With the ever increasing population of safety-minded motocrosser comes a slew of safety equipment that’s constantly evolving: helmets, boots, neck braces, knee braces &etc. all – each year, keep expanding in safety and user friendliness. The Pod MX K700 knee brace is no exception. Building upon the already proven Pod MX, the K700 series is lighter, slimmer and even more comfortable while improving rigidity for greater durability and protection.
Minor knee injuries (other than scrapes and bruises) at best, involve a session or three of draining fluid with a large syringe to reduce swelling or worse – require wiring the patella back together and/or surgically re-attaching ACL, PCL, LCL & MCL ligaments plus months of therapy. We won’t even mention total knee replacement. Even a low speed spill can put you out of commission for an entire season. So, why not reduce the risk? Many of the excuses we’ve heard come down to three things: price, discomfort and limited range of motion. We’re happy to report that, while not inexpensive, the K700’s do address two of these issues.
Compared to the already excellent Pod MX, the latest offering is much slimmer than the old design. This was done first, by redesigning the chassis to incorporate the more expensive to manufacture pre-preg carbon fiber. This material lends itself to a thinner overall construction, addressing one of the chief complaints riders had over the older Pods (thickness) – yet it’s stronger than the previous model. Thanks to its narrower profile, the K700 knee brace has a lower tendency to interfere with the all important knee to frame/seat contact many riders like to get a feel for what the bike is doing. The only downside is that, like other knee braces, this kind of contact will increase the rate at which you go through pants since the fabric that flanks the inner knees has to deal with the hard polymer hinge system on one side and harder metal on the other.
Speaking of hinges, another annoying aspect of lesser knee braces is their inferior hinge design. A careful examination of a human knee joint reveals of asymmetric layout with the inner side of the knee pivoting at a point slightly higher than that on the outside. Some hinged knee braces fail to take this into account, so the mechanical joint runs straight across in a symmetric manner. The result is a knee brace that, at best, feels uncomfortable to move around in due to their machinelike feel. The K700 uses a patented two-hinge design for each side of the leg to provide a natural, fluid movement. In front of this joint is a floating patella guard. Though it’s not as sturdy as we think it should be, since even minor falls tend to knock it out of place. Stood up or sitting down, the guard is always facing forward, so it does a good job of deflecting roost.
Securing the knee brace to your leg is a four strap affair. Each strap is backed with Velcro for a firm grip. Because it’s designed to be worn against the skin, all of the straps are lined with a soft foam-like fabric that’s made with a moisture-wicking/antimicrobial fabric. The inside of the main chasses too is lined with the same material. Aside each of the brace’s joints you will find a Velcro pad for securing the included comfort liners, of which there are two pairs, each a different size. In this way, you can put together a near custom knee brace without the prescription or custom price. So long as you wrench down on the straps a bit, the brace stays put no matter how hard you ride.
Everyone that tried this knee brace was astonished by how light and comfortable it felt over the leg. Like any brace, it’s going to take some getting used to, especially for those that really depend on the knee-to-frame control between them and the bike, but it really doesn’t take that long to get used to as the alien feeling goes away when the lap times start coming down. While this particular Pod is a considerable investment, when you look at it as the difference between surgery plus the months of physical therapy and a riding season down the tubes, that argument becomes a nonstarter. You only get one set of knees – take care of them! And don’t forget, you can use the Pod for any sport where knee support is beneficial which multiplies the brace’s value almost exponentially.
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