Protective knee/shins and elbow

[girlbiker]

For those of you who do use knee/shin or elbow gear

What products have you used?
What are the positive or negatives of those products?

Been through a couple of knee/shins
EVS knee/shin - Did not stay up with out additional help.
worst 60 bucks I spent

Fox Ventilator Knee/Shin Guards while the price was good. The knee guards needed to be restrained, kept getting caught. Plus they are wearing rather quickly. but provide great protection with minimal cover.

Due to a recent encounter with a large rock and my elbow ( the rock won) I am in the market for some elbow guards.

[Big Game]

I have been through many.

I tried the Hammer pads, but they slipped down and do not over hard plastic over the knee. On the plus side, they are no so bulky. They're ok for x-c riding

I tried the Fox 911, but they too slipped down. On the plus side, they do have hard plastic over the knees. For most people, I've found that they don't slide down, I may just be the exception.

The last set I got were the Roach, They absolutely rock. They offer tons of protection, are comfortable and don't slide down. They may be the best shin pad around. On the downside, they are kind of bulky.

[MtnBikerChk]

I have the fox pair that need the knee cup to be "tied down." I had a friend sew on some velcroe and I've been using them for 3 seasons now - no complaints! They are not that hot (temperature) and they've saved my skin lots of times!

[CouchingTiger]

I've tried a bunch and they are basically all equally crappy (IMHO). My problem is that I'm fairly tall so I have long legs. Even the largest size of most brands is still short.

Also, my quads are bigger than my knees and my calves bigger tan my ankles (tapering from the former to the latter, imagine that). Most of straps fit me on the downside of the taper, ie. as the quad tapers down to the knee and as the calf tapers down toward the ankle. This means they naturally fall down, leaving the top of my knee exposed. This is a prime impact zone for the upper crown on a double crown fork.

That said, I've used Roach, Troy Lee and 661. The Roach give really good overall protection for the entire lower leg but are hot as all hell. The troy lee are the most rugged, modeled after a catcher's set of knee/shin pads for baseball. They are just about as comfortable and breathe about as well also. I'm now using the 661, which are a copy of the Dainese. They are vented and lighter but give good protection to the front of your leg. Down side is you have to put them on over your foot as they are not fully open.

Good luck.

-Couch

[Carsion]

I picked up a pair of skinz recently. They only protect the shins. They are made up of spandex like material, like bike shorts. Rubber gripping on either end with rubber like padding in the front. There is a strap that goes around the leg and velcroes in the front to keep it snug. They are very comfortable to wear and are keeping my legs warm now that it has started to get cold. My bike shop ordererd them through a catalog and I don't remember the name of the company. I will say this though. They definatly work well it seems because I have not fallen off my bike and landed on my shins since I have gotten them. lol

[Big Game]

Oh yeah....Most elbow pads work well. I've been using some O'Neill with not problems. I've never heard people who use Fox, Azonics and 611's complain.

[snembalen]

My wife has the Core Rat Knee/Shin pads that she likes very much and I have used these a few times as well. They go on easily with velcro straps and can be seperated from the plastic parts for washing when they get stinky. They seem to stay in place for me and I forgot they were there after a few seconds of riding.

Core Rat offers a calf protector that you can put on under these pads but I don't think it's needed.

Angie is great to work with and will customize your order if need be.

These are the only knee/shin products I have tried so I can't compare, but I like these and plan on getting myself a pair.

[knucklebuste]

Hey Big Game, if you would wipe off the excess vasoline that dripped off your balls down around your knees after your finished jerking off your knee pads might not slip down around your ankles. Also you might want to think about KY Jelly as it's water soluble. Ok there slippery nuts. Knuckle

[Big Game]

Don't forget, if you are having problems with your shin pads not covering your ankles, you can get a pair of ankle biters. They have little support too. Azonic and 611 make them.

[MtnBikerChk]

bump for marin man

[MMcG]

Thanks MBC!

IAB is a lucky guy to be married to someone as cool and kind as you! :)

[radair]

I have the older Fox 911 knee/shin and elbow/forearm pads with the hard shells stitched on to velcro sleeves. The elbow forearm pads are excellent, no complaints.

The knee/shin pads are light, but move around a bit. I suspect in a big crash they'd pull right away from what they're supposed to be protecting. Maybe it's just my legs are too skinny, but Fox redesigned these a couple years ago so they attach with velcro now.

They'd probably work a lot better if I wore them occasionally, too.

[SloMoJo]

As clumsy as I can be on the trail, I figured some protection is not such a bad idea. Did some research and settled on the new open design from Roach. Roach Rally FR pads. Not cheap, but the better quality stuff rarely is.

I don't have anything to compare them too, but I'm happy. They feel and look good and on the 14 mile ride I did not have to touch them once. They stay put. I smacked my knee into a tree, and I did not even have to swear. ;)

Examples here: http://www.jensonusa.com/store/sub.aspx?i=354

http://www.roachclothing.com/products/armour_rallyfr.php

ps. I bought mine from a guy on ebay selling new ones.

[MMcG]

Hey, I noticed you were sporting some armor from looking at Splats pics of your ride yesterday.

What's the link to that ebay seller SloMo?

I have 661 race knee/shin pads and they tend to slip down on the knees.

Lookin for alternatives for next Spring.

[SloMoJo]

Hiya Mark,
If you go to ebay and just search on "roach pads". You'll see his listings. Those pads diff sizes.

Actually, his prices don't seem much cheaper than on-line vendors. But I actually talked to the guy and he shipped overnight from PA for me. Nice personal touch, but I'm sure they'll be even cheaper next spring.

[grayghostss]

;D Go with Roach for the legs. They take some time to put on, but I quickly forget about them once I have them on. As for being hot-I weigh 150 and I saturate everything I wear while riding, even in the winter-WHO CARES. It beats the heat of a cast. These pads have saved my legs several times at places like borderland in the rock gardens. Just my experience, hope it helps. Check the review: http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Pads/product_22377.shtml

-GG