Best Shoulder Protection

[chatton18]

Broke the collarbone a week ago, looking like 5-6 weeks until I can ride again, but it won't be totally healed until next season - any recommendations on good shoulder protection/pressure suit padding systems. Would be for DH/lift riding.

[radam]

I looked into this stuff after I broke mine in the fall and didn't really come up with much. The general consensus I found was that the forces that break a collarbone are not forces you can neutralize easily with protective gear.

With that said, I think you'll be riding again before the year is out. I had surgery so my recovery was quicker than it would have been without, but fwiw I was skiing ~6 weeks after surgery and playing volleyball ~8 weeks after. Now many months later everything is very strong and solid and the worst part is just some residual irritation where I have screws in.

Best of luck with the recovery. You're in the shitty phase now, it will get better and hopefully your body will surprise you with it's ability to repair.

[eldereldo]

To protect an injured area, you need something that will cushion and transfer an impact to distribute over a larger area. Nothing you could wear and move comfortably in could protect a shoulder. It would have to be attached rigidly to your torso, and stiff enough to not deflect. Think T shape strapped to your body and shoulder

[bbense]

To protect an injured area, you need something that will cushion and transfer an impact to distribute over a larger area. Nothing you could wear and move comfortably in could protect a shoulder. It would have to be attached rigidly to your torso, and stiff enough to not deflect. Think T shape strapped to your body and shoulder

In theory, the viscoelastic stuff like 3do or VPD could work, but it's really expensive and the few items that came to market for MTB shoulder protection didn't sell well enough to survive.

[chatton18]

In theory, the viscoelastic stuff like 3do or VPD could work, but it's really expensive and the few items that came to market for MTB shoulder protection didn't sell well enough to survive.

I've seen some of the KLIM d30 pads that you can slide into their moto jackets, wondered about sewing some onto a compression shirt.

I've also got hockey shoulder pads I'm considering for DH and just looking like a jackass

[Swine]

Years ago I bought the Skeletools Impact Vest and it has saved my ass several times. I came down directly on my shoulder from 10+ ft. out of a quarterpipe and barely felt anything. I've also taken many crashes DH'ing and it's saved me. It's bulky, kind of dorky, and actually seems as if they sewed an old hard shell knee pad onto a shoulder piece... I actually stopped wearing it for the most part last year; and this year I overshot a tranny and fucked my shoulder up pretty good, wish I would have had it on (you can remove the shoulder pad from the vest, and I had just the vest on). I'll probably upgrade to something POC makes soon, but damn, it has saved my ass a lot.