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Because ending a ride caked in blood, sweat and mud looks way harder than poncing around in shin pads?
I've got Kyle Strait knee pads but only wear them mucking about on DH runs.
I've also got some 661 knee and shin pad things that I used to wear on the big bike in Wharncliffe etc, but hate them to be honest. I haven't worn them in ages, but looking at the state of them they've saved my shins a fair bit. They're gouged to buggery.
Never wear pads for long rides and have a fair few scars to show for it.
Always wear shin pads for the down hill part. Lots of sharp rocks where I ride tho so its easy to crack a shin on some thing, even trail side rocks can be a problem. Also since riding is my work its insurance. My last set were pretty badly gouged after a big slide at el chorro.
Never had anyone turn down my offer of borrowing pads. Not after the first day anyway.
I only really wear my knee/shin combo for dh and jumpy stuff. As I don't have [i]just [/i]knee pads and my shins are battle hardened veterans, i don't wear pads for any other riding as the chances of coming off are less and i kinda like having a few scabs here and there. Reminds me i've been out on the bike, and then there's the picking 8)
I wear both knee/shin and forearm/elbow pads when I got into mtbing a few years ago and don't even notice them anymore. The forearm pad has broken several falls and saved a couple of jackets from being shredded. Shin pads are probably overkill with spuds, but now I wear them I don't want sods law to reign if I swap them for knee pads :?...but they are not a bad option if you go munro bagging with sanny!
I never found a Knee/shin combo type pad that actually stayed up and protected my sodding knees, and seeing as I'd rate knee protection as marginally more important I opted for knee pads rather than knee/shin pads... simple really.
I suppose you could use separate shin pads but why bother, TBH if you are regularly bolloxing your shins you either need to look at better shoes/pedals or a skills course rather than new pads...
Also riding more on SPDs now so shin strikes are much less of an issue also.
People do xc rides?
aren't they long boring rides with no corners?
Well I never