Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room and deal with the controversy surrounding knee braces. A few years ago, a reader commented on a Wish List post of mine that included some knee braces. I’m always happy to receive comments from readers and wasn’t even aware of any controversy. He pointed me toward Ryan Hughes, the leading spokesperson against braces, who argues that they restrict movement on the bike and lead to incorrect body position. There have also been anecdotal claims that braces have led some people to breaking their tibia or fibula.
On the other side of the argument is Adam Reimann. He admits that he’s tried and abandoned some pretty bad braces that were painful and obstructive, but he suggests to keep looking around to find some that fit you well, then you will not want to ride without them. It will be, he says, like “riding without your helmet.” He refers to a brace as like a second knee, a knee over your knee, that adds strength when you need it, whether in a twist, hyperextension, or hard knock.
I think this is one each rider has to decide for him or herself. For me, I’ve seen guys blow out their knees playing soccer, and I’ve seen (on video) a now friend severely damage his knee in a little tip-over. (Reimann comments that’s it’s often not the high speed accidents but the silly little slow-speed ones that cause the most damage.) These are very heavy bikes we’re taking off-road, and it doesn’t take much to tear a meniscus or AC ligament or worse. Since I’d like to keep my mobility well into my retirement, I decided to get some braces.
The problem was I never could find the $1000 or so to buy a pair. Then one day I had an idea, such a brilliant idea (if I may say so) I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. (I get my best ideas upon waking, as if my mind has been mulling over a problem in sleep and decides to present me with the answer upon waking.) Maybe I could get a portion of the braces covered under my group insurance at work? I’d heard of people getting covered for a brace after an accident, but shouldn’t doctors and insurance companies logically cover preventative braces too? I looked into it and discovered they do! You need a doctor’s prescription, so off to the clinic I went.
The young doctor I got (this is Quebec healthcare—no one actually has a doctor) was not familiar with knee braces and I had to show her a photo of one on my phone and explain what I’d be using it for. After dutifully checking that my knees were indeed still fine, she thankfully wrote me the prescription but added, just to cover herself, “for preventative use” on it.
I mention all this because if you’ve been considering getting braces but the cost has been a deciding deterrent, check your insurance policy. Ideally, medicine should be preventative, just like bike maintenance. Just make sure the braces you get are medically certified because some are not.
With 80% covered, I decided to go “top of the line,” as my parents used to say. That’s the Pod K8 2.0 braces with the forged carbon frame. Pod also make the K4, which is also medically certified but slightly heavier with an “impact modified composite frame.”
The design genius of the Pod braces is the synthetic ligament that simulates the AC ligament that is so vulnerable. Unlike traditional knee pads, the brace’s frame prevents torsional movement and hyperextension, but the synthetic ligament does not hinder bending. I’m no orthopedic surgeon or industrial designer so won’t go into the weeds of how the brace is designed or works, but I can speak to the fitment and comfort of the Pods.
As with all motorcycle gear, fitment is crucial. That starts with getting the right size brace, with the width or circumference of your knee the crucial element. (The sizing chart has both measurements. Just be sure to measure while standing, i.e. load-bearing.) Like a helmet, the brace should be snug but not tight, and the Pods come with various pads and spacers that fit inside the knee cup to get the perfect fit. If you are between sizes, they suggest going up a size.
There are two crucial elements of putting on the brace. First, make sure the hinge of the brace is next to the hinge of your knee. Doh! That seems obvious, but many people fit them too low. To ensure correct placement, put them on with a bent knee. Then they should naturally fall to the right place on your leg. The straps are numbered and the other crucial element is to fit the first strap above your calf muscle and ensure it’s tight. Doing so will prevent the brace from sliding down during the day.
Images credit://https://podactive.com/fitting-and-adustment/
The rest of the straps are straightforward, working outward from the knee. Initially I made the outermost straps too tight and they dug into my flesh, leaving a mark by the end of the day. I backed off on those and the brace is now more comfortable.
Yeah, when I first put them on I felt like Robocop, but I soon got used to them. I did a couple of rides at the end of last season—four days in Vermont and The Timber Trail in Ontario—and wore them all day every day without discomfort. Okay, they are like your adventure boots: you’re happy to get them off at the end of the day but don’t mind them during. I bought a pair of the Pod KX knee sleeves to go under the braces and would recommend something similar. They provide just a little more protection to your skin, and folding the ends over the brace top and bottom ensures nothing gets snagged on the inside lining of your pants.
On the bike, I did not find the Pods obstructed my movement. However, I’m not racing and doing berms or pulling any Pol Tarrés moves. What I am doing is squeezing the bike with my knees, and especially pressing the inside of my knee into the bike to stabilize it around corners, and the Pods didn’t dig into the inside of my knee; they have rubber pads that fix into the knee cup with velcro to prevent that. There isn’t much flesh on these knees and the Pods with the knee sleeves didn’t irritate any bones or skin.
The knee is such an important yet complicated and vulnerable body part. Why not invest in doing everything you can to protect them? Overall, I’m very satisfied with the Pod K8 knee braces. I haven’t had the bike come down on one yet, but I now ride off-road with the peace of mind of knowing that if it does, my knees are protected, certainly better than in a knee pad or with traditional knee armour.
Disagree? Go ahead: the comments section is open below, and like in my classrooms, I encourage diversity of ideas.
650thumper 