[TK-421]

I mainly commute.* I'm not an aggressive rider.* I love my wife and kids and would happily sweat a bit more to wear more armor.* I have a GREAT Joe Rocket jacket that I love.* But it has a measly foam pad for back protection!* And it does not have a replaceable pocket?!* I would have to do surgery to replace it.* So I'm thinking about getting something I can strap on the outside of the armored jacket.* Is this just plain overkill for a commuter?* (Is ANY armor overkill, really?) I really would like something that has over flex protection as well.

Here are some I'm looking at: (Sorry for the code block but the forum is wrapping the links somehow that causes them to break)

http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/product/SPIDI-BACK-WARRIOR-EVO/?id=122719
http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/product/ALPINESTARS-BIONIC-AIR-BACK-PROTECTOR/?id=123115
http://www.motosport.com/motorcycle/product/ALPINESTARS-BIONIC-BACK-PROTECTOR/?id=100168

I'm totally open to other brands. I just want to live to retire to a private island somewhere.
Thanks!

 

[The Golden Monkey]

It costs a bit more than the ones you mentioned, but supposedly the Forcefield Pro Sub4 is the best: Forcefield Pro Sub 4 Back Protector - webBikeWorld


Also the links you posted don't work, and they're click-tracking affiliate links anyway.

 

[Midnullarbor]

.
Note the comments further down on the WebBikeWorld site - the back protector will help reduce forces from an unlucky impact on the spine : but for (non-racetrack) crashes, the spinal injury may well come from (rotational) "tweaks" exerted by the shoulder or hip, rather than any direct impact.
So . . . the back protector needs to be particularly quick & convenient (and temperature-comfortable) to justify itself [and to tempt you to wear it].
Should other areas of protection be higher up your priority list?

Shoulder protection itself is a little on the dodgy side - protective plates/padding can be rather thin and mobile and small in area, liable to be forced aside during the crash process. And the internal structures of the shoulder joint can receive much damage from the sudden flailing effect of the arm (i.e. independently of plates & padding).

Knee, shin, ankle and elbow can be moderately well protected by currently available gear - which is also fairly comfortable to wear.
.

 

[The Golden Monkey]

When I crashed and landed on my back, I was really glad I had upgraded the back protector insert in my jacket. I was lucky to hit just flat highway and grassy shoulder, but the (very deep) bruising ended at the edge of the armor. If I had hit a curb, car, rock, or signpost like the one that totaled my bike, I would have been wishing for a full back protector like the ones discussed. Keep in mind they don't only protect the spine, but also the scapulae and part of the ribs.

Obviously even the best armor can't prevent all back injuries, but it can greatly improve the odds.

 

[PeteW]

I wear a pressure suit with arm, shoulder, back protection and kidney belt under my Joe Rocket jacket. (Zipped onto it). Because it's in one lump it's easy to put on and take off.

I originally put that together for dirt roads, but my guess was the same as yours, not a lot of difference between sliding into a gutter or a parked car commuting and sliding into a rock or a tree off road.


Despite the comments above , I think it's a good bet, at 60kph the main risks aren't limbs flailing around or abrasion - it's hitting or being hit by things at relatively low speed.

Pete

 

[TK-421]

I wear a pressure suit with arm, shoulder, back protection and kidney belt under my Joe Rocket jacket. (Zipped onto it). Because it's in one lump it's easy to put on and take off.

PeteW, which pressure suit do you use? How does it zip in to the Joe Rocket? How hot is it? My Joe Rocket feels like riding in a T-Shirt and I love it for that. But I'll take a little sweat for security reasons.

 

[TK-421]

Also the links you posted don't work, and they're click-tracking affiliate links anyway.

Fixed links. Something the forum is doing to them was breaking them. Couldn't figure out how to get them working without putting them in a code block.
:headbang: