661 core saver is it any good ?

i'm considering getting one for leatt brace use. since it lacks shoulder/deltoid/bicep coverage, i was gonna cut off the arms of an old dianese jacket i have and have a tailor sew them on.

I had one last season before the leatt-friendly version came out. I personally wasn't super impressed with it. The (collarbone?) padding was annoying and the chest padding wasn't very confidence inspiring - I could have duct-taped old gloves to my chest for the same affect. The reason to buy it IMO is for the spine protection, which is good. The allure for me was the ability to protect my spine without the hot factor of a full jacket with arms and shoulders. After using it for a while I asked myself what good any of the (arguably worthless) protection on the front and collarbone were, and I switched to the sixsixone backguard with elbow pads which I'm much happier with.

I gotta agree with Banshee above. The only good thing on it is the spine protection and the fact that it works with a Leatt pretty well. Don't buy it thinking the chest or shoulder protection is going to help you out at all. If I were looking for something now i'd consider a 661 pro suit and tuck the leatt in under the back protector.

I got mine one month ago, main reason was the leatt compatibility. The Leatt can be fitted perfectly on the core saver

The fit is geat too. Only downside is the lack of sholder protection.....

I had one for a year now and it works fine.
But it's like everyone has mentioned already... It's not a chest and shoulder guard.

The pros I see on it are:
- reasonably good back guard
- collarbone cushions (at least it's something)
- arm and shoulder flexibility when riding
- can barely feel you are using something
- works great in the summer where I live (Brazil)

So far I've dislocated my shoulder when using a 661 Pro Pressure Suit, using a Core Saver and also not using a vest at all. And have also dislocated my collarbone using a 661 Pro Pressure Suit... So personally I disbelief most vests are really protecting shoulders and collarbones...
And that's the reason I got a Core Saver, because of the spine protection...

My next vest will be the one with EVO protection from 661. Based on the knee guards, it should be one of the bests out there...

Hope it helps...

Stick with a conventional pressure suit. Want additional protection for your spine, strenghten your core internally. External gagetry will minumally add some support, but only handicaps your body in developing natural core strength. Back in the day OSHA required loading dock and other workers to wear velcrow lowback/waist belts to help prevent low back injuries. The result was an increase in LB injuries, and hence a repeal of that regulation.

Get with a physical therapist, personal trainer, or atheletic trailer for a postural assesment to see what you need to do to strenghten your core. Don't really on magazines, or what your buff freind does. Core strenghtening is an individual thing, everbodies body is different. Your core is like a system of levers and pullies. One muscle might be tight, and the antagonist (opposite, think bicept/tricept) is weak. So you need to strenghen the weak, while elongating/stretching the tight muscle. Contrary to what most people think, strenghtening the lowback (erector spinae) will do more to hinder your core, than to strenghten it. But there are exeptions. If have the butt of a 12 year old chinese girl or an old man (flat butt/ posturear pelvic tilt) and a natural 6 pack, then the contrary is true (you need to strengthen the errector spinnae). Every one is different. Get a postural assesment, there free at most health clubs, just see a personal trainer. Yes, they'll throw you a sales pitch, but if you don't want training then just say no thank you, and go on with the assesment. If you get an A-hole trainer, just go to the next available trainer, or the fitness manager. Most health-clubs will give health assesments for free (it protects them from liability), I know for a fact 24 Hour fitness does anyway, just be warry of their trainers, not all of them, but most are rookies.

Tim Fontenot
Master Trainer
NASM; CPT, CES, PES

AAAA said:

Stick with a conventional pressure suit. Want additional protection for your spine, strenghten your core internally. External gagetry will minumally add some support, but only handicaps your body in developing natural core strength. Back in the day OSHA required loading dock and other workers to wear velcrow lowback/waist belts to help prevent low back injuries. The result was an increase in LB injuries, and hence a repeal of that regulation.

Get with a physical therapist, personal trainer, or atheletic trailer for a postural assesment to see what you need to do to strenghten your core. Don't really on magazines, or what your buff freind does. Core strenghtening is an individual thing, everbodies body is different. Your core is like a system of levers and pullies. One muscle might be tight, and the antagonist (opposite, think bicept/tricept) is weak. So you need to strenghen the weak, while elongating/stretching the tight muscle. Contrary to what most people think, strenghtening the lowback (erector spinae) will do more to hinder your core, than to strenghten it. But there are exeptions. If have the butt of a 12 year old chinese girl or an old man (flat butt/ posturear pelvic tilt) and a natural 6 pack, then the contrary is true (you need to strengthen the errector spinnae). Every one is different. Get a postural assesment, there free at most health clubs, just see a personal trainer. Yes, they'll throw you a sales pitch, but if you don't want training then just say no thank you, and go on with the assesment. If you get an A-hole trainer, just go to the next available trainer, or the fitness manager. Most health-clubs will give health assesments for free (it protects them from liability), I know for a fact 24 Hour fitness does anyway, just be warry of their trainers, not all of them, but most are rookies.

Tim Fontenot
Master Trainer
NASM; CPT, CES, PES

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While I agree fully about core training, the statement ain underlined in only partially true.



The core savor offers alot of protection, from impacts. Noone can deny that having a large articulated pad covering yor spine will reduce spinal injuries, and it is defenitly more than minimal. The part you mentioned about the support preventing you from devloping your core... While that statement is true, it again is only partially true, you did hit the part right on about regular core training being very important, but at the same time, the belt system on the core saver, and any other pressure suit system, is not intended for back support, but for internal organ support. If your like me, you really cannot ride without the organ support, no matter how strong your core is, youll end up peeing blood for a couple days.

So to add my part about this particular item. Its a great item to have, it offer adjustable chest protection, it works with Leatt braces, offers articulated spine coverage, its lightweight, it breathes well.

For alot of were DHMike and I are riding, it offers soo much more over a pressure suit. For one, we have to hike/pedal to alot of the locations we are going to ride. New years day we were on the bike five hours worth.... not five hours of half hour hike and five minute run, or half hour shuttle for five minute run..... we had five hours of riding time.... we were worn the **** out when we were done.

At first the trails we were on I didnt think warranted more than a set of knee pads and a full face, but the ride leader took us on a trail I was not familiar with, and I would have loved to have had something like the core saver on. a pressure suit would have just made it absolutly miserable by the time we got to those locations, to the point it would have more than effected our riding.


Obviously its offering minimal muscular support, but it offers quite a hi level of impact protection, on a lightweight peice.

Most importantly, like any brand of safety equipment..... Make sure it fits properly, doesnt matter how great the protection is if it doesnt fit right

I just got a Core Saver 2010 and I expected to be able to remove the top back plates as in the 661 webpage states but it isn't possible, you have to slide the Leatt back plate into a kind of pouch behind the Core Saver black plates, bummer! I can't fit the Leatt straps and I'll have to cut the t-shirt in order to fit the Leatt into the Core Saver, just the 2 things I wanted to avoid buying the Core Saver...so it seems as if there are 2 Core Saver 2010 or what?? see pics...the one on the left is the one that appears in the 661 webpage and with removable plates, the one in the right is the one I got w/o removable plates and that I'm going to return right now...

Banrider, I just bought a Forcefield Lumbar Portector, comes up to just below the leatt, protects kidneys, no ridiculous chest protector, no annoying shoulders, and half the price of a coresaver.

cheers for the advice but I still prefer the Core Saver, at least the one I wanted at first, with it, you can use it as a light suit for AM riding but also with full helmet and a Leatt...or at least, that's what I thought before!

yetihenry said:

Banrider, I just bought a
Forcefield Lumbar Portector, comes up to just below the leatt, protects kidneys, no ridiculous chest protector, no annoying shoulders, and half the price of a coresaver.

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banrider said:

I just got a Core Saver 2010 and I expected to be able to remove the top back plates as in the 661 webpage states but it isn't possible, you have to slide the Leatt back plate into a kind of pouch behind the Core Saver black plates, bummer! I can't fit the Leatt straps and I'll have to cut the t-shirt in order to fit the Leatt into the Core Saver, just the 2 things I wanted to avoid buying the Core Saver...so it seems as if there are 2 Core Saver 2010 or what?? see pics...the one on the left is the one that appears in the 661 webpage and with removable plates, the one in the right is the one I got w/o removable plates and that I'm going to return right now...

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yes there is european version and a US Version. Only the US has the removable backplates

I was suspecting this the moment I searched in more UK online shops and the one that came was the same I got so a different one from the 661 web page, couldn't 661 just put some more info about that on their webpage??and I can't understand why they have to offer different versions to USA and Europe, it seems silly to me

Santa Maria said:

yes there is european version and a US Version. Only the US has the removable backplates

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has anyone tried this...seems like a good idea for that minimalistic protection. wont do much in a rock garden but should keep the smaller bumps from being stingers right away...

and the thinner padding should allow for better leatt/alpinestars brace fitment..

im thinking about it for the less than gnarly courses and rides.

http://www.the-industries.com/tscg-0-6.html?

mccdh said:

has anyone tried this...seems like a good idea for that minimalistic protection. wont do much in a rock garden but should keep the smaller bumps from being stingers right away...

and the thinner padding should allow for better leatt/alpinestars brace fitment..

im thinking about it for the less than gnarly courses and rides.

http://www.the-industries.com/tscg-0-6.html?

Click to expand...

That looks like a womens dress

Have it. Love it.

It's has most of the advantages of full armor, but you maintain mobility and gain better kidney/spleen protection. Plus the whole Leatt thing.