# best pedaling knee/shin armor



## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

I'm thinking it's time to upgrade the leg protection as it seems that every time I heal up I get another wound...nothing huge just constant. I'm looking at the specialized Kani pads.( don't love the green just because I have a red bike, and they look a little TOO robocop-ish) And I'm thinking that these might be the ticket for light duty all the time pads at a decent price. But I thought I would ask if anyone has tried these pads out, or for opinions on what others think are the best leg armor to pedal in all the time for AM & LTFR.

Currently I ride all the time with 661 vegie wrap knee pads, and then on lift days I throw some cheapy Kona knee/shin pads over but slightly below the 661 knee pads. I also tried some Roche Indy pads, but they seemed just like heavier versions of the Kona pads with the same negatives, (hot, hard to pedal, and stiff but I never broke them in), so I got rid of them. I also tried some Fox hard knee shin pads but they suck to pedal in and they don't cover much of your shin because there made to wear with motorcycle boots.

I just barely got my left knee healed up from a motorcycle accident, and the right knee from a wreck that the knee pads did their best at protecting me from. Then yesterday I lost another patch of skin at the top of my right knee, this time when I hit the ground the knee pad slid back and then the skin slid back as well... ( it looks fine in the pic, but it's all gooey with yellow puss ) SO, I'm wondering if shin knee combo pads might be a better idea to wear all the time. I was hoping the combo pads would be both better protection and hopefully stay in place better? (in defense of the vegie pads, they are a couple seasons old and stretched out a bit, plus they were always a bit loose which is probably why there so comfortable)

thanks for any advice...








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## enicma (Jun 30, 2007)

yeah buddy, your leg is jacked!

If I was crashing so much I'd be looking for a theme and trying to work on it from a risk avoidance/skill improvement angle first.

That said, I have a tendency to bang my knees up in slow techy sections and steep rutted turns. More skill needed! I will throw on my rockgardn knee pads at the top of any semi gnar ride, even is there is a decent amount of pedalling on the way down. I hardly notice them until I crash, when they rule, the only negative thing about them is that they're a pain to put on as you have to take your shoes off.


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## andy85 (Apr 27, 2009)

**** dude!! i had an accident 4 days ago and now gonna get some pads too. Ive ordered SixSixOne elbow & knee pads and also light body armour. 
Slipped on asphalt coming out of a hard trail!!!

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PG310A09-Sixsixone+Race+Jacket+Lite.aspx
https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PG285B00-Sixsixone+Kyle+Strait+Patriot+Knee+Guard.aspx
https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PG287C01-Sixsixone+Veggie+Elbow+Guard+09.aspx


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

andy85 said:


> **** dude!! i had an accident 4 days ago and now gonna get some pads too. Ive ordered SixSixOne elbow & knee pads and also light body armour.
> Slipped on asphalt coming out of a hard trail!!!


OUCH, and yuck! those pics are SO big you get the full bloody gore... bleck!!!

The Kyle Straights seem like good knee pads I almost ordered those yesterday. And then I was going to get the vegie wrap shin guards to go with. But I'm wondering if I would be better off with hard shell on the shins too, plus the full neoprene shin wrap seems like it would be too hot? So that's why I didn't make the order. (too bad 661 doesn't make a hard shell modular add on shin guard for their knee pads, hint, hint)

I'm still thinking about those pads as my shins usually don't get this banged up, but I really don't want the knee pad to slip and expose my knee again...

Although I really don't feel much pain, so I think I'm getting to the point where all the nerves in the skin on my knees are gone!


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## andy85 (Apr 27, 2009)

yeah **** man i forgot to scale the pic down hahahha lmaoz

i was going to get hard shell but i wanted to be more comfitable so just got soft pads instead =]
i go on hard trails n urban streets so i think and hopefully i dont slam my shin into something hhahaha


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## net wurker (Sep 13, 2007)

andy85 said:


> i was going to get hard shell but i wanted to be more comfitable so just got soft pads instead


Actually, Kyle Straits are hard shell, the hard plastic is inside the soft wrapping.


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## Fix the Spade (Aug 4, 2008)

For full (shin included) protection Fox Systems get my vote. They use a gasket to keep the knee pad in place and it works a lot better than straps, although getting them on initially can be a pain.
Once they're one movement is free and the pads stay in place, they also feel pretty consistent over the course of a whole day, they don't bunch up in the back of your knee the way a lot of strap designs do too. I've never had any problem pedalling in them either.

For lighter duty stuff I've had a set Pro-tec Double Downs for a while, protection wise they aren't great. I certainly would use them for jumping but they offer enough protection for general riding mishaps. The little plastic cap in them is more effective than it looks and they're dead comfy.


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## andy85 (Apr 27, 2009)

net wurker said:


> Actually, Kyle Straits are hard shell, the hard plastic is inside the soft wrapping.


damnz.... maybe i made the right choice afterall =]


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## axolotl (Apr 24, 2008)

I pedal with evo knee pads and specialized elbow. When I want more, I go to race face dh knee and shin. The evo's are great cause I don't mind having them on for 3-6 hours at a time.


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## pinkheadedbug (Aug 16, 2006)

I use Axo knee/shin pads and Raceface forearm/elbow pads. Both awesome. The Axos have incredible freedom of movement.


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

pinkheadedbug said:


> I use Axo knee/shin pads and Raceface forearm/elbow pads. Both awesome. The Axos have incredible freedom of movement.


The TMKP Axo moto pads? Do they seem like the cover your shin enough? I tried some Fox moto knee shin and they were really short. It seemed like I only had half shin armor!


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

Fix the Spade said:


> For full (shin included) protection Fox Systems get my vote. They use a gasket to keep the knee pad in place and it works a lot better than straps, although getting them on initially can be a pain.
> Once they're one movement is free and the pads stay in place, they also feel pretty consistent over the course of a whole day, they don't bunch up in the back of your knee the way a lot of strap designs do too. I've never had any problem pedalling in them either.
> 
> For lighter duty stuff I've had a set Pro-tec Double Downs for a while, protection wise they aren't great. I certainly would use them for jumping but they offer enough protection for general riding mishaps. The little plastic cap in them is more effective than it looks and they're dead comfy.


Which Fox pads have the gasket? I was looking at the Launch pads by fox and they had the crossed straps in back. Plus they seemed very bulky so I wasn't sure if they would be good peddlers?

thanks


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## pinkheadedbug (Aug 16, 2006)

stiingya said:


> The TMKP Axo moto pads? Do they seem like the cover your shin enough? I tried some Fox moto knee shin and they were really short. It seemed like I only had half shin armor!


Yeah, they're the TMKP ones. I'm happy with the shin cover but I ride clipped in so it's a bit less of an issue for me.


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## yangpei (Apr 18, 2004)

*TLD Lopes Knee / Shin guards*

The best knee / shin pads I've tried are the Troy Lee Designs Lopes knee / shin guards. The inner pad can be worn for regular riding. When you get to more technical sections or for you FR sessions, you can add the outer shell. They fit great and stay in place when pedalling.


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

yangpei said:


> The best knee / shin pads I've tried are the Troy Lee Designs Lopes knee / shin guards. The inner pad can be worn for regular riding. When you get to more technical sections or for you FR sessions, you can add the outer shell. They fit great and stay in place when pedalling.


i didn't know the inner sleeve could be used by itself. I thought it was just a neoprene sleeve to hold the rest of it in place., Does it have padding, or multiple layers of neoprene? And how well do they stay in place?

Thanks


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

See I didn't know that second shot was of your shoulder!!! It was so big I didn't know what it was...? LOL You must have hit hard...

Thanks for shrinking the shots. When do you get your new pads?


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## stiingya (Apr 30, 2004)

Anyone use the 661 racelite armor? Just saw those and they look like they would be good to pedal with all day...?


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## CheeseSoda (Jan 8, 2007)

I have some 07(I think. Before they went white.) Rockgardn Landing Zone knee/shin armor. They aren't terrible at pedaling, but they certainly aren't "trail" pads. I would say:
8/10 comfort
7/10 pedaling
9.5/10 protection
I weigh about a buck fifty and I can literally jump onto my knees on asphalt and not feel a thing (the pads don't seem to care about it either).
After another season or two I plan on trying the Dainese 3x knee/shin guards. They have a 3 plate design that's supposed to offer really good articulation.

A riding buddy has the Fox Launch legs and he isn't very impressed with them. Iffy comfort, odd attachment hardware, etc.

That's one of the things that I have to mention about the Rockgardn stuff, is that it isn't coming off you. Lots of quality velcro, elastic, set-n-forget strap adjustments with no loose ends ever... They're solid.

Good luck on the hunt.


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## andy85 (Apr 27, 2009)

stiingya said:


> See I didn't know that second shot was of your shoulder!!! It was so big I didn't know what it was...? LOL You must have hit hard...
> 
> Thanks for shrinking the shots. When do you get your new pads?


yeah it was pretty hard.... i rolled 180degress onto the back of my right shoulder hahahha

i should get it in a few days... i'm from Australia so it should take a week or so hehehe but yeah from now on... minimum protective gear EVERYTIME i go out. Not worth sitting at home doing jack all waiting for my skin to heal....


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## yangpei (Apr 18, 2004)

stiingya said:


> i didn't know the inner sleeve could be used by itself. I thought it was just a neoprene sleeve to hold the rest of it in place., Does it have padding, or multiple layers of neoprene? And how well do they stay in place?
> 
> Thanks


The inner sleeve is made of neoprene, but it is decently thick. It stays in place pretty good. I usually overlap the thigh cuff of the bike short inner over the neoprene sleeve. It's designed so you can wear or for general riding and will provide some protection from falls / impact. The nice thing is that you can just strap on the outer shell when you need it. You don't have to take off your shoes or anything don or doff.


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## starry (Jun 9, 2009)

yangpei said:


> The best knee / shin pads I've tried are the Troy Lee Designs Lopes knee / shin guards. The inner pad can be worn for regular riding. When you get to more technical sections or for you FR sessions, you can add the outer shell. They fit great and stay in place when pedalling.


first time post, been lurking around (just a bit) for years. I'm pretty much a weekend warrior indulging in some single track around Boston here. Also love some downhill/all mountain in Vermont and NH.

So you're saying the Troys are good for pedaling? I'm not all that hardcore and i too (like original poster) would like to find knee/shin that are really good for pedaling, since i'm more all mountain than pure downhill. Looks like there are some other good pieces of advice in this thread. Any more are appreciated! thanks


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## ebarker9 (Jul 10, 2006)

POC Bone Leg Guard...definitely the best pedaling and protection I've encountered in a full-shin guard. A bit expensive, but they really are a fantastic design. The sliding knee joint prevents them from wanting to slide around at all as well as allowing completely uninhibited pedaling.


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## axolotl (Apr 24, 2008)

stiingya said:


> i didn't know the inner sleeve could be used by itself. I thought it was just a neoprene sleeve to hold the rest of it in place., Does it have padding, or multiple layers of neoprene? And how well do they stay in place?
> 
> Thanks


The inner sleeve like a light glove is for your hands. The only protection it will offer is saving a little skin. I would consider the inner sleeve useless by itself but to each his own


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

I really like the 661 Evo Knee and Shin guards, the ones with the d3o stuff in them. They are super comfy.


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## thefriar (Jan 23, 2008)

ebarker9 said:


> POC Bone Leg Guard...definitely the best pedaling and protection I've encountered in a full-shin guard. A bit expensive, but they really are a fantastic design. The sliding knee joint prevents them from wanting to slide around at all as well as allowing completely uninhibited pedaling.


The wife just picked up a pair and she loved them after a 1.5hour ride in 85F weather with 95% humidity... No chaffing or pedaling inhibition, I may get a pair to replace my Fox Launches.


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## TegRacer324 (Apr 23, 2009)

stiingya said:


> The TMKP Axo moto pads? Do they seem like the cover your shin enough? I tried some Fox moto knee shin and they were really short. It seemed like I only had half shin armor!


Moto shin armor is going to be short because it's supposed to be used with a moto boot which has shin armor on it.


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## santacruzchick (Jun 27, 2007)

*661 racelite*



stiingya said:


> Anyone use the 661 racelite armor? Just saw those and they look like they would be good to pedal with all day...?


I've used the racelite knee/shin combo armor for two seasons now. At first I really liked them and really liked the open back design. When it got hot I would just douse them with water before each ride and they were like a strap-on swamp cooler for my legs.
But. . the problem with these pads is that they protect you against the first blow and then get k nocked sideways and you still end up with bloody scrapes. Also- I could never keep them up while pedaling. It didn't seem to be such a big deal, I'd just p ull them up when I got ready to go downhill, but it was still annoying riding around with the knee cap part half way down my shin.


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

*661 4x4's are working out well*

My 661 4x4's are working out well, good coverage and dont seem to slide down in a wipe out as the shin part will hit your foot before the knee becomes exposed.

A rented set of cheap Fox strap type did take the main hit but slid down and I got some road rash.

Strap type are nice because you can easily take them on and off but they always seem to move around, the 661's stay put all day but taking them on and off on the trail would be a pain (sit down shoes off...) I got some good rides in when it was in the 90's and they heat did not seem any worse with the guards on but our local trails have good tree cover (I didnt take them off for lunch), I could see where lots of direct sun could be an issue in some places.

The pros are the sleeve stays stays in place, good coverage for trail riding, comfortable, seem sturdy enough after 4 months of almost daily use.

Cons would be you cant take them off and on very easily, they are a inclosed sleeve and black so sun could be an issue, I could see where a good slide through rocks would shred the outer mesh (not the pad or inner plastic) and the straps could rip off if you yank on them to much.

So far so good, saved me in a couple good crashes and many pedal strikes for under $50

Ray


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## tlcrouch355 (Aug 2, 2008)

Check out THE. Race BMX in them. Never know your wearing anything.


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## tvan (Nov 27, 2007)

I use the SixSixOne EVO, comfy but a bit warm.


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## summud (Jul 26, 2006)

*The Storm*

i would definitely check out the THE Storm knee/shin pads, they fit and pedal great and they aren't that hot. I live in Las Vegas and wear them all year round...


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## zephyr11 (Nov 8, 2007)

just to check, anyone has seen POC helmets around yet?
can't seem to get any info on them...


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## misuge (Apr 20, 2009)

those POC Bone Leg Guard look very promising, thanx for the tip!


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## ebarker9 (Jul 10, 2006)

I've seen a couple of brief reviews:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=5670491&postcount=33

http://www.mtnbikeriders.com/2009/04/13/poc-sports-cortex-full-face-helmet-review/

And they're available online a few places (competitive cyclist, hucknroll, etc).


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## zephyr11 (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^^^^^

thanks,

i'm actually lookin for their pisspot helmets...


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