It's time to replace my tired and well used HRP chest protector. I'm looking for a chest protector that covers the collar bone and offers some shoulder protection. I have broke my left collar bone three times, and dislocated my right shoulder to many times to count. A few incidents of both have been with the current HRP chest protector. If I had to choose between less protection, it would be for the shoulder. I wear Fox riding gear. So, I would like to go with the Fox Airframe, but I'm concerned about the strap that holds the front and shoulder pieces together, and the lack of protection in this area. This seems to be the case with most chest protectors. Little or no coverage over the collar bone, right wear I've broken it. I'm not so style conscious that I will not buy another brand of chest protector other then Fox. So, what other brand offers the most protection over the collar bone? I've looked on the net at Thor's Aftershock, and MSR's System X chest protectors. Both appear to offer more protection over the collar bone because they do not have the adjustment strap like the Fox Airframe. Is this correct, or is the piece between the front and shoulder piece only a foam type material with no protection? What other brands would everyone recommend?

Regards,
Sawblade

I wear an Airframe. There is an adjustment where the straps from the shoulder pads to the front piece attaches. I wear mine adjusted out one position to get the shoulder pads out where I want them. There is some protection for the collarbone, but its not fully covered. I just tried mine on now. I think that if you had full collarbone protection, it would choke you out with a helmet on. You might be able to add some closed cell foam on the inside like Craig_Enid did because of a rib injury.

I have heard that the collar bone is the most commonly broken bone. In an anatomy class we learned that one of the reasons for this is it's setup. It is in between two fairly solid bones. It also has a bend in it. I believe that most of the time the bone is broken when you fall on your side and the shock transmits through your shoulder to your collar bone. The bend in the collar bone makes it easier for the bone to break at that point. I think unless you go headfirst at a tree and catch it in the collar bone area those top pads do not do anything for you. The pads on your arm don't stop the shock from being transmitted. Right now I don't belive there is anything that you can where to significantly reduce the risk of collar bone breakage.

I've broken a collarbone too and ever since, good collarbone protection became very important to me. I broke mine while wearing an OLD JT plastic roost deflector with NO padding. My fiancé broke his a few years ago wearing no chest protector.

I wear the Fox Airframe and a PCS Neck Support System now. The Airframe has good padding on the top of the shoulder and the PCS N.S.S. protects the "gap" that you are talking about. Also the PCS will help portect from broken collarbones caused from hitting it with the chin of your helmet. (Plus it will protect you in a lot of other situations). Here is a photo from the PCS website ( www.promotorcyclesafety.com ) of the combo that I wear.

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I wear a fox airframe good chest protector, I personally perfer chest protectors that don't hace hard or as very little hard plastic running accross the collarbone. I heard this is one of the problems with broken collar bones but its not a proven fact anyways. I 2nd the pcs racing neck support I got one after a nasty spill during the ax season. EVS makes one also but it sucks in comparison its a "floating" like design and it go's around you whole neck and its only held in place by a velcro strap. The PCS one ties to your chest protector to the front and the rear and its very stable and the front of your neck area is still open. Side to side movement is not restricted at all, but what I like best is that my head doesn't snap around or jolt forward and back anymore and after a race my neck is much less sore. I've even taken a spill with it and if I didn't have it on I know for fact I would of gotten ALOT worse soreness in my neck from whip lash. I won't ride without it anymore and feel like a fool for not getting one earlier.

I agree with Miltonyz. I broke my collar bone after hitting a large tree that had fallen across a trail, just beyond a blind corner. I came flying around the corner, hit the tree, then went sailing about 25 feet, landing first on my outstretched arm. The force and resulting leverage snapped my collar bone.

No amount amount of direct chest and/or collar bone protection will prevent this type of break, and this the most common way to break a collar bone. This is also a frequent injury in downhill skiing, when people attempt to break a fall with their outstretched arm. It's a natural reaction when you are sent flying. Instead of the arm breaking, the leverage breaks the more supseptable collar bone.

Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe in wearing protection, it's just that the collar bone is broken easily.

Hope this helps....

- Bill

My viewpoint is slightly different. Most breaks that I have seen could be caused by the helmet itself. Next time with helmet on, bend your head similar to falling off and you will see that the edge of the bottom of helmet directly hits your collarbone. It is thus the helmet that plays a part and not neccesarily the outstretched hand.
My sollution is to wear a rugby padded shoulder and collarbone vest under the protector. The theory is that the padding between helmet and bone will prevent breakage.
Anton

Anton,

Good point that I hadn't considered. Wish that I could watch the slo-mo video footage of my crash to see what happened and re-live it in all it's gory detail.

I will also check out the neck protection system that Nikki mentioned (although their web site seems to be down at the moment).

- Bill

My collarbone was broken by my helmet, I've got a PCS neck collar now and it will hopefully stop that from happening again.

Nikki,
Thanks for the link. Is the PCS system a hard foam type of material, or is it soft? Does the PCS system make it hard to put the chest protector one? And finally, do you notice the weight of the PCS system?

Anton,
Good point. Never really considered that point. The first collar bone break I went over the bars and augured my shoulder into a good sized whoop. Broke the shoulder piece of the chest protector I was wearing at the time.

Thanks to everyones comments. Go stuff!