[SthFRider]

Im looking at getting some new leg armor aka. knee/shin guards. I have the TLD Lopes pads right now and they are okay but they are a little past their prime now. Im trying to decide which route to go. I really like the TLD Knee sock design. So i have been looking at the 661 Race Skin/knee that Peaty wears. I have also been looking at the Race Face Rally DH pads. Does anyone have any experience with either the Race or Rally pads? Is there another pad out there i should check out. Any help would be great. Cheers

 

[DamienD]

i hear 661 makes good stuff

 

[kOlsen]

Check out the POC

 

[gemini2k]

I'd stay away from the race face stuff. doesn't seem to breathe well and tends to move. the knee joint has really weird articulation to it IMO. If you want an integrated knee/shin i'd go with the fox launch stuff. I've tried everything under the sun (I have a launch, race face, and 661 race sitting at home among others). Personally I just go with knee only now. Much more comfotable and better knee protection that way. The launches would be perfect if they had a little more knee padding, and if the straps weren't so F-ing long (same with 661 stuff). Christ, I'm 6'7" 210lbs and the smalls are too fat for me. I'd literally need to have legs that were 2-3 inches bigger in circumference for the stuff to fit right. And for the straps are designed to accommadate legs up to about 10 inches wider around (srsly) than mine, at the expense of normally sized legs.

 

[John Jameson]

I have had great performance out of my 661 pads (Strait/Veggie shins), but very poor experiences with my Rally dh arm/elbow pads. I feel like the ****ing Tinman in those things. Uncomfortable, zero breathability, awkward feel. I know you are looking at the knee guards, just saying. Granted, they are the Roach Rally ones from '08 I believe so maybe they have stepped it up since then.

 

[ekimox]

To each their own but I've had great experience with the RaceFace Rally Elbow and DH leg armor. I'll agree that they get pretty warm but mine stay put all day in Whistler and have saved my ass more than once in some hard smashes. I wash them all the time and they've held up great for two long seasons. Just my 2 cents.

 

[cecil]

the 661 are good, i have crashed and they did not slide down below my knee, they dont get stanky either

 

[Tracer Tong]

I like the race face stuff a lot as well.

 

[cowman]

i had the race face knee shins a while back... every time i fell they would slide, twist or fold over. just not for me. i'm on the tld t-bones now. they feel great and never move when i fall and they offer more protection than the 661 kyle straight pad.

 

[cowman]

also, i'm much more impressed with the tld's quality. the 661 knee pads fell apart much quicker

 

[nelsonjm]

Raceface/roach rally is tried and true in my book. It has certainly saved my knees from destruction. The downsides of these pads (or at least the older style) are the quality issues, and while fairly comfortable, they can rub the joint in your leg.

Check out POC armor if you have not already... I have not tried it so I cannot comment on how great it is, just that they caught my interest enough to have someone snag me a pair for the holidays.

 

[Dynamatt]

You might want to look out for the 2010 Rockgardn knee shins. Extremely comfortable and much better priced than the 661 or POC. But it wont be available till January 2010

 

[seespotendo]

I use the Lizard Skinz knee shin combo. They are really quality and get the job done. I believe they are cheaper then the others, they are priced just under 70 bucks.

I usually prefer these over the tld lopes i also own.

 

[SthFRider]

Well just found a screamin deal on the 661 race knee/shin for 35 bucks. Couldn't pass that up. I'll post up what i think when i get them. Thanks for all the input

 

[Pebble]

I've had my Race Face FR knee shins for a few years now, I'm impressed with their build quality (I widened the holes in the foam inside for better ventilation and noghing came apart!!!). They are a bit hot but they are comfy to pedal in when I use them for more than just DH.
I must say I'm thinking of replacing them soon and was thinking of going to something like the TLD T-Bones.
I did try fox launch pads but they rubbed the hell just above the knee (harsh stitching or something) and the stitching in the straps came apart very easily (they were returned under warranty). But yes compared to the Race Faces they do ventilate a lot better and they do "look" slimmer.
Only others I've had was 661 veggie knees or something like that but the hole behind the knee irritated me (used them for XC pretty much) and they also did slip down.

In summary for full knee shins I'm happy to stick with Race Face otherwise Poc does sound interesting in their designs.

 

[bizutch]

I still say the Troy Lee Combat guards (MTB not moto) are some of the lightest, most breathable and most comfortable available. Going on 4 years and still love 'em. Never once had a blister or rash from them either and the knee cap stays up. And tons of protection from big hits or small.

They also come in LONG and SHORT. I'm 5'10" with short legs and the SHORT are perfect coverage. The 661's and others extend too far down for my liking.
Here's a pic of the long:

And short:

 

[bizutch]

Also, if you look closely at the knee strap, you'll notice a second strap under the adjustable one and also the same at the thigh strap. It's a thin, wide, very soft strap of neoprene that lets the adjustable harness straps ride on them without eating into your skin. Plus, you can take them off without taking your shoes off. I hate that about my 661 Straits. You can strap these to your pack and do a big long climb, not feel the weight and not have to pull your shoes off to armor up at the top.