Do I need Knee pads?

So I’ve never had them before and haven’t had the kind of wipeout where I think I would – but a lot of riders seem to have them on the trails I’m on?

Basically I ride the red routes/black sections at Trail centres and have been taking on more and more ‘All Mountain’ routes – Helvellyn, Snowdon, Bothy finding in Scotland etc.

What are peoples opinions?

Been looking at the Nukeproof Enduro knee pads – http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-critical-enduro-knee-sleeve/rp-prod132015 – any good or would you recommend something else?

The way I see it is they’re no bother to wear, and knees are pretty much in the firing line, and they’re delicate components… So I wear them pretty much all the time when I’m riding. It’s not just about big injuries, if it stops a bit of pain or spoiled rides or hassle then it’s well worth it.

As for what to wear, I like my 661 Kyle Straits and Rages but there’s loads out there now. Fit’s most important, like helmets. There’s a trend for minimal ones now but IMO that’s basically stupid unless you want to wear them under trousers- they’re not less restrictive or less warm, they’re just less effective. Side protection’s just as useful as front.

I wear them on rocky descents, I’ve experienced the excruciating pain of hitting a knee cap hard on immovable rock and it isn’t pleasant.
But only on the descents, I don’t bother on climbs as I find they impede my movement.

Northwind – Member

The way I see it is they’re no bother to wear, and knees are pretty much in the firing line, and they’re delicate components… So I wear them pretty much all the time when I’m riding. It’s not just about big injuries, if it stops a bit of pain or spoiled rides or hassle then it’s well worth it.

This basically. Doesn’t taken much to split a knee open and ruin a ride

I have some and I rarely wear them. I’m sure I’ll probably come to regret it one day but putting them on rarely crosses my mind unless I know I’m heading to the DH tracks.

Then I go to the DH tracks anyway…

badnewz – do you actually stop to take them off? and do you have a dropper post?

I wear them all the time (proper mtbing not family bimbles), but i have crashed and bettered my knees a couple of times.

Oh yes, as above.

I’ve had some belters on my knee caps, last year I had what can only be described as a jam tart on my knee cap.
It kept cracking, bleeding, sticking to my inside trouser leg. I ended up wearing shorts and dryed it out eventually healing up. My knee pads were in the car.

Oh how I regretted not wearing those.

Riding those routes without knee pads would be a definite no for me.

I have hurt my knee, luckily not badly but it is very easily done.

badnewz – do you actually stop to take them off? and do you have a dropper post?

Yes, I stop to take them off. I don’t have a dropper post. This is mainly when I’m actually going up and then down a mountain. So 4 hours of climbing and half an hour of descending type of thing.

Most of my riding is just around Hertfordshire, which doesn’t have any descents so I don’t wear them round here, only when at trail centres or the Alps or Spain.

After numerous falls in the last 12 months resulting in grazed and bruise knees, and with the begrudging acknowledgement that I’m not invincible, I got some recently. They’re actually quite comfy. Obviously though they are now very uncool.

Got some (and elbow pads) to go to the Alps this summer, not worn them since. Even out in the Alps I’d only wear them for the downhill bits, it’s not that they are uncomfortable but I don’t like the feeling when climbing or riding on the flat. They are easy to put on/take off BTW.

Rarely go to trail centres so they aren’t much use for the majority of my riding. Even then I’d be more likely to wear the elbow pads than the knee pads. I don’t crash that often and when I do it’s usually the arms that take the hits.

for those who wear bibs and knee pads, do they (knee pads) slip down if pads on top ? About to don my bib 3/4’s next few days as it get a bit colder….

for those who wear bibs and knee pads, do they (knee pads) slip down if pads on top ? About to don my bib 3/4’s next few days as it get a bit colder….

I’ve always found they slip around abit regardless. You do notice yourself taking your hands off the bars a lot more than usual, as your adjusting them a lot. I don’t like them too tight as hate the thought of enclosing my patella.

Yes, I stop to take them off. I don’t have a dropper post. This is mainly when I’m actually going up and then down a mountain. So 4 hours of climbing and half an hour of descending type of thing.

Most of my riding is just around Hertfordshire, which doesn’t have any descents so I don’t wear them round here, only when at trail centres or the Alps or Spain.

Aah, fair enough, make sense.

Doubt I’d still be walking if I hadn’t been wearing knee pads when I crashed a week or so ago. Even with pads my left knee is still a lurid shade of yellow.

I’ve recently started using the Fox Enduro ones on my rides as I never used to before unless I was on the techy stuff but after having some heavy falls recently its a piece of mind more than anything else.

They are comfortable and don’t even notice your wearing them.

Probably pish in a heavy spill but its a form of protection

helpful info on youtube relating to suitable knee pads. (NSFW but worth listening to as it still creases me up)

wot northwind said.
if they’re slipping around they don’t fit. 🙄

Now I wear Troy Lee 5450’s all the time. This hurt far more than it had any right to. Subsequents “offs” have been negligible since.

I wear mine 100% of the time, whether it’s cruising in the pentlands or sliding down the golfy. I’ve got some IXS flows, a medium level of protection with a mesh back. They don’t bother me when climbing, and I’ve never hurt my knee while wearing them, despite a couple of nasty crashes in the alps that saw the rest of my body fairly battered.

Comfortable, and no battered knees on even silly stationary topples – what’s not to like?

Mine don’t move or impede me when climbing.

I did 23 miles around Ladybower at the weekend and didn’t notice them after the first 5 minutes.

I would shove them in the pack for doing Snowdon etc.

As mentioned above, it’s not just heavy falls that can cause injury. My last ride without knee pads involved a silly slip over in the mud at walking speed. Whatever I landed on scraped a nice flap of skin and flesh out of my knee cap. It wasn’t serious in the grand scheme of injuries, but it’s the inconvenience of having to patch yourself up and hobble around for a couple of days.

I wear kneepads 99% of the time on my MTB too, I hardly notice them when they’re on, but I feel naked without them. For me it’s just not worth the risk of messing my knee up for the little extra hassle, plus they make me look rad to the max obvs.

You don’t ‘need’ knee pads, but they are one of those things that are not too much of an inconvenience (as long as they fit well – try before you buy) and you’ll be glad of them from time to time.

Some years ago I had the misfortune of having a crash on a jump that led to my bike landing chainring first on my knee (which was unpleasant to say the least)and worn pads on any serious off road ride ever since. Last ride out mate had an off, nasty gash with stitches and bad swelling, he’ll be in pads from now on.

As above, most rides I will ride some, whether lightweight RF Indys for some AM/trail stuff or RF Ambush for more DH orientated stuff.
Don’t usually have a problem with them coming lose and the Ambush are good in that you they are are very comfortable for all day riding but you can take them on and off without taking off your shoes.
Better safe than sorry.

I pretty much wear them all the time after having a few bad falls.
I fell off on the climb at Laggan about three weeks ago and bruised my kneecap through my pads, hate to think what the pain would have been like without them.

here is an idea if there are any product managers looking in.

3/4 bibs with built in knee protection. I’d wear them..

I have nothing against people wearing them, but from what people are saying, they are using them to stop grazing and bruising.

Knee damage happens from twisting excessive wear. Knee pads wont help stop that.

‘ve always found they slip around abit regardless. You do notice yourself taking your hands off the bars a lot more than usual, as your adjusting them a lot.

You sound like you need to find a pair that actually fit. I use Fox Launch Pros and Bliss things (don’t buy, if they get wet it takes forever to dry the ****) and both stay put for hour after hour of riding

Didn’t wear pads in the past then spent two Saturday evenings on the trot in two different A and Es, first my OH was riding too fast at Cannock chase and crashed after almost going into the back of me requiring stitches to his right elbow and right knee. Following weekend I come off at lee quarry and need stitches to my chin and left knee. Since then we both wear knee and elbow pads for 99% of mtbing. Iv got some troy lee knee and shin guards in a sale recently for use riding DH tracks but considering using them for red/black trails and natural trails too as they are so comfortable I don’t notice I’m wearing them and I use DMR vault pedals which eat my shins. Will I look daft? Yes, and I’m sure some will take the piss out of me but I do not care.

Knee damage happens from twisting excessive wear. Knee pads wont help stop that.

Nothing is going to stop you twisting your knee though, unless you stop doing sports altogether.

Everyone in this thread says “I didn’t wear pads and I gashed/scraped/bashed/gouged/bruised my knee” – ie. stuff kneepads do stop.

Having never worn them in 25years of mtb, I didn’t think I needed them. Then I put a handlebar into my patella in an otherwise innocuous crash, totally shattering it. 4 1/2 months off work, still can’t ride a bike and there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to again. I wish I’d had some decent knee pads.

Everyone in this thread says “I didn’t wear pads and I gashed/scraped/bashed/gouged/bruised my knee”

Err, I didn’t 🙂

I really haven’t had any knee damage whilst riding, or rather crashing it’s all been upper body and arms. (cue two broken legs on my next ride 🙄 ) In fact my worst injury has been a sprained thumb. Had one proper “off” in the Alps, all the (minor) damage was to arms and chin.

Of course you could say “what if” but then you can say that about anything. For those of you who use knee pads all the time would you consider wearing a helmet and neck protector whilst driving a car? Statistically just as useful, if not more so, as wearing a helmet whilst cycling on the roads.

I’d get some some elbow pads too.

I use fox endure for my joints. Don’t notice you are wearing them and they stay put for 30 mile rides.

I discussed this whilst on a skills course with Jedi.

The epiphany was when it dawned on me that if people with his skill level can take a tumble riding in the Peaks then anyone can.

So I bought knee and elbow pads and always wear them in the Peaks.

I don’t wear them at Sherwood or Swinley as they are different ‘rides’ to the Peak. What I mean by this is The Peak is ‘get to the top, chat with your mates and then ride down as fast you can…repeat’. Swinley and Sherwood are keep going with no stopping rides – less bothered about ‘fast as you can in short sections’ and more about do as much as possible ‘paced’ in a couple of hours.

I find even the most minimalist knee pads too tight, hot and restrictive.

Forgot to put my elbow pads on once, broke my elbow on local trails. Always now wear elbow pads, mid weight Troy Lee 5500 if I’m pedalling, heavier duty ones if I’m uplifting. If it’s rocky I more often than not wear knee pads and don’t notice they are there. They only slip if they don’t fit.

In the photo I posted just I had two broken elbows.

I nearly always wear them, the last time I didn’t I had a silly off and cut my knee deeply, which was really annoying as it meant I was unable to swim for two weeks during the summer holidays, grrrr…. 661 Veggie pads for me comfy and tend to stay put.

Spin – Member

I find even the most minimalist knee pads too tight, hot and restrictive.

Minimalist ones tend to be worse for tightness and restriction tbh. Well fitting pads should be roughly as tight and restrictive as a sock.