Posts
2808
Joined
7/9/2015
Location
Saint Marys, OH, USA
Edited Date/Time
11/30/2021 12:05pm
First off, don’t go all Ryno on me with knee protection. I’d like to be able to wear something to keep my knees from getting damaged. I’ve read tons of arguments about knee braces doing more harm then good and then you hear people say they swear by them. Years ago I didn’t wear any knee protection, washed the front end in a corner and hit my knee cap on the top of the foot peg. So after that I’ve always wanted to wear something. I’ve been through two sets of the Thor Force XP knee guard and haven’t had any real issues other then a broke a plastic buckle on the first set and then after about an hour or so they really start to hurt my knee caps. I feel like I’m in between sizes with these. Fast forward to know and I just got a brand new set of Alpinestars Bionic 7 knee braces. I was super excited to try them out. First go round I ordered a size S according to their measurements. They were too tight. Effortless exchange from RMATVMC for the size M. While these fit my knee great they are too big at the thigh. Ugh. Thought I’d hop on the bike and see and these are way too wide & bulky. I really wanted these to work. Anyways what knee braces/guards do you guys wear & recommend? Again I’m not here to argue for them or against them just looking for what’s been comfortable and protective.
From everything I've read the PODS are among the least bulky/most narrow at the hinges. I don't notice any difference gripping the bike with them vs my Leatt knee guards. Again, took a couple practices and I had to readjust once... After that, forgot I was even wearing them.
It sounds to me like your measurements might be a bit different than most, so it may come down to trying a couple more brands before you find what works best for YOU. There's a lot of good knee braces out there.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
I know this about Mobius X8s:
(1) They BARELY fit under my Fox Legion LT off-road pants, but better in Fox 360s
(2) I feel the X8s are great for crash protection
(3) X8s are hot, no 2 ways about it
(4) X8s stay place for me very well - no other brace has
(4) I like the X8s enough to alternate them with my Asterisk Carbon Cell Ones (also amazing)
I tried both the Pod K8 Carbons and K4s. I could never adjust out the knee "pinch" I was getting (fatter COVID-19 pendemic legs). Great design, just didn't fit my legs.
Final 2-cent comment:
The Asterisk Carbon Cell Ones are so much slimmer and more compact than the others that I think they are my current faves. Could wear alpine skiing, too.
It's mostly about fit and preference to what you are looking for. Sucky part is most of us don't have the connections to be able to try them all without purchasing them. Without riding with them on, you really don't know.
Good luck!!!
Pit Row
White is o sale right now at $79.99.
https://leatt.com/us/shop/moto/protection/knee-guards/knee-&-shin-guard…
In fact, I've been wearing my Mobius braces more lately because I can more easily get them to stay put as well. My Asterisks ALWAYS ride down over the course of a ride. I'd say I've got some work to do there that I just haven't found time for. It seems a grippy outer sock surface might do the trick. TBD.
The above said, when I put the Asterisks on, I always have the "wow, these fit like a glove" feeling and they are so slim yet strong. Straight up, they are impressive that way. Additionally, I think I do feel "freer" on the bike now that you mention it. Just more loose and able to flow. Less heat generation, too. That aspect seems to help with the freer vibe.
Kind of a wishy-washy answer, as I think I am still trying to figure out which ones I personally prefer.
Does that ^^^ help? Your Mobius braces are legit, that's for sure.
Here's my ride report when deliberately comparing the 2:
(1) I went to town on making the Asterisk braces NOT slip. I did this by tightening the strap below the knee 1st and then the strap above the knee 2nd MUCH MUCH harder than I normally would just to see what would happen. The result was less slippage than I've ever experienced with this brace. Success! They did move some (my guess is 1-2 centimeters, max), but NOTHING like before. And it turns out the strap tightness didn't actually bother me like I thought it would. But if I tighten the upper and lower straps that tight, the whole braces just feels too tight.
(2) I absolutely do not feel as "impact protected" in these braces. The knee cups/guards are thin and just do not inspire confidence for me. Never have. Given the track I'm riding a lot lately has a lot of hard clay/"cement-ness" to it, I think this is actually weighing on my subconscious ... yeah, I'm a headcase.
(3) I would say I can move around in the Asterisks ~ 25% better. What the heck does 25% even mean? I look at it as able to move more freely, impart more body English on the bike at times as well just be more fluid in general. I noticed it most in corners today when I would let the engine lug and drive through (when I could be more relaxed), I felt more able to "dangle" and "dab" my foot more precisely. A downside is that I feel I don't "plow" through stuff as hard as I do with the Mobius braces - because the Mobius braces make me feel like a tank.
(4) I feel like the padding in the Mobius braces is just more protective and hygienic (doesn't absorb sweat).
(5) While the Asterisks are a lot thinner/less bulky, I still struggled to get my Fox Legion LT pants over them as well. Why the @#$! am I wearing Legions on an MX course? I REALLY REALLY like pockets. A pocket for my cell phone (to alter YZ450F ignition maps anywhere I choose to stop) and a pocket for my goggle wipe (which it turns out I use a lot). The pants also have vents ... and I open those babies up wide open most times. For another post another time, another time. Check 'em out here if you're curious:
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/riding-gear/fox-racing-legion-lt-pan…
Summary:
I am still up in the air about which knee braces I prefer. For me, I think it's close to a toss up - with Mobius potentially getting the nod in the end. TBD.
At any rate, I continued testing my Mobius X8 knee braces back-to-back with the Astetisk Carbon Ones and my legs are ALWAYS more comfortable in the Mobius braces. I get random pinch points on the Aterisks, especially the tighter I make them to stop the slippage (which largely does work).
So I think I've decided my daily drivers are Mobius X8 knee braces. Easy and repeatable fitting, beefier impact construction (it seems), and I think I am starting to appreciate the less rigid (than carbon fiber) design approach where "some give" overall may help better distribute crash loads.
I think my next experiment will be to add an Asterisk boot tether to the Mobius X8 knee braces to get that crucial feature. More to come.
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