Having tried on loads of different knee pads I’ve narrowed it down to:

POC VPD 2.0 – really nicely made. Slight concerns they might be overkill for most of my riding
IXS Carve Evo – I like the padding on the side of the knee. Not as confident in build quality and they feel like they could be a bit too warm.
Dainese Trail Skins 2 – really comfy and I imagine better for all-day pedalling, but not keen on the mud-gathering knee.

Any real-world experiences of these 3, good and bad?

POC’s been fine wear them for 1 hr pootles to big days out in the Alps, Scotland, India(37 deg C) etc.

Can get sweaty but to be honest when I’m on long climbs or long intervals I normally drop them around the calves/ankles

if you want to stick your pads in the wash and they have D30, make sure that bit comes out. 😉

Actually that’s a very good point Del. My old D30 pads had a removable D30 piece and they then got thrown in the washing machine. It looks like more modern pads are not machine washable, which is a shame.

Have you considered Endura Singletrack pads?

They are comfortable and good velcro straps so you can get them on and off in seconds.

I’ve been using them for a couple of years and although I’ve never had a direct hit to the knee (but that’s always the way, the day you don’t wear them is the day you’ll smack the stem or a rock). I forget that I’m even wearing them.

Endura Singletrack pads?

+1 and washed mine loads, great pads

tbh im curious as to why things arnt machine washable if you do it cool?

Have you considered Endura Singletrack pads?

I think I tried them ages ago and didn’t like the fit. I’ve tried loads on and the 3 above are the ones I like; just need to pick one 🙂

tbh im curious as to why things arnt machine washable if you do it cool?

Exactly, 30 deg can’t hurt them.

Is it the spin cycle rather than the temperature that does the damage?

Went from old but very comfy 661 Kyle Straits to Ion K-Pact this year and really rate them. D30 bit is removable and they’re plenty comfy enough for 3-4 hours of pedalling. Much better protection than the old KSs too.

Dainese Trail Skins 2 – really comfy and I imagine better for all-day pedalling, but not keen on the mud-gathering knee.

Not been a problem with my mk1s, and I’ve ridden in them for most of the winter.

What do you do to gather lots of mud in your kneepad?

What do you do to gather lots of mud in your kneepad?

In winter my knee pads will often come back covered in mud splatter. I imagine that mud splatter will get stuck in the knees of the Trail Skins.

Pimpmaster Jazz – Member
Dainese Trail Skins 2 – really comfy and I imagine better for all-day pedalling, but not keen on the mud-gathering knee.
Not been a problem with my mk1s, and I’ve ridden in them for most of the winter.

What do you do to gather lots of mud in your kneepad?

The Mk2 ‘skeleton’ protective area is much more open than the more closed cells of the Mk1.

Just got some Mk2 pads to replace my Mk1 and they are so much comfier to pedal in. Even had a couple of crashes and they’ve been fine. But yeah, I’d say they are more likely to collect mud due to the open design…it might not be much of an issue at all but I won’t know til it gets muddy, which at this rate is fortunately not looking to be for some time!

i have the poc vpd pads and they are comfortable and give great protection , but i use them for uplift days, alps etc when I’m out for days riding i use other older 661 d30 things which are on there last legs but seem more suited to the job

Thanks for this feedback everyone. All useful stuff. Keep it coming.

Watching with interest…in the marker for some and undecided which ones…

I tried Raceface Indy pads on and liked those – the POC ones too.

tbh im curious as to why things arnt machine washable if you do it cool?

excellent. then you can go and dig up the pdf on the manufacturer’s site i’ve linked to here a few times. 😀
it’s been a while but i can’t be bothered this time, sorry.

I tried the Raceface indys but the bottom of the d30 pad dug into my shin so they went back.

I’m also keeping an eye on this thread as my Kyle Straights are looking a bit tatty, and are too small now I’m commuting by bike and my quads have swollen to gigantic proportions.

ah. go on then. sure it was more explicit before though. hmm….

I’ve been using the Trail skins Mk 1 for a couple of years now. Wear them every ride and either rinse them out or throw them through the wash once every few weeks. The padding around the ‘skeleton’ structure can become a little dislodged after being through the washing machine but it pops back in easily.

They have been great, not too sweaty, no rubbing on 4 hour+ rides and have saved my knees in a few good crashes. I’ll be getting another pair when they finally fall apart.

Just to totally miss the point and talk about another set. I’ve had the Fox Launch Pro for 4 years now. As others have attested they are surprisingly comfortable and great for pedally rides. Despite the fact that they look like something out of Robocop. They are also ace from a protection point of view. I can confirm this given my habit of writing cheques that my skillz can’t cash..

I use the light weight Bliss impact gel things. So far very comfortable, snd survived some big offs.

More than happy with my POC pads.

I had the older POC VPD pads, and they rubbed the knees a bit. My Fox Launch’s are nearly in tatters, the material at the back isn’t the strongest. Wouldn’t mind trying Leatt next, they know a thing or two about protection.

I don’t miss my old Kyle Strait 661s, they were heavy and absorbed water, but plenty of protection.
Got Dainese trail skins now and they are light and comfy, washed every ride with my other kit and never noticed that they fill up with mud.
Crashed in them very hard last month on a trail that is bedrock and got away with a graze and a wee bruise instead of a dozen stitches.
This s my second set in two years odd as I lost the left one…

Got the POC ones but they pinch/rub just behind my knee on the inside of the tendon making it sore on longer days. Got massive calves and thinner quads so maybe I’m between sizes.

My Troy Lee 5450 pads started to rub really badly, so yesterday got some Race Face Ambush D30 pads-seem to look bulky but on the knee I can’t feel them. No rubbing or slipping; don’t actually want to test impact resistance but there’s a fair bit of protection there…..

Hmmm, did’t know that about D30.
Always put my Troy Lee Speed pads in the wash on cold with the rest of my kit.
They’re very comfy to ride in though. How do I know if the D30 still works?

I’ve got a set of VPD 2.0 Joint’s and they’re my ideal all-day pad. Wearing them in a Basque Summer got them sweaty and they got a bit salt marked by mid week, but rinsing under a cold tap and air drying fixed that. They didn’t get chafey at all – the only time they have chafed at all was once I tried carrying them in my pack and putting them on at the top – and that’s cos my legs were a little muddy by then so not the pad’s fault. I’d just put them on at ride start and take them off at end now because of that and they don’t bother me at all. They do a good job of staying put while crashing.

Just after I bought mine, the VPD Air’s launched and I wondered if I’d overbought, but this doesn’t seem to be a problem. I’m not a heavy sweater generally though, which is probably relevant.

I’ve got the Fox Enduro’s, really comfy, not too much actual firm protection but they’re a “just in case” product anyway and will definitely save my knees when I do fall. Not tried any others so can’t vouch for them though

How do I know if the D30 still works?

Crash in it? 🙂

In all seriousness, does D30 work equally well with sharp impacts as it does to blunt force? There’s a lot of flint in this part of the world (I have a slashed tyre in the garage awaiting repair to corroborate this)

I’m sure it’ll take the edge off.