Gut Belts?

[Hank R1200RT]

Any personal experiences? Looking at the BMW, Gold Belt, or Backaline (the last two are from Aerostich.). Mainly interested in reducing lower back aches on longish rides.

[TEWKS]

The Gold Belt Brand always worked for me. MX riding and yes, even long road trips. Helps keep things where they belong.

 

Pat

[Maurice Donini]

+1 on the Backaline.

[Tourmaster]

Gut Belts...My brother wears one most of the time riding (don't know the brand), on him it looks more like a Belly Bra!

[Norm 88]

+2 on the Backaline..

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

+2 on the Backaline..

 

+3. Had mine for something like 15 years now, still works great.

 

Manufacturer website, featuring a link to a MCN review; MCN apparently liked it quite a bit.

 

Prior to that I had a Back Thing;; it worked pretty good, but I'd put it in second place compared to the Backaline.

[elkroeger]

Everyone is different. Here is my experience: back in my 30s I was going to the chiropractor for a kink in my back. In particular, a recurring kink in between my shoulder blades. Also had occasional lumbar pain. He gave me some glorified ace bandage to wear around my gut. I should add that I was in exceptional health, and my idea of a good time was skiing on glaciers on the big volcanoes we have up here. Well, sooner or later, I blew out a disk in my back, which took 2 surgeries to fix (if you want to call it a fix).

 

The various doctors and surgeons I went to all seemed to have the same impression of "gut belts": They don't do much, if anything. One of them said that if it helps, the mechanism is probably more to do with wearing some uncomfortable girdle helps to keep your mind on your posture, and thereby helps you avoid poor posture and associated pain.

 

Paraphrasing their general advice: diet, exercise, core strengthening in particular, avoid alcohol and tobacco.

 

A couple trips to a good trainer or physical therapist with a focus on your posture will open your eyes. I got a D- in posture from my guy. Apparently the gut belt did nothing for my posture. Through this, I also discovered that I can sit on a chair, couch, lab stool, yoga ball, car, motorbike, bicycle, whatever. I can slouch on any of them like nobody's business. Pay attention and sit up straight.

 

But like I said, everyone's different.

[Ewell D.]

I wore a Fox belt throughout last summers dualsport trip over the Idaho BDR and Magruder corridor. It helped tremendously. That being said, I always felt it would be better if the back were stiffer.

 

After reading the linked MCN review of the Back A Line I immediately ordered one.

 

Thanks for the post!

[Sonor]

When I started riding they called them kidney belts. That is when they were also built into the jacket. I haven't worn one in years and don't suffer from the lack thereof. I say that as I was thinking just the other day, "wonder if kidney belts were just a fad or they had some merit." Apparently, there is some merit to them.

[Hank R1200RT]

Good advice about posture. However, I usually wear a back brace when doing any lifting, et cetera. I am 6'4", long torso, and I find the RT ergos do not match my body. May add a bar kit to ameliorate that. But your comments are generally absolutely corrrect.

[Hank R1200RT]

So, I bought the Backaline baseed upon the sterling references from this thread. Seems to cinch up fairly tight. So how do you all wear it? Under your pants? Outside your pants? Over your eyes? Inquiring minds want to know...