Had a minor altercation with a rock last weekend. Knee is healing fine, but it just made me think that, other than the head, the knees are probably the most vulnerable and worthy part to protect while riding an MTB.

Who wears knee pads – which ones do you recommend – and do they make you look/feel like a pansy?

always wear em – when i didn’t i ended up in casualty on xmas eve and lots of stiches plus a first hand view of my knee cap!!

661 kyle straits here

Getting far too old to bounce and I need to do other things during the week so I wear them. 6x4s or Kyle Straits. I don’t care how I look.

Wearing them a lot more now, especially since a friend sliced and diced his knee on a piece of Chilterns flint.

Kyle Straits for XC, full knee/shins for DH.

Just come to the same decision myself having smashed my knee pretty hard on the last stack. Plus I’m off to the Alps in 3 weeks and thought they might be useful.

Fox Launch Pros here, although I’ve only done a quick 30 min balls out shakedown ride in them and nothing of any time and distance. It felt strange to be wearing something ‘of bulk’ on my knees, instead of lycra knee warmers for example, and it made my knees sweat lots (if that’s possible). My leg, knee movement, pedalling didn’t feel impeded though and I think they’ll become unnoticeable the more I ride in them.

I ended up having a few months off the bike due to a ‘just riding along’ type crash at the end of a ride. I can’t be bothered with all the healing, loss of fitness, loss of confidence etc. injuring myself like that again so it’s knee pads on every off road ride now; racing, guiding or ‘just riding along’.
661 Kyle Straits here too. It takes a while to get used to having hot knees and they can start to rub after a few hours but I’d rather put up with that then another damaged knee.

yes, appart from the more obvious grazing and laceration possibilities they can also deflect a polaxe blow and save you from torn knee ligaments.

My vote is for fox launch. I like the cross over straps and the extra bit above the knee.

More storm trooper than pansy.

I’ve got some Kyle Straits and they’re really great. I don’t ride without them anymore. It meant last weekend at the Gravity Enduro, instead of licking ym wounds I could get straight back on again and ride. The same with my elbow and forearm pads, without them I wouldn’t have been racing.

i think its wise-sensible to wear em,

i dont wear em,as i aint either 🙂

I’ve got Fox launch pro and although they’re a little warm, I don’t really notice them when riding.

I usually wear them. 661 evo for me. Not too hot, have lasted 3 years so far.

I almost always wear mine… They’re no bother to wear, they don’t restrict me or overheat me or chafe me (unless I forgot to clean them!), there’s just no downside at all to it for me.

(Knees don’t do an awful lot of heat radiating- that’s why you can wear shorts or a kilt in weather where you wouldn’t want short sleeves)

I think people fixate on the serious injuries, but I’ve had enough little scrapes that have just caused inconvenience, or kept me off the bike for a couple of weeks, or just been a bit sore and spoiled a ride…

So I ask myself, why not, and don’t find any why nots.

i used to wear mine every time (661,s) then summer came and ive left the knee pads at home (must think i wont have accidents in summer (lol)…anyway… i got some RaceFace dig knee pads now..they are better fit than the 661,s which kept slipping down…
winter will soon be round the next corner… 😉

banged my knee in a 1 mph side topple, couldn’t kneel on if for weeks

now wear the Endura MT500’s when I know either the venue or the ride could hurt

Starting wearing them after a washout + limestone landing cut my knee open, took ages to heal properly because it split everytime I bent my knee to far. Too much time off the bike for such a little thing!

Tend not too in the “summer” as I get too hot. As soon as it cools down they make nice knee warmers and help with crashing/bravery.

Wouldn’t think of not having them on if I’m doing anything big or technical with rocky descents, especially if it’s a ride I don’t know. I use 661 Evo’s which I don’t notice I’m wearing even for 6-7 hour rides, and they seem to stay in place. They are not neoprene so don’t make you horribly sweaty.

POC knees here. Very comfy. Most that I ride with locally use knee pads and about 2 or 3 use full knee and shin guards.

With my successful crashing ability and the fact that I am a grand vet next year I have just bought a set of Kyle’s

As Oldfart said its better to look a bit of a tart and still be able to walk after seeing what happened to his SO

Finally bought some after wife made many sarky comments about ‘legs like toddler learning to walk’.
I still feel a bit shifty about wearing them though. I wouldn’t want people to think I was making out I was good. I bought them because I am rubbish.

Yep, Kyle Straits for me after one too many painful crashes. Never looked back and since starting wearing them they’ve saved my knees a few times.

Tend to wear them more often than not. Have a fairly light pair of Lizard skins neoprene ones that I carry in my pack if I am not wearing them from scratch. Otherwise Race Face Dig for XC and hard shell knee shin – race face rally I think – for when I expect to fall off.

Fox launch pro are nice. All down to comfort, but you’ll find you rarely fall off with pads on, but the time you forget your pads you will fall off many times indeed.

FOG – Member

I still feel a bit shifty about wearing them though. I wouldn’t want people to think I was making out I was good. I bought them because I am rubbish.

I’ve never understood this one… “We’ll let you guys away first, you’re obviously a bit fast, with all those pads and stuff”. Uh no, we’re a crash waiting to happen, that’s why we’re wearing our michelin man suits!

when i ride privately i’ll wear them for most rides.

won’t ride them when on tour as the guests start to panic when they see the guide all armoured up.

should? pejorative term.

Wear them if you want. Me I prefer not to crash so slow down/ take less risks.

If / when we push it a bit harder we both need full pressure suits. Might even put a hat on.

the key thing is wear them if yo want.

They have become the norm for me. Even cracking your knee off the bars is damned painful!

Word of warning though. If your on your hols and riding day after day, make sure you wash them after wet/gritty rides or your skin falls off… 🙁

If / when we push it a bit harder we both need full pressure suits.

Go on, lets see a pic of you and your good lady kitted out in pressure suits on the tandem 😀

uplink – Its getting to the point that we either need to slow down or get armoured up

Nearly every ride I go on I will see someone with blood all over their knees. I’ve not witnessed anything serious yet but that’s reason enough for me to wear mine. I have 661 Evos which I wear with veggie shin guards (bought when I had some V12 mags with really long pins). I also tend to wear the elbow pads as apparently elbows can be harder to fix than knees (wife works in orthopaedics). Some have questioned me wearing them all the time but I don’t care. The only time I find them any trouble is on very hot rides and I sometimes take the elbow pads off and strap them to my bars on long climbs.

The Poc ones do seem better in at least one respect in that they’re velcro all the way around so you can take them off and put them on without having to put your foot through so can strap them to your pack for the climb then put them on at the top with no hassle.

I injured my kneecap following a low speed fall on an XC ride a few years ago. This nothing off has resulted in 4 ops to try and repair the damage, nearly 3 years off the bike due to long recovery time, and not being able to run, ski, surf or do any impact sports. I’ve recently returned to biking and wear a knee pad on my good knee and a Asterisk brace on my bad one. Do I wish I was wearing pads the day I crashed – Hmm let me see!!

Bashed the inside of my knee the other week in a comedy dismount going across a moor covered in nadgery heather tracks. It really was a daft crash, I just fell off to the side but caught my knee on my frame and gave it a good sharp whack right on the joint. Got a dirty big bruise and sore cut.

Knee pads ordered as I’ve got enough scars and don’t heal so fast anymore.

ive only ever worn em to skate half pipe.. never considered them for the bike, i would for full on dh though..

once I get back to riding I’ll be wearing knee pads as 4 weeeks on the sofa awaiting knee surgery I am not doing this again so I will wear some insurance!

Always wear them at the trail centres kyle straights and full knee,shin pads gore the downhill days also wear fox elbow forearm pads

I bought some 661 Race Light knee/shin pads which only saw occasional use for long descents (Snowdon etc). Unfortunately, when they were eventually called upon to do their job they failed me and rotated out of the way on impact. Ouch. 🙁

I’ve since bought Kyle Straits and have found these far more likely to stay in place. I still tend to mainly wear them as before just for the long and techy descents but have found them to be comfortable enough to do full ride in. 🙂

Got Fox Launch Pro’s but hardly ever wear them. Found my knees get too warm in the Summer and on long rides they became a drag.

Just bought some of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=59945

seem nice and light

I think one of the mags has a review of them this month. MBR rings bells.

Since I no longer bounce back like I did when I was a teen, I wear both knee and elbow pads. I don´t usually bother sticking em on til I start heading downhill or through rocky terrain.

Wearing them gave me enough confidence to attempt a few jumps yesterday evening, no problems…until I tried a double and came up short.
The right elbow guard and my camelbak took most of the impact.
I felt my collarbone twang like a guitar sting too but I was fine and kept riding after.
661 evos here, worth the cost imo.