We should begin by saying the obvious. Each brace fits differently depending on the person wearing it. All of the braces used in this story are of the “off the shelf” variety. We suggest you try on as many as you can before you make the purchase. If you can’t find a set to fit you properly CTi makes custom braces but you will need to go through your doctor to get them fitted properly. Again, just like helmets, one fits more comfortably than the other depending on the wearer. The important thing is that the hinge point of the brace fits snugly to the side of the knee. If it is too tight they will be terribly uncomfortable and if it’s loose the brace will not offer much protection. One thing you will want to buy is some sort of legging to wear under the braces. Direct contact with your skin will cause chafing within minutes. We had to learn this the hard way. If you buy Asterisk braces leggings come with them.

When putting braces on, the most important thing is to be certain you have the correct brace on the correct leg. Braces are not always marked as clearly as they could be and you will never get a brace to fit comfortably if you have it on the wrong leg. You laugh… but we heard a story directly from one of the brace companies of a magazine review where the tester had the left brace on the right (not correct) leg and could understand why it was so uncomfortable… must have been an idiot. Just pay attention when putting them on and you’ll be fine. The first strap you attach must be the one below the knee, above the calf muscle. This will align the brace properly with the pivot of the knee. It’s kind of a PIA at first but after a few tries it comes easy. This strap will be the tightest of the bunch as it “locates” the brace. All the other straps are tightened just enough to keep the brace from flopping around.

Once you have the braces on and you are riding it will feel like you have never ridden a bike before. We can think of another experience akin to this but that would be a digression. You will get used to them much faster than you think and if you climb on a bike without them on you will feel naked.

Continued