When did you last check your back protector?

+1

The knee armour in my Richa trousers was in 5 pieces?? Hectic... the sort of thing you only find out after an accident. /

 

I've got some Rukka gear for crap weather, I took the stock back protector out. It was a rubberised hollow grid type thing?? I use a Knox one that I wear under my jacket, but I'll check the elbow and knee stuff next time I'm in the workshop

 

I guess body armour falls in the category of after a couple of years toss it away as something better will have come along that will protect you better. I think back to my first back protector and I shudder to think how little protection it offered.

 

Aye, just think - it started with Barry Sheene's row of old helmet visors.

 

Yeah, that idea caught on, but I'm not sure what happened with the cigarette hole in the chin guard idea he had

 

Rushjob I have two rukka jackets and both back inserts were those grid affairs which had broken in half...not through misuse I must add so bought a forcefield pro back protector which fits great into the rukka. check your sizes but great value. Keeps your back warm in winter to


Forcefield Back Inserts - Safety & Sliders - Clothing - Bike Stop

 

Don't get me started on body armour. Okay i got the back pad and ones for the elbows. When you see the guys with the boil in the bag leathers with full armour, Motogp style, you can hardly walk and its bloody uncomfortable riding a bike.

Total waste of time if you ask me. When you have a spill on the road, most of the time you hit something before you stop ie tree, car, lamp post, wall, kerb.
The Traffic police call them a leather body bag. A back protector will not stop your from breaking your back if have a high side.

 

I remember reading a review of generic back protectors in one of the monthlies some time ago, concluded they had about the same protection as a cheese sandwich!!

 

I can believe it, hence why my Rukka one sits on a shelf!

 

great thread. I was just thinking about buying one.

From what I'm reading they are not going to give any great protection?

 

Up until recently I wasn't a subscriber of pukka back protectors for road riding, but a recent rideout which I didnt attend resulted in a reported low speed spill that put the rider in hospital with a fracture to his spine I dont think it appeared to be serious but the slide off the road probably had some rocks or hard lumpy ground that did the damage. So I'm now thinking about getting one once the weather drys out ... maybe i'm beginning to doubt my immortality in my middle age :/ ... anyways not preaching each to thier own (I still wear jeans/cargos for shorter runs if the mood takes me)

 

I have a Knox one that also protects the kidneys(supposedly!). My view is it can't do me any harm wearing extra protection....It must be better than not having one... IMO

 

Firstly - each to their own so I would not argue against anyone who did not want to ware one - I didn't until I started racing and the wife insisted.

Now I would not go out without one (mines an Oxford products one by the way) because I have had -

1. The mother of all high sides at Donington where the boy behind rode under me whilst I was in the air - landed, rolled and rolled and .. well you get the message ... got up and walked away - bike in two halves, leathers in need of repair.
2. Collision at Pembray with the bars knocked out of my hands - Landed, rolled and ... you've heard it before ... got up and walked away. Bike ok broken wrist - got better.
3. Collision at Brands - Both bikes locked mine ended in three parts, his in two, after climbing to the top of the fence on the start finish straight - I crossed the line without a bike, rolling and .. you guessed it .. got up and walked away. Leathers retired, helmet had tyre prints up the back.

Three fairly nasty incidents which gave me lots of bruises but I got up thanks to a good helmet, set of leathers and, in my opinion, a good back protector. Will not catch me riding without them today.

I also accept that in none of my 'incidents' did I decelerate rapidly due to road furniture - lamp posts etc.

Have fun

 

I've always paid for a good back protector. Before I started riding, a work colleague fell off his bike (again...) and rolled against the kerb. Broke four or five ribs from memory, all within an inch of his spine. No back pro. Stupid.

I had a massive lowside at Brands a while ago and walked away after hitting the kerb with my noggin and back. The leathers were scuffed, but mostly over the ridges on the back protector.


A good bit of armour spreads the impact from a localised area through the structure, reducing the chance of injury. These bits of foam you get in may jackets should be binned immediately IMHO.

 

I bought a Forcefield back protector a few years ago, I've had a few very low speed off's in my time and it hurt! Wouldn't even think about riding my bike without one now, once you wear it a few times it moulds to your body and you don't even notice it. I would feel naked without it

 

Ive got one of the knox aegis ones that i wear when wearing my 1 piece suit. I couldnt ride without it now, would feel wrong.

When riding my monster i use my dainsese jacket and dainese slip in protector. Probably not as good as the knox but far more useable and im sure better than those horrible foam ones.

 

Far from it, I never ride without mine. Anything that spread an impact over a wider area than my spine sounds good to me. I've used mine on a few slides down the road and track, which would've at the least resulted in a bruised back.

 

If they didn't work, racers wouldn't wear them.
As for the road furniture argument, I've fallen off plenty, fortunately never encountered anything solid to hit, and have been very happy to have a back protector which has probably helped keep me out of hospital - as has riding in quality leathers. Good leathers, BTW, are not uncomfortable on the bike - far from it. It's when you get off they are a pain.

Still each to their own. Not my bod, not my life.

 

Please don't believe this. Whilst much body armour won't protect you in a high speed accident when you hit something solid, body armour makes a vast difference at lower speeds.

A chap I know is a road race Doc and A&E doc in real life, he rates a back protector as something he'd never ride without. Sliding over cat's eyes is a particularly common way of breaking your back, even at low speed. A back protector*can* help in this situation.

Another piece of advice is to never wear a watch when riding. If it smashes on the Tarmac, it often focuses the damage and can cause much greater injuries than if it wasn't there.

Armour should never be restrictive or reduce movement, but well fitting armour can help.