Off on the boat tonight, and that'll be two weeks away from home on the Barnard Challenge. This strange collar I'm wearing is a Leatt Brace, the simplest, cheapest Adventure model. It was designed by a South African neurosurgeon, Chris Leatt, after he saw one of his friends die of a broken neck - a C2 fracture - in a motocross accident. There's been little use of them in road motorcycling, but I think that's going to change. It's light, simple to fit, and comfortable. It only works with a full-face helmet. Basically, in the event of an accident, it stops your head, its weight increased exponentially by the presence of a helmet, from snapping the twig-like thing it sits on. The spine. At least that's the theory.
We're going to be covering several thousand miles on this trip - longer than any other motorbike ride I've done other than my journey through South Africa on a BMW R1150GS several years ago - and various brushes with people who've suffered massive neck trauma convinced me that £200 - the price of a half-decent helmet, and half the cost of some models - was a worthwhile investment.
I know, I know: the best thing is not have an accident in the first place. That means several things. Care, skill, observation, caution (but not debilitating nervousness). And visibility. To the end, I'm wearing hi-viz stuff rather than going for the cool black look. And you have to be comfortable, too, as long-distance biking when cold and wet can lead to disaster.
But the Leatt Brace is, I think, a simple and useful addition to the personal safety gear I'll be using (boots, armoured jacket and trousers, gloves). And if I look like a wimp, so be it.
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