About five years ago Britain's most famous off-road biker, Patsy Quick, damaged her ACL in her left knee. Since then she has always worn some form of knee brace even when trial riding. Patsy, who has competed four times in the Dakar Rally, one of the toughest bike challenges there is, claims it feels like being undressed not to wear some sort of support. Patsy is passionate about riding. Her first biking experience was when she was 13, and since then her life has always included bikes, including a job for six months as a courier. However her real love is ''Off Roading'' and not only is she the British and European woman's Enduro Champion, she is also the first British woman to finish the Dakar Rally, the most gruelling off road test there is. Trail Bike & Enduro Magazine (TBM) talked to Patsy about her recent experiences when she trialled DJO's ''Off the Shelf'' Armor.

 

 

I've worn knee braces for the last five years of my racing career, after damaging my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my left knee, and undergoing surgery to have cartilage removed from both sides of the same knee. As a result, I personally wouldn't feel comfortable even going trials riding without wearing knee braces - I feel kinda' 'unclothed'. After meeting the DonJoy team at their Surrey HQ, I was fitted with some of their off-the-shelf Armor braces. This particular model was recommended for me by DonJoy as it's designed for use with riders who have sustained mild to moderate main ligament damage and who want to protect their knees from further injury.

 

 

 

''What did impress me was the excellent technical and fitting advice I was given, so I felt confident about using the braces for the first time. Y'see, after having worn another popular brand of brace for the previous five years, the Armor design was different as it has a four-point leverage system. Which in simple layman terms doesn't allow the lower part of your leg to overstretch from the knee. This is pretty crucial in my case, as the ACL ligament has the primary function of controlling this lower leg movement (known as anterior drawer), so I need to ensure that my injured ACL won't be further damaged from excessive movement. And, although the brace felt odd to begin with (what with part of the frame fitting behind the calf), I also felt that my knee was well supported within the actual brace. Initially it took me a few minutes to get all the straps correctly done up and in the right order - though they are numbered in the order you should do them up in so it isn't overly difficult. Once on, I was struck with how lightweight they felt, but then again, given that they're made from T6 aircraft grade aluminium, they should be! Another big plus point is the Armor's low profile, very comfortable design, as they don't take up valuable room within your riding trousers and boots. In the past I've always struggled to get boots done up easily as the braces have been fairly bulky.

 

 

''But the Armor's unobtrusive frame shape makes them easier to wear and easier to move around on the bike, as you don't feel they're 'in the way' at all. I've also chosen to wear the optional impact knee/shin guards for extra protection, which are well designed and don't interfere with the brace's frame. Cleaning the braces is no problem - they're pretty easy to keep looking good and all the straps are replaceable if you need any. Overall, my experience with the Armor so far has been excellent. If you wanted to pick on anything as a negative, then maybe the price might make you swallow hard, but any decent functional brace is going to set you back a fair amount. And I value my knees - what's left of them! Quite simply, the braces do what I want them to do and I've not had any problems (so far) with my old injuries...''

Patsy Quick

Feature courtesy Trail Bike & Enduro Magazine (TBM)

 

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