You've no doubt heard the old wisdom, "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything." Herophilus, a greek physician known as "the father of anatomy", said it well.
I've wrecked on my last 2 trail rides sustaining injuries both times. Cracked ribs the first time, and ankle ligament damage and a bruised knee the second time. Both accidents were 100% my own fault and definitely avoidable if the right reaction had been made. My ribs still hurt from the wreck in Nov. Now I'm on crutches unable to put weight on my ankle. If you've never walked on crutches, let me tell you it sucks. Forget the knee fatigue in your good leg. Forget the muscle soreness in your arms and shoulders. It's the abrasion on your sides under your arm-pits that will drive you nuts.Herophilus wrote:To lose one's health renders science null, art inglorious, strength unavailing, wealth useless, and eloquence powerless.
My trip to the emergency room cost a $100 copay and I'd gladly pay $1,000 right now if it would make my injuries go away. In a recent forum post, I read that one of our riders suffered a torn ACL. Is this true? That is an injury that usually requires surgery and months of rehab as well as a weakened knee for life. What would you be willing to pay to go back in time and prevent that injury? $20? $500? $5,000? More? My injuries are very minor. I was lucky I guess.
I was first introduced to motocross knee braces by our own Chris Greenhoot. He has, I beleive, a pair of Asterisk knee braces. I was dumbfounded when he told me they cost over $500.00. I thought to myself, "there is no way I'm spending that kind of money". They are usually made of aircraft aluminum, titanium, or carbon fiber and virtually guarantee that your knee will not bend in any way that it is not supposed to. Most include full knee cap impact protection as well. (This would have most likely prevented my bruised knee from Saturday. Thank God I was at least wearing knee pads.)
On one hand, you can say, "I can't afford them." On the other hand, you could argue "I can't afford NOT to have them." I can guarantee you this, if you go down and tear your ACL, you will wish you had spent the money on knee braces. There are lower-cost options. For example, the EVS Vision Knee Brace can be purchased for about $225 over at http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com. (That's for a pair.) There seems to be no doubt that the Asterisks are the top of the pile. I found the reviews at this website in particular to be a helpful resource regarding knee braces:
http://www.dirtrider.net/drn_tested/kne ... races.html
Boots are another important safety item. When I twisted my ankle, I was wearing $200 Oxtar riding boots. While these offer a lot of protection, and have saved my feet and ankles a number of times during the last year, they do not protect you like full motocross boots, which are more rigid like ski boots. For the rugged trail riding I love to do, it's time for good motocross boots. The Oxtar boots will be my preference for backroad rides. Per Rusty's recommendation, I'm looking at a pair of Gaerne SG10's at http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com. They are not the cheapest boots, but again, all it takes is one accident and that price becomes irrelevant.
When I wrecked on Saturday, I was wearing my 661 Pressure Suit which offers a lot of upper body protection. I did not get hurt on my upper body at all. I don't know how relevant that is, because as fast as it happened, I'm not sure what hit when and where. But it cost me about $140, and I don't regret it. What is your chest or spine worth?
...and it doesn't matter how good a rider you are--you can be the best rider in the world and still have another rider (or a car) slam into you.
Maybe it's my recent accidents, maybe it's my first child about to be born (due May 18th), or perhaps it's just part of getting older, but all of a sudden, my own mortality is apparent to me. I love riding my motorcycle, and I especially love the challenge of the rugged trails. A life without risks is no life at all, but there are things you can do to put the odds in your favor. I've got a baby girl depending on me now.
So I went to motorcyclecloseouts after work. I had never actually looked closely at MX boots. My assumption was wrong. I had assumed they were rigid similar to ski boots. I assumed they immobilized your ankle--I was wrong. In fact, most pairs allowed me to easily bend the ankle over 90 degrees. Preventing ankle ligament damage seems one of the most compelling reasons to buy protective boots. Anyway, seemed to me that the Gaerne SG10's offered the best ankle protection. They also just happen to be the most expensive.
