What knee pads for what type of riding JONG question

[adrenalated]

FWIW, I've found the 7iDP Transition kneepads to be both quite comfortable/breathable and durable. Definitely much better than any other lightweight pad I've tried so far.

[grabtindy]

I've been really happy with my Leatt pull on kneepads. They're light and ventilated enough to use and ignore on long rides, plus they have medial and lateral protection instead of just a pad out front. They'd held up for 2 solid seasons so far.

[XXX-er]

I can't say whether it's just the industry designers being stupid, or just trying to rake in money by making them a consumable. My gut tells me both. .

Just cuz someone has designed a mtn bike pad or any piece of gear for that matter doesnt mean they actualy mtn bike or do that sport, what you can be sure of its somebody did tell them to do the design

but i don't believe the 911 conspiracys either

[ridinshockgun]

They all suck, every single one of them. Just find one that fits your legs the best and is the least annoying to ride with.

[teledad]

FWIW, I've found the 7iDP Transition kneepads to be both quite comfortable/breathable and durable. Definitely much better than any other lightweight pad I've tried so far.

I have the 7iDP Sam Hill pads which are similar to the Transitions with a little more padding. I generally hate riding with pads but these stay up and are pretty comfortable to pedal in.

[ridinshockgun]

I have the 7iDP Sam Hill pads which are similar to the Transitions with a little more padding. I generally hate riding with pads but these stay up and are pretty comfortable to pedal in.

Those look really, really hot ?

[teledad]

Those look really, really hot ?

Not particularly. Aside from the padded area, the fabric is thin lycra that breathes pretty well.

[jackstraw]

is ^^ also liquid ureathane, its a thinner version of AQS/ shoo goo/ freesole

for a knee pad that needs to take a shit kicking I wouldn't have designed them with a thin covering of fabric so looking at how a pad is made is also important

I was just about to repair them when I felt like I needed to return. Ideally they would repair them like Patagonia, but thats unlikely. I hate waste, so I've started the warranty process to see their response.

Now these are my 3rd or 4th pair of Fox pads and this new design is taller and fits better, but this thin "sock" covering is not going to last without reinforcement.

[summit]

Kneepad summary

Don't get the Roams. Here are my notes on pads. (when I say something will slide down in a crash, I mean the type of crash where your knees are bent 90deg+ and you land on them facing forward)

Enduro+/DH pads (>240g ea):

RF Roam L 277g ea (on/off without removing shoes, moderate impact absorption doesn’t match its weight, will not stay up in a reverse crash, mediocre side coverage, good pedal)

Dakine Mayhem L 250g ea (amazing absorption (best of all of these) and coverage, pedals well, hot, will slip down in a crash)

Leatt Enduro L/XL 272g ea (awesome impact absorption and slide, great above the knee coverage, vented, some slide down in crash, poor pedal)

If you are riding park/shuttle, I'd pick those Fox Launch Pro D30. 314g ea. I haven't tried them but I assume they are about as good as you can get for DH level protection unless you go to full coverage knee/shin guards like IXS Cleavers. I've had some older Fox knee pads. Super stable. I bet these have awesome protection. Personally I have the POC Bone VPD Leg guards for riding park which they no longer make.


Enduro/AM pads (180-240g):

Leatt 3DF 6.0 L/XL (230g) would be good enduro choices that are still amazingly protective, ventilate and pedal well. I just bought a set of the 3DF 6.0 I think I could pedal all day in those if it wasn't too hot out. Great side coverage and sliders. The are unbelievably stable and will not slip down in a crash.

TLD Raid L/XL (217g) very similar to the Leatt 3DF 6.0 but I thought the 6.0 might pedal a tiny bit nicer, and the 6.0 has split plastic sliders which I feel help dissipate energy (and make the pad last) would be a great one-pad-choice

7idp Project M 220g (B2) (I don’t think these pedal great distances without discomfort (but my friend races enduro in them and loves em), good protection but not raid/dbx6 level?... all over the knee, little side/shin coverage. stable.)

POC VPD System Light M 213g (well vented, but poor stability and shit absorption while being stupid expensive)

Leatt 3DF 5.0 L (200g) amazing impact absorption, stable but maybe a little less stable than the 6.0, little less side coverage


AM/XC pads: (<180g)

7idp Sam hill med 160g B2 (awesome coverage, so much so that it seems like it could be pretty warm for long rides though it pedals well, Seems stable, but nowhere near the direct impact of the heavier the raid or 6.0)

Ion Traze L 160g A1 (fits about equal L/M (maybe go L), less coverage but better venting than Sam Hill with similar impact absorption, great stability, pedals well, built like a KG with flexible molded plastic over gelfoam)

POC System VPD M 175g B2 Similar coverage to the Traze, might slip in just the right crash. Direct impact absorption actually better than 3DF 6.0 for certain impacts (flat surfaces, not pointy things, on level of Leatt Enduro) they were definitely not going to slip down just pedalling but I worried about being able to pedal 30mi in these comfortwise.

TLD KGL med 143g (good impact protection but doesn’t stay in palce at all in a slide)

TLD KGS med 120 (good impact protection but doesn’t stay in place at all in a slide)

I have the TLD KGLs, mostly held together by duct tape. I think I will replace with an Ion Traze. I wish I could try on some IXS Carve Evo+ as I'm super impressed by their elbow pads.

[Andeh]

Those look really, really hot ?

They're pretty warm. Only the main cup is reactive gel, the surrounding padding ring is just normal foam. They're fine for direct hits, but the sock tears in slides/OTB to hands & knees (first hand experience). 7iDP does have a crash replacement discount if you ask, so I got a second pair, but those ones rubbed above the knee where the originals didn't so I sold them.

A similar design is the Chromag Rift, which have even more coverage on the sides than the Sam Hills, but maybe 1/2" less on the shin. Probably even better in direct hit, as they have a thin layer of foam underneath the reactive gel. Also fairly warm. I haven't had any serious spills in them, so can't testify to the sock durability.

[anotherVTskibum]

I'm a MTB jong at this point, but after realizing that I don't bounce as well as I do when I was riding 20 years ago, and some of the stuff I'm riding is faster (modern flow trails), I decided that knee pads were a good idea. I went with the Leatt Airflex Hybrid, in part because I've got some of their stuff for moto use and been happy with it; I've got a few trail rides and one bike park day on them so far, and I'm pretty happy with that decision. Once I realized they needed to go under the bottom of my spandex, not over the top of it, they've stayed put pretty well; fortunately, I haven't had any chances to put their impact resistance to the test yet.

ETA: as noted elsewhere, consulting the size chart is important. They are the only XL-sized gear that I own, and they do seem to fit true to the size chart.

Of course, I decided that I didn't need to put them on to take the dog for a pedal-assisted, leashed walk on logging roads and then found a pile of sand at an intersection, tucked the front, and scraped up my knee--but hey, that's Murphy's law, right?

[jackstraw]

Kneepad summary

Nice write-up.

I think it cannot be overstated about crash protection with "slide down". I've had pads that have slid down when I hit the bars or whatever and my knee hit the ground bare with the pad on my shin. That is annoying!

My Leatt's 3DF Hybrid and Fox D30 appear to reduce the slip from happening.

[XXX-er]

thats ^^ why you need to try a bunch of brands on to find the one thats fits you and you also need to try different sizes of whatever you decide on

[jackstraw]

5-6 weeks later and I'm finally getting to the bottom of this one. Fox credited the retailer which in turn gave me a store credit and I'm keeping the pads. So home repair time...which is cool. Took a while, but it worked out.

[Wes Mantooth]

I have the 7iDP Sam Hill pads which are similar to the Transitions with a little more padding. I generally hate riding with pads but these stay up and are pretty comfortable to pedal in.

I have a pair of these as well and I like them a lot. Granted I only wear them at the bike park since so can't comment too much on heat, but I've taken a couple decently high speed crashes on very rocky tech trails and they fully protected me

[SKIP IN7RO]

S=left
D=right

[XtrPickels]

I don't plug our products often, but I truly like our PEARL iZUMi Elevate knee pads more than others I've used in the market.

The D30 LP1 pad is used by some other brands and offers really solid protection. I've crashed at least half dozen times this year and at least 3 of them should have been ride-enders and I honestly haven't felt a thing.

The Elevates also have a good mesh portion over the perforations in the pad: Some see theses as less durable however I haven't ripped mine despite planting my knee straight into rocks. It also allows a noticeable amount of air to flow through.

Linky-poo

[Ottime]

So I ended up with a pair of Launch d30 about a week after starting this thread. They work great for me. Easy to peddle in, not too hot, stay up easy enough. Great pad.

Now. How do I make them stop stinking up my store room. Holy shit. Can't machine wash, so for sure hand wash. Does anyone have suggestions for product to make the odor less severe?

[XXX-er]

I have alwasy just hosed my pads off but I tried throing my pads in the washer and it did work ... what have you got to lose ?

folks have used myrazyme or vinegar to sink the stink on wet suits

[Falcon3]

Yeah I dont see why you couldn’t put them in a washer on Gentle with some tech wash-type soap. It shouldn’t hurt the pads or fabric and has got to be better than letting all your sweat sit on them all the time.

[toast2266]

So I ended up with a pair of Launch d30 about a week after starting this thread. They work great for me. Easy to peddle in, not too hot, stay up easy enough. Great pad.

Now. How do I make them stop stinking up my store room. Holy shit. Can't machine wash, so for sure hand wash. Does anyone have suggestions for product to make the odor less severe?

Are the d30 inserts not removable in those? If they are, pull them and send through the washing machine on gentle. If they're not, I'd probably still send them through the washer. Maybe a little less often though.

[Ottime]

They are not removable. Thinking I will put them on a gentle way cycle and occasionally wash the pads with a damp cloth in between cycles.

[jackstraw]

They are not removable. Thinking I will put them on a gentle way cycle and occasionally wash the pads with a damp cloth in between cycles.

I've washed all my pads. If it breaks them down a little I'm ok with that. Although to xxx'ers point, I hose them down after every ride, so I don't have to wash them that often.

[Andeh]

FWIW, I wash my D3O pads nearly every ride. It really helps with the stank. They seem to work the same.

I'm guessing the tag says no washing because D3O is worried that heat will somehow affect the gel's ability to harden.

[XXX-er]

When i was paddling WW kayaks people would ask about washing their stinking wetsuits

think about it for a sec, you buy these things, strap them to your body with the sole purpose of avoiding injury,

but worry about the perils of throing them in an automagic washing machine ?

I was concerned with all that foam and shit they wouldnt sink enough TO get washed

but they did so sometimes being a rebel pays off eh