Track Tested | Mobius X8 Wrist Brace

Track Tested | Mobius X8 Wrist Brace

Price: $199.95

Mobius made a name for itself in motocross with the X8 Knee Brace, which is worn by athletes like Ryan Dungey, Christian Craig, Ryan Villopoto, Adam Cianciarulo, and more. A couple of years ago, the brand expanded into wrist bracing and the X8 Wrist Brace was born. An early version of the brace was instrumental in Cooper Webb’s 250 championships in 2015 and ’16, and today Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen relies on the X8 Wrist Brace to support his badly injured wrists. 

Wrist braces are nothing new, but the Mobius brace does more than offer range-of-motion stops to help prevent injuries; it actually provides support and compression to already injured joints. 

Like the knee brace, the X8 Writs Brace utilizes Mobius’ CCRS (continuous cable routing system) to provide support to the wrist joint. Adjusted via the dial on the back of the brace, the cables apply pressure to the wrist via a soft foam Tendon Back Plate. Best of all, the brace does not require any material to cover your palm, which adds bulk to the material between the rider’s hand and the handlebar grip.

Weighing only four ounces, the brace comes in two sizes in two color options. Range of motion stops can be adjusted easily from 10 to 70 degrees with one small screw. Sold separately, the X8 Wrist Brace costs $199.95 and is available from mobiusbraces.com

“A little over a decade ago, a rider behind me looped out and sent his bike cartwheeling into my back at a Loretta’s area qualifier, and the result was a broken left wrist for me. Three different doctors told me that I would need to have my wrist fused but just as I was about to throw in the towel, someone recommended I see this wrist specialist in Orange County who took care of the Angels baseball team. “If you’re willing to stay in a cast for six extra weeks, it will heal,” he told me. “I could make thousands of dollars operating on your wrist and fusing it, but you don’t need that and that’s what I recommend you do: wait it out.”

And that’s what I did. I wrapped my head around the fourth opinion I got and even though the other three agreed that without surgery then, I would need it eventually, I eventually healed up and started riding and racing again naturally. These days, like the rest of the joints in my old body, my wrist has begun to cause me some areas of the track while riding; most notably rough braking bumps. 

What I really enjoy about the Mobius X8 brace is that it supports my weakened wrist joint, and actually eliminates most of the pain I can sometimes feel while riding. It also offers support in big impacts that would sometimes cause my wrist to buckle, and it does so without being uncomfortable or hindering. Once you slip your wrist into the brace, it is secured around your forearm by a soft neoprene strap and a small neoprene strap that you route your middle finger through. The dial on the back tightens the patented cable system around your wrist, and acquiring the perfect amount of support is easily accomplished. 

From the very first time I rode in the brace, it proved comfortable and easy to get used to. In fact, aside from the additional support that I feel in my joint, it is easy to forget about while riding as it moved will with your body and is quite comfortable. The only downside I’ve ever encountered with the brace is that on super hot days at the track, it makes it a little slower process to get your glove off.

If you have a trouble wrist and are looking for a brace that will help you to ride with more confidence and no more pain, this is the hot ticket. If you have two perfectly healthy wrists, it might not be a bad idea to use these things to keep it that way.”

• Donn Maeda