# Alpinestars Paragon Knee Guards..



## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Time to upgrade my knee guards, currently have Kali Protectives which I got @ PP when they closed for dirt cheap, and they provide good protection but are bulky, kinda hot, and in their dying days.

Anyways, anyone using these? I'm open to suggestions, and just for knee protection, as it is I hate wearing them but crazy enough now I feel naked if I ride w/out them. :eekster:

Alpinestars Paragon Knee Guards > A > Alpinestars | Jenson USA

Thanks!


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## MHCBH (Jan 9, 2009)

I love mine (both elbow and knee guards). I haven't crashed them (thankfully) so I can't speak to the protection attributes, but they are comfortable. I rode the Whole Enchilada with them (in the Moab heat for 5 hours) without any problems and they stay in place very well. The G-form pads seem to be the most popular right now but I went with the Paragon's since they were half the price.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

MHCBH said:


> I love mine (both elbow and knee guards). I haven't crashed them (thankfully) so I can't speak to the protection attributes, but they are comfortable. I rode the Whole Enchilada with them (in the Moab heat for 5 hours) without any problems and they stay in place very well. The G-form pads seem to be the most popular right now but I went with the Paragon's since they were half the price.


Awesome Thanks! Consistent with the reviews I read @ Jensons. 👍


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## rpearce1475 (Jan 24, 2015)

A lot of the alpinestars sponsored EWS riders choose to wear the cheaper Paragons over the more expensive options as they like them better, FWIW


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

^^ Thanks, I just ordered a pair :thumbsup: Got to protect the old body!


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

My pair just shipped today!


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## badbrew (Jun 6, 2014)

These pads are great. Lightweight and cool for all day. Wore a pair for two seasons with multiple crash tests and no knee injuries. They take hard impacts like a champ. The only downside is they do stretch out after some use. Wore a medium but would probably get smalls if I got them again. Replaced them with Dakine Slayers which are pretty similar but with a thicker sleeve so they stay in place a little better.


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## mbcracken (Aug 12, 2006)

A specific question for those with these Paragon kneepads...when one is pedaling, do you feel like your knee cap is able to move freely? I have some knee problems and am looking for lightweight knee pads that do not put a ton of pressure on my patella. I have some beefy DH pads that float nicely but my G-Form ones feel like a tight sleeve and puts too much pressure on my patella. 

Cheers,
Mike


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## BergMann (Jan 10, 2007)

I have both, and the Paragon pad is much thicker & less flexible than the G-Form pads. The Alpenstars uses a single-density foam vs the self-hardening foam of the GFs so until you smack them into something, the GFs are much softer in their base state. I notice the Paragons much more while pedaling than the G-Forms, especially above the kneecap where they tend to "pucker" more due to stiffness. If you're having pressure issues with the G-Forms then I honestly don't know where to point you: they're the thinnest, least constrictive pads I've ever tried. Perhaps size up so you get less pressure?


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## BergMann (Jan 10, 2007)

Badbrew is right on the money w/ his feedback. Ounce for ounce, it's hard to beat the Paragon pads for impact adsorption, but they do have drawbacks/limitations:
1) they stretch: after about 18mos. my elbow pads no longer stay up, and the knee pads pucker more above the knee than when new.
2) they slide more on impact than both my my G-Form pads w/ their snug lycra sleeves and my Demon DH pads (w/ straps). I had a "superman" OTB crash at 30mph at the bike park in the Paragon pads. They kept my kneecaps from breaking, but I had two, large holes above my knees (30mm diam, 5mm deep) due to the top of the pad sliding down & exposing all the flesh above my kneecap.
3) whatever you do, do not put the Paragons in the dryer! My wife accidentally ran them though the dryer after a wash, and this stiffened the foam to the point that I no longer want to wear them.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Mine should arrive today, hopefully they get here and I can sneak a ride in.


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## MHCBH (Jan 9, 2009)

I haven't used G-forms but I haven't noticed any problems with my Paragons. I was worried about that because I have bad kneecap issues but I've been fine.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Firsr ride with the Paragons...very pleased! Compared to the bulky Kalis I have, I didnt even notice these. I like not having velcro, just slide em in, maybe not as much protection but very happy with the purchase, longer ride tomorrow. Summer will be much cooler thanks to these. 👍

Thanks for the feedback fellas.


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## mbcracken (Aug 12, 2006)

Appreciate the comparison. I think I'll stick to my TLD T-Bones for now. Don't really want to size up and have them slipping more the possible.

The TLD are not that bad since the back is very open..

Cheers,
Mike


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## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

I love mine, always amazed how well the work, and how durable they are.


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

Just wore mine out for my first ride, about 33km. For reference, my thigh at 10cm above knee is about 45.5cm and calf about 39.5cm. I bought the medium size based on other people saying they ran big. And at the two ends, they were not that tight, even slid down my thigh a cm or so (then stayed there the whole ride). But they were super tight behind my knee. The back of my knee is super sore right now because of them. They probably just need to be stretched out, but I don't know if I can bear wearing them too many more times to do that. I'm sure the larger size would fix the back of the knee fit, but then I fear they would be too large on the ends. 

Anyone else have this problem?

Other than that though, super light and stayed cool the whole time, and only moved when I first started riding, but didn't move at all once they got settled. Good protection for such a light pad.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

^^ is this your very first pair of knee guards? I say give it some time if that's the case. I did have a bit of rub on my left leg but it quickly went away. I also thought it was weird the top felt a bit stretched but they don't slide.


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

jcd46 said:


> ^^ is this your very first pair of knee guards? I say give it some time if that's the case. I did have a bit of rub on my left leg but it quickly went away. I also thought it was weird the top felt a bit stretched but they don't slide.


Not my first pair. I didn't mean to make it sound like my first ride, even though that's exactly what I said. I'll give them a chance though, they were great besides that.


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

I've had the knee pads for a few years. They don't see as much use as they used to now that I sold my slack, long travel bike. I still wear them as knee warmers though and they have a lot of miles and more than a few crashes. 

They're not ripped, haven't stretched, and the silicone grippers are still grippy. I'd say they perform well. I've banged my knees pretty hard and slid a ways on gravel and my knees were banged but intact. 

My one complaint that has developed recently is that the foam is breaking down after about 2.5 years and it rolls up and folds under a little at the bottom of the pocket where the padding is sewn into. It digs into my shin and leaves a red divot which is annoying after about 2 hours.


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## Structure (Dec 29, 2003)

I have a gimp knee (older injuries and surgery from other sports). My patella gets sore in G-form knee pads, but likes the Fox Enduros. I'd hoped the Paragon's might offer more protection than the Enduros but not bother my patella. Unfortunately, they do. Something about the stiffer pads that puts pressure on my knee. May not be helpful for anyone else but put my 2 cents in anyway. Nice pads for the $ otherwise.


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

These pads have three silicon strips behind the knee. I've got about 4 rides, give or take one, wearing these. On my right pad, those strips broke apart. This made it very scratchy, extremely irritating on the back of my knee. Here's what happened:



So I just ripped those strips completely off. I haven't seen anyone else post about this, so not sure if it's very common. I might also have been because these were very tight for me back there, but I feel that the thigh and calf fit is already a little loose and if I bought the larger size they would be too big to wear.

Now, I have a feeling that those silicon strips are what have been keeping them up so well. Hope I'm wrong, because if that's the case, I won't be able to wear them anymore.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

gckless said:


> These pads have three silicon strips behind the knee. I've got about 4 rides, give or take one, wearing these. On my right pad, those strips broke apart. This made it very scratchy, extremely irritating on the back of my knee. Here's what happened:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting mine have them but are intact and never notice them. I did get the ones in stock which are yellow trim. I have about 6 rides in.


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

Happy to report that the pad is not falling down at all after I removed the silicon strips on the back of the knee. Also, they have loosened up behind the knee. Great pads now.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

^^ Same here, as I said summer will be much cooler this year.


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