Scott Grenade Pro II

The Grenades are big, beefy, no-messing pads offering unashamedly bulky, multilayered protection. But these robust offerings are my choice for technical riding, where crashing hard is a potential outcome. D3O is the impact material of choice, with another layer of dense, spongey rubber between that and your knee. Super-thick areas of this rubber extend all around the knee, giving great coverage. Top and bottom elasticated velcro straps keep the pads bang in place and on-trail faffing is non-existent. Indeed these straps are so effective, they seemingly vacuum-close the pads to the knee – to the extent that removal at the end of a ride can be an effort. You also realise at this point how hot and sweaty your knees are and I did notice some mild chafing on longer rides. But on the whole, I found the Grenades surprisingly comfortable. They’re superbly well made and the toughened, plastic criss-cross outer suggests they can withstand many a major spill. Confidence-inspiring crash protection. Pricey maybe – but cheaper/more favourable than reconstructive patella surgery.