Anyone use knee pads for XC? I never used to but after rupturing my PCL at an enduro event (finsihed the race I have to say ho Arrrr) and numerous skin removals I have decided to go to pads for technical stuff – or is this an age thing? or a wooss thing? 😉

I use them all the time: Not necessarily for pure xc, but I wear them if Im going to do anything technical. I use TLD Lopes and they are amazing for pedalling in.

I sometimes use knee and shin pads. But not very often, and never when I’m “just riding”.

I only started wearing them after doing this to myself…

Now usually wear them for rocky terrain, but was glad I had my soft knee pads on round Epping yesterday as I came off and whacked a root quite hard.

They’ve definitely turned a few tumbles that might have ended a ride into “get up and carry on” ones.

I dont really see the need – the number of times you crash in a ride-ending way is tiny, you could damage all sorts of bits – do you wear wrist braces, arm armour, spine armour etc etc. Just seems like too much faff for me, its usually in the way, flappy or restrictive, personally feel it looks a bit odd (though you look mre odd when holed and bleeding I’ll admit!).

As with helmets, whether it’s worthwhile padding up depends to an extent on what you’re doing and how you manage the risk of it. I tend to ride within my comfort zone in technical bits most of the time. I do not fall hard very much. Schlepping around wearing pads which interfere a lot with the kind of fast pedalling I want to get done feels absurd. I’m at much more risk of a high speed fall on the roadbike, and there is no way I’m going to encumber myself with padding while riding like that.

Shinnies, but cos I ride flats and constantly ****t the pins in to them

I have some full pads and some kyle straits, but I don’t normally use them on normal XC rides, however if I am pissing around, riding somewhere very rocky or on a week long holiday where a smacked knee might not be riding ending but will screw up the rest of the holiday I do find them useful.

I also wear them at when I rarely go to trail centers as then I can play around on the optional lines.

I wear mine all the time, Keeps me warm in winter! and don’t notice them in the summer…

I never crash but the odd times I do I always seem to hurty my knees, so made sense, rode a 90k endro with them on last summer and my knees were the least of my worries. So if you feel you need to wear them do it won’t hinder you at all!

I do tend to wear Knee pads when I’m going somewhere thats rocky of if going for Gnarl-core blasts.

I seem to have a tendancy of landing on my knees anyway.

coffeeking, do you wear gloves, of you do is it to kep your hands warm or another reason such as protection from the elements/branches?

Not in the uphils, but on the downhill bit of riding yes…

I agree, but tend to ride out of my comfort zone on most rides even if its for a short while. Perhaps I am just crap but even my mate who rides with me is thinking of getting some when we do the Kielder Avalanche. I just seem to land on my knees whenever I come off. I never really damagae any other part of my body as I usually roll out but seem to kneel down first :0 DOH.

I don’t for xc stuff but have a set of 661 hyle straits which is use a lot for dh stuff etc. If you’ve got the cash the 661 D30 variants which have no hard shell would be the best bet I could think of.

Knees and hands are usually the first bits of your body to hit the deck. I don’t wear knee protectors, but I have thought about getting some. I’m put off by the fact they would be uncomfortable.

The place where they seem a very good idea indeed would be the Alps (or anywhere else with rocks/loose shale etc). I’ve seen enough people with claret running down their legs after a fall in the Alps to realise that these are nigh on essential.

I had a very minor accident on a slight gravelly incline in the Dordogne last year (accidentally knocked the shifter for my front mech whilst pedalling under load). My whole weight landed on my knee, falling from about 3ft – ouch! I was digging bits of gravel out and there was blood everywhere. So you decide.

I wear them on most rides. I’m a bit of wuss so anything that makes me a little braver helps. Saved me a few times now. They are comfy enough to wear all the time for me.

I wear knee and elbow pads if I know it’s going to be rocky & technical. So most trail centres in Wales & Scotland and definitely had them on at Stainburn this weekend.

To be honest, I am not sure the elbow pads have ever done anything, but I can guarantee the only time I don’t wear them I will split my elbow open! Also the amount of large scuffs on the plastic of my knee pads makes me think that they must be worthwhile.

I’ve got 661 knee/shin pads and Fox elbow pads.

Try the Troy Lee Lopes pads: They are perfect for pedalling in. After a while I forget I’m wearing them. They have a neoprene sleave that you put on before the pad (can be worn on its own) and the pad velcros to this. What this means is that you don’t feel the hard shield at all while riding and the knee is free to flex unheeded.

I use fox knee shin jobbies when riding with flat pedals and I now fancy a pair of 661 evo pads for the xc bike on spuds following a little low speed off where I landed on my knee.

If you get ones that fit right then they will be comfy enough to wear all the time. I wore mine (elbows, knees and shins) all week in France, riding up and down the hills was fine.
I wear them in the UK only if its rocky – Wales I have lost way too much skin and will def not ride without. Surrey Hills / Swinley never wear them. Quantocks it depends who I’m with and what mood I’m in / which bits we are going to ride.
Then again I always scrape elbows and that fleshy bit on the outside of your shin just below your knee, rarely just knees.
I used impact shorts for a while, with hip pads because I had a spate of falls where I’d get my hip bone but they were too much hassle / too hot

just ordered some kyle straits. quite a few guys on our regular night ride wear them. i’ve worn ‘full’ pads in the alps and in spain without worrying about the heat, but never wear them here. i’m hoping i’ll be more inclined to wear the 661s as they’ll be more of a knee-warmer than anything else ( or at least that’s what i’m telling myself! ) with advantages. even full length knee/shin pads are less cumbersome/uncomfortable to wear than a camelbak IMO. you don’t really notice them after a while. probably a hell of a lot less uncomfortable than cracking your knee-cap open…

Depends who I’m riding with and where so how likely I’m going to push myself. My Brand X ones aren’t that comfy, but they stay up OK.

Want to get 661s

Personal choice surely? What if I decide to ride something fairly non-technical at a higher speed than normal, the consequences of a crash might become more serious?

Plsu, they keep your kness warm and mean you can stay out of tights for longer, which can only be good

Wear helmet, gloves and 661 wrist wrap lite on all rides, also put on 661 kyle straits for winter riding and the Downhills in Wales…

I’ve been wearing 661 knee/shinpads for a year now and they don’t hinder my pedalling at all, uphill or downhill. Decided to get them after a nasty tumble and banging my right knee on a rock which then hindered my running for several months.

They don’t make you a better rider, but they do save you from cut’s and brusies. And if you use flats then your shins will thank you.

Again it’s a personal choice, it doesn’t make you any less of a ‘real’ rider IMHO.

one bad knee accident and you will wear them I have some Race face full length knee and shin and not noticable when on pedalling etc…Dont wear them for local ride though unless icy

Veggie knee and shins for me every ride on my flat pedal bike. Soft enough to ride all day in but enough protection to fall on them reasonably hard and bounce off stuff.

But never ride my spd equipped bike with them. Suppose i should really for consistency.

I have had quite a bad knee accident, I couldn’t bend the stupid thing for a week and it creaks to this day. I was commuting when it happened.

🙂

I use Fox Radius neoprene pads for local XC stuff and 661 Race for Stainburn and trail centre duties.
The first day that I declined to wear them was the day that I came off and ended up with debriment surgery on my left knee. That was enough of a message to me to wear them all the time.
I also use 661 2×4 on my arms. They have been quite handy and have definitely prevented injury glancing off the odd tree trunk here and there.
I agree with the “where do you draw the line” as to how much armour to use though. A nasty blow with my shoulder on a tree trunk hasn’t made me protect my shoulders too. I am happy with gloves, helmet, knee and forearm – to me these are the regular impact zones and anything else is just unfortunate.

I take mine, strapped on my camelbak, on rides that I know have particularly techy descents. I put them on at the start of the descending section. I find that a bang on the knee or shin is more painful than many other parts of the body because the bone is so near the surface. I’ve also worn them in the winter throughout a ride just for a bit of extra warmth.

Day to day I don’t wear them…. mainly because they look crap with a skirt.

When I fall off and smash my knee up, I then start wearing my 661 veggie knee pads. Then over time I forget the pain/inconvenience and just wear them on rides where I expect it to be nasty/risky. Then a bit more time passes, I’ve not fallen off in ages, so I stop wearing them. Then I fall off, smash my knee up and start wearing them again – repeat to fade.

They also keep your knees warmer in the winter. And it’s just nice having numbers on my knees. It makes me feel more organised.

I wear Dainese knee/shin guards on all rides, mainly because I have bad knees, and a nasty habit of always bashing my knees in a crash.

Don’t even notice them now, mine are starting to look a little old and shabby now though, and quite like the look of the 661 evo’s as replacements

I have some 661 veggie knee pads. I find they pinch just behind my knees. On long rides this becomes very irratating, I stopped wearing them as a consequence. After going over my handlebars this weekend at Coed Y Brenin I might replace them.

Are the Kyle Strait ones more comfortable or do people find they rub?

I wear them after a knee injury a year or so ago, I now get paranoid of knee injuries unless they’re wrapped up. Gives me more confidence as well. Get a pair of 661 Kyle Straights, they’re on offer at CRC at the mo as well. They’re comfortable enough to wear on longer rides, and they stop you detroying your knees on rocks.

knee and elbow, always . dont listen to people who say na dont bother , its yor bod ,can you aford to be off work with a 4 inch chainring gash to yer knee ???? its just being sensible imo.

I’ve recently got a pair of 661 3do knee pads which are great. you can pedal all day in them.

I’ve worn mine on and off since cutting my shin/knee down to the bone on my chainring. I could do with replacing them as they are old “Hard Knox” thick neoprene things that are far from breathable!

Anyone recommend some good knee/shin pads and also some elbow pads?

I use mine all the time now. With a slightly dodgy knee they seem to give a bit of added support and then happen to act as pads if I come off.

I wear my Kyle Straits loads.

It’s not where you ride it’s how you ride, and when I’m really letting it go I want something between the vulnerable bits of me and the ground when I hit it, and I will eventually.

If you don’t fall off you’re not trying hard enough.

DH track – always.

everywhere else – never.

If I’m hooning about on the VT definitely, ’cause I tend to leave the sensible part of my brain in the boot of the motor when ‘it’ comes out to play :op