A knee brace is designed to give your knees a higher level of protection than any knee guard can manage. One of the most common forms of injury involved with off-road riding is your knee getting awkwardly twisted or hyperextended. This can happen in the blink of an eye over an uneven surface, with the worst-case scenario resulting in torn ligaments that often need surgery, physiotherapy and months to heal.
Knee braces are highly technical, expensive and are often certified as “medical-grade equipment”. There are scores of high-end solutions out there, each with its own unique design details and special features.
The Alpinestars Bionic 7 knee braces are known for being some of the slimmest and most low-profile options.
For something so large strapped to your legs, the Bionic 7s do a great job of staying out of your mind. A fibreglass composite construction helps keep the weight down to about 700gm without compromising its structural strength and rigidity. The braces use four numbered straps which help secure them to your leg, but getting the size right in the buying process is crucial. Alpinestars has a size chart that you can refer to before choosing from four different sizes.
The biomechanical hinge system is designed to mimic natural movement by following the articulation of your knee and feels quite comfortable. The only situation where comfort disappears is if you need to squat since the tightly bound straps will dig into your calves and thighs.
The fundamental role of a knee brace is to prevent excessive twisting or extension of the knee. The twisting action is prevented by the rigid structure of the brace as well as the hinge system. The brace is also designed to prevent your knee from hyperextending or getting pulled backwards beyond its natural locking point. If you already have a pre-existing injury you can restrict the amount the brace can extend open by the use of small metal spacers that can create a 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- or 30-degree extension stop. These are a little fiddly to install, but you will not be doing it very often, so it is not a big issue.
These braces also need to provide protection against physical impacts, and the sliding knee cap armour is designed to do that job. It does not feel as tough as one expected, but we shall hold back on judging how well this works for now. Overall, the only glitch experienced is with the inner padding, which releases slightly from the brace. While it is alright now, I may have to look into sticking the padding back in place.
Overall, I am happy with the protection and comfort these braces provide. You can also use them on an ADV, but you may have to get a wide pair of pants that fit over them.
These braces are not currently available in India, but retail internationally at $500 (₹41,500) which puts them on par with most rivals. That is a huge amount but certainly beats a huge amount of pain and misery. If you are enthusiastic about your off-road riding, a good set of knee braces like these are worth the investment.
Available on www.alpinestars.com, at ₹41,500