Padding up those knee's

Used to wear Kyle Straights all the time until i ripped them to shreds this winter time. As i was only doing some xc riding until recently never bothered to get another pair. However, after an incident at the weekend between my knees, a rock and a very hard place I’ve finally decided padding up is a clever thing to do! If only hindsight could be foresight…

So what pads are people currently using and find pretty good?

The Kyles were brilliant but possibly a little on the large side padding wise. I’m really after a light weight, knee only slimline set to fit under 3/4 pants for all day riding?

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

? Any good – work well in my opinion 🙂

Nukeproof. Fox Launch were good too, just a bit tight at the back.

Check out Troy Lee KG5400 (shock doctors).

Slimline and comfy for sure, haven’t crashed in them yet though.

I like them the set of g-forms I have, small enough that they’re not in the way even under 3/4 shorts, light enough that they’re pretty much unnoticed when riding. Admittedly Sat was the first time I ridden with them in pretty hot conditions, and still got no complaints.

Fox Launch Pro for me. Possibly on the tight side to begin with (L/XL) but they’re very comfortable after a few rides.

Am on my second pair have tested them many times the air gap between the outer shell and the inner padding really works.

Those g-forms are fine if you only fall off now and then. They take the worst of the initial impact and then move on your leg. I fell off recently and ended up with a graze underneath. They did their job and i’ll continue wearing them but i wouldn’t put them in the same bracket for protection as kyle straits, fox launch etc. Don’t think i would wear mine in the alps but perfect for surrey hills.

exactly what reggiegasket said.

i bought a set of Foxs for the GF in small and they were way too tight for her lady legs. ended up buying her the L/XL size and they fit her perfectly. for me they were fine during the standing around in the living room test, but are too tight around the back of the knee when cycling.

the Nukeproof pads are better than the 661s they replaced and are on a par, if not better than, the Foxs. much more coverage than the 661s and a little more than the Fox. airflow is good when you are moving.

the sizing chart on CRC is also pretty good. going by the chart i should have ordered L. i did and they fit perfectly.

I’ve been using the 661 Evo’s for about 4 years and can’t fault them. They are comfortable enough for 6+ hour rides, aren’t too hot as they are not neoprene based, stay in place well, and give me more that enough protection. I wear them under 3/4 baggies

I like the troy lee shock doctors KG5400, lights, slim with good protection

What about the POC ones? I’m in the same predicament as peaks, but have tried, have a set, of straights but find they play havoc with the ligaments at the back of the knee. Might be my manly legs or do you have to wear them in?

POC VPD are brilliant if a touch pricey, but can wear them all day with no discomfort

Similar experience as gotama with my g-forms, they took the brunt of a knee-first landing onto a stony track and just ended up with a small friction/carpet type burn just below the knee. Personally I’m happy enough with that for XC stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Riding the peaks a lot with a fair bit of rocky terrain, I’d possibly want a little more protection than the g-forms offer, especially judging by the state of my poor knees today!

What is the lateral protection like on the Fox’s, Nukes and POC versions? I found this to be far too bulky on the straights, always felt over kill for most XC rides and made my 3/4 shorts quite restrictive around the knee areas (I don’t currently rock the overly baggy style). Also made my knees look massive, there was no getting around the fact I was wearing some big pads!

The Troy Lee’s look great, but no straps? Do they not start to ride down after a few wears or on a long ride when they’ve stretched a little?

This weekend I used the G-Form pads (knees + elbows) for the Fort Bill DH Enduro.

Had a few crashes, but found the ‘flexibility’ of softer pads allowed me to miss most rocks…

Launch Pros are not too bulky imo they’re protective and stay put but they’re not restrictive I feel naked without them.

My legs are quite long so there’s not a lot of overlap between the pads and my baggies although it could be an issue for short arses people with short legs 🙂

It’s important to buy the correct size of troy lees, there’s a sizing guide you can use based on your leg measurements. If you size them properly you shouldn’t have any issues….or at least I haven’t had any issues.

I found the Troy Lee knee only just fell down even though it was apparently my size so i’d suggest somewhere with a decent returns policy in case you find the same. Apparently the shin/knee combo works well as the shin section holds the pad in place. Its only a tiny shin section too. Shame they didn’t work for me as they seemed like a nice pad.

The Fox Launches get more comfortable the more you use them, they are quite tight on the first few rides.

Like the look of those Troy Lees, hate wearing knee pads, but I need them now and then.

I’m not a fan of knee pads either, infact I wear them so little I may sell my troy lees if anyones interested! 😯

Lip seal never found a problem with comfort of the Kyle straights except when wearing under some styles of 3/4 shorts, but that was due to them being a bit on the large side with padding so causing the shorts to become tight. Mine did wear in after a few rides and conformed to my knee pretty well. Washed up nice in the washing machine and tumble drier too.

Honouablegeorge that’s my problem as well, I don’t like knee pads but the weekend taught me on the occasions I need them, I really do need them!! So trying to find that ever illusive all rounder

Deepo what size TL’s do you have?

Think by all the tips here it may be these or trying on some Fox’s/nuke proof to see if they suit. The GForm look good and minimalist but not 100% I’d like to truely stack it and trust these to protect my old knee caps. POC and Evo’s I find a touch pricey tbh, look good though

What size deepo?

They’re medium- better not hijack the thread, PM me if you re interested.

Fox Launch Pros. Very comfortable even on long rides. Worn them recently on a few scorching days and they stayed vented and I forgot I had them on.

Zombie thread!

I’ve just got a pair of Launch Pros and find that they bite into the ligaments on the back of my knee which I can’t abide. Was glad I was wearing them as I managed to have a good stack last night but the binding will put me off wearing them again.

@reggiegasket and alpin – are the Nukeproofs that much better in this respect? Tempted to order a set.

i’ve had 661 Straits for about two years now. Had (for me ) the usual amount of “offs” and hey presto no knees involved.
Odd though, that on the occasions I think to myself, well, I’m not likely to ride anywhere I’ll hurt myself today. I leave tham in the van and promptly crash and land on a knee.

Scott have updated my fave grenade pads and they are called rocket pads . Neoprene and hard cap – winner!

The Troy Lee’s look great, but no straps? Do they not start to ride down after a few wears or on a long ride when they’ve stretched a little?

not for me – they also have rings of a tacky stuff around the knee pocket, which helps keep them in place.

In the indian summer last year I wore them 3 days straight in the surrey hills when it was pretty hot and I did about 5k ft of climbing/descending each day, and they didn’t slip.

jedi – any binding on the back of the knee with the Scotts? I see that the Rockets have the section which is open on most pads filled with a piece of what looks to be vented material

No binding at aLl and all day comfy

Westbrook cycles have got the non-3DO grenades for £45 but only in L/XL. What’s the sizing like?

Rocket looks interesting but doesn’t seem to have all that much side padding? (and all above and below the kneecap, ie in the wrong place? Or does it not work like that once on?)

same padding as my old grenades. feels more comfy

Cheers- looks pretty different on their website. Need to try some of those.