The Score
PODMX Knee Braces are another entry into the top-shelf knee protection market. Retail is $300 each, but we think that it's a fair price considering what each leg-specific brace offers.
None of us are getting any younger, and as the bumps, bruises and debilitating injuries common to our sport continue to rack up, the need for greater protection accumulates as well. There are those among us who have the wisdom to quit while they're ahead, or are stricken with the fear of god due to a particularly nasty accident or close call. But for the rest of us, our infatuation with riding continues to get us back on two wheels and headed in the direction of another hard, immovable object, and of all the things that can get mashed up, knees are some of the most common and long-lasting injuries.
The Scoop
Because the knee joint is essentially a hinge connected by a series of tendons, POD Orthotic, the medical brains behind the
PODMX Knee Brace, opted to replicate the body's natural design. Aside from the use of carbon-composite frame material with a scratch-resistant finish, the real beauty of this protective equipment is in the thermoplastic urethane (TPU) ligament that connects the upper and lower halves of the brace. This ultra-durable tendon flexes with the bending of your knee and then, unlike other top-shelf braces, returns to the straightened position. The result is a very natural-feeling movement.
The pivot point also features adjustable hyperextension stops. The PODMX comes standard with a 15-degree bend to keep your knee from fully locking, but there are 17.5- and 20-degree inserts that can offer even more restriction for those of you with existing injuries. However, if the standard bend is too restrictive for your taste, a 12.5-degree is available as well for just a bit more room. Installing the alternate hinge stop housings only requires a simple turning of a couple stainless steel screws, but each is sold separately and not included in the $300 pricetag for each leg-specific brace. Since our tester's knees are healthy (knock, knock) the standard bend was perfectly acceptable right away.
This TPU tendon is what makes the braces feel so natural in their movement. A set of optional hyperextension stops also help customize the range of motion.
The hinges are connected by a hard-plastic patella guard. This replaceable piece floats above the knee cap and is designed to disperse impacts through the hinges and into the carbon frame rails. We've banged them up a little with some trailside brush, roost and a few spills, but we're concerned that a truly punishing impact could be transferred directly to the patella. We had problems with the cup being too shallow and our knee would touch when fully bent or if pressure was applied to the plastic guard. Though our concerns are unwarranted at this point, we'd like to see the patella guard a little deeper to allow some extra room.
At just under 1.5 pounds each, these carbon cuties are extremely light. They're also very compact and utilize a low-profile design that makes them the least obtrusive that we've tested. We'd say that we hardly even noticed them except that the inside of the hinge tended to wear holes in our tester's inner knees and thighs. The use of a knee sock or brace sleeve is a must. There was also a small issue with the removable, washable padding bunching up above the knee. This was a minor annoyance, but it was constant throughout our testing.
Securing the brace to a rider's leg is a set of four straps. Each uses a Velcro fastener at the tip which can be removed and then replaced in order to trim the straps to the proper lengths - a very, very cool feature that eliminates one of our constant gripes about braces.
The Sentence
PODMX distributes its knee braces in the US via
Fox Racing, and as you would expect from any product offered up by
the popular brand, the braces bring plenty of worthwhile features to the table. Baz Luhrmann dispensed a lot of useful knowledge in his class of '99 commencement speech, but one line has always resonated with me.
"Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone."
Truer words have never been spoken, and whether you're trying to avoid the inevitable or are rehabbing from a previous injury, there's no better way to demonstrate your generosity for those precious tendons than with a set of PODMX Knee Braces.
Product: PODMX Knee Braces
Color Options:Carbon Fiber
Sizes: S-XL
MSRP: $300
Buy It Now: PODMX Knee Braces
Find More Fox Products
Read more evaluations on the
MotoUSA Product Review page.
