[Closed] Anybody use knee pads when ridding XC?

try the POC vpd knee.

we sell lots of them and i use them myself.

ace.

661 are ideal

The 661 Kyle Straits are pretty fantastic, all-day comfy, not drastically hot and they stay where you put them. POC make lovely kit too but I can't recommend the Kyle Straits too highly myself. not quite fit-and-forget but not far off.

i have the kyle strait slim ones and they're not bad? best of a bad bunch. i only say that becasuse whatever you get restrict your movement and make you get too hot, its a compromise you have have to accept i'm affraid. i bought some and couldn't put up with it, went back old skool ha ha

Testing some IXS ones at the moment. With "Squeezebox" technology. Seems to pump air around 'em as you pedal. Knee/Shin - fine even in current weather with extended climbing.

I use Kyle Straights on rockier trails - I usualy put them on at the first dh section but then they stay on. They don't affect pedalling at all and I never notice them except on 3hr+ rides when its hot when sweaty legs can cause chaffing. They have definally saved me from some serious kneed damage twice so well worth it despite the MTFU idiot comments

idiot comments? eh? casting an opinion through usage is now classified as idiot comments? all right mate

No...thank you, the only knee pads I have used were when I rode BMX and they were really restrictive. Whilst I understand there may be slight advese effects i.e chaffing, sweating, extra weight I'm willing to put up to avoid busting my kness up to seriously!

The POC vpd's look good but think I'll save my self £20 and go for the 661's, not sure about the sizing so will pop to my local shop next week

🙂

If you need to wear pads for the riding you do its not XC.

Probably more freeride lite or jeycore.

Dont go for 661 veggies, those things cause some serious chaffage behind the knee, i'm just about to order some kyle straits, found some d30's cheap on ebay but missed em, d'oh

I use Kyle Straights. I feel a bit of a fraud as I am a bit of a pussy and dont ride big stuff, but am clumsy as hell so they have saved my knees loads of times.

I always see loads of guys at Dalby riding the red route with knee pads on. What the hell?? It's not really that hard core is it?

How often do you actually come a cropper and hit yer knees? (i.e. do you really need them?).

Steve-Austin - I hear you...I've never been on for categorising genres of riding but when I'm out on the hills all day I kinda call it XC but when I get to the top of a big hill and ride down as fast as i can eating up the roots, drops & ruts I'm still out on my XC ride.

Lets call it agressive XC!?

guitarmanjon - How many falls oes it take to smash you knees up?

How many falls oes it take to smash you knees up?

What I meant was did you really give them a good bashing when you came off or was it a cut/gouge that'll heal in a week or so?

I flew flew through the air like superman, going down hill very fast, landed on them just above the knee cap kind of landing on my tum/cheast too banging my head at the front (grazed my face). Banged then pretty bad but was able to continue on my journey.

Think i'm lucky feel if I landed square on my knee caps would have been an air ambulance job!

i should wear a gum shield, knocked two teeth out recently, seperate rides. but where would the fun be if we were all wrapped up in cotton wool etc etc

Markd who do you work for and have you got the VPDs in large?

Hiya
My shop is www.thebikechain.co.uk

we have them in stock indeedy.

At the end of the day one silly fall can hurt a lot, keep you off the bike when you'd rather be riding, or spoil a ride- it doesn't take much to hurt a knee, side knocks from the tube or the ground or going gently over the bars and clipping your knee on the shifters or bars can stop you dead and leave you limping. And modern pads aren't hard to live with. Even if mine never stop a serious injury, which is probably the case, they've earned their keep just from keeping me riding.

And it's the silly rides when you fall and hurt yourself, I broke my hip after I slipped and fell on ice in my own driveway 👿 And the worst I've hurt myself on a mountain bike was on a totally straightforward bit of trail, just from inattention.

(I never have to worry about MTFUing, since I'm riding with a leg held on with bolts, and osteoperosis (brittle bones). so I'm officially teh hardcore even mincing around a simple XC route in all my pads 😉 )

i came off at degla pretty bad months ago, knees still scarred up so i always ride with kyle straits now and never feel em or bother me only, like a few guys have said, when its really hot out n they start to get sweaty under there, when u take em off or move em they get sore.

Northwind - you make a valid point and I'm singing off the same hm sheet as you - i'm not a softy and will put up with as much chaffing as is required to avoid me being off the steed!

From the comments I feel confident that the 661 kyle's will be just the job.

Northwind - Member

I broke my hip after I slipped and fell on ice in my own driveway

So - how much body protection do you wear when out walking in the winter?

Wear whatever the **** you want - everyone else can just **** off. They're your knees.

i find myself agreeing with smee... after breaking myself once i really dont care what others feel.

its your body - you are the boss!

Took the words right out of my mouth Smee

It wasn't a case of what others thought more a case of practicality...after reading peoples comments the moden day pads seem perfectly suited.

Druidh "So - how much body protection do you wear when out walking in the winter?"

I wore a hip protector for the first winter after my break, and occasionally since then... But I guess the question you're actually asking is "Why wear armour biking when you don't wear it walking", and the answer is that I fall a bit more often biking.

I have some TSG Nosedive pads, a bit like 661 Tomcats, but possibly better from what I've heard. I don't use them much but they're quite comfy to ride in. Quite protective & you can use them all day.

Some here:

[url= http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/MTB-Bitz_Riding-Apparel_W0QQ_fsubZ6QQ_sidZ124359186QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14?_pgn=3 ]MTB Bitz[/url] on ebay.

How about investing some money and time into your bike skills.

Northwind - Member

> Druidh "So - how much body protection do you wear when out
> walking in the winter?"

I wore a hip protector for the first winter after my break, and occasionally since then... But I guess the question you're actually asking is "Why wear armour biking when you don't wear it walking", and the answer is that I fall a bit more often biking.

Which is what I think Steve-Austin was getting at away back there ^

I guess it all comes down to how we each categorise our riding.

Ambient jeycore lite riding mainly here - no protection needed ( well sunnies - got to look cool 🙂 )

Good one Smee!

I tend to go without, then hurt mesself and wear them for a bit, then stop wearing - in cycles

Kyles are quite wearable for XC if it's cool out. Bit sweaty when it's hot.

I don't categorise things including riding, I just do it or don't do it depending on mood

Great idea Stretch, then you can be going faster when you crash....

Having just bought pads for the Alps, I'm considering wearing them here for a few rides as I want to get used to them. Managed to put two small holes in my elbow on Monday, meaning I couldn't ride all week. Had I been wearing them I'd have been fine. Simple crash through loss of concentration, no skills training is going to give me a brain that works properly.

Steve-Austin - Member

If you need to wear pads for the riding you do its not XC.

Probably more freeride lite or jeycore.

😆 You can fall off riding XC! Depends how fast & tech you ride.

depends what your definition of XC is but as mentioned above, they are your knees, go for it.

I understand that Kyle Straits are the current weapon of choice

I bought some nice 661 pads with the d30 stuff in- really smart looking but I had a craah and scuffed them up good.
I don't really know what to do.....I think I need to give up riding, it's just too risky when I'm wearing all this expensive protective gear

very good.
make your own choices and wear whatever protection you think is necessary. some commentators on this thread don't even rate helmets 🙄
FWIW i've started using kyle straits this year. i'm going a bit quicker than i was, and i've landed badly a couple of times. it's nice being able to walk into work on a monday, and still be able to pay the mortgage and all that, even though i don't have that physical a job i value being able to walk. i also use hard-shell elbow/arms on some riding i do, which i wouldn't describe as particularly 'gnar'.
i'm happy wearing the knees for in excess of 5 hours, even in the current warm weather ( at least in devon 😉 ). bit of sudocream if they rub ( really does work wonders ).
anyone who thinks i'm jey for doing so can kiss my shiny white a55.

There's that word again....

Sensible post - once again it all comes down to risk assessment. If you think the risks are high enough or the consequences are bad enough that wearing armour is sensible then do so.

Riding the tandem at Glentress we are getting faster and faster and jumping more - it has now reached the point where we either slow down or armour up. I can't be arsed with armour so we have slowed down a bit - keeps the safety margins high and lowers the risk.

Mrs TJ is going for skills training - it appears flats are a good idea - she ain't used to them so will be wearing shinpads

Remember risk compensation as well - feel less vulnerable = take more risks.

Druidh said, "Which is what I think Steve-Austin was getting at away back there ^

I guess it all comes down to how we each categorise our riding. "

TBH I've got no idea what he was saying, possibly that it's impossible to fall off riding XC, which makes no sense. Unless his idea of XC is very tame, I suppose, but it doesn't sound like a definition most folks would recognise.

Ive got the Evo XC Lite (thats sounds ****ing terrible) but they are really good - I only really wear them when the ground starts getting rocky.

I bought the Kyle Straits this xmas, both knee and elbow. Now i always wear the knee pads but will save the elbow pads for the alps or if i ever get round to an uplift day.

My reasoning is simple, once broken in they comfortable enough for me to forget they are there and i'm enough of my own man to not care what people think.

For the record, i'm an all round trail rider, who will ride most techy stuff and probably only fall off once or twice a year because i have taken the time to learn slowly and at the age of 38 have been on some form of two wheels for 34 years.

How do you know when you will next have a crash or even knock your knees on your bars..

Don't be a sheep!

I agree with Snee, (like it)

Others may think you are over dressed with pads and all but they will look decidedly under dressed if they come off.

I am also sure this debate rages on motorcycle forums re proper leathers etc or jeans and trainies brigade.

Proper motorcyclists wear leathers, boots etc all the time on their bikes, divvies don't and wear jeans, trainies and a top.

I know I'd prefer leather for brakes than my skin when skidding across tarmac.