# G-Form Pro-X Knee/Shin guard?



## spaniardclimber (May 9, 2005)

I've read mixed reviews about this pad, and some are pretty old, I think they've improved them over the last years.

I'm currently using Race Face Flank which I guess are like the Ambush plus some shin protection but don't quite like them. I had to get medium as my legs are on the skinny side(but long) and the shin protection goes just half way the shin.

I have to tight them quite hard to keep them in place and I don't find them too comfortable, so was thinking on getting these G-Forms. 

I'm riding bmx and would like to get into jumps, drops etc with my mtb once the trails are less muddy over here, so I'm not going to need a pad with enduro/DH protection.


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## JNKER (Feb 19, 2016)

I wear them and like them. I don't ever think about them when they are on and a nice thing is that you can wash them. If you find them on sale, I say go for it.


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## CrozCountry (Mar 18, 2011)

Common complaint about those pads is that they slide in crashes, meaning they don't do their job. A good knee shin combo is the IXS Cleaver, and it's on sale now:

IXS Cleaver Knee-Shin Pads 2017 | Chain Reaction Cycles

Read the reviews there, they speak for themselves. Having said that, it may be more protection that you want. For me riding DJ they are totally fine, and I can also use them on lifts.


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## Tim_NH (Mar 27, 2009)

I've had the G-form Pro-X knee and elbow pads for about 18 months. I like them for the most part, though I haven't crashed hard on them yet. I have whacked the elbows pretty good in slow speed fails in rock gardens, but nothing at speed. I think they're a reasonable option for XC and trail riding. 

For me the elbows are near perfect, they stay in place and I forget they're on within 5 min of riding. The above the elbow material runs a little long, so it goes up under my jersey sleeve, which I prefer to a gap between sleeve and pad. The knees run small. I bought both at the same time, both medium. I had to exchange the knees for a large, and they're still a bit tight around the thigh (I'm a fit 6'1, 175lbs). They're not tight enough to restrict movement, but I'm a bit more aware of them than the elbows. The material does tend to bunch a bit behind my knee, and the top material slides down a bit, but the pad itself stays in place while pedaling. That leads to a bit of a gap between pad and shorts (I'm XC, so spandex).

I've worn them in 90°+ humid days and they're pretty good for staying cool, and a little sweat seems to help hold the knee material in place. They're not breezy by any stretch, but they don't seem to make my knees or elbows much warmer than they would otherwise be.

I do like the flexibility of the padding. It stays bendy and soft until you whack it, so it moves with you pretty well.


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## paul.knight (May 14, 2007)

I got a pair of these (medium) a couple of weeks ago, and I'm still not sure about them, after one and a half long rides (my bike frame broke during the second ride).
Since I'm riding on overgrown trails a lot, I nearly always wear tights to stop the ticks, and these knee-shin guards were really sliding down too much on top of the tights.
They feel like the right size - any tighter and they would be cutting off the circulation.
I didn't have any trouble with overheating on an 80-degree day.
I have not tried them without the tights underneath. So my experience may not be very typical.
I'm going to see how they do with some extra rubber-like surface inside, to see if that will stop them from sliding so much.
I'm going to add some dimensional fabric paint to the inner surface. This is the same stuff that people use to make non-slip socks.
I'll try to post the results next time I'm able to get out for a ride - after I finish moving parts from the broken frame to another one...


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## gdb85 (Mar 4, 2017)

I suggest you try them under the tights, in my experience with a couple different brands I found that the "rubber gripper" ring on the top and bottom of the sleeves will not hold securely on any material except bare skin.

I slip my pads on then pull my inner lycra short down over top and they stay put for hours.


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## paul.knight (May 14, 2007)

Thanks, gdb85. 

They definitely slip less under the tights, but still need some adjusting due to slippage after a while.

The dimensional fabric paint helps with the slipping, as well, even over tights. I'm considering a second layer of the paint to enhance the grip, since the paint is absorbed into the lycra fabric and is not shiny/grippy in most places. 

Also I wanted to note that the standard "rubber gripper" ring is only at the top of the sleeve (leg), not at the bottom (at least, on mine). It might help to have it on the bottom.


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## terrible (Jun 25, 2007)

I'm not a fan after my last crash. The pad didn't slide but did nothing to protect. The impact was on the backside of a couple small dirt jumps. I actually slid out on the grass after the jump. The pad ripped and left a huge open spot. All these things are good for is maybe rug-burn protection.

I'm no looking at something with an outer plastic cover over the impact foam. Something that would protect the pad itself in a crash on rocks/hard dirt.


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## EricTheDood (Sep 22, 2017)

G-forms remind me of arm and leg warmers which slide too easily. I like their compression shirt and shorts but looked elsewhere for elbow & knee. 

I'm currently using Fox Launch Enduros for trail riding and they stay put. They don't have the "slick" lycra feeling of the G-forms. I've crashed in them twice and was unscathed in both the elbows and the knees. Some other unprotected areas didn't fare so well. 

I also have the Fox Launch Pro D3Os for downhill. They stay on even better and offer more protection. D3O material is similiar to G-Form's, but Fox's version encases the material in fabric and adds a velcro-mounted, replaceable plastic pad. Unfortunately, too bulky for trail riding IMO.


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## CrozCountry (Mar 18, 2011)

terrible said:


> I'm not a fan after my last crash. The pad didn't slide but did nothing to protect. The impact was on the backside of a couple small dirt jumps. I actually slid out on the grass after the jump. The pad ripped and left a huge open spot. All these things are good for is maybe rug-burn protection.
> 
> I'm no looking at something with an outer plastic cover over the impact foam. Something that would protect the pad itself in a crash on rocks/hard dirt.


Sounds like Fox Launch Pro. Maybe bulky for trails, but great for DJ.


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## kpdemello (May 3, 2010)

Echo the mixed reviews. I have had a couple of crashes and they have been pretty okay, but they were low speed impacts. They do tend to slide during a ride. The sizing runs small but the pads stretch over time. For the price, they do not seem like a great deal and I would look elsewhere, but I am going to keep mine until they wear out.


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