ride without it.
YES, it does take a little getting used to but after a while you won't know it's there. Just make sure it's adjusted all the way down and you're set for DH.
If you're going to be using it on a moto as well, chances are you won't notice it at all (at least I don't).
If you're running a D2 or D3 the leatt is not as obvious, but I always run a moto helmet (661 Flight II) for both DH and moto. Sometimes it can get in the way if I am racing at a place that is very steep and you need to look super far ahead at the same time.
Here's some times when the Leatt proved useful for me.
Zaca Station MX
The initial impact severely shoved my neck back, glad I had the Leatt!
Basically, I use it for DH and moto and now will refuse to ride without it.
YES, it does take a little getting used to but after a while you won't know it's there. Just make sure it's adjusted all the way down and you're set for DH.
If you're going to be using it on a moto as well, chances are you won't notice it at all (at least I don't).
If you're running a D2 or D3 the leatt is not as obvious, but I always run a moto helmet (661 Flight II) for both DH and moto. Sometimes it can get in the way if I am racing at a place that is very steep and you need to look super far ahead at the same time.
Here's some times when the Leatt proved useful for me.
Zaca Station MX
The initial impact severely shoved my neck back, glad I had the Leatt!
I had a friend break his neck last summer, now he's paralyzed from the chest down. Obviously, I've been keeping a keen eye on the neck brace issue.
I saw the post above about the Omega brace. It's more moto oriented as there aren't any recommendations on using it mountain biking it seems, or with body armor. (Just a chest protector.) This has me wondering even more now. I've been reading threads on a bunch of dirt bike forums and I'm even more confused on the different systems out there.
I've been riding really conservatively lately due to some knee pain issues, but the question of WHAT neck brace, is the question...
I saw the post above about the Omega brace. It's more moto oriented as there aren't any recommendations on using it mountain biking it seems, or with body armor. (Just a chest protector.) This has me wondering even more now. I've been reading threads on a bunch of dirt bike forums and I'm even more confused on the different systems out there.
I've been riding really conservatively lately due to some knee pain issues, but the question of WHAT neck brace, is the question...
For what its worth I just had my first weekend riding with a Leatt (GPX) and I like it a lot, didn't take anytime to get used to it and I don't find it restricting in the slightest, don't even know its on really. Mines not even fully slammed at the rear, maybe I have a long neck?
I had a nasty fall last season, about 12 foot straight down on my head,
screwed my neck for a few months, I figure I've had my get out of jail free card so anything that provides any protection is worth the money.
I had a nasty fall last season, about 12 foot straight down on my head,
screwed my neck for a few months, I figure I've had my get out of jail free card so anything that provides any protection is worth the money.
Been using mine for almost a year. If I'm riding with a full face, I never leave home without it.
Fantastic product, and it's already saved my neck 3 times.
Fantastic product, and it's already saved my neck 3 times.
my advice would be to try it out 1st b4 purchase. its a funny product in a way that u either like it or not. esp with ur helmet of choice. this especially is true for the lower range club version where adjustability is minimal.
i love my fully adjustable moto gpx and ride with it all the time. my combo: with core saver and wthout (with different thoracic panel) works a charm.
i like to walk away from crashes!
i love my fully adjustable moto gpx and ride with it all the time. my combo: with core saver and wthout (with different thoracic panel) works a charm.
i like to walk away from crashes!
It would be very helpful if the people who are using a leatt would also post the model of Leatt and the helmet they use.
I've been researching on message boards the last few weeks and while there is no shortage of anecdotes about how riders Leatt braces saved their necks, there is little help on compatiblity.
In the end decided to go with aGPX club due to the fact I am running a DOT 661 Icon Flight.
I've been researching on message boards the last few weeks and while there is no shortage of anecdotes about how riders Leatt braces saved their necks, there is little help on compatiblity.
In the end decided to go with aGPX club due to the fact I am running a DOT 661 Icon Flight.
I have used a TLD D2 helmet and also the TLD D3 helmet with my Leatt over the last year. The D3 is designed around the Leatt so it has the best movement I have seen and experienced so far with it.
D2:
D3:
D2:
D3:
I've just picked up my Leatt. Adjusted it to my body and tried it with 661 back armor from Pressure Suit. I've made custom harness and it works almost perfectly 
Leatt and armor moves independently Leatt's back lower member is under back armor, but it doesn't push Leatt up.
So, for this season I am going to use Leatt Brace GPX Club with Giro Remedy S helmet and 661 Pressure Suit back armor.
Leatt and armor moves independently
Leatt's back lower member is under back armor, but it doesn't push Leatt up.So, for this season I am going to use Leatt Brace GPX Club with Giro Remedy S helmet and 661 Pressure Suit back armor.
I'd be really surprised if we don't see a $200 Leatt brace with a default angle ideal for DH this year - it's such an obviously lucrative market segment. Not as much with the DH segment (we're a small segment), but the sport bike segment is quite size-able.
Just curious what lead you to your conclusion, and if you had used either brace for DH/FR. What do you like better about the Bionic? Is it a fit/comfort thing, or level of protection? Have you had similar crashes with differing results using both braces? I'm always curious how people come to a decision like this and I like to have as much information about this type of stuff as possible.
I'm using the GPX Sport, and bought a Club for my wife. We have both been pleased with them. I'm in a Fox Rampage and she has a Giro Remedy. I feel like I could have a little more range of motion looking up than I do currently, but it's not hindering my view in an uncomfortable way. I may change helmets at some point to get a little more rearward movement though.
I picked up a Leatt after my injuries slowly started creeping up my body (toe, hip, kidney).. it was only time till things reached my neck. Getting a pretty bad case of whiplash at a snowshoe race by doing something stupid motivated me too.
I used the Leatt GPX Club this past season with a 2006 661 Strike helmet and dianese upper body armor. Luckily I haven't had the opportunity to test it for real, but I did do two really slow tumbles during which I noticed:
-I didn't feel any pressure on my neck
-If I wasn't wearing this I could tuck and roll much easier.
-I understand completely how this could break collar bones.
When not crashing and on relatively flat sections I don't notice the brace much unless I am trying to see the person behind me. Where I do notice it and my biggest complain is that it significantly hampers my ability to look up trails. This is EVEN with the nuts in the back flipped around (which is a MUST-do adjustment if you ride DH IMO)
Riding down steep ravines, rock faces, etc was something I felt fairly comfortable with before, but now I feel more hesitant on them. In my neutral riding position the brace makes me feel like looking ahead == just looking over the front of my front tire. I can look up further, but it requires me to lean forwards more and this I feel is the reason I have endo-ed in a few situation.
So, with that somewhat negative review I will say that I still wear it and don't plan to stop.. or at least not until somebody comes out with something better. I really hope a new helmet will help, but I'm also a little concerned that to remedy the situation a helmet that exposes too much of the back of my head will be necessary... and I kinda like my brain stem.
Oh, as a final note, I would get the cheapest adjustable Leatt vs the Leatt Adventure.. I just don't think you will have enough mobility with the latter.
edit: If you get a Leatt, check with someone to make sure it actually fits you after you adjusted it too. I've ridden with a local or two who were wearing them, but seemingly incorrectly (i.e. shoulder things were floating 2 inches above their shoulders). I guess it's not too surprising since the manual they provide with the Leatt isn't very helpful to say the least.. do they have fitting videos somewhere?
Another edit: I have tried the EVS RC-EVO on (not ridden with.. I wouldn't want to try) and it feels way more confining than the Leatt.. I wouldn't bother checking their current product revision out at all.
Disclaimer: I'm a slow hack on a bike, but perhaps that means I am more qualified to test safety products.
I used the Leatt GPX Club this past season with a 2006 661 Strike helmet and dianese upper body armor. Luckily I haven't had the opportunity to test it for real, but I did do two really slow tumbles during which I noticed:
-I didn't feel any pressure on my neck
-If I wasn't wearing this I could tuck and roll much easier.
-I understand completely how this could break collar bones.
When not crashing and on relatively flat sections I don't notice the brace much unless I am trying to see the person behind me. Where I do notice it and my biggest complain is that it significantly hampers my ability to look up trails. This is EVEN with the nuts in the back flipped around (which is a MUST-do adjustment if you ride DH IMO)
Riding down steep ravines, rock faces, etc was something I felt fairly comfortable with before, but now I feel more hesitant on them. In my neutral riding position the brace makes me feel like looking ahead == just looking over the front of my front tire. I can look up further, but it requires me to lean forwards more and this I feel is the reason I have endo-ed in a few situation.
So, with that somewhat negative review I will say that I still wear it and don't plan to stop.. or at least not until somebody comes out with something better. I really hope a new helmet will help, but I'm also a little concerned that to remedy the situation a helmet that exposes too much of the back of my head will be necessary... and I kinda like my brain stem.
Oh, as a final note, I would get the cheapest adjustable Leatt vs the Leatt Adventure.. I just don't think you will have enough mobility with the latter.
edit: If you get a Leatt, check with someone to make sure it actually fits you after you adjusted it too. I've ridden with a local or two who were wearing them, but seemingly incorrectly (i.e. shoulder things were floating 2 inches above their shoulders). I guess it's not too surprising since the manual they provide with the Leatt isn't very helpful to say the least.. do they have fitting videos somewhere?
Another edit: I have tried the EVS RC-EVO on (not ridden with.. I wouldn't want to try) and it feels way more confining than the Leatt.. I wouldn't bother checking their current product revision out at all.
Disclaimer: I'm a slow hack on a bike, but perhaps that means I am more qualified to test safety products.
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Oh yeah. I've done that. I thought that you had some sweet custom drilling or something going on.
I have 1, its payed for itself already a few times, my only complaint, is that none of my "big moto style" helmets worked, so i am running a crappier helmet. The other thing, which isnt much of a problem, is that if im riding really rough stuff on the faster side of my skill level, i find that it bounces on the helmet, i dont notice it, but it makes a hell of alot of noise. All this being said, id buy this 10 more times given the chance, and im sure most of these problems would go away with a better helmet as well.
I used the Leatt Adventure brace for the 2009 race season with a 661 flight helmet and core saver armor... The adventure isnt' as adjustable, but I modified my dh jerseys so that I could wear the brace underneath the jersey, and armor... this seemed to help with minimum adjustability of the adventure. So currently, I wear an under Armor shirt, then the leatt, then 661 core saver armor, then jersey with zipper up neck to allow wearing on top of the leatt... This seemed to get the Leatt lower on my shoulders, and has made a huge difference in comfort....
I had a pretty bad crash at Mammoth in september, where Flipped over the bars and landed on my head and left shoulder, and then landing on my back. I sustained a fractured first Rib - where it connects to the sternum, which kept me off the bike for about 2 months... The doctor was amazed that I did not break my collarbone... He said the impact to fracture the first rib is huge, and usually the collarbone breaks first before the first rib... I am thinking that the leatt may have saved me from more serious injuries... I think as my neck tweaked fromt the impact with the ground, the helmet pushed on the leatt, and then leatt put a bunch of pressure on the front lower part that rests on your chest... I think this may have directed some of the impact away from my collarbone - keeping it from breaking, and instead I just had a hairline fracture on the first rib... Also, after landing on my head and shoulder, I landed on my back... the back part of the leatt was cracked and broken, which protected me somewhat as well... I ended up having to replace the whole back portion of the leatt, but they shipped out quick now I have a whole new back half of the brace... Anyway, I'm happy I was wearing the brace!
I had a pretty bad crash at Mammoth in september, where Flipped over the bars and landed on my head and left shoulder, and then landing on my back. I sustained a fractured first Rib - where it connects to the sternum, which kept me off the bike for about 2 months... The doctor was amazed that I did not break my collarbone... He said the impact to fracture the first rib is huge, and usually the collarbone breaks first before the first rib... I am thinking that the leatt may have saved me from more serious injuries... I think as my neck tweaked fromt the impact with the ground, the helmet pushed on the leatt, and then leatt put a bunch of pressure on the front lower part that rests on your chest... I think this may have directed some of the impact away from my collarbone - keeping it from breaking, and instead I just had a hairline fracture on the first rib... Also, after landing on my head and shoulder, I landed on my back... the back part of the leatt was cracked and broken, which protected me somewhat as well... I ended up having to replace the whole back portion of the leatt, but they shipped out quick now I have a whole new back half of the brace... Anyway, I'm happy I was wearing the brace!
all asians should wear a leatt no matter what they are drivingI used the Leatt Adventure brace for the 2009 race season with a 661 flight helmet and core saver armor... The adventure isnt' as adjustable, but I modified my dh jerseys so that I could wear the brace underneath the jersey, and armor... this seemed to help with minimum adjustability of the adventure. So currently, I wear an under Armor shirt, then the leatt, then 661 core saver armor, then jersey with zipper up neck to allow wearing on top of the leatt... This seemed to get the Leatt lower on my shoulders, and has made a huge difference in comfort....
I had a pretty bad crash at Mammoth in september, where Flipped over the bars and landed on my head and left shoulder, and then landing on my back. I sustained a fractured first Rib - where it connects to the sternum, which kept me off the bike for about 2 months... The doctor was amazed that I did not break my collarbone... He said the impact to fracture the first rib is huge, and usually the collarbone breaks first before the first rib... I am thinking that the leatt may have saved me from more serious injuries... I think as my neck tweaked fromt the impact with the ground, the helmet pushed on the leatt, and then leatt put a bunch of pressure on the front lower part that rests on your chest... I think this may have directed some of the impact away from my collarbone - keeping it from breaking, and instead I just had a hairline fracture on the first rib... Also, after landing on my head and shoulder, I landed on my back... the back part of the leatt was cracked and broken, which protected me somewhat as well... I ended up having to replace the whole back portion of the leatt, but they shipped out quick now I have a whole new back half of the brace... Anyway, I'm happy I was wearing the brace!
This is how LB looks on me with back armor/plate of 661 Pressure Suit
http://w.fotka.pl/267a8276f0.jpg
http://w.fotka.pl/0f57d25d54.jpg
http://w.fotka.pl/0f57d25d54.jpg
When I lean forward LB moves pretty freely. LB slides up about 3cm, but the back armor stays in place.
I also flipped nuts, as well. I am thinking about trimming them a bit, but not drilling the whole, rear part.
http://w.fotka.pl/267a8276f0.jpg
http://w.fotka.pl/0f57d25d54.jpg
http://w.fotka.pl/0f57d25d54.jpg
When I lean forward LB moves pretty freely. LB slides up about 3cm, but the back armor stays in place.
I also flipped nuts, as well. I am thinking about trimming them a bit, but not drilling the whole, rear part.
Going to be riding moto as well, don't want to spend the $$ for two helmets. I'd actually consider the D3 for moto if I wasn't worried about getting kicked out of ohv parks for no sticker.
I will be buying a Leatt brace this year but deciding on what armor to get. Looks like it is between a Troy Lee Rincon and a RockGardn flak jacket.
So the difference between the SE-2 and D3 are vents? I want the most protection. Plus I have a huge head and i dont think the XXL D3 will fit.
So the difference between the SE-2 and D3 are vents? I want the most protection. Plus I have a huge head and i dont think the XXL D3 will fit.
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I can vouch for the TLD Rincon Jacket. It is great with the Leatt.
That is what I will probably get. What helmet are you using?
You just had to ask him didn't you?
lolYou just had to ask him didn't you?
TLD D3!!!!!!!!!!!
I used a D2 before with that set up too. You will be happy.
SE2 with Rockgardn Flaq Jacket. Works great. Small slit in the jersey.
Just need to decide between a SE2 and a D3. Probably the SE2 because I dont think the D3 will fit.
Which jacket offers more protection?
I am 6'5" tall and weigh 240. Hope the XXL jackets work.
Which jacket offers more protection?
I am 6'5" tall and weigh 240. Hope the XXL jackets work.
not sure if anyone posted this, but BTO has in stock Leatt padding kits, including the low profile kit
http://www.btosports.com/p/LEATTPADDING
http://www.btosports.com/p/LEATTPADDING
Another "no" on the EVS Evo clunky brace.
Got one last year, and it's certainly functional, but not very comfortable, and very restrictive.
I'm no racer/hucker by any stretch, but like to hit the lifts as much as I can swing it in the summer. Just a hack that likes to ride a bike downhill, and wants some good protection. Am now looking at replacing it with either a Leatt, Alpinestars, or Omega.
Got one last year, and it's certainly functional, but not very comfortable, and very restrictive.
I'm no racer/hucker by any stretch, but like to hit the lifts as much as I can swing it in the summer. Just a hack that likes to ride a bike downhill, and wants some good protection. Am now looking at replacing it with either a Leatt, Alpinestars, or Omega.
I have my leatt coming from TLD and hope the medium fits my 6'5" 240lbs frame. Now have to order a new helmet soon.
Probably a D3 since the XXL is larger then the XXL SE2.
Probably a D3 since the XXL is larger then the XXL SE2.
I have a gpx club with a 661 flight moto (snell/dot) and have no issues. I have the rear slammed with the nuts flipped, and have no issues with sight or mobility. I'm not sure if it stems from my body type with a longer neck or if the helmet is fairly compatible with the brace. The brace has treated me well for the past year and I wear it every time I ride.
if you land on your back, the back fin piece usually cracks or breaks.... it's thin... you can call leatt though and replace just that back piece...I'm on the fence about getting one. Funds are ok right now so timing is prime. I'd like to hear some pros and cons if you have them. Any good/bad experiences... say buckles breaking during a crash, durability, etc...
Thanks in advance.
FYI, I have a like new Leatt Adventure brace for sale... Asking $150.00 plus shipping...
will it fit w/ a Shoei?