Crain Products: Ankle Savers Footpegs - Dirt Rider Magazine

Crain Products is on a mission to reduce ankle injuries, or at least limit the severity when an impact goes wrong. The basic idea is a wide but fairly conventional steel footpeg with a teardrop-shaped sort of heel peg welded to the rear of the normal peg. The teardrop ankle-saving portion isn't welded at the same level as the footpeg. The contact point is lower than the surface of the peg, and it is angled back and down 19 degrees from the peg surface. The idea being that you never feel the Ankle-Savers until you suffer an extreme landing that puts excessive loads on your feet and ankles. The reality is that you do feel the Ankle-Savers' rear portion fairly often on the track, but most riders felt it in only good ways.No question, when you land short or long, your feet, ankles and even knees would be smiling if they had lips. Impacts that clank the suspension hard enough to hurt your ears don't bother ankles. The Ankle-Savers look like they will limit the kickstarter, but they didn't. Perhaps if you were sloppy with foot placement, your boot heel could contact them, but we didn't have a problem. In whoop sections and while approaching jumps standing up, you can use your heels to load the suspension similar to a seat-bump. The bigger your feet, the more likely you are to feel the rear portion of the peg, and that means in a positive way-absorbing abuse-and just being aware that it's there. I wear a size 13, and I'd probably like the teardrop portion better with the teeth dulled a little. Still, I've never feared landings less. I'd say the difference in foot fatigue rates as high as the Fastway Flexx Bar does for hands and wrists.While riding through rocks or stumps off-road, I like to ride with the pegs under the balls of my feet to keep my toes safe. Big feet and big guy mean my ankles and Achilles tendons can take a hit if you throw a ditch or whoop into the equation. No problem with the Ankle-Savers. The load on your feet is so reduced that riders taking a quick test off-road immediately moved their feet back and used the pegs like virtual floorboards. But then, of course, they couldn't get to the brake pedal in a hurry. Ride like they are designed, though, and you save major wear and tear on your feet.One riding acquaintance has suffered two Achilles tendon injuries in a row. In spite of the fact that the injuries were not motorcycle related, he was ready to sell his bike and not risk further pain and downtime. After just sitting on the bike with Ankle-Savers he began making plans to return to riding as soon as his doc gives the OK.These are legal in amateur stock classes, and they are guaranteed against defects. At $149.95 the Ankle-Savers are pricey for a steel peg, but fairly reasonable for injury prevention. I doubt they will become the next Leatt, but if you have ankle issues, you're probably looking for the phone and credit card right now. -Karel Kramer