Knee braces are cumbersome

I can't ride a dirt bike properly without wearing knee braces. I have been forced to ride without them before and my inside knees were literally bleeding at the end of the day.

It's a double edged sword. Wear them and have some form of protection but less feel or don't and have more feel and risk.

You for sure get used to wearing them but you lose a lot of feel for the bike.

I won't ride without after learning the hard way but I'm not sure if they do anything but help me mentally.

save your knees, a half second a lap doesnt make up for knee surgery for a practice champ.

for a 20 minute moto, knee brace is where it's at. for everything else, i just wear some nice comfortable knee pads.

Never wore them. Buddy had his asterisks on and still had his knee blown out. Not saying they cant/ wont prevent injury but ill continue to ride without em. To each their own.

Neither I nor my son have ever worn knee braces on a dirt bike, just cheap knee guards. But last year my son used Donjoy knee braces playing football. From the first practice he was comfortable with them and says he doesn't even notice them. I would think that knee braces would be more noticeable/cumbursome on a football field than on a mx track. I guess everyone is different.

Ramrod wrote:

It's a double edged sword. Wear them and have some form of protection but less feel or don't and have more feel and risk.

You for sure get used to wearing them but you lose a lot of feel for the bike.

I won't ride without after learning the hard way but I'm not sure if they do anything but help me mentally.

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

Basic knee guards are much better these days and offer much better protection. I got some Fox ones that practically feel like knee braces.'
I had the same experience with braces- too restrictive for me.

In 2006, I had a bad crash at 3 palms. I was only wearing knee guards. I completely tore my MCL, ACL, PCL all in one get off. My knee cap rolled off and was almost on the back of my leg. Underwent a total knee reconstruction that took 9 hours. They told me that my leg was basically being held together by only one ligament and that they have never seen anything to that extreme. Of course they advised me to never ride again but as soon as I was able, I was back riding. I have had 2 sets of knee braces since then ( EVS Web and Asterisk Ultra Cells ). I could not imagine riding without them.

Jabroni wrote:

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

The dumbest motocrosser is one who never never plans on crashing. No need to make a plan as in set a date and time, but it's best to be prepared. To each their own. I wouldn't ride without them. I wear a chest protector too.

Ramrod wrote:

It's a double edged sword. Wear them and have some form of protection but less feel or don't and have more feel and risk.

You for sure get used to wearing them but you lose a lot of feel for the bike.

I won't ride without after learning the hard way but I'm not sure if they do anything but help me mentally.

I have been wearing knee braces for about 15 years or so. I forgot mine one time when I went to the track. I always kept a pair of knee pads in my bag just in case. This one particular day my foot caught in a rut and I tore my miniscus. I don't know if having my knee pads on would have prevented that or not but in my own head I think it would have.

you know what else is cumbersome? Crutches and a 6 month recovery. Done 3 ligaments and cartilage in each knee between football, powerlifting and moto, cant ride without them now and unfortunately back then, there wrent really OTC options. Insurance wouldn't cover until AFTER an injury that required surgery. 6 operations later my knees are in fair shape and knee braces keep them that way. Im not trying to spend another year in a wheelchair or immobilizers ever again.

Ramrod wrote:

It's a double edged sword. Wear them and have some form of protection but less feel or don't and have more feel and risk.

You for sure get used to wearing them but you lose a lot of feel for the bike.

I won't ride without after learning the hard way but I'm not sure if they do anything but help me mentally.

Jabroni wrote:

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

Squirrelings wrote:

The dumbest motocrosser is one who never never plans on crashing. No need to make a plan as in set a date and time, but it's best to be prepared. To each their own. I wouldn't ride without them. I wear a chest protector too.

They say the same about sport bikes. Ive been riding for 10 years. Never had so much as a close call. And that's while mostly riding on the nutso freeways of Southern California. I ride a lot in Arizona, no helmet. I dont care how much that helmet is supposed to protect me, I NEVER want to find out it's limits.

How? I ride within my own limits... I dont trust ANY of the other cars on the roads (not for a single moment)... I certainly aint out there doing stupid shit like wheeling down the freeway or weaving in and out of traffic.

I cant stand people who think that because they're wearing a seatbelt that they're safe. They literally go on autopilot and are more worried about the damage to their automobile or the traffic ticket then their own health. Here's a novel approach, how about do everything in your power to NOT get in a accident so that you never need that seatbelt? The false sense of security is mind blowing because people then use it to justify driving like dumbasses.

People do the same with knee braces and chest protectors in MX. All of a sudden they are not as worried about crashing because they think they're safe. Why not prevent the crash in the first place?

Preventing crashing in activities otherwise known for "guaranteed crashes/injuries" is much easier than people think. Simply dont be a dumbass. Know your limits and respect them.

I'm on the opposite side-of-the-fence for comfort. I've toyed around with going back to knee guards from braces and I feel quite uncomfortable without my braces. Both in feel for the bike and how tired/sore my legs felt after motos. For me, braces offer more support, control, and an extra layer of safety...I don't have a reason to go back after comparing.

Jabroni wrote:

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

Squirrelings wrote:

The dumbest motocrosser is one who never never plans on crashing. No need to make a plan as in set a date and time, but it's best to be prepared. To each their own. I wouldn't ride without them. I wear a chest protector too.

Jabroni wrote:

They say the same about sport bikes. Ive been riding for 10 years. Never had so much as a close call. And that's while mostly riding on the nutso freeways of Southern California. I ride a lot in Arizona, no helmet. I dont care how much that helmet is supposed to protect me, I NEVER want to find out it's limits.

How? I ride within my own limits... I dont trust ANY of the other cars on the roads (not for a single moment)... I certainly aint out there doing stupid shit like wheeling down the freeway or weaving in and out of traffic.

I cant stand people who think that because they're wearing a seatbelt that they're safe. They literally go on autopilot and are more worried about the damage to their automobile or the traffic ticket then their own health. Here's a novel approach, how about do everything in your power to NOT get in a accident so that you never need that seatbelt? The false sense of security is mind blowing because people then use it to justify driving like dumbasses.

People do the same with knee braces and chest protectors in MX. All of a sudden they are not as worried about crashing because they think they're safe. Why not prevent the crash in the first place?

Preventing crashing in activities otherwise known for "guaranteed crashes/injuries" is much easier than people think. Simply dont be a dumbass. Know your limits and respect them.

I can't take anyone who rides a streetbike or cruiser without a helmet seriously...SPLAT...

Jabroni wrote:

They say the same about sport bikes. Ive been riding for 10 years. Never had so much as a close call. And that's while mostly riding on the nutso freeways of Southern California. I ride a lot in Arizona, no helmet. I dont care how much that helmet is supposed to protect me, I NEVER want to find out it's limits.

How? I ride within my own limits... I dont trust ANY of the other cars on the roads (not for a single moment)... I certainly aint out there doing stupid shit like wheeling down the freeway or weaving in and out of traffic.

I cant stand people who think that because they're wearing a seatbelt that they're safe. They literally go on autopilot and are more worried about the damage to their automobile or the traffic ticket then their own health. Here's a novel approach, how about do everything in your power to NOT get in a accident so that you never need that seatbelt? The false sense of security is mind blowing because people then use it to justify driving like dumbasses.

People do the same with knee braces and chest protectors in MX. All of a sudden they are not as worried about crashing because they think they're safe. Why not prevent the crash in the first place?

Preventing crashing in activities otherwise known for "guaranteed crashes/injuries" is much easier than people think. Simply dont be a dumbass. Know your limits and respect them.

You're on the freeway bro. It's pretty damn hard to crash going in a straight line unless you're horrendously bad at riding. Find a road with a couple of corners.

Squirrelings wrote:

The dumbest motocrosser is one who never never plans on crashing. No need to make a plan as in set a date and time, but it's best to be prepared. To each their own. I wouldn't ride without them. I wear a chest protector too.

Jabroni wrote:

They say the same about sport bikes. Ive been riding for 10 years. Never had so much as a close call. And that's while mostly riding on the nutso freeways of Southern California. I ride a lot in Arizona, no helmet. I dont care how much that helmet is supposed to protect me, I NEVER want to find out it's limits.

How? I ride within my own limits... I dont trust ANY of the other cars on the roads (not for a single moment)... I certainly aint out there doing stupid shit like wheeling down the freeway or weaving in and out of traffic.

I cant stand people who think that because they're wearing a seatbelt that they're safe. They literally go on autopilot and are more worried about the damage to their automobile or the traffic ticket then their own health. Here's a novel approach, how about do everything in your power to NOT get in a accident so that you never need that seatbelt? The false sense of security is mind blowing because people then use it to justify driving like dumbasses.

People do the same with knee braces and chest protectors in MX. All of a sudden they are not as worried about crashing because they think they're safe. Why not prevent the crash in the first place?

Preventing crashing in activities otherwise known for "guaranteed crashes/injuries" is much easier than people think. Simply dont be a dumbass. Know your limits and respect them.

ML512 wrote:

I can't take anyone who rides a streetbike or cruiser without a helmet seriously...SPLAT...

Jabroni wrote:

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

Squirrelings wrote:

The dumbest motocrosser is one who never never plans on crashing. No need to make a plan as in set a date and time, but it's best to be prepared. To each their own. I wouldn't ride without them. I wear a chest protector too.

Jabroni wrote:

They say the same about sport bikes. Ive been riding for 10 years. Never had so much as a close call. And that's while mostly riding on the nutso freeways of Southern California. I ride a lot in Arizona, no helmet. I dont care how much that helmet is supposed to protect me, I NEVER want to find out it's limits.

How? I ride within my own limits... I dont trust ANY of the other cars on the roads (not for a single moment)... I certainly aint out there doing stupid shit like wheeling down the freeway or weaving in and out of traffic.

I cant stand people who think that because they're wearing a seatbelt that they're safe. They literally go on autopilot and are more worried about the damage to their automobile or the traffic ticket then their own health. Here's a novel approach, how about do everything in your power to NOT get in a accident so that you never need that seatbelt? The false sense of security is mind blowing because people then use it to justify driving like dumbasses.

People do the same with knee braces and chest protectors in MX. All of a sudden they are not as worried about crashing because they think they're safe. Why not prevent the crash in the first place?

Preventing crashing in activities otherwise known for "guaranteed crashes/injuries" is much easier than people think. Simply dont be a dumbass. Know your limits and respect them.

No matter how good you are or how much you do to prevent it crashes can be 100% out of your control. So wear the stuff that will keep you safe and don’t ride dumb and you’ll be as safe as possible. Although not commen unexpected and uncontrollable things can occur and once your heads sliding down the concrete it doesn’t take much to cause some serious damage.

I used to wear asterisk. Got in a pretty good crash one time and one of the top members snapped. It was VERY sharp. All I could think about was if that had gouged my main artery and blead me out. Screw that. Never replaced them. Also have a good buddy. Tore both his knees to shreds plenty of times. Both with and without knee braces. He quit wearing them after the second time he tore his knee with a brace on. He had custom fit ctis or whatever they were back in the day. Anyway both those instances made me stray away from them. Plus like the OP said. I like the feel of the bike with just pads instead of all the heavy bracing. To each their own, I can see why someone would or wouldn’t feel safe with them on or off. Kinda like a neck brace. I will say the asterisk braces were very very comfortable for knee braces, and until they broke on me that time I loved them.

Ramrod wrote:

It's a double edged sword. Wear them and have some form of protection but less feel or don't and have more feel and risk.

You for sure get used to wearing them but you lose a lot of feel for the bike.

I won't ride without after learning the hard way but I'm not sure if they do anything but help me mentally.

Jabroni wrote:

Same here. I too forgot my braces once, rode so loose & comfortable. I felt 10x safer.

Ultimately, if I ride better w/o them, it’s safer.

Im about PREVENTING crashes. I dont “plan” on crashing. If I did, I wouldn’t ride at all.

More than one of my friends have blown out a knee without crashing.

For claiming to be so smart, that is a very very dumb way to think.

ML512 wrote:

I'm on the opposite side-of-the-fence for comfort. I've toyed around with going back to knee guards from braces and I feel quite uncomfortable without my braces. Both in feel for the bike and how tired/sore my legs felt after motos. For me, braces offer more support, control, and an extra layer of safety...I don't have a reason to go back after comparing.

Agreed

Jabroni is gonna learn the hard way someday. If only it was that easy to think other factors could not line up and maim or kill you. You sound a little like the poster boy for stupid. Best of luck bro, hope you stay safe. Sure would be nice if you could prevent factors out of your control.

Love my braces, feel naked without them. Wouldn’t ride without them.

I blew out my acl while riding when I was younger. The surgery and recovery was bad and I was 17 at the time. Please guys reconsider not wearing your knee braces. Even if they give you a small bit of protection they are worth it. Try a newer high end pair if you are not happy with your current ones.

Asterisks saved my lower leg from amputation after I spun my foot around 180 degrees after a crash.

I hate wearing knee braces, but I really like having all my body parts.

PracticeChamp141 wrote:

10 straight years never once threw a leg over the bike without wearing knee braces. Various companies, sizes, knee socks, strap technology yet yeilding the same result. One day having forgot my knee braces I decided to ride with 25 dollar knee cups. Could not believe the results associated with physically gripping the bike, lifting leg through deep ruts and overall comfort. Night and day difference between the two. I do realize the safty factors associated, but the reduction in arm pump and overall maneuverability when transitioning from sitting to standing are not easyily offset.

Try some Leatt C Frames. I tried a bout 4 different brands of knee braces and couldn't deal with my legs sliding around when trying to grip the bike. Then I got some C frames. I grip the bike so good now, I'm keep wearing out my shroud graphics (twice). I can't tell how any knee brace is any better than another during a crash - don't know how anyone could legitimately test that. But as far as high end knee braces go, these were by far the most comfortable for me to get used to. I feel naked without them now and I grip the bike as well or even better now with them on.

I RITED IN THE OTHER THRED THAT I DIND HAVE KNEE BRACES BUT GETED THE BIG GUY ELBOW PADS FOR VOLLEYBALL AND PUT ON THE KNEES YOU CAN DROP DOWN ON THE GRAGE FLOOR AND IT DOSENT EVEN HURT AND THEY LOOK LIKE WRESSELER PADS OF THE WWE SUPERSTARS

I’ve never wore any type of knee protection, I once bought a pair of Thor knee braces but just walking around the house I could tell I would hate them so I never even tried them at the track. I think it’s very funny how some people wouldn’t dare ride without knee protection but have no problem not wearing any sort of neck protection

Mine work great, I've only shattered my kneecap once..







On a serious note, I feel they are worth wearing. I once dabbed my leg so hard that two toe nails came off. The damn things were purple by the time I got back to the truck and got my boot off. My knee swelled up pretty bad and I was on crutches for a week, but all was good after some time and PT. I think I would have completely blown out my knee without them.

My uncle did the same thing as me in the early 90s. He said his foot hit him in the face while both hands were still on the bars. Lol