"Brain Pad" Product Review

[50ccMoM]

Ethan has used the Brain Pad for practice and now a race. I tried to express to Bruce how hard it is to get him to try a new piece of safety equiptment. Well.... he actually really liked it! I didnt have to threaten him to wear it either. Totally amazing! He did say that he wished it was a little bit narrower for his mouth. This product is a very good idea. Hockey players have known all along about mouth guards helping aid against concussions. I on the other hand didnt have a clue.



I should note that Ethan has very bad sinus problems and Asthma. He said that the Brain Pad did not alter his ability to breathe at all. I give it a big thumbs up!!



Angie



http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4/Daisy30/101_1192brainpad.jpg

[ps91]

Angie, I am having trouble getting my kids to wear theirs. I made sure they fit right, etc., and they always agree to wear them before race day but on the line they always come up with some reason why they can't wear it.

My kids have never given me trouble about wearing all their safety gear, so this is new to me. The last place I want to be arguing with my kids is on the line on race day! At the last race I found Matt's lying in the dirt after the start...and in the same race a kid was life flighted out unconcious with a bad concussion!

I think I'll tell them how much Ethan likes his...maybe the peer thing will work:smile:

Any ideas?
Sandy

[50ccMoM]

Sandy,

Hmmm... I can't believe they are giving you a hardtime about the "Brain Pad". I have such a hard time normally getting Ethan to wear a new piece of safety gear. Not this time !

What are your kids complaints about the mouth guard ?


Angie

[Tatonka]

I'm curious about any trail riders who might be using the "Brain Pad" or even a similar type of product. Do any of you adults use a mouthguard?

[fastlearner]

I'm not sure why, but I've been thinking about this product a lot in the last couple weeks. I'm going to take that as an omen and buy one.

[50ccMoM]

I'm not sure why, but I've been thinking about this product a lot in the last couple weeks. I'm going to take that as an omen and buy one.


:thumb Very good idea !

[TwinTurbos]

Tony - the Brain Pad is one of those items I feel you need to test out for yourself. IMHO the safety benefits are obvious but if you're not comfortable wearing it or have some preconceived notion about the product it won't do you any good because you won't be wearing it.

I'd love to get your opinion on it after you've had a chance to ride with it.

ps. this is BV logged in as TwinTurbos...

[MxMom94]

Cody has been wearing one now for about 2 years, both before his braces, and now with braces. He first asked for a mouth guard after one of his buddy's had a spill and knocked out a few teeth. He did recently have a period of time that he wasn't wearing one, but that came to a stop when his dad said, you don't wear it, you don't ride. We now always try to keep an extra one in the motorhome so if he trys the excuse that it doesn't fit because his teeth have shifted, we can just mold a new one.

[racer mom]

Brain pad? Mouth guard? What am I missing? My son has only been racing since Feb and I thought I had all I could after purchasing the Leatt Brace. I haven't heard of the brain pad/mouthguard. Where can I get more information?

[erik727]

www.brainpads.com is the website,,,and i believe they advertise here on the home page... Check em' out.

Erik

[TwinTurbos]

Racer Mom - RiderDown has Brain Pads for sale and most models in stock. The brief explanation is that it is a mouthguard that not only protects your teeth but it prevents concussions. You can find more info on them at the site Erik mentioned above. Post any more questions you have here or email us at info@riderdown.org. I don't have all the pricing off the top of my head but I believe the adult pro plus is $26.99. There are kid and female models too.

[mommotox]

I need to get another one for Zach...I bought one about a year ago, and he could not stand riding with it. Based on what I saw on the table at Dirt Days (Thunder Valley) there are a lot more offerings now, and the breathing hole looks bigger. I need to get him the kid-specific one. Guess I'll have to order...would have been too easy to just buy one at Thunder Valley!

[fastlearner]

I've ridden with mine twice now. Definitely takes getting used to. I'm having trouble drinking from the camelbak with it. Hopefully I can get that worked out. For MX riders who don't have to worry about drinking while riding it seems like a good product.

[Tatonka]

Tony - thanks for the review. I'm curious what you thought about the effect it had on your breathing. Any noticeable effect?

[fastlearner]

Tony - thanks for the review. I'm curious what you thought about the effect it had on your breathing. Any noticeable effect?

YES!! The most noticeable effect was that it let me know just how poor shape I'm in. It does restrict breathing somewhat. If I'm riding an easy section it's no big deal and I can breathe through my nose. In more technical sections when I'm huffing and puffing, the Brain Pad is definitely a hindrance. Probably wouldn't be so bad if my cardio fitness was better.

[char393]

I just got my Brain Pad at the GMB last weekend. I didn't get a chance to fit it ahead of time, so haven't been able to ride with it yet. Wysong gave me the female version and much to his surprise, I had to trim it a little bit. LOL After fitting it as recommended, it feels much better than it did originally. I can tell you that it feels a bit bulky, yes, I'm wearing it around the house. My daughter has taken several opportunities to let me know how goofy I look. On the other hand, I feel like I'm ready to go 10 rounds. I am curious to see if I'll actually be able to ride with it in.

Tony, did you figure out how to wear it with a camelbak? I don't see any real way to drink with this thing in?

Hopefully I'll have a "real" ride report/review for you soon.

[fastlearner]

Tony, did you figure out how to wear it with a camelbak? I don't see any real way to drink with this thing in?


No, not yet. I'm interested in the product, though. Riding enduros is pretty much impossible without hydration and, if anything, I tend to over-hydrate. In an enduro I drink anywhere from 120-200 oz of Cytomax so I'm taking sips pretty frequently.

The only thing I can think of would be to carve out a space in either the upper or lower front part. Though, I'm afraid that might create a situation where the Brain Pad could be more harmful than helpful.

[char393]

I thought about the same thing. Just can't help but think that by doing so, you're affecting how the brain pad works.

I primarily ride mx though, so the camelbak isn't a big deal, although I'd like to get into cross country riding a little bit more.

[fastlearner]

I cut the vertical sections out of the bottom front of the Brain Pad. I still can't really drink with it though. Cutting the pieces out let me get the bite valve in my mouth, but my lips are then forced to be open by the size of the BP...thus preventing me from being able to suck out any liquid.

[char393]

I got this product a while ago...actually back in October. I sort of misplaced it for a while, really I put it in a "safe" spot, which is never really a good idea. Go figure.

I was at 3 Palms for a race a couple weeks ago and thought I'd give the brain pad a try during practice. It's not uncomfortable, but feels a bit weird. I can say that it didn't inhibit my breathing at all.

I realize this is probably a silly complaint, but I feel like I'm about ready to drool all over myself when I wear the thing. While it was comfortable, I did notice it was there. I suspect that'll go away with more time though. I do have to admit that I did not wear it during either of my motos. While the fit itself is good, I feel almost awkward wearing it. As I first noticed, I really don't see anyway to wear this and use a drinking system.

I'd like to say we're riding this weekend, but I believe the rain has taken care of that. We are supposed to race next weekend and I'll be sure to wear it again to see if I can get used to it.

On a similar note, one of the young ladies I was racing against wears a mouthguard, similar to the brainpad. She won't ride without one.

[Tatonka]

Interesting. Char - I haven't had a chance to demo mine at all yet but I keep hearing the same kind of thing from people who do use them..."I won't get on the track without it". I'm not much of a track guy and I do use my drink system alot so I would really need to sort out that part of the guard.

[Tatonka]

Bumping this thread. This is an important subject and is recently receiving some new and much needed attention!