I’ve not ridden Swinley before.
1 – are knee pads needed?
2 – will I look a knob for wearing some there?
3 – does anyone else where them there?

(I’m guessing the answers are no, who cares, sometimes)

I fell off my bike messing around the other night and grazed both my knees fairly badly, it was on Friday night and they still hurt. It was probably only at about 5mph but I landed on tarmac

I’m planning on doing Swinley as a night ride in a month or so and I’m wondering if knee pads are worth it? I don’t have any so will need to find some I like. I don’t really ride trail centres but having some kneepads might be handy every now and then…?

+ 1 for your guess.

Having said that, its the sort of place you could have a big off though. I’d go with what you normally ride in and just don’t go mad on your first lap.

Only a knob would think you’re a knob.

I wear mine frequently just because I have a dicky right knee and don’t want it more knackered 🙂

For Swinley I usually just wear a lid (and maybe gloves).
I’d say wear what ever makes you happy, confident and more likely to enjoy the ride. If the knee pads give you more confidence then wear them!

Plus, as you’ve said it’s going to be dark. No one will see anyway. Why do you care what others think?

No, No, Sometimes.

But. If your knees are already badly grazed and painful, would kneepads act to aggravate that?

are knee pads needed

Only if you plan on falling off.

I wear knee pads all the time now. There are plenty of options comfortable enough for all day pedalling. Who cares what anyone else thinks?

no, who cares, sometimes

Pretty much.

There’s no pointy rocks to bash them into, and it’s pretty tame, but there’s still the potential to crash.

^^ this

If you’re comfortable in them then go nuts. It is pedally though, not even the “plod up the hills to enjoy the descents” sort of riding.

Up to you. No pointy rocks, but the surface of flinty pebbles encased in hardened soil can be unforgiving. I had 2 weeks off the bike a couple of years ago after an innocuous off; my knee looked like someone had attacked it with baseball bats, and then run a cheese grater over it. Got all scabby and infected, swelled up so i couldn’t bend it – not nice.

So now i use a pair of soft pads (G-form types, others are available) – i don’t think you need the full stormtrooper exo types, but you make your own choice

If you ride anywhere with the intention of giving it the beans and ‘pinning it’ in corners, you run a higher risk. I generally wear armour on the basis of how I intend to ride, not where.

Trail location only informs the type of armour I choose to wear. Big mountain, rocky, technical riding = big armour. Trail centres and less rocky trails = soft elbows and knees only.

I usually just wear a lid (and maybe gloves).

Kinky!

While the temptation at the beginning is to think Swinley might deserve knee pads, you really wont. The start its pretty stony but after that its really nice and smooth.

I would not wear them as you will quickly realise they aren’t needed.

Enjoy its a good blast but might be very wet and boggy at the moment.

There’s no pointy rocks to bash them into

Unfortunately there is a few of them if you’re very unlucky!
Earlier this year a mate managed to find one of them after a fairly innocuous off – purely bad luck but meant 5 days in hospital as they couldn’t get all the dirt out from behind the knee cap.

That’s the beauty of protection – you never need it until you hit something!

You don’t need pads anywhere until you crash. If you are thinking about wearing them then do. Once you have been once you can think about whether you want them next time. If you do look a knob around Swinley at least there will be plenty of other knobs around so you don’t stand out.

That’s the beauty of protection – you never need it until you hit something!

This +100

I’d ride Sherwood blue in pads now because it’s sods law that would be when I’d eff myself up if I didn’t have them on!
I have pads, I find them comfortable, I wear them

If you have pads wear them. I know wear mine pretty much on any ride. After having fracturing my kneecap as a teenager, I know how utterly annoying a knee injury is. Once they are knackered, they are never right again – so just protect them – your old self will thank you.

If you’re worried about how you look, you’re probably in the wrong hobby anyway ! Most people dress like colourblind clowns on a day trip sporting a clashing neon bike (me included) so some knee pads won’t really make it much worse

You get all sorts up swinley, full clad lycra types through to gnar dog DH kids in full race kit, FF and neck brace, you’d have to try pretty hard to look an idiot, dont worry about it.

It is all tame there, even the off-piste gnar dog bits/”stream gap”/whatever else, if you’re the type who can’t ride berms, it maybe worthwhile, but as i say, everything is pretty sedate.

You also have to pedal your tits off to really make anything of it, so chaffing knee pads sometimes aren’t the best.

I cant see a reason not to wear them whenever I ride off road. There is always me on a bike, there is always the ground. My knee and the ground could meet if I stuff up, which could always happen!

Obviously this applies equally for trips to the shop and road rides, but we all know that’s different!

If it’s so easy there, how come that poor bastard died there last month?

Thanks folks, I think i’ll buy an XC type pair that will let me peddle. I’m more of a plodder than a gnarkid. I like to enjoy where I am but I’m very capable of falling off – I was surprised how much my low speed off hurt

I’ll look for some nice pads, I’d ask for a recommendation but I’m sure there’s loads based on the recommend what you own approach

Swinley doesn’t have a rocky or slate-embedded surface ready to slice open or crush your precious patella, and I’ve never felt the need. My first ride in Wales saw me heading for a shop!

So NNY and wear what you want.

If it’s so easy there, how come that poor bastards died there last month?

A knee pad will not help you with a high-speed impact with a tree 🙁

I’ve ordered some Dainese Trail Skins

ride what you feel comfy and confident in

I dont notice my pads once they are on so Im happy to wear them wherever I ride

Shout if you want somebody to go round with.

I go round all the time without knee pads and with Wildcat frame bag still attached 🙄

Mountain biking = knee pads for me. I don’t care if I’m riding something flat and smooth, I try and push it a lot and a fall can happen any time (and often does). One of the riding group (experienced group and very experienced technical rider) went over the bars on Sunday as he clipped in and attempted to turn a pedal, it was hilarious!

You’re going for a night ride and you’re worried about what people will think you look like?

I ride with a group at night. I can’t even tell you what any of them look like without their bikes.