Riding the Metro
11-10-2007, 07:22 PM
Leatt Moto GPX Club Brace Review
By Art Jurado
Protective gear is the normal attire for any serious trail riders or racer. Everyone should be wearing sturdy boots, gloves, helmet, chest protector and goggles at the minimum.
Having the opportunity to ride and demo these units, the following is my unbiased review of the Leatt brace.
Upon opening the box, you will find the Leatt Brace, users manual, Thoracic member with strut, additional Thoracic strut, total of three sets of pins, SM / MED / LG, positioning Strap and 3mm allen wrench.
Fitting the brace took about twenty minutes and most of time spent was looking for allen wrench which did not come in this particular box. The quality is first rate as is the hardware used throughout. What stood out was the low profile when positioned with my chest protector. My chest protector is the Acerbis zoom and it fit perfectly once I managed to slide the rear upper member outside the chest protector and Thoracic member under, same for the front. I choose not to use the optional straps as the brace was snugly held in place.
With my Bell helmet on, I felt no restriction in side to side movement, a good thing. The up and down was restricted for obvious reasons.
A nice feature not mentioned in the product brochure is how modular the system is. For example, the padding may be removed for cleaning and are held in place with heavy duty Velcro fasteners. Also the brace may be removed easily by simply disengaging the two side locking mechanisms. Every component is replaceable should one or move parts wear out or become damaged.
Ok, time to ride. My initial impression was how unrestricted the Leatt felt. By the end of my 150 miles of the CA. desert I almost completely forgot I was wearing it. I did however feel the rear Thoracic member rubbing on my back a few times but was easily fixed with a short trailside adjustment.
After four days of riding and one high speed get-off with the brace, I am completely satisfied with this product and recommend it to any rider of any age. I feel the Leatt Brace should be included as your standard safety equipment.
Retail price is $395 at the RiderDown Store. http://riderdown.org/rdfstore/
Tom Miller shown modeling the Leatt "Club" Brace.
http://www.riderdown.org/forum/photopost/data/500/Tom_Miller_wearing_Leatt.jpg
By Art Jurado
Protective gear is the normal attire for any serious trail riders or racer. Everyone should be wearing sturdy boots, gloves, helmet, chest protector and goggles at the minimum.
Having the opportunity to ride and demo these units, the following is my unbiased review of the Leatt brace.
Upon opening the box, you will find the Leatt Brace, users manual, Thoracic member with strut, additional Thoracic strut, total of three sets of pins, SM / MED / LG, positioning Strap and 3mm allen wrench.
Fitting the brace took about twenty minutes and most of time spent was looking for allen wrench which did not come in this particular box. The quality is first rate as is the hardware used throughout. What stood out was the low profile when positioned with my chest protector. My chest protector is the Acerbis zoom and it fit perfectly once I managed to slide the rear upper member outside the chest protector and Thoracic member under, same for the front. I choose not to use the optional straps as the brace was snugly held in place.
With my Bell helmet on, I felt no restriction in side to side movement, a good thing. The up and down was restricted for obvious reasons.
A nice feature not mentioned in the product brochure is how modular the system is. For example, the padding may be removed for cleaning and are held in place with heavy duty Velcro fasteners. Also the brace may be removed easily by simply disengaging the two side locking mechanisms. Every component is replaceable should one or move parts wear out or become damaged.
Ok, time to ride. My initial impression was how unrestricted the Leatt felt. By the end of my 150 miles of the CA. desert I almost completely forgot I was wearing it. I did however feel the rear Thoracic member rubbing on my back a few times but was easily fixed with a short trailside adjustment.
After four days of riding and one high speed get-off with the brace, I am completely satisfied with this product and recommend it to any rider of any age. I feel the Leatt Brace should be included as your standard safety equipment.
Retail price is $395 at the RiderDown Store. http://riderdown.org/rdfstore/
Tom Miller shown modeling the Leatt "Club" Brace.
http://www.riderdown.org/forum/photopost/data/500/Tom_Miller_wearing_Leatt.jpg