|
|
|
|
#1
10-09-2015, 01:09 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
MTB Protective Gear - Knee Guards?
Anyone use knee guards or other protective gear when riding a mountain bike? If so, can you speak to comfort? Currently, I use minimal protection, helmet and glasses, MTB shoes (5 10). May need to step my game up.
Why I ask. Tooling around in the woods yesterday coming down a minor descent. Bunny hopped a root in a slight corner and then tire slid as the ground was quite soft (from forest decomposition (duff)). My technique was good it kind of falls under "stuff happens". Fortunately, the same soft ground that washed out my tire, helped as I went down hard on my knee. Banged it right at the joint, ouch. Pain settled down in a couple minutes and slowly got up and continued my ride. If there was a rock there, I may have been crawling back some five miles. No major swelling and it feels good enough to go riding today, but it did get me thinking about additional protection. So what do you use? Last edited by George Ab; 10-09-2015 at 03:22 PM. 
|
|
#2
10-09-2015, 01:46 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
After another crash, just sliding out and cutting my right knee pretty severe, I decided I need to invest in a knee pad for cross country style cycling. I opted for the G Form knee pads. Its like a compression style with their own padding.
|
|
#3
10-09-2015, 05:12 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I use the RaceFace Ambush knee guards. The best feature is that the go on and come off without taking off your shoes. They're also relatively light weight and pretty comfortable. After a while, you forget you have them on. The D3O protective material they use in the Ambush pads is the same stuff used in the G-Form pads. It stays soft until impact, at which point it hardens. Pretty cool stuff.
http://www.raceface.com/guards/legs/ambush-knee/ I use the G-Form elbow pads as well. Super, super comfortable. They stay in place really well. I pretty much always use long finger gloves as well. I use a Troy Lee A1 helmet, except when doing downhills at lift-served parks, then I switch to a Giro full face helmet. Last edited by ofcounsel; 10-09-2015 at 08:35 PM.
|
|
#4
10-09-2015, 06:51 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I've always used 661 stuff. I've had a set of their evo knee pads for awhile now and like them a lot. They're hot, sweaty and therefore stinky. You also want to put them on before your shoes, but they've more than paid for themselves at this point. It takes a few rides before you break them in, but once you tough out the hot spots you don't even notice they're there. There is no loamy turf where I ride. Just lots of jagged and sharp rocks.
|
|
#5
10-09-2015, 07:36 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
yes, but only on lift days with minimal pedaling. i feel the straps dig in too much for xc stuff. maybe a sleeve type pad may be better in that regard, but then they'd also be that much hotter. also, i like a hard shell pad, not just foam. i figure if i hit something hard enough that i need the pad, the shell will do more than the foam. i use fox pads btw and apparently they've save my knees and shins from a lot cuz they're beat to hell. btw, the shin part of that equation is vital if you use pinned pedals.
|
|
#6
10-09-2015, 07:51 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I like the Dainese Trail Skins best.
http://www.dainese.com/us_en/trail-s...ard-19858.html Cheers, KP Last edited by Kirk Pacenti; 10-09-2015 at 07:58 PM.
|
|
#8
10-09-2015, 09:11 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Evs
the EVS stuff is pretty nice and certainly up to mountain biking. i like the lightweight Option Series knee and elbow pads. hardcore looks, decent quality, crazy reasonable price. pretty cool stuff. (the adult size is one-size fits most, but unless you are giant or monster, you should be okay.) my daughter has the kids size stuff as well and has had a really experience not getting bruised or sliced up. looks super sano, too.
i like the thin sport gloves a bunch as well--would like 'em better with a layer of padding in the palm but the gloves are way higher quality than the current garbage from Fox or Giro. Last edited by Villgaxx; 10-09-2015 at 09:13 PM. Reason: general incompetence
|
|
#9
10-10-2015, 01:22 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Thanks for posting the question
Quote:
|
|
#10
10-10-2015, 09:42 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
yes to protective gear
Quote:
the best thing about mountain biking is that you can armor up and not look nearly as stupid as you would on the road. we live near a world famous teaching hospital and after a bad crash by a resident a few years ago, all the folks from the hospital wear plenty of protective equipment. find some lightweight gear and use it consistently and you will probably be better off.
|
|
#11
10-10-2015, 10:41 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
That said I would highly recommend attending a skills camp. Some basic instruction on proper technique will go a long way to preventing crashes. If you have the means, BetterRide.net would be one of the best investments you can make in your riding. Cheers, KP Last edited by Kirk Pacenti; 10-10-2015 at 11:04 AM.
|
|
#12
10-10-2015, 11:47 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Best $80 a guy could spend. Next up? A new helmet with a face guard. After falling a half dozen times in the rocks, I was amazed I didn't knock a tooth out......
|
|
#13
10-10-2015, 01:45 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Skills camp
Quote:
I guess other safety equipment just needs to become a habit as well. It's easy to think about wearing it in highly technical or fast descents but that wouldn't have helped in my crashes.
|
 |
|
|
Linear Mode
