Never thought that I’d want or need pads, as my riding was pretty gentle tracks and BW. Then I went to my local trail centre a couple of times (Hamsterley), and figured that I was ready for a bit of a step up.

The first time I wore my Dianese Trailskins they saved my elbow from a right good skinning. It would certainly have resulted in an A+E visit without them.

Never leave home without them now, anywhere. Well I’ll qualify that, as long as I’m out riding further than the pub/shops…

What would come under the ‘don’t notice you’re wearing them bracket’ then?

Any that you find comfortable

I wear 661 exo knee-shin pads whenever I’m on my bike, they are on the thin side but that’s all I wanted to avoid pedal/shin injuries mainly. Very rarely notice them when I’m pedalling so worth it for me. I did buy a set of exo elbow pads at the same time and have them in my bag but don’t think I’ve ever worn them out the house!

Never worn either.

I pop the “pedal pads” on most of the time (fox enduro!).
Harder pads and elbows for uplifts.

Wear knee pads on all MTB rides these days. Its just part of the riding kit like a helmet and gloves now

Don’t own elbow pads so that’s a no.

Knee pads on every ride for me – current favourites are the Endura Singletracks. As above really – just become part of normal riding kit.

Elbow pads only really come out for Alps trips or bike park stuff.

M6TTF- Try them on. I have wasted money on ones bought online that were on sale or looked good and ended up rubbing in places or being uncomfortable. Go to a big shop with a few in, try them and wear ones that have no apparent pressure or rubbing points. It will save you money in the long run.

never worn either, either.

not even in the Alps, Slovenia, big country biking in scotland, nor any of the trail centers I’ve tried (UK, Poland/Czech,…)

edit: but I did think about getting some for last Alps trip, but didn’t bother in the end.

M6TTF – Member

Interesting how many folks wear knee pads. What would come under the ‘don’t notice you’re wearing them bracket’ then?

Like they said, it’s all about fit. For me it’s 661 Rages, apart from a couple of minor niggles they’re almost perfect for me. And they offer a really good level of protection too- side pads, and enough on the front that I’m happy using them for downhill too, I’ve not worn my huge POC hard leg plates for ages. But if they don’t fit you right they could rub, or shift around, or come loose…

Knees, most of the time. Elbows, a lot of the time. I kind of need both to be in good working order to earn a living and I don’t bounce as well as I once did 🙂

The main issue with them is heat. They don’t get in the way and I hardly know I’m wearing them (except for when it’s hot).

I got some RF Ambush D30 ones.

Knee pads (of which I need some new ones) for most rides, other than a helmet & gloves I don’t own any other protection.

I wear knee and elbow pads on most rides. I used to have hard pads that included shin/forearm protectors but now I have d30-esque soft pads which just cover the joints. They don’t bother me much so it’s rarely a chore to wear them.

About the only rides where I don’t use pads are up in the Pentlands. What I ride there is pretty tame but perhaps what most influences my decision is that’s where I was riding before I first got pads so I’ve never associated the area as requiring armour. Which isn’t logic at all…

While I’ve had a few crashes where the pads have possibly saved me from significant injury, there have been more where they’ve prevented pain-in-the-arse cuts, scrapes, bruises and aches. Given how easy they are to wear even that seems worth it.

I only wear pads on uplift days,so about 4 days out of 70.riding days per year

Knee pads most of the time. Race Face dig. I have injured my knee’s before so feel more comfortable wearing them. Don’t wear them when out on a family ride though!!

Elbow pads (and sometimes knee/shin guards) when i’m doing more serious stuff as they are annoying and too hot to wear all the time.

None

Smashed a knee up a couple of years ago on a really tame bit of trail & was off the bike for 2 months. Knee pads (661 Rage) every MTB ride now.

Also bought some elbow pads after a couple of annoying bashes but really don’t like wearing them so hardly ever bother.

Up until very recently knee & elbow on every ride, then I stopped wearing the elbows, then the knees.

I was going for downhill speed but I’ve given that up in favour of XC speed, so pads are as required as hey were as I’m not pushing it all the time.

I’ll still pad up for unfamiliar places though, like cardinham/lanhydrock last week and Scotland in a few weeks time, just in case.

Only very occasionally do I wear pads. Only if getting an uplift generally.

661 knee and elbows pads plus met parachute full face on every ride.
Plus TLD body armour for uplift days.

I’m not exactly gnaaar, so don’t wear pads that often, but I’ve injured my elbows far more often from crashes than my knees, as it’s often what hits the first/hardest when falling sideways off a bike.

I’m surprised that knee pads are worn more often than elbow, or is it the consequences of knee injury which people are more worried about?

iainc – Member

I have recently taken to wearing Raceface charge knees on many rides, largely to ward off nettles and jaggy bushes

This. And a wee bit of Assos shammy cream on the knee helps to stop them rubbing on long, warm rides.

66 rage knee, dianese hard shell elbow/fore-arms every mtb ride. not going to stop broken bones, but certainly stop those niggling injuries that stop you riding.

99% of the time I’m wearing elbow pads and Knee/Shin pads – the knee/shins are over-kill really, but I’ve had them since 2008 and they’re a leftover of my DH days, but they keep the cold of my knees in winter and the brambles off my shins in summer.

I’ve recently bought some great Kali elbow pads, mostly ‘soft’ pads but have a hard core.

Some people give me a ‘look’ for being so protected, but I don’t care – I’ve got a plate and 10 screws in my left forearm, I used to have a much bigger plate and even more screws in my right elbow too, now I just have a massive scar there from where the tip of my ulnar left me (never to be seen again) if anyone wants to call me a coward.

for those with knee pads with grippers at the top, lycra and baggies – pad grippers over or under the lycra shorts ?

chum3 – Member

I’m not exactly gnaaar, so don’t wear pads that often, but I’ve injured my elbows far more often from crashes than my knees, as it’s often what hits the first/hardest when falling sideways off a bike.

I think maybe it’s how you crash, too- you don’t want to be landing on a stuck out elbow, pads or no pads, you want to tuck up and roll out more or at least present a bigger landing pad. But knees are tricky for this and harder to protect

I wear knee pads (just knee, not knee/shin) on pretty much every ride.. excluding cross and road rides 😉

Had a few knee knocks over the years and wore pads on and off. Then had a bad one a few years ago – fairly innocuous crash, not innocuous damage. When I started riding again 3 months later (yes, 3 months!) I wore pads and have worn them ever since. It’s not that it’s a risk thing, it’s that I want to keep on playing. Every time I have a crash and land on my knees, and then just get up and get back on the bike I have a little smile. The scar tissue and numb chunk of my knee is always there to remind me to put them on!

Oddly I’ve never worn elbow pads, and never (so far) had need of them. I’ve probably buggered that up now.

I won’t post the “before surgery” pic, but every time you land on your pads, this is what you could have dodged…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/77UwsR]Before stitches come out[/url] by Jonathan Bateman, on Flickr

Yep, elbow & knee pads every time I go off-road and also shoulder protection for the past 12 months since I busted my shoulder – I don’t really see it as being any different to wearing a lid!

Knee pads always (as with helmet) if off-road, elbows if doing gravity type runs.

I have never owned a pair of knee or elbow protectors. I have only ever owned XC bikes but I am not slow on the downs either. The only time I have thought it would be a good idea was when I borrowed an Enduro test bike for a weekend on some trails I know well. The trails seemed a bit boring on such a long travel rig so I ended up blasting down the local (and national) DH run. Didn’t crash but didn’t want to think about the concequences if I had. I think when I do eventually get round to buying a longer travel bike then I think knee pads will be high on the new shopping list.

If you fell off as much as me you would think about giving up. 😆

Knee pads always when off-road. The couple of times I haven’t worn them I have crashed and been unable to ride for a month or so.

Elbow pads on Uplift days, Multi-days & Holidays.
Full Face Helmet on Uplift days

I have some 661 Kyle Staits but never worn them as always felt a bit bulky. Would be keen to buy something with a bit of protection but more comfy. As per my post earlier, the Raceface Charge ones are great, but really no fall protection

The land around here is full of shap stones, trees and almost no soil to soften the falls. Plus i crash quite a lot. So knee pads always, elbow pads i have but only wear very rarely and recently i’ve been wearing a full face less (though my last crash cut up both elbows and split my lip when i went OTB in a steep gully).

what pads for L.S. Lowry painting legs…

Over the last few years we’ve been searching out increasingly tech riding where the penalty for failing increases from ‘skitter along soft earth into the bushes’ to ‘stop dead on large pointy rocks’ or ‘fall over rocky drops’.
It’s no coincidence that our bikes have changed with our riding tastes, and along with it has come body armour. I actually now have two sets. One for normal trail riding, and full coverage hardshells for things like the rangers path, stakes pass and Wythburn.

Never.

Surely it depends on where you’re riding? Never felt the need for XC or red runs at trail centres. Would if I ever did a DH course.

Why’s an uplift day any different? ‘Scuse ignorance but wouldn’t you just be riding down the same stuff anyway, except you don’t have to pedal uphill?

I always wear knee pads. Probably overkill for most of my riding, but there have been a couple of dismounts when I’ve been very glad of them.

Until Sunday, never. Currently in the alps and wear them (knee and elbow pads) for the descents but they come off for any decent climb.

Had a tumble today and the elbow pads protected the joint but not the skin to either side.

Would I wear them back in the UK? Highly unlikely on any regular basis, maybe if I went to a trail centre but then only the elbow pads as I dislike having much of anything on my legs.

Always wear knee pads at trail centres and just bought some elbows I’ll be wearing from now on.