Broke my neck in 2012 hitting a tree helmet first.....no neck brace. My range of motion is so limited now, but I won’t ride without a brace. It limits my head movement, and has save me a couple times coming up short on jumps etc. in this case, the limiting factor is a benefit to me. At 55, I’m done showing off, it’s more about still being out there at this point. I don’t think my spine would take another trauma very well lol.
I started wearing an Atlas brace with a Fly Carbon helmet about 5 yrs ago. There are pluses and minuses to everything. There are some body shapes and helmets that fit neck braces very well and others that are basically impossible. I may lose a bit of mobility but I gain a lot of mental confidence.
Personally i improved my riding technique without neck brace , feel way more confortable, less arm pump, and more.efficient , definatelly a theme to talk about just from my personal point of view
Good afternoon, my many years of riding I’ve never worn a neck brace, but I do wear a neck roll, made by EVS. I like the neck roll because you still have a lot of movement it’s not as restrictive as a neck brace, some guys one might want to try that.
late to the party, but can confirm my EVS foam neck brace worked fine in a 100kmhr crash, was actually sliding along the track on my helmet, thinking " hey this thing actually works". Gets hot in summer is about all.
I took my brace off after a 6 year break from riding, and within 2 months I'm already faster than I ever was when I wore a brace. I can actually look ahead, and have my body in the right position. My father usually films me for a few laps every time we go riding so I can check my technique and make comparisons of my speed from week to week, and the difference in my riding style since removing the brace is crazy! I look a little less ronnie mac and a little more jett lawrence hahaha.
You are right in a lot of points, but I just can`t understand why Tim Gajser (one of the best motocrossers in the world) is still winning WorldCup rounds (like yesterday here in Portugal) with a neck brace on!
@@MichiganManiak, don`t believe that, I`m pretty sure he feels the need to use it, or else why would he bother to?? He`s almost a world champion, if he wouldn`t feel good wearing a neck brace, he wouldn`t use it even if someone pays it!
Anderson, brace off. Barcia, brace off. Musquin, brace off. Ryan’s points are undeniable here. Mind you, these guys were getting paid to wear the things, so maybe, they even took a pay cut to ride without them. If that tells you something. Look at Jett Lawrence, Chase Sexton, Jorge Prado and ask yourself whether they would be able to get in the positions they get while riding with a neck brace on. Answer is… NO
@@TheDahsTube, as I told before, just check Tim Gajser....so, how the hell he managed to be 2022 MX GP World Champion with a neck brece on?? i0.wp.com/motojornal.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/gajser_finland_hondaracingglobal_shotbybavo_dsc_5460-scaled.jpg?ssl=1
@@Nuno.Alcaide He rides and works harder than anybody else. I am 100% convinced that he would be faster and would crash less often if he embraced the extra mobility ditching the brace would provide. I am not telling anyone not to wear them though, it’s a personal decision. I am just stating some facts, and telling you my opinion
Ryno can you talk about villopoto wearing a brace? I understand the theory but that guy won a lot of championships with neck braces. Also can elaborate more on webb, is he wearing knee pads?
@@benjamin82675 I'm In no way Ryan, but the NB RV wore was likely not even close to the off the shelve model @ a min it was custom made for him. I know when the stabilizers come out a good many of the sponsored units where dummy units with no internals.
@@johnnyjohnson2942 No not true. RV wore an Atlas that was off the shelf and carbon the last couple years of his career. I worked for Atlas/Matrix concepts during that time. The thinner profile and extra flex in the Atlas increased mobility compared to the AStars he wore years before
Comparing a pro rider wearing a brace isn’t a good way to look at things. The problem is, novice riders wear braces and put themselves in dangerous positions, which can cause horrible wrecks and injury.
@@devodar2579 Really? I've never seen a novice rider put themselves in a bad situation because of a neck brace, myself included. Lack of talent and skills leads to crashes, not the gear you wear.
I’ve been riding for about 3 years now and for the first 2, I wore an old style leatt brace. I always thought it didn’t effect my technique or riding style until I really started getting more speed and working on proper technique, I realized I couldn’t see in front of me. In the air, before the landing, I couldn’t see anything after the face of the landing. This last year I rode without it and I probably will never go back 👍🏼
People want to purchase solutions to challenging problems in life, and this is a great example. I never see anyone at the track stretching their neck or really warming their legs up, but I see endless knee and neck braces.
I think science and technique need to come together. Ryan brings up some great points and if a manufacturer sat down with numerous coaches and riders to allow proper technique with the protection would be a great outcome . Look at surfing basically no pros wear helmets at some of the most dangerous waves in the world ... why ? As a surfer I can tell you it’s all about feel and senses , I’ve worn a helmet and it takes away so much that it increases risk of injury.
Fair enough review of the issue, and I used to have trouble riding with that brace, until I learned to adjust it for better fit and more space to the back of the helmet. Also better with it strapped on tight. Don't see a problem now, probably due to upgrade to the new model though.
Ryan, Your Channel is Awesome! When I saw your video about neck braces I thought you were crazy. Then I started reviewing my drone footage of myself and realized how screwed up my body/bike position was and how little mobility I had because of it. Holy smokes dude! I took the brace off the past two months and what an incredible difference. My riding is easily 15% better and having been on the bike almost 20 years that's a massive deal. Just being able to properly see the singletrack and hinge correctly made a crazy great difference. These braces are a death trap for more advanced riders. Thanks for having the guts to put this and the other videos about these braces out. Hope other people watch this too. Fantastic content Ryan!
I get his point, and that old Leatt was not great in todays standards. Obviously the new Atlas for example is a totally different brace and the best one IMO. Also it depends a lot how you are built, what helmet and chest protector are you using etc. It everyones own choice, I use my Atlas and feel good with it.
Cycle News had a article a few years ago about neck braces with statistics over a 10 year period. Can’t post the link it gets removed. It’s an interesting read if anything. Me personally I started wearing one in 2006 and many time I’ve come off the track only to realize I had forgot to put it on. I’ve been riding/ racing since was 5 yrs old and now in my mid 40’s I’d rather take every safety precaution whether it makes me slower or not. It’s all about having a good time and trying not get broke off and ride the next day. At the pro level that’s a whole different can of worms. Shoot you could trip on your shoe lace and brake your neck to each his own. Love your heart and videos Ryan
I will say the guy in the video isn't wearing it correctly, 95% of people don't hence they can't see, if you wear it properly there is no restriction. Look at the Tabs on the side of the brace, those need to sit under the armour instead of above, literally makes the brace 3 inches taller which restricts vision. If he wore it properly he'd be able to see.
i think its that ridiculously large helmet. my TLD helmet doesnt come close to touching my leatt looking like that guy does. the new generation of leatt braces dont stick up as high as that old one either. You also have the back of that leatt adjusted as high as possible at 4:22 to make your point more exaggerated. Everyone will wear, or not wear, what makes them comfortable. I believe i am only walking because a leatt saved my neck before.
I will say that, the model of brace in this video.. now that I've rewatched and thought of what you said. i do agree with you and thanks for your comment. even the nicest of us can be negative sometimes! keep helping riders ride safer!
They are right I totally agree with it, that Some models or brands are dangeres for riding positions and can bring you in situations you don’t want te be. I wear Ortema’s neckbraces they are the best in the World and very light and thin and flexible You even don’t feel that you wear it and have them on!!!
I agree. The neck-brace obstructs a riders ability to duck, tuck and roll. The duck, tuck and roll in my opinion is a extremely important technic/skill that prevents greater injury’s. Wrist injury’s are a prime examples.
I'm a pro rider and 100% agree with this analysis. I tried one for a while and the reduction in range of motion made it more dangerous for me to ride. I also question the tech and not being able to move your head could be more dangerous when wrecking than having it stuck in this brace and going head first. If you are an athlete you make decisions in the air and if you are crashing you attempt to mitigate the impact and adjust how you are going to land. Motocross is dangerous. If you don't want to get hurt don't ride.
Fractured my C2 without a leatt neck brace, with the very example you demonstrated, neck tucked. Second time, didn’t wear my neck brace, landed on my head, knocked out / concussion and wipe lash to the neck. Knots on my left side. I’ll never not wear a neck brace. You obviously never had head trauma. The 2-key words are always…”safety first”! I’ll ride slower but will be safe. More important to keep riding and not be injured than to think your fast. Better safe than sorry at age 56 years old.
I agree with Ryan.. he has a very good point. I’ve never used one since they came out because I felt the same way about the neck brace. Limits mobility for sure
I think neck length has a huge impact on this subject. I have kind of a long neck and wear a newer Leatt brace. I don't feel any restriction of movement with vs without. Guys with shorter necks i see can barely look up. So what i'm wondering is will my brace even protect me? Should i be wearing it at all?
The timing of the video/tip is impeccable on your part...my 8 yr old just ask me for a neck brace, nope dad said! Might cause more injury than not. Thank you!!!
Can you guys make a similar evaluation on the foam type neck braces like the EVS R3? I wear one of those hoping it would provide protection without too much limitation on my movement. Would love to hear if you have the same concerns with those. Do they provide any protection at all?
I used a neck brace for the latter years of my racing, but my only weird view about it was... It creates a pivot point for your neck... Your neck can move, ALOT... This reduces the movement of your neck before it starts straining the joint... It will only save your neck from a direct hit ontop... But if something was to hit your head sideways, it would pivot higher on the neckbrace and pull vertibrae's apart... Or is physics wrong.
I've been riding in a neck brace for over 10years, refused to ride without it and after watching this I've taken it off and the improvement is huge so much more comfortable on the bike
Not picking or anything Ryan man. But I have had some engineering and have a question. I know what can happen in a crash is infinite, and that strut I'm am sure in some way can hurt you. But how do you know that in a crash that forces your head backwards, that the strut, (it does have some flex, even that one I see) will have enough energy to penetrate the spine? I can see your point though. I saw the surface area and how the energy would be spread out if hit in the middle or near middle. I did not think of what the end of the strut can do. I guess it could act like a knife if the edge dug into your body. I am old now and starting to ride again, (2-stroke of course), and just do some trail riding, (but you would love these whooped out, berm in every corner trails in Michigan, Jeff Stanton land), but I will not use a neck brace. Looking for a kidney belt though. :)
💯 wish I still had my bike since iv discovered this channel. Totally agree with Ryno. Iv been life flighted multiple time from football and dirt bikes. I'm an amateur to the greatest extent. All of my injuries involved my brain and my spinal cord. I didn't have a brace on for either occasion. Suffered no broken vertebrae (thank the Lord) yes had brain damage and spinal cord contusions! BUT still up and walking and playing with my kids everyday. I honestly feel the way my accidents happened if I would have had a brace on this story may have a different outcome.
Ryno, I like your technique that you're teaching. I ruptured my achilles in '07 and had it surgically repaired. It has been great since the surgery and this was not due to motorcycle riding. I wonder though about having the balls of the feet on the pegs. If there was a big impact and the ankles flexed, could this tear the achilles tendon? Just wondering if this has been researched or if this has happened to riders.
Get top tier boots for sure. Fox Instinct, Tech 10s etc. have stops so you can’t hyper extend. Balls of the feet give you so much more control so it’s always safer as a whole.
I've given my Achilles a good hard stretch on some flat landings when riding toes on the pegs, but I think I was taking the landing poorly with my upper body too. I think good technique would have had my chest on the bar pad instead of heels touching the dirt. Toes on pegs is the way to go IMO
I tore my left Achilles in 05, and I ride and jump on the balls of my feet all the time. I'm not quite on my toes yet, but with my tech 7's and tech 10's I never have any issues with my feet or ankles. The technique works, but you need to have quality boots. I always advise people riding motocross tracks to buy the best boots they can afford. In a crash you may need a good helmet, but every ride you will need great boots.
@@chuckcarr430 excellent information Chuck. Nice to hear from someone who has gone through the same experience. I completely agree with you about buying the best boots you can get.
tl/dr: The riding position Ryan teaches is vital to safety and perfomance on the bike - it will dramatically reduce the number of crashes you have. A neck brace might limit the ability to adopt the correction position but it should not be considered in isolation. Full post: It is not a black and white proposition: Neck brace = restricted vision. That can be true but it isn't inevitable. A number of factors come into it: neck length; armour/brace interface; helmet shape; correct positioning of neck brace. I've experienced the visibility limitations of neck braces while doing MX training (Greg Moss) that was teaching the same body positions as Ryan. That day, the only solution to ride safely was to ditch the brace. Later I wore a different helmet and the problem was solved. On other ocassions I've noticed that positioning of the brace can be a problem: it can hang forward/down, limiting abilty to see the track - the point Ryan is making. Using the Leatt Fusion armour|brace all-in-one, I have zero issues. However, I find the stand-alone neck brace is hard to make work properly and I might ditch it. There is good data showing neck braces are generally effective (www.cyclenews.com/2018/12/article/neck-brace-effectiveness-study/) so they are most likely worth using *if they don't limit vision* and you are thus able to assume the correct riding positions taught by Ryan. The solution is - as for most things involving people - not universal. Removing the neck brace altogether is one solution but ensuring brace is correctly positioned, the helmet is compatible and that your own physiology is compatible should also be considered.
TO ALL "NECK BRACE" MANUFACTURES: If any of the neck brace manufactures are getting mad at Ryan Hughes for his professional opinions about your products,----the smart manufacture will call Ryan up and hire him to help in design. I bet he would be happy to help out. It is well worth it, for safety and in a business sense, (more than you may think, with a Ryan Hughes endorsement). Think about it quickly, because your competition may be reading this too. :) The #1 factor for safety on a dirt bike is proper riding technique. If what you wear hinders that, it should be fixed if possible. Good Job Ryan.
I brought one and literally never used it as I didn’t even feel comfortable with it on as there was no head movement at all which I like to rotate my head and sold it but like ryno has just said your t4-t6 are the most important and once they go your not riding anymore as a neck can be healed with time but a back can not
I convinced myself years ago that neck braces made sense, and it's hard to change that mentality/perspective. Ryno has been slowly chipping away at it, though. I find it interesting that even the last few pros that were wearing them, are currently not wearing them. Barcia and Musquin were known for wearing them, and this year Barcia is no longer wearing his, and at Atlanta 2, Musquin was not wearing his. I found it weird that Musquin put his on for the podium interview, though. Sexton used to wear one, but currently is not. Makes me wonder if what Ryno has been preaching for sooo long is finally getting accepted, almost universally by the pros.
Interesting indeed. I'm no pro or specialist on the subject but looks to me the guy on the video has way too little space between the brace and the helmet ? I have much more space between my Leatt Fusion 3.0 and Shoei and it does not feel restrictive. I've noticed that there are substantial differences between people and their physics e.g. the gear that fits my 17yr ald son does not fit me at all, becomes too restrictive since it seems his neck is much taller and shoulders lower even we are same height.
This guy is wearing the brace on top of his chest armour. Of course the brace sits too high. My helmet-to-brace distance at rear is more than twice than his and I can easily see far ahead. My Airoh helmet also has a low profile in rear part that fits good with brace.
We were taught in football as a kid to do neck strengthening exercises. Was I the only one? It was specifically to strengthen your neck to avoid neck injuries. The moment I saw neck braces become a thing I thought it would start a process of weakening neck muscles.
I was a football player too, hs, college then amateur. You are right about weaker necks and I always wondered why nobody thinks to do neck strengthening exercise. I'm still wearing a brace because I'm willing to sacrifice some technique for mental confidence. Great point!
I think its important to consider the physique of an individual and the particular neck brace worn. Certainly the first gen Leatt had some design issues, but I did wear one and had plenty of crashed where I tuckd and rolled. I do have a long neck, but ever since wearing one I can say that I haven't broken a collar bone. Knock on wood! Neck braces are designed to limit flexion. Its the reason that a lot of linebackers wear them, so they are effective at that. I can also see Ryan's point about causing some issues where the brace forces the rider to adapt their body movement. Imo the newer designs, or the soft neck roll is the way to go for those who have the appropriate physique. $.02
Very interesting. So a new design approach must be found to correct what Rhyno says here. Never used a neck brace for the same reasons. Magoo said, If I had a neck brace may be I wouldn't get paralyzed.. Probably it's on the dynamic of the crash. Sometimes it helps sometimes it gets problems.
I use EVS neck roll and not neck brace. It doesn’t limit my movement at all and I can see well in front of me when I’m in attack position. It’s just perfect thickness for my neck lenght. I have Airoh Aviator helmet and they work well together. I like to use this neck roll as it doesn’t disturb my riding and I can’t feel it when I ride my bike = very good. It doesn’t limit my helmet movement too much but enough IF I crash as it can then limit a bit of that too long helmet movement to prevent some injuries. I have never even considered to buy a ”proper” neck brace as this EVS neck roll is so good one for me.
Ryan Hughes is so right I've been telling parents for years that neck brace hurts not helps! It's so obvious when u watch little kids ride they can't even look through a corner because. They can't turn there head
@@EarthSurferUSA Yep, tracks there are flat as a pancake. So smooth Everts didnt need to take his feet off the pegs when he rode round the outside of Stew at Matterly!
If you fall you fall and if it’s hard enough to really injure yourself I personally believe braces and all that can just restrict the flexibility that might have saved you. I broke my ankle in high tops and it felt like the shoe gripped the ground and almost yanked my foot off. I still wonder if it would’ve been different if my shoe was able to just slip off instead of my foot dislocating. No way to know though, thanks for the videos!
My suspension bottomed and flipped my bike at 5 gear. Landed with my head on the ground first. My neckbrace broke and cracked. No neck injury. Idk without the brace what would happen. Today i tried without the brace and i can ride much much better on corners where you have to stand. More efficient. Ryan is correct on that.
I think this video comes from these braces have caused necks to break cause they don’t let anything move so you go head first they’ve also been a leading cause of people being paralyzed when wearing one and wrecking
In Bmx, your head and neck is everything. We can’t ride or do any spinning stuff without head and neck movement. I just took that same logic and put into dirtbikes. More flexibility makes riding easier, don’t need to make harder than it already is.
You had a big crash in 2014 with injuries. Did the crash change your mindset/riding techniques ? Is what your teaching today the same as before such as body position and use of safety devices?
I remember in the 80's, nearly EVERYONE said if you wore a plastic chest protector (more specifically the Hallman or Answer types), you could easily break your neck or collarbone in a crash.....Sure, some people broke necks and collarbones, and now we're seemingly at the same point, only with these collars.....same thing all over again. If you are moving, then tumbling thru the air, physics is not your friend.....no matter what equipment you're wearing......can't wait to see Airbags like the MotoGP guys wear infiltrate into the MX world next.
I tried riding with a neck brace ONCE, and immediattely dropped it after a lap because I just could not see shit, it forced me to look down into the ruts, instead of ahead. Worst feeling in my life. I had a heavy impact from the side without one and my helmet nearly broke my collarbone, if I was wearing a neck brace, the concussion would likely have been worse and I would definitely have broken my collarbone.
Better off riding without the hard plastic chest plate and opting for a soft flexible foam roost guard than ditching the neck brace. Free's up the neck brace so it sits on your shoulders and its not locked on the plastic one. The hard ones make it very hard to flow with the bike. Yes i agree with Ryno tucking your head in and rolling is the best method but it is a very seasoned method and most learners and intermediate riders will try to keep the heads up and arm's out.
Ever watch what Damon Bradshaw did with his head on hard landings? He does it quickly, you have to look for it. He would not have been able to do that with a neck brace like this.
If you ride without a helmet it greatly increases your field of view, you won’t get caught in an accident because of the greater peripheral vision and you won’t have the weight of a helmet throwing you off balance like a rock attached to your head. The only thing you really do need are goggles because you can’t ride fast if your eyes are watering. Goggles sans helmet with tennis shoes (for greater ankle mobility) is the way to go. Plus you’ll look cool.
I took off my kneck brace, after wearing various types for 10 years, and saw almost instant improvement. I feel much more in control, and able to really benefit from getting low in attack position. I feel more like a human on the bike and less like a machine.
Ya man me too. Have leatt and atlas and they definitely restrict head movement at certain degrees, but that's what they're designed to do right? Now that I've been riding without one I can see corners better. Up coming lines better, jump faces better. Because I can tilt my head beyonds certain degrees now than before.
There's a lot of interesting points in his arguments. But it's not fair to use such an old brace as a bad example! The newer ones don't put force on the spine. Their lever hits mostly both shoulderblades/area next to spine!
I’m not Ryno 😆 but I’ve been riding a very long time. Most of what he preaches I already do but i obviously have room to improve I was out riding Saturday, yes trails and I made a conscious effort to stay on the balls of my feet, focused on my grip as he says, and stood in more as he calls open hip, attack position and I did use less energy. I have good habits I almost never sit down. My opinion this helps a lot in single track. Hope u don’t mind me commenting
@@utahdesertrider1806 I appreciate the feedback. I did the same this past weekend specifically less knee bend and more hip and it felt more controlled and less effort. I assumed it applied but was curious so thanks again for your reply.
@@melissakelly5813 Loser comment...why? because I'm asking for a better quality video?... I love the content, just want to watch it in 1080p at least.
Broke my neck in 2012 hitting a tree helmet first.....no neck brace. My range of motion is so limited now, but I won’t ride without a brace. It limits my head movement, and has save me a couple times coming up short on jumps etc. in this case, the limiting factor is a benefit to me. At 55, I’m done showing off, it’s more about still being out there at this point.
I don’t think my spine would take another trauma very well lol.
I started wearing an Atlas brace with a Fly Carbon helmet about 5 yrs ago. There are pluses and minuses to everything. There are some body shapes and helmets that fit neck braces very well and others that are basically impossible. I may lose a bit of mobility but I gain a lot of mental confidence.
Personally, my helmet and boots limit my mobility and visibility too much. That’s why I ride in a bucket hat and flip flops
Best comment ever!!!
No your mindset sucks and you're scared. You shouldn't be riding anyways.
😂😂😂
Personally i improved my riding technique without neck brace , feel way more confortable, less arm pump, and more.efficient , definatelly a theme to talk about just from my personal point of view
Until you crash and break your neck
Be curious to see the same video with an atlas brace
i’ve ridden in both and hated them, distracted me too much and i couldnt look up much. look down go down is a very real thing haha
Good afternoon, my many years of riding I’ve never worn a neck brace, but I do wear a neck roll, made by EVS. I like the neck roll because you still have a lot of movement it’s not as restrictive as a neck brace, some guys one might want to try that.
late to the party, but can confirm my EVS foam neck brace worked fine in a 100kmhr crash, was actually sliding along the track on my helmet, thinking " hey this thing actually works". Gets hot in summer is about all.
I took my brace off after a 6 year break from riding, and within 2 months I'm already faster than I ever was when I wore a brace. I can actually look ahead, and have my body in the right position. My father usually films me for a few laps every time we go riding so I can check my technique and make comparisons of my speed from week to week, and the difference in my riding style since removing the brace is crazy! I look a little less ronnie mac and a little more jett lawrence hahaha.
Thank you. Please keep making videos! Love and support from Amsterdam, The Netherlands
So right. I never have ridden with a neck brace, but I feel like I have a lever on my spine when I've tried them on.
You are right in a lot of points, but I just can`t understand why Tim Gajser (one of the best motocrossers in the world) is still winning WorldCup rounds (like yesterday here in Portugal) with a neck brace on!
Bet he wouldn't wear one if they didn't pay him a dime.
@@MichiganManiak, don`t believe that, I`m pretty sure he feels the need to use it, or else why would he bother to?? He`s almost a world champion, if he wouldn`t feel good wearing a neck brace, he wouldn`t use it even if someone pays it!
Anderson, brace off. Barcia, brace off. Musquin, brace off. Ryan’s points are undeniable here. Mind you, these guys were getting paid to wear the things, so maybe, they even took a pay cut to ride without them. If that tells you something. Look at Jett Lawrence, Chase Sexton, Jorge Prado and ask yourself whether they would be able to get in the positions they get while riding with a neck brace on. Answer is… NO
@@TheDahsTube, as I told before, just check Tim Gajser....so, how the hell he managed to be 2022 MX GP World Champion with a neck brece on??
i0.wp.com/motojornal.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/gajser_finland_hondaracingglobal_shotbybavo_dsc_5460-scaled.jpg?ssl=1
@@Nuno.Alcaide He rides and works harder than anybody else. I am 100% convinced that he would be faster and would crash less often if he embraced the extra mobility ditching the brace would provide. I am not telling anyone not to wear them though, it’s a personal decision. I am just stating some facts, and telling you my opinion
Ryno can you talk about villopoto wearing a brace? I understand the theory but that guy won a lot of championships with neck braces. Also can elaborate more on webb, is he wearing knee pads?
I would like to hear the reply to this also
@@benjamin82675 I'm In no way Ryan, but the NB RV wore was likely not even close to the off the shelve model @ a min it was custom made for him. I know when the stabilizers come out a good many of the sponsored units where dummy units with no internals.
@@johnnyjohnson2942 No not true. RV wore an Atlas that was off the shelf and carbon the last couple years of his career. I worked for Atlas/Matrix concepts during that time. The thinner profile and extra flex in the Atlas increased mobility compared to the AStars he wore years before
Comparing a pro rider wearing a brace isn’t a good way to look at things. The problem is, novice riders wear braces and put themselves in dangerous positions, which can cause horrible wrecks and injury.
@@devodar2579 Really? I've never seen a novice rider put themselves in a bad situation because of a neck brace, myself included. Lack of talent and skills leads to crashes, not the gear you wear.
What a Fantastic video and teaching lesson! I needed to see this and learn these techniques better than what I'm doing better now, Just Brilliant
My leatt has definitely without a doubt saved my life or at least saved me from becoming paralyzed.
I’ve been riding for about 3 years now and for the first 2, I wore an old style leatt brace. I always thought it didn’t effect my technique or riding style until I really started getting more speed and working on proper technique, I realized I couldn’t see in front of me. In the air, before the landing, I couldn’t see anything after the face of the landing. This last year I rode without it and I probably will never go back 👍🏼
People want to purchase solutions to challenging problems in life, and this is a great example. I never see anyone at the track stretching their neck or really warming their legs up, but I see endless knee and neck braces.
I think science and technique need to come together. Ryan brings up some great points and if a manufacturer sat down with numerous coaches and riders to allow proper technique with the protection would be a great outcome .
Look at surfing basically no pros wear helmets at some of the most dangerous waves in the world ... why ? As a surfer I can tell you it’s all about feel and senses , I’ve worn a helmet and it takes away so much that it increases risk of injury.
That’s a great point dude.
Fair enough review of the issue, and I used to have trouble riding with that brace, until I learned to adjust it for better fit and more space to the back of the helmet. Also better with it strapped on tight. Don't see a problem now, probably due to upgrade to the new model though.
Did you get a new model, are they drastically different?
Well i am glad i warched this!! Thank you!!
Very interesting
Good position not restricted by a bad designed neck brace will minimize the possibility of an accident. Great advice, great channel!!!
I wonder if a neck brace would have make any difference for you in your accident?
Ryan you´re a GENIUS
Ryan, Your Channel is Awesome!
When I saw your video about neck braces I thought you were crazy. Then I started reviewing my drone footage of myself and realized how screwed up my body/bike position was and how little mobility I had because of it. Holy smokes dude! I took the brace off the past two months and what an incredible difference. My riding is easily 15% better and having been on the bike almost 20 years that's a massive deal. Just being able to properly see the singletrack and hinge correctly made a crazy great difference. These braces are a death trap for more advanced riders.
Thanks for having the guts to put this and the other videos about these braces out. Hope other people watch this too. Fantastic content Ryan!
I get his point, and that old Leatt was not great in todays standards. Obviously the new Atlas for example is a totally different brace and the best one IMO. Also it depends a lot how you are built, what helmet and chest protector are you using etc. It everyones own choice, I use my Atlas and feel good with it.
Cycle News had a article a few years ago about neck braces with statistics over a 10 year period. Can’t post the link it gets removed. It’s an interesting read if anything. Me personally I started wearing one in 2006 and many time I’ve come off the track only to realize I had forgot to put it on. I’ve been riding/ racing since was 5 yrs old and now in my mid 40’s I’d rather take every safety precaution whether it makes me slower or not. It’s all about having a good time and trying not get broke off and ride the next day. At the pro level that’s a whole different can of worms. Shoot you could trip on your shoe lace and brake your neck to each his own. Love your heart and videos Ryan
Damn. Glad I never wore a neck brace. You the man Ryno
I will say the guy in the video isn't wearing it correctly, 95% of people don't hence they can't see, if you wear it properly there is no restriction. Look at the Tabs on the side of the brace, those need to sit under the armour instead of above, literally makes the brace 3 inches taller which restricts vision. If he wore it properly he'd be able to see.
i think its that ridiculously large helmet. my TLD helmet doesnt come close to touching my leatt looking like that guy does. the new generation of leatt braces dont stick up as high as that old one either. You also have the back of that leatt adjusted as high as possible at 4:22 to make your point more exaggerated. Everyone will wear, or not wear, what makes them comfortable. I believe i am only walking because a leatt saved my neck before.
I will say that, the model of brace in this video.. now that I've rewatched and thought of what you said. i do agree with you and thanks for your comment. even the nicest of us can be negative sometimes! keep helping riders ride safer!
Thanks! Hate losing any range of motion by something restrictive. Jason Anderson riding better without one now.
take a look on Tim Gajser, just yesterday won a World Cup round (in Portugal) with a neck brace on!
I ride with an atlas and it flexes a lot so I really like it personally
What does Tim Gajser say about it?
They are right I totally agree with it, that Some models or brands are dangeres for riding positions and can bring you in situations you don’t want te be. I wear Ortema’s neckbraces they are the best in the World and very light and thin and flexible You even don’t feel that you wear it and have them on!!!
I agree.
The neck-brace obstructs a riders ability to duck, tuck and roll.
The duck, tuck and roll in my opinion is a extremely important technic/skill that prevents greater injury’s. Wrist injury’s are a prime examples.
I'm a pro rider and 100% agree with this analysis. I tried one for a while and the reduction in range of motion made it more dangerous for me to ride. I also question the tech and not being able to move your head could be more dangerous when wrecking than having it stuck in this brace and going head first. If you are an athlete you make decisions in the air and if you are crashing you attempt to mitigate the impact and adjust how you are going to land. Motocross is dangerous. If you don't want to get hurt don't ride.
I personally don’t wear one, but I have mixed views on them, much like the halo in formula one
Whats negative about the halo?
@@invisiblespeedrc I didn’t like the halo at first but after saving grosjeans life I changed my mind
@@angelosantaniello4113 so just a visual thing then?
@@invisiblespeedrc at first it looked like a slipper but I’m a believer now, not sure I feel the same about neck braces tho, still on the fence
Its in the way, until it saves somebody from a catastrophe. Just my 2c
Great work Ryno keep preaching brother!! F the haters physics!!
My friend was using a neck brace and he fell over in a corner and it pushed down on his shoulder and broke his collarbone
Good stuff as always..👍
How many thoracic spine fractures have been caused by neck braces Ryan? Should be easy to know.
Fractured my C2 without a leatt neck brace, with the very example you demonstrated, neck tucked. Second time, didn’t wear my neck brace, landed on my head, knocked out / concussion and wipe lash to the neck. Knots on my left side. I’ll never not wear a neck brace. You obviously never had head trauma. The 2-key words are always…”safety first”! I’ll ride slower but will be safe. More important to keep riding and not be injured than to think your fast. Better safe than sorry at age 56 years old.
I agree with Ryan.. he has a very good point. I’ve never used one since they came out because I felt the same way about the neck brace. Limits mobility for sure
I think neck length has a huge impact on this subject. I have kind of a long neck and wear a newer Leatt brace. I don't feel any restriction of movement with vs without. Guys with shorter necks i see can barely look up. So what i'm wondering is will my brace even protect me? Should i be wearing it at all?
i have the same question
The timing of the video/tip is impeccable on your part...my 8 yr old just ask me for a neck brace, nope dad said! Might cause more injury than not. Thank you!!!
I have an atlas air the back part acts as suspension is moves the back piece doesn’t sit on my spine
Tim Gasjer, several time world MX gp world champ uses a neck brace. He won last week the mxgp opener wearing one. Doesn’t seem to bother him at all…
Can you guys make a similar evaluation on the foam type neck braces like the EVS R3? I wear one of those hoping it would provide protection without too much limitation on my movement. Would love to hear if you have the same concerns with those. Do they provide any protection at all?
I used a neck brace for the latter years of my racing, but my only weird view about it was... It creates a pivot point for your neck... Your neck can move, ALOT... This reduces the movement of your neck before it starts straining the joint... It will only save your neck from a direct hit ontop... But if something was to hit your head sideways, it would pivot higher on the neckbrace and pull vertibrae's apart... Or is physics wrong.
Neck braces do not create a "fulcrum" they are specifically designed to limit extreme range of motion.
@@jerrodriley4290 there's a reason a lot of the top pros stopped wearing them
I've been riding in a neck brace for over 10years, refused to ride without it and after watching this I've taken it off and the improvement is huge so much more comfortable on the bike
Not picking or anything Ryan man. But I have had some engineering and have a question. I know what can happen in a crash is infinite, and that strut I'm am sure in some way can hurt you. But how do you know that in a crash that forces your head backwards, that the strut, (it does have some flex, even that one I see) will have enough energy to penetrate the spine? I can see your point though. I saw the surface area and how the energy would be spread out if hit in the middle or near middle. I did not think of what the end of the strut can do. I guess it could act like a knife if the edge dug into your body. I am old now and starting to ride again, (2-stroke of course), and just do some trail riding, (but you would love these whooped out, berm in every corner trails in Michigan, Jeff Stanton land), but I will not use a neck brace. Looking for a kidney belt though. :)
Mr. Hughes; You are a passionate man. Good stuff man. That is needed to make mankind better IMO. :)
glad i havent been taught to ride with one of these
Great point
💯 wish I still had my bike since iv discovered this channel. Totally agree with Ryno. Iv been life flighted multiple time from football and dirt bikes. I'm an amateur to the greatest extent. All of my injuries involved my brain and my spinal cord. I didn't have a brace on for either occasion. Suffered no broken vertebrae (thank the Lord) yes had brain damage and spinal cord contusions! BUT still up and walking and playing with my kids everyday. I honestly feel the way my accidents happened if I would have had a brace on this story may have a different outcome.
Ryno, I like your technique that you're teaching. I ruptured my achilles in '07 and had it surgically repaired. It has been great since the surgery and this was not due to motorcycle riding. I wonder though about having the balls of the feet on the pegs. If there was a big impact and the ankles flexed, could this tear the achilles tendon? Just wondering if this has been researched or if this has happened to riders.
Get top tier boots for sure. Fox Instinct, Tech 10s etc. have stops so you can’t hyper extend. Balls of the feet give you so much more control so it’s always safer as a whole.
I've given my Achilles a good hard stretch on some flat landings when riding toes on the pegs, but I think I was taking the landing poorly with my upper body too. I think good technique would have had my chest on the bar pad instead of heels touching the dirt. Toes on pegs is the way to go IMO
I try to do balls of feet for turns, ground stuff, but landings, I slide forward a bit for same reason you mention.
I tore my left Achilles in 05, and I ride and jump on the balls of my feet all the time. I'm not quite on my toes yet, but with my tech 7's and tech 10's I never have any issues with my feet or ankles. The technique works, but you need to have quality boots. I always advise people riding motocross tracks to buy the best boots they can afford. In a crash you may need a good helmet, but every ride you will need great boots.
@@chuckcarr430 excellent information Chuck. Nice to hear from someone who has gone through the same experience. I completely agree with you about buying the best boots you can get.
Like the bike the neck brace have to feet your size and the evolution is real not only on bike but in the new neck braces!
You should do a video on the Atlas brace
rhino is completely correct!! And I’ll be back later to read the comments 🤟
tl/dr:
The riding position Ryan teaches is vital to safety and perfomance on the bike - it will dramatically reduce the number of crashes you have.
A neck brace might limit the ability to adopt the correction position but it should not be considered in isolation.
Full post:
It is not a black and white proposition: Neck brace = restricted vision.
That can be true but it isn't inevitable.
A number of factors come into it: neck length; armour/brace interface; helmet shape; correct positioning of neck brace.
I've experienced the visibility limitations of neck braces while doing MX training (Greg Moss) that was teaching the same body positions as Ryan. That day, the only solution to ride safely was to ditch the brace. Later I wore a different helmet and the problem was solved.
On other ocassions I've noticed that positioning of the brace can be a problem: it can hang forward/down, limiting abilty to see the track - the point Ryan is making. Using the Leatt Fusion armour|brace all-in-one, I have zero issues. However, I find the stand-alone neck brace is hard to make work properly and I might ditch it.
There is good data showing neck braces are generally effective (www.cyclenews.com/2018/12/article/neck-brace-effectiveness-study/) so they are most likely worth using *if they don't limit vision* and you are thus able to assume the correct riding positions taught by Ryan.
The solution is - as for most things involving people - not universal. Removing the neck brace altogether is one solution but ensuring brace is correctly positioned, the helmet is compatible and that your own physiology is compatible should also be considered.
I believe all this limitation you talking about are what actually protects the neck
TO ALL "NECK BRACE" MANUFACTURES:
If any of the neck brace manufactures are getting mad at Ryan Hughes for his professional opinions about your products,----the smart manufacture will call Ryan up and hire him to help in design. I bet he would be happy to help out. It is well worth it, for safety and in a business sense, (more than you may think, with a Ryan Hughes endorsement). Think about it quickly, because your competition may be reading this too. :)
The #1 factor for safety on a dirt bike is proper riding technique. If what you wear hinders that, it should be fixed if possible. Good Job Ryan.
I brought one and literally never used it as I didn’t even feel comfortable with it on as there was no head movement at all which I like to rotate my head and sold it but like ryno has just said your t4-t6 are the most important and once they go your not riding anymore as a neck can be healed with time but a back can not
Ride within capabilities, that's the safest for the neck etc
I convinced myself years ago that neck braces made sense, and it's hard to change that mentality/perspective. Ryno has been slowly chipping away at it, though. I find it interesting that even the last few pros that were wearing them, are currently not wearing them. Barcia and Musquin were known for wearing them, and this year Barcia is no longer wearing his, and at Atlanta 2, Musquin was not wearing his. I found it weird that Musquin put his on for the podium interview, though. Sexton used to wear one, but currently is not. Makes me wonder if what Ryno has been preaching for sooo long is finally getting accepted, almost universally by the pros.
Alpinestars wouldn’t let sexton or Anderson wear atlas and they didn’t want to wear Alpinestars brace so they took it off
@@thomasrendall7030 Interesting. Thanks for the info.
Interesting indeed. I'm no pro or specialist on the subject but looks to me the guy on the video has way too little space between the brace and the helmet ? I have much more space between my Leatt Fusion 3.0 and Shoei and it does not feel restrictive. I've noticed that there are substantial differences between people and their physics e.g. the gear that fits my 17yr ald son does not fit me at all, becomes too restrictive since it seems his neck is much taller and shoulders lower even we are same height.
Sending this to my mom who gives me a hard time about not wearing one
I though the Neck brace is to protect your Collar Bones from the Helmet slamming into them on a crash?
Nope. In fact early neckbraces were know to snap collar bones
This guy is wearing the brace on top of his chest armour. Of course the brace sits too high.
My helmet-to-brace distance at rear is more than twice than his and I can easily see far ahead. My Airoh helmet also has a low profile in rear part that fits good with brace.
Very good theory and evidence to back his point up, definitely a controversial piece of equipment in our sport.
We were taught in football as a kid to do neck strengthening exercises. Was I the only one? It was specifically to strengthen your neck to avoid neck injuries. The moment I saw neck braces become a thing I thought it would start a process of weakening neck muscles.
I was a football player too, hs, college then amateur. You are right about weaker necks and I always wondered why nobody thinks to do neck strengthening exercise. I'm still wearing a brace because I'm willing to sacrifice some technique for mental confidence. Great point!
I think its important to consider the physique of an individual and the particular neck brace worn. Certainly the first gen Leatt had some design issues, but I did wear one and had plenty of crashed where I tuckd and rolled. I do have a long neck, but ever since wearing one I can say that I haven't broken a collar bone. Knock on wood!
Neck braces are designed to limit flexion. Its the reason that a lot of linebackers wear them, so they are effective at that. I can also see Ryan's point about causing some issues where the brace forces the rider to adapt their body movement. Imo the newer designs, or the soft neck roll is the way to go for those who have the appropriate physique.
$.02
I just wear a toilet seat around my neck. It works way better.
Very interesting.
So a new design approach must be found to correct what Rhyno says here.
Never used a neck brace for the same reasons.
Magoo said, If I had a neck brace may be I wouldn't get paralyzed..
Probably it's on the dynamic of the crash.
Sometimes it helps sometimes it gets problems.
I use EVS neck roll and not neck brace. It doesn’t limit my movement at all and I can see well in front of me when I’m in attack position. It’s just perfect thickness for my neck lenght. I have Airoh Aviator helmet and they work well together. I like to use this neck roll as it doesn’t disturb my riding and I can’t feel it when I ride my bike = very good. It doesn’t limit my helmet movement too much but enough IF I crash as it can then limit a bit of that too long helmet movement to prevent some injuries. I have never even considered to buy a ”proper” neck brace as this EVS neck roll is so good one for me.
Ryan Hughes is so right I've been telling parents for years that neck brace hurts not helps! It's so obvious when u watch little kids ride they can't even look through a corner because. They can't turn there head
Just think how fast Tim Gasjer would be if he didn't wear one!
Road race courses son. :)
@@EarthSurferUSA Yep, tracks there are flat as a pancake. So smooth Everts didnt need to take his feet off the pegs when he rode round the outside of Stew at Matterly!
I thought the neck braces seem better suited to the quad riders.
Hard video to do negative on safty equipment but you made some solid points 👍
If you fall you fall and if it’s hard enough to really injure yourself I personally believe braces and all that can just restrict the flexibility that might have saved you. I broke my ankle in high tops and it felt like the shoe gripped the ground and almost yanked my foot off. I still wonder if it would’ve been different if my shoe was able to just slip off instead of my foot dislocating. No way to know though, thanks for the videos!
My suspension bottomed and flipped my bike at 5 gear. Landed with my head on the ground first. My neckbrace broke and cracked. No neck injury. Idk without the brace what would happen. Today i tried without the brace and i can ride much much better on corners where you have to stand. More efficient. Ryan is correct on that.
With my kids I always said boots are cheap compared to an ankle injury, I put them in neck braces they never broke their necks.
I think this video comes from these braces have caused necks to break cause they don’t let anything move so you go head first they’ve also been a leading cause of people being paralyzed when wearing one and wrecking
The video is a bad example because he had the neck brace improperly setup.
It creates a leverage point in multiple areas.
In Bmx, your head and neck is everything. We can’t ride or do any spinning stuff without head and neck movement. I just took that same logic and put into dirtbikes. More flexibility makes riding easier, don’t need to make harder than it already is.
I stopped wearing mine along time ago
You had a big crash in 2014 with injuries. Did the crash change your mindset/riding techniques ? Is what your teaching today the same as before such as body position and use of safety devices?
I remember in the 80's, nearly EVERYONE said if you wore a plastic chest protector (more specifically the Hallman or Answer types), you could easily break your neck or collarbone in a crash.....Sure, some people broke necks and collarbones, and now we're seemingly at the same point, only with these collars.....same thing all over again. If you are moving, then tumbling thru the air, physics is not your friend.....no matter what equipment you're wearing......can't wait to see Airbags like the MotoGP guys wear infiltrate into the MX world next.
personally never liked them but for my 8 yr old kid racing gncc, I bought em. He's 17 now and no longer uses them.
I tried riding with a neck brace ONCE, and immediattely dropped it after a lap because I just could not see shit, it forced me to look down into the ruts, instead of ahead.
Worst feeling in my life.
I had a heavy impact from the side without one and my helmet nearly broke my collarbone, if I was wearing a neck brace, the concussion would likely have been worse and I would definitely have broken my collarbone.
2 kids got hurt last week. Both had braces
Better off riding without the hard plastic chest plate and opting for a soft flexible foam roost guard than ditching the neck brace. Free's up the neck brace so it sits on your shoulders and its not locked on the plastic one. The hard ones make it very hard to flow with the bike.
Yes i agree with Ryno tucking your head in and rolling is the best method but it is a very seasoned method and most learners and intermediate riders will try to keep the heads up and arm's out.
Glad to see othrr that disagree with the unproven neck brace. I think they cause more injuries.
This i great!
Ever watch what Damon Bradshaw did with his head on hard landings? He does it quickly, you have to look for it. He would not have been able to do that with a neck brace like this.
If you ride without a helmet it greatly increases your field of view, you won’t get caught in an accident because of the greater peripheral vision and you won’t have the weight of a helmet throwing you off balance like a rock attached to your head.
The only thing you really do need are goggles because you can’t ride fast if your eyes are watering. Goggles sans helmet with tennis shoes (for greater ankle mobility) is the way to go. Plus you’ll look cool.
I took off my kneck brace, after wearing various types for 10 years, and saw almost instant improvement. I feel much more in control, and able to really benefit from getting low in attack position. I feel more like a human on the bike and less like a machine.
Ya man me too. Have leatt and atlas and they definitely restrict head movement at certain degrees, but that's what they're designed to do right? Now that I've been riding without one I can see corners better. Up coming lines better, jump faces better. Because I can tilt my head beyonds certain degrees now than before.
There's a lot of interesting points in his arguments. But it's not fair to use such an old brace as a bad example! The newer ones don't put force on the spine. Their lever hits mostly both shoulderblades/area next to spine!
Ryno - This is way off topic but fresh vid so I want to ask, how much of what you are teaching applies to single-track riding in the mountains?
I’m not Ryno 😆 but I’ve been riding a very long time. Most of what he preaches I already do but i obviously have room to improve I was out riding Saturday, yes trails and I made a conscious effort to stay on the balls of my feet, focused on my grip as he says, and stood in more as he calls open hip, attack position and I did use less energy. I have good habits I almost never sit down. My opinion this helps a lot in single track. Hope u don’t mind me commenting
@@utahdesertrider1806 I appreciate the feedback. I did the same this past weekend specifically less knee bend and more hip and it felt more controlled and less effort. I assumed it applied but was curious so thanks again for your reply.
I would NEVER ride without knee pads... i completely understand your point on neck braces...but knee pads...nope...it's a must
I know know of two people that broke their neck with a neck brace on
The Atlas is very comfortable. Haven’t experienced any mobility issues so far.
Per Ryan Hughes!! Anything you brace, you make weak!!! Yep. All day , every day!!!
Great demonstration.
Ryan, please try to improve the video's quality, it's feels that it was filmed 10 years ago :)
What a loser comment
@@melissakelly5813 Loser comment...why? because I'm asking for a better quality video?...
I love the content, just want to watch it in 1080p at least.
You need a proper neck brace....
What about tim gieser? Winning championships with one🤷♂️
Didn't this guy break his neck by not wearing a neck brace?