Have always shyed away from armour. always looked like a hinderance. But the older I get the less unbreakable I feel and so for this years trip to the alps I'm thinking of investing in said equipment.
Seeing as how It'll be mostly xc (all mountain) rather than full-on downhill I'd like something I can pedal-in or remove easily.
I'm actually hoping this will inspire me in more tech/rocky situations re:la varda/sketchy dismount (Les Arcs)

Suggestions please.
or mtfu

I just got a new set of 661 kit for this summer. Race knee/shin pads and Evo elbow pads (with the funky D30 stuff). Really pleased with it, much better than my old kit – main reason being that it all stays in place!

Hi faint,

I know what you mean and I am certainly of that age that no longer bounces. I use 661 race lite knee and shin guards. I have the elbow & forearm guards but tend not to wear them round the Stanes. I have got a brand X body suit for when I head to Morzine later in the year.

I find the leg armour good and it has plenty of scars on it from various offs. Some carry it up I put it on in the car park and it stays on till I am back.

very impressed with my POC knee pads – flexible for the xc mincefest I call riding, certainly, but also protection when I fall off.

i like kyle straight (knees) and veggie shins for the bottom half.

can definitely pedal in them – if a bit warm

stevomcd – do you mean the 661 race pro (black & blue) knee/shin that you've just got?
Pleased you are happy with them as I've just got some of these to replace the 661 race lites which I could never get to stay in place, meaning they were never actually knee pads. Whacked my knee really badly on 2nd day of a week in Spain and suffered for the rest of the week so decided they needed to be replaced before this years jaunt.

The Race Pro's definitely stay put better in my highly scientific faux-pedal & jump around the house performed yesterday. I had one of those on & a Race lite for comparison, and the race lite began it's slide south almost immediately.
I think the Race Pro is gonna be quite hot, but am willing to put up with that.

Elbow pads are so Fox ones that I barely notice once they are on, but do a decent job & stay put.

Don't rate the 661 EVO pads…my wife has the knee pads and other than the areas of D30 there isn't actually much padding. She managed to hit her knee right where there was no padding on last years trip. My Kyle Strait pads have alot more padding in comparison but they don't fit me so well now that i have such fantastically muscular legs 😉

For elbows/forearms we use Race Face (don't really see the point of soft elbow pads) and this year i'll be trying the Race Face knee/shin i think, reckon my wife will as well.

POC are great. 2010's have more padding round the side of the knees and sizing for proper legs.

pricey though.

ooohh
plenty of recommendations, thanks
best do a tour of the shops and try some on.
thanks for the replies

stevomcd – do you mean the 661 race pro (black & blue) knee/shin that you've just got?

Mine are the Race (not pro!), the model in between the Comp and the Race Pro. They're black and white.

I was in the same position recently, and had a look at some of the soft pads, but thought in the end if you're going to wear pads, might as well get proper ones! But most of the hard ones (leg anyway) seemed too bulky. In the end went for these Troy Lee ones that have a neoprene type support over the knee which you can ride in all day (and'll give you some protection if you stack it on the easy stuff), then you can easily attack the solid stuff over without taking shoes off or anything. Would highly recomment.

stevomcd – Member

stevomcd – do you mean the 661 race pro (black & blue) knee/shin that you've just got?

Mine are the Race (not pro!), the model in between the Comp and the Race Pro. They're black and white.

Oh yeah – what a div….mine are the pro ones (I don't know where I got 'race pro' from….). I looked at the race ones and they were quite a lot bulkier & heavier than the pro; seemed more protection than I needed for the sort of stuff I ride.

Gonna look a bit of an idiot riding with them on at Thetford, but could do with breaking them in a bit – getting some flex in them.

fuse soft bmx pads

ive just bought some rockgarden ones from CRC for £24 quid – very nice and light well comfy too.