I think I must be getting paranoid in my old age but I have discovered I don’t bounce anymore! As a result I am thinking about wearing knee pads to protect my knees from injury, however I have no idea where to start.

I have looked at Alpinestars Moab knee pads as they look quite slim (I don’t have massive legs) but are these to much for all day riding? I am looking at pads for when I ride at trail centers etc.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

I got the 661 ones from crc, they are just foam pads sewed into a neoprene sleeve but thats enough protection for me, rhythm or something

Most decent ones will be suitable tbh- I use the venerable Kyle Straits, lovely. Fit is important though. Everyone makes a Kyle-Strait-ish pad.

Not convinced by those rhythms, they felt warm in the shop and hardly offer any protection.

I’ve got some 661 kyle straits – bit hot in the summer, but go on/off really easily and great when you come off!

661 EVO are reckoned to be comfy.

I recently decided to get some lighter knee only as my 661 Comp Knee/Shin Guards 2011 are great but a bit over kill for “every day” riding.

Tried a pair of Blue Grass Bob Cat Knee pads but the sizing seems very odd. They were tight enough round the thigh and calf without having to do up the velcro but the knee cap was huge and bunched up funny. Sent them back.

Expecting delivery of some 661 Rage Knee Guards 2013 tomorrow that were in the CRC private sale.

If they are no good I’m going to try the Nukeproof Critical Knee Armour.

g-forms are by far the comfiest I’ve used, they use a lycra sleeve to stay in place. Other pads that I’ve tried that rely on straps (like 661 evo’s) always seemed a compromise between comfort and getting them tight enough to stay in place.

OP I’ve never worn knee pads then two years ago (after experimenting with oil in my forks) I had a fall and cracked the edge of my Patella

Which swelled up, then went down and healed VERY quickly. The MRI was an age away so we were just waiting for the damage to tell. It didn’t. Lucky.

After that I bought and have always worn Kyle Straits. Those are the only pads I’ll wear. You can walk to work, the toilet. Anywhere with a busted arm.

I killed a pair of G-Forms in less than six months. I liked them, but… Well, y’know.

Just got a pair of Bobcats, and undecided as yet. They fit quite well, but they sit really oddly when your leg is straight. But that means they fit REALLY well when your leg is bent, which I guess is what happens when you crash.

Had Kyle Straits for ages, until they finally gave up the ghost. Ace pads.

Given the icy conditions last night, and the unlikely prospect of remaining upright, I dug my 661 Veggie knee pads out. I’d forgot I’d got them on by the top of the first climb. Very comfy and unobtrusive

Cycling Weekly(!) are selling Kyle Strait 661,s for £20, all sizes…

I find Kyles come up ‘bigger’ than you think. I could have done with a size down.

Agree with Hora on that totally. I’m a medium in Straits, recently I have tried:

G-Form – XL is just big enough
RaceFace Dig – L is too small
RaceFace Ambush – M is too small
Bluegrass Bobcat – L *just* big enough.

Kyle straights for me , but thinking back not worn them for over a year, must be due a big off soon to remind me 😀

Dammit Pegglet, if I’d seen that a few days ago I’d have saved myself £30 on the Bobcats and got those!

I tend to wear Troy Lee Shock Doctor KG 5400’s when on the trail as I have also discovered I don’t bounce too well.

Pegglet: linky please 🙂

Yeah just checked cycling weekly and I can’t spot them.

hora/flying monkey: I don’t suppose you could measure your thigh/calf sizes for me? I’m a 20″ thigh/162 calf so, according to the sizing, would need a L but if they ‘come up bigger’ I’m wondering if I need a M.
Cheers
Steve

About 21″ thigh and 17″ calf, but that’s measured with trousers on using a tape measure so could well be a little bit out.

Assuming the sizing is the same I’d recommend a medium (mine’re a few years old now). I tried some larges though, and found them too big – the mediums are snug, I could almost wear them without the velcro, but they feel best like that to me.

You guys suck at searching 😉

http://cyclingweekly.ipcshop.co.uk/shop/search-results?SearchTerm=661&SiteCategoryId=0

Thanks mate, I did find it but got too carried away trying to find the sizing to post the link…;-)

Knee pad sizing is weird, if you can’t try on I’d recommend buying from somewhere that does free returns. Thank you CRC for letting me try three different pairs before deciding!

Another vote for Kyle Straights . Been using mine on new XC rides and paired with a set of Fox shin guards for DH for 4 years,the foam padding at the sides is a bit torn up after (err) one or two offs an catching them on pedal pins on DH pushups. I’ll definitely be getting another pair when they’re past it.

+1 for Troy Lee Shock Doctor KG 5400’s
I had a couple of small off’s towards the end of last year and knocked my knee each time, then had a large off where my knee had an argument with my exposure ali light bracket…..ending up with hole in knee and snapped bracket,.

No wear knee pads all the time. The KG5400’s are great. I dont even notice I am wearing them.

another one for the troy lee kg5400’s.
never worn anything else so can’t compare but they are comfy and fit well.

Love my Fox Launch Pros. Very comfy, not too bulky, a bit more subtle than some if the other designs & if they’re good enough for Danny Hart & Cam Zink, they’re good enough for me 😉

I wear Nuke Proof Critical knee pads all the time. Well all the time on the bike. Really comfortable, secure fitting, get machine washed pretty much every week after riding and still look bang on. 🙂

Troy Lee Shock Doctor KG 5400

Yes, check these out. Much less bulky than most of the other pads mentioned and very comfy.

I wear mine on most MTB rides now.

Thanks for the link – was on my phone so a bit trickier. Can’t go wrong with Kyle Straits for £20 IMO. I have some already which are fairly worn now but no complaints really as they’ve had a lot of use.

661 rage for me, very comfortable and saved my knees in a big off.
Picked up some riot shin guards in the crc private sale for when the going gets tough 🙂

At that price I’m going to grab a set of Kyle Straits as a spare, thanks for the heads up Pegglet.

£20 for kyle straits is fab, going to order another set myself.

Yep thanks for the tip – ordered a new pair of the Kyle Straits 🙂

pegglet – Member
Cycling Weekly(!) are selling Kyle Strait 661,s for £20, all sizes…

POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Thanks for heads up. Just ordered a pair of small. I had Kyle Straits before. Loved them, but after a while the mediums i had stretched and became too big, couldnt tighten the velcro enough. So the smalls should be fine. Cant go wrong for £20

I do have some secondhand Kyle Staits and, at this price, tempted to get another pair…however my mediums are about tight enough on the calf but they have gone a bit ‘wizard sleeve’ on the thigh

Widge34 – Any idea what your calf and thigh measuremnet are?

Calf is 14.5 inches
Thigh is 18.5 inches

Now according to 661 this would put me in the medium fit, and to be fare they did fit when i first had them, but after a couple of rides they started to loosen. I have some Nukeproofs at the moment and they are doing the same. So i guess that this design of knee pad i need to go a size down.

Cheers widge. Based on where the openings are on my medium pair, I’m 14.5″ and 17″ so reckon a small would be best.