# Knee but no elbow pads?



## rondre3000 (May 29, 2009)

Strange thing I've noticed among trail riders. Most wear knee pads but no elbow pads. What gives?

-R.


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## 1362 (Sep 12, 2010)

I wear elbow pads and no knee pads. I was told the other way is more common. Most riders in my area wear neither. Sure the types of terrain you ride will determine what your priority is to protect.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

I wear POC VPD 2 knee pads and recently added Fox Launch arm protection. I rode for years without armor but recently moved to BC and feel much better with it. Looking at the skin on my knees and elbows my knees have taken most of the abuse over the years. I had other elbow pads in he past but they just slid down after a few minutes so I never bothered until I cut my forearm open 10 days ago.


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## mtnbiker831 (Sep 19, 2011)

I wear knee pads (poc vpd2) and no elbow pads, when I fall I always hit my knees and usually bruised them pretty good from hitting the frame while ejecting or hitting the ground. They are also lower on the bike and can hit downed stumps etc more likely than elbows. Usually when I hit the ground, thankfully I get my hands out in front of me and elbow pads wouldn't have done anything for me.


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## kl3mn (Jun 26, 2014)

I always wear knee pads (IXS) and sometimes I'm without elbow pads, but most of the time I wear both. I would feel stupid to fall and hurt myself with pads in the backpack/car/bask home.

Otherwise, knees/legs usually take most of the impact, thats why people only wear knee pads.


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## Metamorphic (Apr 29, 2011)

Knees tend to take hard hits as well as scrapes. The elbows mostly just suffer the scrapes. Its pretty rare you hear of somebody actually injuring an elbow joint in a fall, but you can F your knee structurally pretty easy during a fall.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

I wear knee and elbow pads on almost every ride.

I've got full coverage ones that protect the forearm and shin area if I'm doing something particularly gnarly.

A friend of mine just had surgery to repair a shattered elbow. She was wearing knee pads, but not elbow pads.

I notice my knee pads far more than my elbow pads so it makes sense to me to wear both.


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

I wear knee but not elbow - for financial reasons. I would wear both if I could afford it at the moment. Next week perhaps? The hubby is going to kill me if I spend another cent on dh gear...

I scrape my elbow at times on berms when I misjudge my speed. I would break my knees, however, in rock gardens, on stumps, or on my frame. The knee pads won out.


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## kmj831 (Apr 4, 2014)

I trashed my elbow pretty good a few years ago crashing my moto bike into rocks. I had tried wearing elbow pads in the past, but there were always two problems; 1.) Most don't stay in place 2.) those that stay in place contribute to much worse arm pump. 

The older I get and the more injuries I recover from, the more interested I am in safety/protection and longevity! Makes sense to wear both on my MX bike, so I figure it makes sense on the MTB, especially with all the rocks and boulders everywhere here in AZ.

On the MX bike, the best solution is a compression top that incorporates elbow protection. Doesn't move, doesn't cause arm pump. 

I'm trying to figure out what to wear on my MTB now that I've bought one. Is arm pump much of an issue for any mountain bikers? I've not experienced it on my MTB, even on rougher sustained downhills, but I'm not that fast yet, either. Don't really want to wear a whole compression suit while peddling.


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

You are never going to get the best of both worlds (comfortable, breathable, hard core protection). You sacrifice something for the other. I like being able to throw my pads in my pack, ride up, throw them on for the downhill. The biggest concern isn't arm pump, but that you'll get really, really hot and sweaty which will make those pads uncomfortable and increase the chances of them slipping off when you need them most. I have a compression top but only wear it for dh/lift serviced terrain. When riding long distances, I usually go a bit slower and sans protection (arizona, captian ahab, etc.). I wear my protection when doing dh because it doesn't make sense not to. I'm pushing my limits on that terrain and the consequences for error are immense. On most other trails, I'm riding within my limits so as not to make a fun ride an epic one.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

kmj831 said:


> I trashed my elbow pretty good a few years ago crashing my moto bike into rocks. I had tried wearing elbow pads in the past, but there were always two problems; 1.) Most don't stay in place 2.) those that stay in place contribute to much worse arm pump.
> 
> The older I get and the more injuries I recover from, the more interested I am in safety/protection and longevity! Makes sense to wear both on my MX bike, so I figure it makes sense on the MTB, especially with all the rocks and boulders everywhere here in AZ.
> 
> ...


I don't get arm pump on my rides because I spend a lot more time climbing than coming down.

To get elbow pads to fit and stay in place I tried a few different pairs and then I bought a pair that was quite small. Too small to wear initially so I stretched them on some water bottles for a few days. After that they don't stretch with use and stay in place nicely.

In the past I've had elbow pads start okay, but stretch to the point where they'd start to slide down after a few weeks.


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## Tarekith (Mar 9, 2005)

I use knee more than elbow because years of skating vert ramps has it ingrained in me to fall on my knees. And I typically bang my knees on the top tube at the bike park more than anything.


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## Angryhalfling (Oct 8, 2011)

knee and elbow pads every ride, I can assure you both of them have absolutely saved me from significant harm on more than one occasion. Trail centre rider predominately here.


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## JL911 (Jun 17, 2014)

I wear knee pads since I've broken both my knees in the past. I have to keep them nice and protected. Elbows? Well I haven't broken them yet, so they need to be initiated into the world of pain before they earn the luxury of pads.


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## FastBanana (Aug 29, 2013)

Just knees 90% of the time, elbows when I am pushing it. I am covering in tattoos, so its more of a protecting my investment kinda thing. If I was a non-inkie I wouldn't wear armor.


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## nibby (Jul 20, 2011)

Knee only until my next outing.

Went out yesterday, come off on an easy bit of downhill that I probably couldn't do again if I tried!! Anyway, ended up with 8 stitches in right elbow and 1 in the other.

When healed I'm off to get some elbow pads 

Gutted as I had 4 days riding planned this week which will have to wait until healed


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## ymiller996 (Jul 1, 2013)

Raced the Enduro World series at Winter Park/Trestle about 1 month ago. During a delay I was sitting by the urgent care clinic for about 1 hour or so. Saw at least 5 guys go in holding their elbow. All had knee pads, but no elbow. Only other person thru the clinic door during that period was a girl who wrecked on the alpine slide, lots of rash.

Re-affirmed my choice to wear elbow/forearm pads, as did my crash on mtn goat - gave a tree the fore-arm shiver, don't recommend doing that without pads.


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## JayMac (May 11, 2009)

knee pads all the time for me. before when i would crash, my knees took a beating. i dont think i ever went down and injured an elbow other than some minor scratches.


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