For 2013, Leatt redesigned its best selling off-road brace for improved comfort and fitment, better range of motion, more adjustability, and gave it a brand new name — the GPX Race brace. Formerly the Club 3, the Race brace has been reengineered to improve on all the features that made it the best-selling neck brace in the world. We talked with Jason McCune, Leatt’s brand manager and one of the guys responsible for introducing the brace to the U.S. market, to get the full scoop on what makes the GPX Race brace better than ever.
As McCune explains it, the first of the handful of major upgrades is the way the front section that rests on the sternum is now split into two individual pieces. This allows the two pieces to function independently of each other in the case of a crash. The cut down the middle means that any force is distributed to either wing, not all in one place. The split also allows for a more comfortable and precise fit.
This same feature — the split — is carried over into the rear thoracic strut on the back of the brace. This is the piece that has a built-in fracture point that’s designed to break off at about 60 lb. of pressure in the case of the crash, McCune adds. As with the front, the split design on the thoracic part allows the two fingers of the strut to flex independently of each other. A piece of soft rubber is set between the two pieces and extends down below them.
Riders can also adjust the angle of the rear strut into five different angles by using the color-coded wedges that are included with the brace. “There are five different positions … depending on the curvature of the back,” McCune says. “This allows riders to get the race fitting really good. This is a key part of fitment.”
To further help improve the fit of the brace, the rear collar of the brace features hash marks that let riders adjust the height up or down, depending on the type of helmet being used and riding preferences, McCune points out.
And, to help increase the clearance between a rider’s helmet chin bar and the brace, and help improve range of motion, the front and side sections of the brace are lower. This allows riders more movement when looking down and to the sides, McCune notes.
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