Lightweight knee pads — Bliss vs Dianese

I have been using Bliss minamilst knee pads for over a year now. They are super light and super comfy but I’m wary that the armour is uber thin. I’ve had 2 crashes with knee impacts – one of which was yesterday morning. Was a 15mph crash hard down onto stoney singletrack. My knee is cut in 3 places and very swollen.

I feel I need a better quality armour but don’t want to forgo heavyor big knee pads — as I primarily am either XC race training on XC racing. So they need to be super comfy and super light – even when sprinting uphill.

The Dianese trail skins look pretty good and I’m sure the armour looks thicker. Has anyone compared the 2 pads or have experience of both – or had hard knee impacts where the Dianese has served them well.

I have the Trail Skins, work well and have saved me from injury a couple of times. I also ride mainly xc so I am more concerned about sharp flints/stones causing damage and the thicker material used seems to do the trick (so far!).
They also have some side protection.
Can’t comment on the Bliss but I did try G-forms and they seemed ok but very lightweight.

I have the troy lee kg5400s and bought some trailskins to try but they seem pretty clumsy compared. Going to send them back.

I have a set of Trail skins and been using them for a year. Easy to ride in all day and great protection. Mine have been put into use several times on hardpack , tree roots and rocks. Knees are OK and pads have stood up well. Good ventilation too, plus they wash fine! I would definitely recommend. There is a great article on pads in the new mag so have a read.

I’m not that fond of Trail Skins. They are indeed comfortable and unobtrusive but ime they’re not very secure. Dainese seem to have addressed this with the Trail Skins 2

It is possible to get protection and comfort without sacrificing weight. I’m not a fan of D30 and suchlike it hangs on to moisture but there are a number of manufacturers who make pedal-friendly knee pads with a floating hardshell – have a look at 7idp, Leatt or maybe 661 Rage

I’ve got the BLISS Minimalists and they’re great. I wear them for most rides really and all winter under trousers. I’ve definitely crashed in them and got no more than a bruise. However I always wear them for rides I think aren’t going to be too extreme. They wash great too.

However, I took my RaceFace Ambush D30s with me for my last ride to a non extreme place I’ve ridden in my Bliss Minimalists many times but since I was going solo and I’ve been fretting about crashing since last summer’s crash that put me out for 2 months+. I’d also noticed that my speed had increased back to what it was again and the dry weather etc so I figured just to be safe I’d take the beefier pads – they’re fine on all day rides though.

What happened? I crashed on my final trail descent on an easy bit of trail I’ve ridden loads of time (I don’t know how) and the Ambush pads snagged on the initial impact and then wherever I finally stopped / landed bruised my knee cap square on and took all the skin off it. I’m guessing without having any pads on the result might have been a lot worse but I wouldn’t have expected any damage at all from the size of the Ambush pads and the amount of D30 on them. Having crashed in them before (on an uplift day) and come away completely unscathed from an impact you’d expect might need A&E treatment I’m a little disappointed that a bit of an XC tumble did so much damage.

Thanks for the Trail Skin 1 and 2 recommends. They do look good. I’m probably going to get a pair since I clearly still can’t ride a bike properly.

I never go out without at least the Minimalists on though. And the RaceFace elbow pads have been superb too. I always wear those as well.

This is a very stw answer but, ime there’s no real benefit to minimal pads- a proper pad with more protection and full coverage is bulkier but not much heavier (basically it’s a bulky cushion rather than a thin dense pad) and though they can be a little warmer the comfort’s otherwise the same (if they fit) and there’s no more restriction… SO if you want more protection probably that just makes more sense?

(they’ve just ruined the 661 Rage but the old model was great, I was totally happy soloing the GT7 in mine or living in them for days… other pads are available)

If the minimal pads stay in place then I see benefit.

Which pads in the 661 Range are good now? Definitely looking to buy some more. I’ve got and tried loads of pads. I hate the Fox Launch Pros that everyone else seems to love – they felt so so comfy in the shop and fit lovely but chafe like hell when I ride in them. I can get one ride out of them if I’m lucky then I have to swap to something else.

I’ve just ordered some raceface indy’s ready for the summer, they look decent, I’ll report back when they arrive.

I bought some Bliss minimalists, and didn’t like them, didn’t seem like much protection.

I’ve got trail skins elbows and they’re decent, had a bit off and landed right on my elbow, broke a rib but my arm was no worse than friction burns, but I can see how the knees wouldn’t work so well, the 2’s look a lot better but are £££££s

Sorry, I wasn’t clear, I meant not much benefit over a normal pad, rather than not much benefit over nothing.

gelert – Member

Which pads in the 661 Range are good now? Definitely looking to buy some more. I’ve got and tried loads of pads. I hate the Fox Launch Pros that everyone else seems to love – they felt so so comfy in the shop and fit lovely but chafe like hell when I ride in them. I can get one ride out of them if I’m lucky then I have to swap to something else.

Yeah, I have the Launch Pros and they chafe the webby bit at the back of my knee really badly, it’s a bummer. But they’re good quality I think, they just don’t fit me right.

I think fit’s probably the most important thing- which is why I’ve been hoovering up last year’s Rage pads every chance I get, I know they work great for me but I think really you’ve got to try them on. A bady fitting minimal pad can chafe too o;course

I’ve got the raceface indy D30s too. They’re okay. I have crashed in them and got slightly bruised and they did rotate a bit. I find their coverage is a bit small really. It doesn’t go around the edges of the knee cap enough – I’ve bashed my knee area on the top tube by accident and it bloody hurt. I had them on my worst crash racing last year though and to all intents and purposes they did their job. I’d decided they were my “racy” pads that day over the Ambush.

I’d wished I’d had the RF Ambush on at the time but I guess it’s a bit of luck how you land whether they snag them or not.

I’ll keep a look out for the 661 Rage and probably pick up some Dianese Trail Skin 2 if I can work out the sizing. What’s the cost of a knee op?

I was wearing my Scott jacket while racing but I didn’t land on my elbows or shoulders that time… like I did this weekend when I wasn’t wearing it!!

That time last summer racing it was all hands and forearms. I snapped a tendon in my thumb :( Bloody terrible injury that was. So small yet so long off the bike.

Riding bikes is just too much fun. Even the easiest trail can bite back though and gravity always wins.

You make a decision as you go out what level of protection gear to wear based on what kind of riding you’re doing and hope that it’s enough if the worst happens. Usually nothing happens and the gear gives you confidence. Eventually you do crash and hopefully your choice of gear that day was good. :)

I’ve got the trail skins and I would use them over the bliss. The trail skins 2 lack the side padding at the top.

I have the troy lee kg5400s

Me too – they cost me £27 landed from Tweeks last week and really impressed although no fall yet !!!

I have the trailskins. I fell down hard, they worked well, washed up after and didn’t get damaged and are super comfy. No complaints.

Trailskins here too. They don’t feel particularly light weight, in fact rather stiff and bulky before you put them on. However, once you’ve got the on for a while they seem to become much more flexible and barely noticeable, almost as if they warm up to body temp and soften up.

If I’m driving to a spot for riding, they go in the footwell with the heater on, up next to the radiator for a while if heading out from home.

Have saved me from trips to A+E, which is as good a recommend as any I suppose.

Another plus IMO, even though they are the tube type of pad, I can get them on over shoes by turning them back to front first.

Thanks for replies – nice and varied with some good suggestions.

The Leatt Airflex Pro currently has my biggest interest
Leatt Airflex Pro

Mixed reviews on Dianese. I guess I’d try the 2s if I got these.

Luckily knee swelling going down so hope to be back in the saddle by the long weekend

I’ve had a couple of pairs of bliss ones. Find them very good but not much protection for bigger offs. Recently got some of those lest airflex ones though. Wow I’m really impressed with them. Great lightweight pads with plenty of side protection too. They don’t move at all as they have silicone inside the knee cap part. You’ll still get some impact on big hits (as I found out a couple of weeks ago at Inners) but they’re great lightweight pads. Don’t go by the CRC size chart though, go to the least website and check that one.