Lightweight recommendations for trail / xc…..?

Wore some 661 Kyle Straits this weekend inc 6 hours at Brechfa they rubbed above & below the knee, think they are going in the bin.

There are some gel ones which harden on impact. I’ll be trying them next. Sorry can’t remember who makes them 🙄

Kyle Straits here… Decent overall protection (good side protection, soft cap but a fair amount of dense foam so still offers decent kneecap protection) and all-day comfort if they fit right.

New evo661 ave 1 strap… My old 661s had 2 staps… Surely they will slip…?

Endura mt500’s, not a hardshell knee pad but they’ve saved me a few times and they stay comfy on long rides.

661 veggies. 2 straps.

There are some gel ones which harden on impact. I’ll be trying them next. Sorry can’t remember who makes them

661 Evo fit the bill – pretty comfy (although I’ve not tried anything else to be fair) and they might not be the most protective but they did their job the one time I’ve needed them so far.

I’m happy with my Kyle Straits for all day riding.

just got to make sure you get the right size

Raceface Ambush D30 numbers, prefer them to the Kyle Straits and Dainese x4’s I’ve owned.

Have a look at Forcefield body armour.

Oneal sinner with sastec (the d30 equivalent), really comfy for me. STW did a pad test last year which showed the d30 661 stuff to be pretty much useless after a few impacts.

Kyle Straits, proper size, comfy enough for all day.

I have no issues with my Kyle Straits either. Wore then for 7 hours the other week and had no probs, I just forget that I’m wearing them! Some of the foam in some of the side padding is starting to pop out now but i do also ride DH with them and fall off a bit when i do!

I think that finding a pad that fits right for you is fairly key for pads.

I’ve always wondered how D30 works on sharp flint…

Kyle Straits here, which I love. Heard good things about the new Fox. Tried on some Troy Lee Bones, but didn’t get on with them.

Again, Kyle Straits here.

Comfortable for all day with enough protection for XC/Trail riding and even rad core too 😀

One thing I’ve noticed that may well also affect you TLR, the pads on the inside of the knee occasionally rub on the top-tube pivot bearing caps on my Nicolai – but I may just be a bit gimpy 😳

Nukeproof hardshell. Once on though you don’t notice you are wearing them at all, with great padding in all the right places.

Definitely go a size smaller than you expect as the size very large.

Currently riding with Kyle Straits, find them very comfy even for long rides, the only time i have had a problem was on a very wet day when them and myself got soaked through and they began to rub.

If i was buying now i’d be having a good look at the g-form pads as well as trying on some kyle straits and evos.

here is a review for the g-form ones if you are not familier with them

http://www.cyclistno1.co.uk/gear/protection/leg-guards/g-form-knee-and-elbow-pads.htm

Another vote for the Kyle Strait pads here….no issues with long rides and they have stood up to a few crashes on the big bike.

anyone got the 661 rage?

Race face dig. Cheap and work, there probably is better but I think they look pretty cool.

661 evos, only crashed hard twice but seemed to work okay, do slightly worry about the D3O-flint interface mentioned above but they seem pretty good overall and very comfy for long days on the bike.

As for long term degradation of the D3O i’m unsure – partly because any padding is going to lose value after repeated impact/compression but mainly because the non-newtonian stuff is appearing in more and more sports kit (boxing gloves, focus pads, body armour for other sports) where it will take routine multiple impacts and I haven’t seen much on long term failure. Interested in any research anyone turns up as I’m trusting my knees to it.

Have G-form knee and elbow and they certainly meet the lightweight and comfortable requirement. Haven’t landed heavily on them yet. They basically serve the purpose of thin arm or leg warmers as well although still a lot less sweaty than heavier weight pads.

Also use race face Dig knees and find them very comfortably. They also make a decent XL for the large kneed amongst us. D3O ones didn’t work for me, tended to twist with movement and then do their going hard trick and dig in.

Another Raceface dig here. Wore them and the kyle straights. I find the dig more comfortable and cooler and slip less, plus they were like £15 on sale.

I find my Kyle Straits quite comfortable but they’re way too big for me now and slip down a lot. They are quite bulky though and I’m planning on something slimmer next time. Thikning of some shadow conspiracy slim bmx pads, either that or going full hard shell with shins.

I’ve got IXS hack knees and elbows (not had them long, end of line CRC bargain). They work well but are a bit rubby on longer rides. If it’s more than 3 hrs I wear short bits of tubigrip stretch bandage under them for my delicate, silky soft back-of-the-knee area which also supports the ol’ knees.

A friend has the 661 rage knees, he finds them a bit bulky but not rubby as there’s a good gap on the back. They’re padded on the sides as well as front.

My Kyle Straits are falling apart and have started rubbing pretty badly on the kneecap, currently looking at the G-Form pads.

Fox launch Pro’s here. Dead comfy.

scott grenade pads here. same as kyle striats but with a hard shell cap instead o the soft one in the straits = winner

O’Neal Sinner here, SaaSTec jobbies. Comfy and work well – my knees are loving them! 🙂

Fox Launch pro – good price, good protection & have worn them all day with no problems

Kyle Straits here. Don’t think about them once they are on.

+1 G-Form. Fit and forget, all day long.

Most compelling is that there really is no downside in terms of comfort, so I wear them every time I go out, when maybe I might not bother with anything even slightly bulkier (which obviously is when you come off). Consequently so far (2 months) they’re the ultimate protection in that I’ve not had to put them to the acid test.

Fox Launch Pro. I’ve got knee pads, and they are ace. Got elbox pads too, ace.

I bought some 661 long arm pads but found them too large and sweaty and I ended up not wearing them, bought fox launch pro elbow pads there too and truly I don’t get bothered by them.

The only niggle on one of my knee pads is that after 4 hours riding it grinds slightly on the middle of my knee cap at the front, don’t know if I’ve managed to bash them slightly or something or if the knee slightly swells up after longer rides like that. Apart from that, ace, don’t get bothered by them.

Another vote for Fox Launch Pro’s here.
Sizing is good, but wouldn’t suit someone with HUGE legs!

G-form, nice and light, and you don’t notice them once you get going.

plus 1 for Fox launch pro…….comfortable and stay put. Nuff said.

Kyle straits. Spent 2 solid weeks in them in Whistler last summer. No rubbing and stayed in place during crashes.
Tried POCs but they didn’t fit me although their elbows did. Very comfy if the sizings right.

661 d30 Evos here – light and comfy.

In reality, most of my crashes have relied on the side padding/protection, rather than a ‘straight down on the knee cap’ type crash. So in that sense, the foam padding rather than the fancy d30 stuff has been helpful!

DrP

Just got the new POC VPD 2.0 long knee pads. Very comfortable, and they stay in place better than any pad I’ve tried before.

F*&%ing trail stormtroopers… MTFU and take the consequences of your sh!te riding skills… maybe you’ll learn that riding smarter is actually the way to riding better!

Oh 😉