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Hi from Norway. My CTI Custom braces are 14 years old and still in daily use. Changed Velcro straps and patella cups four years ago - and that’s it. Got them on prescription after a crash in 2009 and managed to convince the surgeon that they would protect from future injuries as well as prevent squeezing injuries from getting stuck under the bike. Love’em !
Got my custom cti braces for my bowed legs as off the shelf were not suitable. Paid $3300 for pair , great fit and have worn them on all day rides with great comfort. Pricey yes, worth the money if you have worn out old knees like mine
I wear custom CTI braces, one is from 1987 the other 1995, and they still work great. I'm just now sending the "95 brace back for a refurbishment and have replaced the straps multiple times. I won't ride without them.
I think it's one of those bits of equipment where the initial high price really pays for itself over the years. I've met quite a few guys now with CTi braces that are 10 to 20 years old and still going strong.
I completely ripped my leg apart. Had pie cut out of my tibia because I don't have cartilage left. Love my cti braces I wouldn't be riding today without them. Worth every penny for preventing bad knee injuries. I tore my acl mcl and pcl completely out had to remake them with hamstring. Shattered both sides of knee. Had I been wearing these I likely of not injured my knee.
I was able to get a sports Ortho Doc in the US to prescribe the CTI braces for me. They would only cover the off the shelf version, and I owed $400 with the patella guards. I didn't have any significant injuries to my knees, and told him that was how I wanted to keep it. They had no problem prescribing it. Just gotta find the right Dr
Have had aclr on both knees so I knew I needed something when I entered the trail riding world. Been running the Leatt C frame braces for 3 years and very pleased with fit and comfort. Took some getting used to but now don’t even notice them. Certainly have save me from injury!
I couldn't justify paying the price of CTI's so I went with Pod K4 braces. Saved me twice on the last ride I did. Also a mate of mine is the reseller up here in the NT for CTI. Great product from what he tells me!
for me the POD K4 has been a life saver. before wearing a brace I dislocated my left knee. I will not ride without them. For me the fit is perfect. I also bought the POD K8 for my left knee and use it for other sports without the patella attachment. Great braces for me. Cost is about $400 each. They are now 6 years old and work same as new.
Got my CTi custom fit braces a little over a year ago. Won't ride or snow ski without them. No issues so far. I have a few scratches on the custom paint but rather there than on my legs. Recommend them for sure.
I use the Asterisk ultra cell. They fit pretty good and support my knees. They are not 100% and the twist lock string thingy sometimes loosen while riding. Oh well I bought them second hand and thought they where better than no braces. I usually ride sitting in the couch watching videos. This way I save gas and never get hurt.
I’ve been riding with custom CTI braces for a couple of years now, following a knee injury. I am really happy with the braces, but I found the patella cup/knee pad to be poorly designed. I now wear the knee sleeves from Leatt X-Frame Hybrid knee braces under my CTI braces. The Leatt sleeve has a D30 style pad built in & a hard plastic outer knee pad too. I find that the sleeves really lock my braces in position & completely stop any chafing. Leatt sells the sleeves as a spare part. A little hard to find, but well worth tracking down.
I’ve had Asterisk Cell knee braces for over 15 years now. I think I paid around $1200 for them back then. Wouldn’t ride without them. Forget I even have them on when riding. I have used them for snowboarding too. Starting to show some wear and tear on the attachment straps now. Still functional though.
Thanks so much for this video Barry! I am about to spring for my first pair of true knee braces! A local supporter of our Off Road Community does all of the fitting etc so I am looking forward to getting the CTI’s!
I have Pod Active K8's and I like them. I bought mine a few years ago after tearing the MCL on one knee and losing a year of riding for recovery. Last year I had a low speed high side, reached out to break my nose dive and dislocated my shoulder on the first ride of the season. 4 months of physical therapy later the PT and doctor said surgery would be required. After surgery and 6 months of PT it is like I never hurt it. But I did lose a year of riding.
I Just snapped my Alpine Star carbon tech braces. VERY thankful to have been wearing them, they are about 5 years old and have been extremely comfortable, I am looking to move to the cti braces now. I would definitely recommend full braces to every rider. My knees have been saved on more than one occasion from a falling bike hitting my knee sideways.
My insurance through work paid for my CTI costums 100% , with a prescription from my doctor, I NEVER ride without them now , I have bullied a number of my riding friends to do the same. And the one thing we all have in common is that we all use them and we never had any complaints. I couldn't recommend a piece of kit more
I bought the ASTERISK a couple years ago and love them. Most of the time I forget they're there. I will say that if I'm carrying a few extra pounds, I can feel it on the sides of the knee.
Pod ,K8. Have had for about 5 years. Replaced ligaments in them a year ago. Fit well and comfortable. Agree need to try different ones until you find some that fit properly. Spare parts available.
I have the POD K8 and have been very happy with the stock fit and excellent stability. The extra pads that come in the box allow you to adjust the fit quite snuggly. In regards to restricted movement as some have indicated, I agree they do not unduly limit natural movement and feel quite comfortable with them on-bike in the extreme conditions we have here in BC. I’m sure the have and will protect me from twisting and extension injuries very well. My one gripe, and it’s a significant one, is the patellar padding is quite thin, reputedly only CE level 1. I have bruised my kneecap on multiple occasions with low speed falls onto rock. Any of my MTB pads would easily shrug this off. I don’t know why POD wouldn’t make a knee cap with CE level 2 impact protection given its a modular piece that could be sold as an upgrade 🤷♂️ but it’s the one serious shortcoming in an otherwise excellent product.
Interesting point about the CE rating, Sean. Do you know if other brands are CE2? All I know is that in adventure riding jackets and pants they usually only go for CE1 to keep the weight down. But you would think a patella cup wouldn't need to be overly thick to meet the higher rating...
@@crosstrainingenduro hey Barry as far as I know the CE-1 level is common for knee braces but really not up to take for hard enduro, at least in my unfortunate experience. I know that MTB knee pads are commonly CE-2 so I wouldn’t think it a stretch for moto. Another comment in this thread seemed to indicate he added some viscoelastic padding to his Pod braces, so it seems I’m not the only one with this concern. Hey Pod, make me an upgrade, take my money!! 😊
I purchased off the shelf CTI. But I live close to their shop on the gold coast so I took delivery there. they took about an hour to make sure everything would fit correctly and ran me through how to put them on. And gave me a bunch of spare parts for the "wear" items.
Was Stephen Gall doing the fitment, Dougie? Great guy, it was great to finally meet him after reading about his mx racing so many years ago in magazines...
I just got my first pair of CTI customs. Havent ridden in them yet, but they feel great just mucking around in the shed. Unfortunately i had to kill my ACL before actually getting some (Wish i'd got them sooner). TAC covered one of my braces and i paid for the other. Total was around $3800 with all the MX gear.
@@crosstrainingenduro I'm pretty wrapped. For many years I've seen this TAC charge on my rego and hated it. Now that I've needed and used it, my opinions totally changed. They've covered my rehab the lot. Rec registration in the VIC bush is absolutely the best thing. If you ride unregistered your a peanut.
Thanks Barry for another great video. As always, your information and conclusions are excellent! Many years ago, an older racer told me that at my age I should start wearing good knee braces before irreparable damage was done by accumulated stresses or an inevitable injury at some unexpected time in the future. I thought about it and got some POD braces in the higher model of the older style (K700?). They were definitely helpful but even after all the adjustments possible, they hurt my shins to the point that I couldn't wear then for long rides or several motos. I then got Mobius ones that are more comfortable but very bulky and not as protective. It was while wearing those that I tore my MCL, ACL, and PCL in a freak fall. I think the damage would have been much worse without those Mobius braces but it was still pretty severe. I got a custom CTi fitted for my damaged left knee after nearly a year of physiotherapy, limited mobility, and no riding. Luckily my insurance covered the cost and I'm so glad I got it! It is very comfortable and extremely protective and has saved me in several worse falls. I'm also very glad I went with the CTi custom instead of the other choices after to looking into the options and speaking with several experienced people. I wish I would have thought of the CTi brace earlier as a long-term investment and got it much earlier. I'm still wearing the Mobius on my right knee but one of these days I'll spring for a CTi to replace it. It really is an investment in your health and happiness because they last a long time, may actually help improve your riding (honestly in my case!), and don't need to be replaced like a helmet. I don't recommend scrimping on a helmet either but I wish I had saved the money I spent on the POD and Mobius braces and put it toward two custom CTi braces before I had the injury even if I had to pay for both sides myself.
I"m glad you are still riding after those injuries! I hate those freak falls. Last ride a guy fell off in first gear and broke his tibia (not wearing knee guards or braces at all). I remember trying the Mobius years back but the plastic kept locking one of the braces in the fully locked position and I'd have to stop and force it so I could bend my leg again. The plastic and aluminium construction wasn't very inspiring for me, and in hot weather there was little ventilation. But still better than knee guards of course! I heard quite a few riders had that locking problem, I'm sure they fixed it as the brace still seems to be selling well.
I have bought a few different brands, but had to send them all back. My problem is always that if i get them tight enough to prevent hyper extension, i can't really bend my leg. It is like my thigh's circumference increases too much when i bend the knee.
I used cti braces from 1984 to 2010. I still think they’re a good brace, but due to the way that they are fitted I always felt that the longer I wore them the worse they fit simply due to an increase or decrease in muscle in one’s legs. In 2010 I tried asterisk knee braces and have not looked back. Fit is an individual thing and I’m surprised at an off the shelf product being superior to a custom fitted brace. Asterisk costs a fraction of the price for cti braces which makes them an even easier choice
Interesting. I wonder if they got the fit wrong? Almost everyone says the fit is spot on, but there was a guy in the USA who said they could get the fit right despite sending the braces back twice... I think he's in the comments here somewhere. If you can get a good fit with off-the-shelf it's waaaay cheaper.
@@crosstrainingenduro I don’t think the fit was wrong so much as your body just changes. Lose or gain weight, ride more or less, the list goes on and on. The issue that I had with cti is just that the brace is not adjustable where the asterisk is
I started running POD’s this summer after a 1/2 tear of my mcl this past winter. Seem to fit me good. I just miss the bike feel of running a knee pad. But have seemed to cope with this as I have stuck with the brace.
I went with Pod K4s as the more comfy option (for me) over the Leatts. Spent about an hour walking around the shop to try them back-to-back before running with the Pods. Can't draw any actual use comparisons, however I am pretty happy with the Pod braces. Comfy enough to wear and very comfy to kneel down. I believe they have prevented injury, but not in an obvious way - I had a severe inward twist of my foot with the bike landing on top of my leg. The SG12s really yanked my foot around and rather than transferring all the rotation into my knee, the brace stabilised my knee sufficiently, spreading the load so that I ended up with a sprains, not breaks (knee and hip) . Yes, painful for weeks, but still better than a break/fracture and moths of recovery. Not to mention I dusted myself off and could ride home OK. The only thing I'd suggest changing would be a bit of D30 and thicker padding in the knee cap area for added impact security, but a minor point.
I got lucky and found Asterisk Carbon Cell to fit nicely off the shelf. Very low profile. Paid $1125 on special, think normally $1250. Made in the USA. Lot of people I know recommend the Pod K4 or K8 braces. Didn't fit my dodgy legs so well and K8's were $560 each. Box said designed and manufactured by POD and shows POD's address in Australia however the tag inside the brace itself says Made in China. Strange as I always thought things were cheaper when made in China versus US, UK or Australia. Asterisk also make tights/pants that you put on first, then braces and pull the ankles of the pants back up over the braces to velcro on the thighs. Highly recommended for any braces, reduces wear on pants and nothing to snag up on.
Not often you'll find 'made in the USA' nowadays, Rupert! Last time I checked most braces seemed to be made in China. It doesn't always mean quality control issues of course, but I tend to steer away from that stuff nowadays.
I've used CTI custom for about 10 years after 3 ACL's in that leg. Just got another one for the other leg after the first ACL on the right. Should have gotten one for this leg years ago!
They are great braces. After two knee operations so far in life, I tried all the different brands on in the moto shops. But didn’t know if they were a good fit or not. I Found somewhere in Melbourne that I could get fitted properly with the cti braces. Luckily the off the self ones fitted well. But wish I brought custom ones due to being a lot less bulky. But they are great. I’ve had some big crashes and a few broken elastic pieces. I’d highly recommend theses. A comment from the doctor “why do you guys always come and see me after crashes and operations” my advice would be go before 😁
I use the Race Brace I think they are called I have had them for around 30 years and I am sure they stopped injury twice during that time. They are getting a bit tired now but I still wear them
What do you wear under them if anything? I have CTI OTS braces and love them, the only thing i find is if i wear the under socks with them if out for a full day they will need re adjust back up at some point during the day, without the under socks they don't move but are pretty hard on the skin especially if riding multiple days in a row.
Asterisk make pants/tights that go under braces. The ankles get pulled back up over the brace and attach to thighs via Velcro. Makes them pretty slick inside pants so don't snag, reduces wear inside pants and also hold them in position quite well
We covered some adjustment tips from a specialist in our knee brace series, Chris. I think it was in the 'choosing the best brace' vid. He advised under socks are fine but just don't use two layers underneath or they will move too much.
@@crosstrainingenduro It is only a trail ride ,but as Larry says the difference between a trail ride and an enduro is no trophy at the end of a trail ride. Unfortunately the trails at Calabogie have sort of been loved to death ,rideable but for sure not for the unexperienced .I've ridden the Boogie every year since 1997, minus two for Covid , this year really kicked my ass, even though conditions were some of the best I've ever seen. Going to really think about risking it in the future.
Bummer about the tracks being over used, James. When we did a pile of filming there we were careful to not reveal the location of any tracks. We had plenty of questions about the location but always told viewers to join the club and find out.
Tore my acl and meniscus in left knee a couple weeks ago. Getting it fixed and won’t be able to ride until the fall now. Pretty sure I did same thing to right knee last year but didn’t go to doctor. So now I’m in the market for some braces and am really interested in the custom CTI. What model do you have
I talked to a pro Baja 1000 racer and his advice was knee braces might protect your knees but desert riding is the same as downhill skiing in so it's all in your hips and knees. He found wearing the braces is more likely to get you in a wreck in general because your legs are locked on one axis. Although I don't think Any older rider is or should be blasting that hard in the desert. But for me I usually ride no knee protection although I might get some soft - semi hard knee pads I already use some on my elbows and I forget they are there and when I do wreck they do add some good protection. I am still young so I know I can take allot more hits then when I am older but I want to keep them protected now so they don't wear out so soon.
I'm not sure about his reasoning there... our knees simply aren't designed to flex on a second axis. But possibly downhill skiing is very different for some reason. I know plenty of pro level riders using knee braces. I'd urge you to at least get knee guards. On our last ride we had a guy drop his bike in first gear and he fractured his tibia landing on a rock. Went in for surgery the next day. 🤔
Yep, just looked at the CTi website and quite a few A grade Aussie riders seem to be using them. Toby, Luke Styke, Josh Green, Mitch Evans, Jack Field....
I did try a pair of Mobius years ago but one of them kept locking. I'm not sure if the design changed, but they seemed to have no ventilation compared to other braces, and just felt flimsy. I took them back after the first ride due to the locking issue. Great to hear yours are working out though.
Seeing Larray Murray's huge scar from his knee replacement and all this talk about hyper extension and such gives me extreme anxiety and highlights how much I've been pushing my luck over the years (I'm 33 years old now). I've had many minor injuries, but thankfully nothing permanent. I don't know whether to quit while I'm ahead, or go all in. I'm scared lol.
Yeah it's the nature of our sport isn't it? Risk v thrills? My last wake up call was a guy actually dying in an accident only one hour into a multi day adventure ride. It really got me rethinking how fast I would ride and how much protective gear I should be wearing. It's definitely made me take less risks lately. This is one of the vids that came out of that... ua-cam.com/video/i0rViJjkjrM/v-deo.html
I have had a CTI for maybe 35 years . I blew a knee out mogul skiing.. never had it repaired I have no ACL .. The CTI has been rebuilt once. I wear it over ski pants. The straps allow my knee to back out so I duct tape it in place for snow skiing .. I don't use duct tape for windsurfing .. dirt bike riding or snowmobiling.. The CTI has been rebuilt once at no charge to me.. I have a pair of "Asterisk" Off the shelf. They are larger and more bulky .. the have a hard plastic knee cover in two pieces that is very bulky .. won't fit under ski pants.. Two knee braces worn externally will lock together snow skiing .. Not an issue on a dirt bike. The Asterisk Model that i have use Cable and nobs to tighten them to your leg. They are very solid and secure and stable. I think the cable binding system eliminates the need for a custom fit brace. I was at the Grand National Flat Track Races. I see that Multi National Champion Jarred Meese was wearing a Rossur Ossur "they use a fancy symbol can't tell an "R from an O" knee brace. It looks like it's just Finland's version of the CTI. Most likely an updated CTI Model after all mine is 35 years old It looked to me to be as good or better than a CTI. Of course I could never remember that name, so I snapped a photo of it back in July and had not thought about it until I saw your video so I scrolled back in my phone photos and found it. I will do a Google search for that brand now. Maybe there is a good brand Down Under so you don't have to pay International shipping charges..
I tried on all the off the shelf braces and found Mobius the most comfortable though they are still uncomfortable and I don't like wearing them. If I'm only riding for an hour or two I will wear them but if I'm going on a full day ride I just wear knee pads.
I think about the riding I'm going to do, rarely do I suit up fully, I don't have knee braces, I generally wear knee and elbow pads, if I'm going to get a little bid wild. First priority when just puddling around is Gloves, cause that is the primary point of impact for me 99% of the time, thick is good. In the brush, my arms are always sleeved with a slippery set of arm sleeves (amazon) cause most of the trees out my way grab you and pull you in lol, they're almost like fish hooks, the sleeves though thin, are like a magic barrier, without my sleeves, my arms turn into a bloody mess, literally.
I can recommend the Ortema braces. They come in 2 flavors: custom made and semi-custom. The semi-custom ones will be softend with heat and than shaped to your size. Not as good as custom mades as the position of the joint cant be altered, but certanly better than non-customized (and way less expensive than custom). Also a lot of Pros (Billy Bolt, Graham Jarvis, Manuel Lettenbichler) are running the Ortema Custom made braces. Only 2 disadvantages i could find on mine: the Joint has bushings that need to be replayed every now and than (around 200 riding hours?) and the guard for the kneecap just "rests" on the knee like with the CTI. Both Ortema models are also medical rated.
Kind of a bummer that insurance won't cover a device that can prevent knee injuries, until after you have a knee injury. I run leatt z frame hybrids, they aren't super high end by any means, but they honestly do a good job of knee stabilization, and hyperextention prevention. What else is nice is the patella guard being part of the sleeve, you don't have to run it, if you are doing something that doesn't require impact protection (I've worn mine around casually when not riding, because I have a patella issue). They are pretty comfortable, a bit less so when the actual impact pad is in the sleeve. I don't wear them all the time, but when I'm doing something where I feel I am likely to hurt myself, they do make it harder to squeeze the bike with your knees I find though.
CTI for me for the last 10 years. I did not care for the patella cup i could never get it to feel right. Luck my medical insurance covered most of mine. I have replaced 1 Velcro strap in 10 years. I ride about a 100 hrs or more a year. You get what you pay for!!
Any mods to the cup, or did you fit another one? I'm amazed how long my straps have lasted, the guys at the shop said not to expect more than a few years given how much I ride, but only one replaced at the six year mark.
Personally I've never tried it, I know some guys do. The CTi guy told me it shouldn't be necessary when I bought them. But he said to make sure I didn't wear two layers under the braces as these will slip against each other.
It would probably need to be a lot of weight to make a difference, Orlando... at least for guys. We tend to put on weight around our gut first, though for some women it can be the thighs which would affect the fit.
Maybe they work if they are done correctly, but I have ordered my cti braces they measured my legs several times in Czechia, then it was produced in US, and the product received did not fit well at all!. I claimed 1 leg to be redone amd when it arrived it still didnt work. CTi do messurement using some standardized rulers, while there are better companies like ortema or Yami Customs who use medical prosthetics plastic to take mold of the leg or they 3D scan the legs, then print the leg molds and assemble the carbon braces on those molds…this way the braces fit 100% not like CTi. Sorry but I am one very disappointed customer of CTi and dont recommend. And Not because I would be a russian troll.
Interesting, Mikhail. Did they do a refund in the end? I did a lot of research before choosing the CTi braces and this is the first case I have heard about a poor fit. I wonder if they've changed their measurement system since then...
@@crosstrainingenduro well we did quarrel with a dealer but I didnt try to push hard enough for a refund. I have a set of braces CTI just being in my garbage pile at home and currently I use Mobius "semibraces". Truth be told it was about 3 yrs ago, maybe they do it differently this time. Maybe the dealer in CZ sucked...who knows.
@@crosstrainingenduro There is a good vid from Billy Bolt visiting Ortema factory...just good for a reference to make a good decision what all is available on the market. ua-cam.com/video/g_UeC6Os9a0/v-deo.html
Bummer. It can suck if you have a bad dealer. Did you try emailing CTi directly? I hear lots of stories about dealers not doing the right thing, but the national distributor (or manufacturer) will give good customer service... hopefully!
Yep, a good long term investment IF you ride for that long. But for anyone unsure about how long they'll be in this sport I would urge them to just get a quality set of off-the-shelf braces and just ensure the fit is right.
A viewer just mentioned that the off-the-shelf CTi braces are on special at the moment. USD800 bit.ly/3cOxalO
Let us know your good and bad experiences with knee braces, and which brand!
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Hi from Norway. My CTI Custom braces are 14 years old and still in daily use. Changed Velcro straps and patella cups four years ago - and that’s it. Got them on prescription after a crash in 2009 and managed to convince the surgeon that they would protect from future injuries as well as prevent squeezing injuries from getting stuck under the bike. Love’em !
Great to hear! That's pretty good value for so many years of use even if you pay full price.
Got my custom cti braces for my bowed legs as off the shelf were not suitable. Paid $3300 for pair , great fit and have worn them on all day rides with great comfort. Pricey yes, worth the money if you have worn out old knees like mine
I wear custom CTI braces, one is from 1987 the other 1995, and they still work great. I'm just now sending the "95 brace back for a refurbishment and have replaced the straps multiple times. I won't ride without them.
I think it's one of those bits of equipment where the initial high price really pays for itself over the years. I've met quite a few guys now with CTi braces that are 10 to 20 years old and still going strong.
I completely ripped my leg apart. Had pie cut out of my tibia because I don't have cartilage left. Love my cti braces I wouldn't be riding today without them. Worth every penny for preventing bad knee injuries. I tore my acl mcl and pcl completely out had to remake them with hamstring. Shattered both sides of knee. Had I been wearing these I likely of not injured my knee.
Ouch. Good to hear it healed up enough to rid again, Phil.
I was able to get a sports Ortho Doc in the US to prescribe the CTI braces for me. They would only cover the off the shelf version, and I owed $400 with the patella guards. I didn't have any significant injuries to my knees, and told him that was how I wanted to keep it. They had no problem prescribing it. Just gotta find the right Dr
Have had aclr on both knees so I knew I needed something when I entered the trail riding world. Been running the Leatt C frame braces for 3 years and very pleased with fit and comfort. Took some getting used to but now don’t even notice them. Certainly have save me from injury!
Great to hear, Tavis!
I couldn't justify paying the price of CTI's so I went with Pod K4 braces. Saved me twice on the last ride I did. Also a mate of mine is the reseller up here in the NT for CTI. Great product from what he tells me!
for me the POD K4 has been a life saver. before wearing a brace I dislocated my left knee. I will not ride without them. For me the fit is perfect. I also bought the POD K8 for my left knee and use it for other sports without the patella attachment. Great braces for me. Cost is about $400 each. They are now 6 years old and work same as new.
Good to know!
Got my CTi custom fit braces a little over a year ago. Won't ride or snow ski without them. No issues so far. I have a few scratches on the custom paint but rather there than on my legs. Recommend them for sure.
Yep, that's my only problem so far... the finish seems to chip easily.
@@crosstrainingenduro is it possible to apply a protective vinyl wrap or tape to prevent chipping and abrasion?
I use the Asterisk ultra cell. They fit pretty good and support my knees. They are not 100% and the twist lock string thingy sometimes loosen while riding. Oh well I bought them second hand and thought they where better than no braces.
I usually ride sitting in the couch watching videos. This way I save gas and never get hurt.
Watching vids is a great way to cut down on injuries in my experience... although once I did strain my shoulder reaching for my beer. 😢
I’ve been riding with custom CTI braces for a couple of years now, following a knee injury. I am really happy with the braces, but I found the patella cup/knee pad to be poorly designed. I now wear the knee sleeves from Leatt X-Frame Hybrid knee braces under my CTI braces. The Leatt sleeve has a D30 style pad built in & a hard plastic outer knee pad too. I find that the sleeves really lock my braces in position & completely stop any chafing. Leatt sells the sleeves as a spare part. A little hard to find, but well worth tracking down.
Someone else mentioned the patella cup as an issue too, Jon.
I’ve had Asterisk Cell knee braces for over 15 years now. I think I paid around $1200 for them back then. Wouldn’t ride without them. Forget I even have them on when riding. I have used them for snowboarding too. Starting to show some wear and tear on the attachment straps now. Still functional though.
Thanks so much for this video Barry! I am about to spring for my first pair of true knee braces! A local supporter of our Off Road Community does all of the fitting etc so I am looking forward to getting the CTI’s!
Glad the video helped, Grant. Custom or off-the-shelf?
I ve mine cti since 10 years.
No problems yet.
Would also highly recommend them!
I have Pod Active K8's and I like them.
I bought mine a few years ago after tearing the MCL on one knee and losing a year of riding for recovery. Last year I had a low speed high side, reached out to break my nose dive and dislocated my shoulder on the first ride of the season. 4 months of physical therapy later the PT and doctor said surgery would be required. After surgery and 6 months of PT it is like I never hurt it. But I did lose a year of riding.
Great to hear about the 100% recovery, this seems to become rare as we get older lol.
I Just snapped my Alpine Star carbon tech braces. VERY thankful to have been wearing them, they are about 5 years old and have been extremely comfortable, I am looking to move to the cti braces now. I would definitely recommend full braces to every rider. My knees have been saved on more than one occasion from a falling bike hitting my knee sideways.
My insurance through work paid for my CTI costums 100% , with a prescription from my doctor, I NEVER ride without them now , I have bullied a number of my riding friends to do the same. And the one thing we all have in common is that we all use them and we never had any complaints. I couldn't recommend a piece of kit more
For free? Sold!
Same here! It was great having my orthopedic Dr. Set them up properly. I do feel they are the best one's out there.
And I had hurt my knee on my dirt bike, so even better. Decided it was cheaper for them to protect my knees, then paying for the surgery later!
I bought the ASTERISK a couple years ago and love them. Most of the time I forget they're there. I will say that if I'm carrying a few extra pounds, I can feel it on the sides of the knee.
Pod ,K8. Have had for about 5 years. Replaced ligaments in them a year ago. Fit well and comfortable. Agree need to try different ones until you find some that fit properly. Spare parts available.
I have the POD K8 and have been very happy with the stock fit and excellent stability. The extra pads that come in the box allow you to adjust the fit quite snuggly.
In regards to restricted movement as some have indicated, I agree they do not unduly limit natural movement and feel quite comfortable with them on-bike in the extreme conditions we have here in BC. I’m sure the have and will protect me from twisting and extension injuries very well.
My one gripe, and it’s a significant one, is the patellar padding is quite thin, reputedly only CE level 1. I have bruised my kneecap on multiple occasions with low speed falls onto rock. Any of my MTB pads would easily shrug this off. I don’t know why POD wouldn’t make a knee cap with CE level 2 impact protection given its a modular piece that could be sold as an upgrade 🤷♂️ but it’s the one serious shortcoming in an otherwise excellent product.
Interesting point about the CE rating, Sean. Do you know if other brands are CE2? All I know is that in adventure riding jackets and pants they usually only go for CE1 to keep the weight down. But you would think a patella cup wouldn't need to be overly thick to meet the higher rating...
@@crosstrainingenduro hey Barry as far as I know the CE-1 level is common for knee braces but really not up to take for hard enduro, at least in my unfortunate experience. I know that MTB knee pads are commonly CE-2 so I wouldn’t think it a stretch for moto. Another comment in this thread seemed to indicate he added some viscoelastic padding to his Pod braces, so it seems I’m not the only one with this concern.
Hey Pod, make me an upgrade, take my money!! 😊
I purchased off the shelf CTI. But I live close to their shop on the gold coast so I took delivery there. they took about an hour to make sure everything would fit correctly and ran me through how to put them on. And gave me a bunch of spare parts for the "wear" items.
Oh and that was 7 years ago, still like new apart from some minor scuffing
Was Stephen Gall doing the fitment, Dougie? Great guy, it was great to finally meet him after reading about his mx racing so many years ago in magazines...
His son runs that side of things
I just got my first pair of CTI customs. Havent ridden in them yet, but they feel great just mucking around in the shed. Unfortunately i had to kill my ACL before actually getting some (Wish i'd got them sooner). TAC covered one of my braces and i paid for the other. Total was around $3800 with all the MX gear.
That's the story for a few of us... we buy braces after we needed them! Great to hear you got one of them free.
@@crosstrainingenduro I'm pretty wrapped. For many years I've seen this TAC charge on my rego and hated it. Now that I've needed and used it, my opinions totally changed. They've covered my rehab the lot. Rec registration in the VIC bush is absolutely the best thing. If you ride unregistered your a peanut.
Thanks Barry for another great video. As always, your information and conclusions are excellent!
Many years ago, an older racer told me that at my age I should start wearing good knee braces before irreparable damage was done by accumulated stresses or an inevitable injury at some unexpected time in the future. I thought about it and got some POD braces in the higher model of the older style (K700?). They were definitely helpful but even after all the adjustments possible, they hurt my shins to the point that I couldn't wear then for long rides or several motos. I then got Mobius ones that are more comfortable but very bulky and not as protective. It was while wearing those that I tore my MCL, ACL, and PCL in a freak fall. I think the damage would have been much worse without those Mobius braces but it was still pretty severe. I got a custom CTi fitted for my damaged left knee after nearly a year of physiotherapy, limited mobility, and no riding. Luckily my insurance covered the cost and I'm so glad I got it! It is very comfortable and extremely protective and has saved me in several worse falls. I'm also very glad I went with the CTi custom instead of the other choices after to looking into the options and speaking with several experienced people.
I wish I would have thought of the CTi brace earlier as a long-term investment and got it much earlier. I'm still wearing the Mobius on my right knee but one of these days I'll spring for a CTi to replace it. It really is an investment in your health and happiness because they last a long time, may actually help improve your riding (honestly in my case!), and don't need to be replaced like a helmet. I don't recommend scrimping on a helmet either but I wish I had saved the money I spent on the POD and Mobius braces and put it toward two custom CTi braces before I had the injury even if I had to pay for both sides myself.
I"m glad you are still riding after those injuries! I hate those freak falls. Last ride a guy fell off in first gear and broke his tibia (not wearing knee guards or braces at all).
I remember trying the Mobius years back but the plastic kept locking one of the braces in the fully locked position and I'd have to stop and force it so I could bend my leg again. The plastic and aluminium construction wasn't very inspiring for me, and in hot weather there was little ventilation. But still better than knee guards of course! I heard quite a few riders had that locking problem, I'm sure they fixed it as the brace still seems to be selling well.
I have bought a few different brands, but had to send them all back. My problem is always that if i get them tight enough to prevent hyper extension, i can't really bend my leg. It is like my thigh's circumference increases too much when i bend the knee.
I used cti braces from 1984 to 2010. I still think they’re a good brace, but due to the way that they are fitted I always felt that the longer I wore them the worse they fit simply due to an increase or decrease in muscle in one’s legs. In 2010 I tried asterisk knee braces and have not looked back. Fit is an individual thing and I’m surprised at an off the shelf product being superior to a custom fitted brace. Asterisk costs a fraction of the price for cti braces which makes them an even easier choice
Interesting. I wonder if they got the fit wrong? Almost everyone says the fit is spot on, but there was a guy in the USA who said they could get the fit right despite sending the braces back twice... I think he's in the comments here somewhere. If you can get a good fit with off-the-shelf it's waaaay cheaper.
@@crosstrainingenduro I don’t think the fit was wrong so much as your body just changes. Lose or gain weight, ride more or less, the list goes on and on. The issue that I had with cti is just that the brace is not adjustable where the asterisk is
I've had ACL replacement surgery I'm going to have to check out CTI thanks for the video 👍👍
Riding with Leatt X-frame and very happy with them. Still have my pod k700 also for backup.
I started running POD’s this summer after a 1/2 tear of my mcl this past winter. Seem to fit me good. I just miss the bike feel of running a knee pad. But have seemed to cope with this as I have stuck with the brace.
I went with Pod K4s as the more comfy option (for me) over the Leatts. Spent about an hour walking around the shop to try them back-to-back before running with the Pods. Can't draw any actual use comparisons, however I am pretty happy with the Pod braces. Comfy enough to wear and very comfy to kneel down. I believe they have prevented injury, but not in an obvious way - I had a severe inward twist of my foot with the bike landing on top of my leg. The SG12s really yanked my foot around and rather than transferring all the rotation into my knee, the brace stabilised my knee sufficiently, spreading the load so that I ended up with a sprains, not breaks (knee and hip) . Yes, painful for weeks, but still better than a break/fracture and moths of recovery. Not to mention I dusted myself off and could ride home OK. The only thing I'd suggest changing would be a bit of D30 and thicker padding in the knee cap area for added impact security, but a minor point.
Great to hear, Michael. Braces certainly won't prevent every injury but there's a good chance they'll still reduce the effects hopefully.
That brace didn't stop anything, you just got lucky
I got lucky and found Asterisk Carbon Cell to fit nicely off the shelf. Very low profile. Paid $1125 on special, think normally $1250. Made in the USA. Lot of people I know recommend the Pod K4 or K8 braces. Didn't fit my dodgy legs so well and K8's were $560 each. Box said designed and manufactured by POD and shows POD's address in Australia however the tag inside the brace itself says Made in China. Strange as I always thought things were cheaper when made in China versus US, UK or Australia. Asterisk also make tights/pants that you put on first, then braces and pull the ankles of the pants back up over the braces to velcro on the thighs. Highly recommended for any braces, reduces wear on pants and nothing to snag up on.
Not often you'll find 'made in the USA' nowadays, Rupert! Last time I checked most braces seemed to be made in China. It doesn't always mean quality control issues of course, but I tend to steer away from that stuff nowadays.
I use leatt x-frame. Replaced straps after ~100h which seems a little low.
Other then that I'm satisfied.
I've used CTI custom for about 10 years after 3 ACL's in that leg. Just got another one for the other leg after the first ACL on the right. Should have gotten one for this leg years ago!
They are great braces. After two knee operations so far in life, I tried all the different brands on in the moto shops. But didn’t know if they were a good fit or not. I Found somewhere in Melbourne that I could get fitted properly with the cti braces. Luckily the off the self ones fitted well. But wish I brought custom ones due to being a lot less bulky. But they are great. I’ve had some big crashes and a few broken elastic pieces. I’d highly recommend theses. A comment from the doctor “why do you guys always come and see me after crashes and operations” my advice would be go before 😁
We dirt riders usually get smart after the fact, Danny 🤣
Hi Danny. Can you please link me to the place in Melbourne that do the fit up. Thank you.
I use the Race Brace I think they are called I have had them for around 30 years and I am sure they stopped injury twice during that time. They are getting a bit tired now but I still wear them
What do you wear under them if anything? I have CTI OTS braces and love them, the only thing i find is if i wear the under socks with them if out for a full day they will need re adjust back up at some point during the day, without the under socks they don't move but are pretty hard on the skin especially if riding multiple days in a row.
Asterisk make pants/tights that go under braces. The ankles get pulled back up over the brace and attach to thighs via Velcro. Makes them pretty slick inside pants so don't snag, reduces wear inside pants and also hold them in position quite well
We covered some adjustment tips from a specialist in our knee brace series, Chris. I think it was in the 'choosing the best brace' vid. He advised under socks are fine but just don't use two layers underneath or they will move too much.
Barry, saw Larry this weekend at the Calibogie Boogie . He sends his love and is still waiting for his residual check .😁
Great to hear, James! I still have the video of chasing him around some twisty tracks at Calabogie... did you enter the race? How did you go?
@@crosstrainingenduro It is only a trail ride ,but as Larry says the difference between a trail ride and an enduro is no trophy at the end of a trail ride. Unfortunately the trails at Calabogie have sort of been loved to death ,rideable but for sure not for the unexperienced .I've ridden the Boogie every year since 1997, minus two for Covid , this year really kicked my ass, even though conditions were some of the best I've ever seen. Going to really think about risking it in the future.
Bummer about the tracks being over used, James. When we did a pile of filming there we were careful to not reveal the location of any tracks. We had plenty of questions about the location but always told viewers to join the club and find out.
I recommend the gumby "invisible" brace. It costs nothing except for the surgery you may need to have to replace your knee.
Tore my acl and meniscus in left knee a couple weeks ago. Getting it fixed and won’t be able to ride until the fall now. Pretty sure I did same thing to right knee last year but didn’t go to doctor. So now I’m in the market for some braces and am really interested in the custom CTI. What model do you have
CTi Custom. As per the video title.
I talked to a pro Baja 1000 racer and his advice was knee braces might protect your knees but desert riding is the same as downhill skiing in so it's all in your hips and knees. He found wearing the braces is more likely to get you in a wreck in general because your legs are locked on one axis. Although I don't think Any older rider is or should be blasting that hard in the desert. But for me I usually ride no knee protection although I might get some soft - semi hard knee pads I already use some on my elbows and I forget they are there and when I do wreck they do add some good protection. I am still young so I know I can take allot more hits then when I am older but I want to keep them protected now so they don't wear out so soon.
I'm not sure about his reasoning there... our knees simply aren't designed to flex on a second axis. But possibly downhill skiing is very different for some reason. I know plenty of pro level riders using knee braces. I'd urge you to at least get knee guards. On our last ride we had a guy drop his bike in first gear and he fractured his tibia landing on a rock. Went in for surgery the next day. 🤔
Toby Price wears CTI's.
Yep, just looked at the CTi website and quite a few A grade Aussie riders seem to be using them. Toby, Luke Styke, Josh Green, Mitch Evans, Jack Field....
Try NIR LLLT-PIT knee pads or infra red Katy craft/Aroma season knee physiotherapy and CBD oil gummies
Mobius for 3 years. They seem decent and have worked well as pads in crashes, but it's the only set of braces I've tried.
I did try a pair of Mobius years ago but one of them kept locking. I'm not sure if the design changed, but they seemed to have no ventilation compared to other braces, and just felt flimsy. I took them back after the first ride due to the locking issue. Great to hear yours are working out though.
Seeing Larray Murray's huge scar from his knee replacement and all this talk about hyper extension and such gives me extreme anxiety and highlights how much I've been pushing my luck over the years (I'm 33 years old now). I've had many minor injuries, but thankfully nothing permanent. I don't know whether to quit while I'm ahead, or go all in. I'm scared lol.
Yeah it's the nature of our sport isn't it? Risk v thrills? My last wake up call was a guy actually dying in an accident only one hour into a multi day adventure ride. It really got me rethinking how fast I would ride and how much protective gear I should be wearing. It's definitely made me take less risks lately. This is one of the vids that came out of that... ua-cam.com/video/i0rViJjkjrM/v-deo.html
I have had a CTI for maybe 35 years . I blew a knee out mogul skiing.. never had it repaired I have no ACL .. The CTI has been rebuilt once. I wear it over ski pants. The straps allow my knee to back out so I duct tape it in place for snow skiing .. I don't use duct tape for windsurfing .. dirt bike riding or snowmobiling..
The CTI has been rebuilt once at no charge to me.. I have a pair of "Asterisk" Off the shelf. They are larger and more bulky .. the have a hard plastic knee cover in two pieces that is very bulky .. won't fit under ski pants..
Two knee braces worn externally will lock together snow skiing .. Not an issue on a dirt bike.
The Asterisk Model that i have use Cable and nobs to tighten them to your leg. They are very solid and secure and stable. I think the cable binding system eliminates the need for a custom fit brace.
I was at the Grand National Flat Track Races. I see that Multi National Champion Jarred Meese was wearing a Rossur Ossur "they use a fancy symbol can't tell an "R from an O" knee brace. It looks like it's just Finland's version of the CTI. Most likely an updated CTI Model after all mine is 35 years old It looked to me to be as good or better than a CTI. Of course I could never remember that name, so I snapped a photo of it back in July and had not thought about it until I saw your video so I scrolled back in my phone photos and found it. I will do a Google search for that brand now.
Maybe there is a good brand Down Under so you don't have to pay International shipping charges..
For what you can make out of Ossur models:
www.ossur.com/en-us/bracing-and-supports/knee
Wow, 35 years. That's a good run Mike!
@@crosstrainingenduro Actually they completely replaced it once for Free if I can recall..
Don Joy knee braces. I think they are the best. Around $1500 us each, custom made. They hold the knee like no other .
I tried on all the off the shelf braces and found Mobius the most comfortable though they are still uncomfortable and I don't like wearing them. If I'm only riding for an hour or two I will wear them but if I'm going on a full day ride I just wear knee pads.
I think about the riding I'm going to do, rarely do I suit up
fully, I don't have knee braces, I generally wear knee and
elbow pads, if I'm going to get a little bid wild. First priority
when just puddling around is Gloves, cause that is the
primary point of impact for me 99% of the time, thick is good.
In the brush, my arms are always sleeved with a slippery
set of arm sleeves (amazon) cause most of the trees
out my way grab you and pull you in lol, they're almost
like fish hooks, the sleeves though thin, are like a magic
barrier, without my sleeves, my arms turn into a
bloody mess, literally.
Did you try Extra Small Mobius? Most adults I know wear those. Seems backwards to not wear them on long days
So after persisting they have broken in and are comfortable, I don’t even notice them now even after a full day on the bike
I can recommend the Ortema braces. They come in 2 flavors: custom made and semi-custom. The semi-custom ones will be softend with heat and than shaped to your size. Not as good as custom mades as the position of the joint cant be altered, but certanly better than non-customized (and way less expensive than custom). Also a lot of Pros (Billy Bolt, Graham Jarvis, Manuel Lettenbichler) are running the Ortema Custom made braces. Only 2 disadvantages i could find on mine: the Joint has bushings that need to be replayed every now and than (around 200 riding hours?) and the guard for the kneecap just "rests" on the knee like with the CTI. Both Ortema models are also medical rated.
Kind of a bummer that insurance won't cover a device that can prevent knee injuries, until after you have a knee injury. I run leatt z frame hybrids, they aren't super high end by any means, but they honestly do a good job of knee stabilization, and hyperextention prevention. What else is nice is the patella guard being part of the sleeve, you don't have to run it, if you are doing something that doesn't require impact protection (I've worn mine around casually when not riding, because I have a patella issue). They are pretty comfortable, a bit less so when the actual impact pad is in the sleeve. I don't wear them all the time, but when I'm doing something where I feel I am likely to hurt myself, they do make it harder to squeeze the bike with your knees I find though.
CTI for me for the last 10 years. I did not care for the patella cup i could never get it to feel right. Luck my medical insurance covered most of mine. I have replaced 1 Velcro strap in 10 years. I ride about a 100 hrs or more a year. You get what you pay for!!
Any mods to the cup, or did you fit another one? I'm amazed how long my straps have lasted, the guys at the shop said not to expect more than a few years given how much I ride, but only one replaced at the six year mark.
i just go with out the cup. I try not to fall
👀
Got a pair very comfy
Do you think it's important to wear braces against the skin to prevent twisting injuries?
Personally I've never tried it, I know some guys do. The CTi guy told me it shouldn't be necessary when I bought them. But he said to make sure I didn't wear two layers under the braces as these will slip against each other.
I’d imagine if you put on weight - the braces might not fit anymore.
Is this a reasonable assumption?
It would probably need to be a lot of weight to make a difference, Orlando... at least for guys. We tend to put on weight around our gut first, though for some women it can be the thighs which would affect the fit.
my dentist said I need braces too : (
🤣
Poor man pays twice
Sage advice.😁
Maybe they work if they are done correctly, but I have ordered my cti braces they measured my legs several times in Czechia, then it was produced in US, and the product received did not fit well at all!. I claimed 1 leg to be redone amd when it arrived it still didnt work. CTi do messurement using some standardized rulers, while there are better companies like ortema or Yami Customs who use medical prosthetics plastic to take mold of the leg or they 3D scan the legs, then print the leg molds and assemble the carbon braces on those molds…this way the braces fit 100% not like CTi. Sorry but I am one very disappointed customer of CTi and dont recommend. And Not because I would be a russian troll.
Maybe CTi 3D scans the legs now as well🤷♂️ who knows
Interesting, Mikhail. Did they do a refund in the end? I did a lot of research before choosing the CTi braces and this is the first case I have heard about a poor fit. I wonder if they've changed their measurement system since then...
@@crosstrainingenduro well we did quarrel with a dealer but I didnt try to push hard enough for a refund. I have a set of braces CTI just being in my garbage pile at home and currently I use Mobius "semibraces". Truth be told it was about 3 yrs ago, maybe they do it differently this time. Maybe the dealer in CZ sucked...who knows.
@@crosstrainingenduro There is a good vid from Billy Bolt visiting Ortema factory...just good for a reference to make a good decision what all is available on the market. ua-cam.com/video/g_UeC6Os9a0/v-deo.html
Bummer. It can suck if you have a bad dealer. Did you try emailing CTi directly? I hear lots of stories about dealers not doing the right thing, but the national distributor (or manufacturer) will give good customer service... hopefully!
2300 3000 for knee braces madness but if they last 20 years fair play
Yep, a good long term investment IF you ride for that long. But for anyone unsure about how long they'll be in this sport I would urge them to just get a quality set of off-the-shelf braces and just ensure the fit is right.