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Ryno believes braces make it more difficult to maintain an optimal riding position.
Both things can be true.
In the Pulp interview Leatt covers the spinal part as well. He says that the piece that is meant to break under pressure is only breaking at 10% of what the spine can actually take therefore it is actually safe for your spine to take the pressure.
Here I have tried to provide both sides of the story but I would listen to the Pulp interview and watch the videos on Ryno's instagram to gather information for youself.
I myself have experienced enough of an impact to cause the carbon fiber piece going down your spine to snap. My back was a little sore but in my case I was fine.
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That wearing braces in Dakar has lessened the amount of broken neck deaths. Any deaths that are a result of a broken neck weren't wearing a brace.
Less rider neck fatigue.
40% reduction of broken collar bones, he was surprised by this.
60% reduction of deaths vs no brace.
Original brace is still their benchmark for testing new ones.
Has invited Ryno to come to the lab and see the testing in-house, he has yet to accept the offer.
The brace isn't causing broken backs, the area that is most commonly injured while riding is the same with or without a brace.
Collar bone injuries aren't caused by the brace, it would break the other side vs the side you crashed on.
If you think both are true then prove it out. It's very easy, put a brace on, get on your bike and see if you can't look up or if you lose your range of motion to move relative to the bike. The test either works or it doesn't, doesn't matter what anyone believes.
Always says " I probably should start wearing one". Seems a little disingenuous to me.
Hey I guess we are all selling something
That seems like a stretch, like I said I've been following it a long time, I don't remember a death or 2 every year pre-neck brace. Am I wrong? That was a long time ago now, but a professional rider dying every year? I just don't remember that happening.
All I know is if it’s me making the choice to protect my kids/grandkids from paralysis they would all wear neck braces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dakar_Rally_fatal_accidents
Again i think some people can wear them without hindering movement. But some riders can not get over the back of the bike without not seeing .
I did hear from a rider there on that day that said there must have been a big wound!!
As stated above it was the early days of braces, no doubt the manufacturers have made changes or improvements.
I don't race any more so I don't have a brace to replace my original Leat, which was bulky but did give me a sense of protection.
The Doc also made the point that T7 (think it was T7) is the most common spine fracture point, irrespective of whether you're wearing a brace or not... so pointing to that as a particular fulcrum point doesn't hold up statistically.
If you read the WikiPedia link I posted, probably half or more of the motorcycle deaths weren’t even from neck injuries.
Then later in the interview he said “If your going to say something you should back it with data.” Well he said it and the data don’t back it up....
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Also, his offer to Ryno is pretty generous. He could easily just write him off as a raving lunatic, but he realizes Ryno does have a big following and he'd at least like the chance to show Ryno his side. That Hughes is not willing or interested to take him up, speaks volumes about one of the two of them.
I encourage you to read the link I posted, many of the deaths at Dakar were not caused by neck injuries.
If smacking the tower with your head and breaking your neck was such a problem don’t you think they’d still be wearing neck braces instead of air bag vests?
Not even close. He played it up hugely in my opinion.
Same thing I’d do if I had to sell neck braces to put food on the table....
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