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Knee/shin guards

Verskis

Monkey
May 14, 2010
458
8
Tampere, Finland
What knee/shin guards would fit the following criteria:
-Stay on place (during riding and during crashing) even on skinny calves
-Do not chafe the back of the knee
-Offer some protection to the sides of the knee also

I don't mind the hotness of the pads, and I don't plan to do anything but DH with them, so they don't have to offer all-day pedaling comfort, I just want that they do not chafe the skin off the back of the knees.

After reading Kidwoo's review of the Lizardskins Softcell pads I am really interested in them, but could woo or anybody else using them give some advice on sizing? I am about 180.5 cm tall (that's 5'11" for all the people that do not understand international standard units) with shortish legs, pretty skinny calves but more athletic thighs. I've been using POC VPD kneepads in size medium (retiring those to trail bike and BMX duties only), and they've been a pretty good fit, snug in the thigh but slightly loose below the knee. Should I get S/M or L/XL? Probably the smaller size would be better?

Also the Alpinestars MOAB and Nukeproof Critical knee/shin guards look good, can anybody compare these two against the Lizardskins?
Or do you have any other suggestions?
 

boylagz

Monkey
Jul 12, 2011
558
61
SF bay area
Im currently on Fox Launch Pro knee pads. Best Ive ever used. Stays in place, outstanding coverage and not hot at all, even for the amount of padding it offers (good side coverage). If you want some shin pro get the Launch Pro knee/shin. Ive been on 661 Kyles, one of the 661 knee/shins, AStars SLC kevlar knees...

Good luck.
 

DMdh

Monkey
Oct 26, 2011
131
6
Galicia
Im currently on Fox Launch Pro knee pads. Best Ive ever used. Stays in place, outstanding coverage and not hot at all, even for the amount of padding it offers (good side coverage). If you want some shin pro get the Launch Pro knee/shin. Ive been on 661 Kyles, one of the 661 knee/shins, AStars SLC kevlar knees...

Good luck.
I have the fox launch pro too and they are perfect. Best Ive ever used.
 

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
The new Scott pads should be awesome. Basically like the TLD Tbones only with complete d3o material. SUper comfy, stay in place and offer side protection.
They are on the warmer side, though.
 

Verskis

Monkey
May 14, 2010
458
8
Tampere, Finland
The new Scott pads should be awesome. Basically like the TLD Tbones only with complete d3o material. SUper comfy, stay in place and offer side protection.
They are on the warmer side, though.
Too bad they offer only knee pads, not knee/shin. I am perfectly happy with my POC's for knee-only protective needs.

Those Fox knee/shin pads might be good also. Do they have hard plastic cup on the knee under the fabric cover?

I'm not sure if I want a hard plastic cup on the surface, or do I want the surface to be something softer. Hard cup is good for sliding when riding with shorts, but softer cups are gentler to long pants when crashing.
 
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Foxbat

Chimp
Aug 14, 2008
71
0
Portland OR
I tried a number of hard plastic faced knee/shin guards and had quite a bit of trouble finding something that would stay put in a crash (damn you TLD Brian Lopes pads!) and not chafe the backs of my knees. My friend recommended I try the Lizardskins Softcell pads and they fit the bill. Not too hot either for a day of shuttling in hot San Diego either.

As for sizing, my build is similar to your's and I tried both sizes and found the L/XL model provided the best coverage but the straps were a bit long. I took them to a local tailor to shorten the straps and they were perfect!
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
Pretty happy with my Kali Aazis 130s...They're really similar to the newer fox launch pros. They offer some side protection in key areas, but not a ton. Not a lot of pads do, but I typically haven't fallen sideways in my many years of riding, the impact is usually from face first sliding or knee impacts, so the light padding is sufficient. The kalis are very comfortable and surprisingly stay in place. I was kind of between sizes and kind of wish I went down in size, but I could barely pull those on.

They are sooooooooooo much more comfortable than my raceface/roach pads, it's like I wasn't wearing anything.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Verskis: I still love those lizard skins. I've had those things on for 12 hours at a time and have even left them on to stay warm one night to deal with a shuttle truck mess up. No sore spots, ever. They really are the most comfortable pads I've ever had that aren't useless when crashed on.

I understand why people like the launch ones but one seriously out of control ragdoll with side impacts and their weaknesses become apparent real quick like. Without sitting on top of your foot, those things have nothing keeping them in place. That rarely happens but when it does, you might as well be wearing nothing. And they don't protect the top of your knee very much because that little flap doesn't conform to a bent leg. The lizard skins aren't fantastic in that regard either but they're a lot better than most just because you get get them really attached to your leg.

If you and I were on the same continent I'd just mail you the pair of launches I have. I really don't like them. They're like wearing a sheet of stiff cardboard that only covers your shin.........with flimsy elastic for straps.
 
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Verskis

Monkey
May 14, 2010
458
8
Tampere, Finland
If you and I were on the same continent I'd just mail you the pair of launches I have. I really don't like them. They're like wearing a sheet of stiff cardboard that only covers your shin.........with flimsy elastic for straps.
Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn't want any useless stuff to collect dust :D

The Lizardskins are on the top of my list, I'd just like more info on the sizing. Which size do you have?
According to the sizing guide here http://www.xsportsprotective.com/lizard-skins-softcell-kneeshin.html
I would need the smaller size.

The local shops do not sell them. One Finnish store ( couple of hours away) sells them, but I can't be arsed to make the trip to try the pads.
 
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Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
Just to be clear:
Fox lunch:


Fox lunch pro:


people always mix em up and fox was super-smart by naming them exactly the same thing.
 

Deano

Monkey
Feb 14, 2011
233
0
the alpine stars moab do it for me, ticks all the boxes.

not cheap tho.

best knee/shin guards i have used.
 

Capricorn

Monkey
Jan 9, 2010
425
0
Cape Town, ZA
the alpine stars moab do it for me, ticks all the boxes.

not cheap tho.

best knee/shin guards i have used.
Agreed. but the OP might disagree with us when it comes to scrubbing the back of the leg. In the first edition of the Moabs, if you didnt line the velcro straps up just so, it would prickle your skin abit/alot.. I havent bought the subsequent releases, but can anyone confirm they've fixed that little bit of friction?

edit: they've fixed it. CHeck the calf strap width in the following pics.

2011 Moab:


2013 Moab:


That looks way more comfy than the chaff-trap on the first edition. and a bit cheaper too from CRC this time round.
 
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Feb 14, 2011
18
0
I have the moabs, I'm super skinny and none of the knee only neoprene type things stay on me in a crash; previously the only pad I've had that stay put was Dainese bibs which are a bit hot for pushing up in the local woods. The Moabs work really well, although if you run them with shorts they fill up with dirt through the gaps round the knee and so they are even more expensive as you need the knee socks things to go over them. Now I've spent the cash I'm really happy with them. The chafing thing mentioned above seems okay with me, but you do have to be careful on the old style how you set the straps.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
No mention of the Lopes guards in here? the OP was looking for a knee shin, those work for me, but I am old school and like a lower guard, lots of protection...but also love our shock dr/TLD guards for general trail shredding, shuttling.
If you guys have critiques on the Lopes guard, let me know here, looking to revise them with Brian soon.
 

MinorThreat

Turbo Monkey
Nov 15, 2005
1,630
41
Nine Mile Falls, WA

ICEBALL585

Bacontard
Sep 8, 2009
6,803
2,041
.:585:.
Been using the 661 race shin/knee for a few years. They've gotten the job done so far and still holding up well.



(I also have the 611 race elbow guards)
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
If you like the POC knees, you might like the Joint Knee/shin. They're hot as hell, but they're a loooong version of the knees.

I had a pair, but I felt they looked kinda funny, and they were, as I mentioned, hot as hell.
 

Foxbat

Chimp
Aug 14, 2008
71
0
Portland OR
So I dug up my Lizardskins from the garage and they are size L/XL. For reference I'm 5'10", 32" inseam with thighs much larger in proportion to my calves. The S/M size fit reasonably well, but I remember the L/XL lower shin guard provided better coverage.

No mention of the Lopes guards in here? the OP was looking for a knee shin, those work for me, but I am old school and like a lower guard, lots of protection...but also love our shock dr/TLD guards for general trail shredding, shuttling.
If you guys have critiques on the Lopes guard, let me know here, looking to revise them with Brian soon.
Thanks for pinging the community for feedback since I think knee/shin guards are probably one of the more difficult things to get right. I thought the TLD Brian Lopes model would work awesome but in spite of a snug fit, the neoprene knee sleeve would slide down my leg under impact leaving my kneecap unprotected. This really surprised me since they feel really secure trying them on but after a few good crashes I had to look for something else. Also, if you want to take them off before starting a climb back up the hill, they are not easy to get over shoes compared to guards that have more conventional straps.
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
I have the moabs, my experience has been much like other posters. They stay in place really great on my skinny bird calves. The leave the best dirt tan lines ever. The knee strap needs to positioned right it can irritate a little, i havent noticed it in a long time though. Pedaling mobility is excellent too, but just walking around feels odd in them. The buckles are a bit sticky to disconnect, but thats better than popping loose mid crash.

Ive had a lot of knee/ shin armor over the years, best so far.
The tld lopes guard left me high and dry too many times, used them for a few months and gave up after a bad wreck leaving my knee a bloody mess.
THE storms were very good. Didnt move, very comfy, good coverage. I did crack the knee cup, but they saved me from badness.

I have also had others, from dianesse and race face back in the day. Armor has gotten better over the years, that's for sure.
 
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buckoW

Turbo Monkey
Mar 1, 2007
3,777
4,699
Champery, Switzerland
Too bad they offer only knee pads, not knee/shin. I am perfectly happy with my POC's for knee-only protective needs.

Those Fox knee/shin pads might be good also. Do they have hard plastic cup on the knee under the fabric cover?

I'm not sure if I want a hard plastic cup on the surface, or do I want the surface to be something softer. Hard cup is good for sliding when riding with shorts, but softer cups are gentler to long pants when crashing.
There is a shin protector that attaches to the bottom of the knee pad on the Scotts.
 

Verskis

Monkey
May 14, 2010
458
8
Tampere, Finland
Verskis: I still love those lizard skins. I've had those things on for 12 hours at a time and have even left them on to stay warm one night to deal with a shuttle truck mess up. No sore spots, ever. They really are the most comfortable pads I've ever had that aren't useless when crashed on.
I finally got the first ride with the Lizard skins pads and I am impressed. They fit really snugly but are still comfortable, only very slight discomfort on the back of the knee that might be because of the stiffness of the new pads. I even crash tested them with a lowsider crash and they stayed put really well. It was just a minor crash, but some of the worse pads could have been slipping and rotating around the leg on that type of sliding on the ground. What surprised me is how airy they feel, I could feel the breeze inside the pads when cruising around. The mesh construction really works, the legs are still sweaty but much less than in some neoprene type pads.
The only things to criticize is the stiffness of the pad when bending the knee into an extreme angle, and the slight lack of coverage between the knee cup and the shin guard. There's only a thin layer of soft material on that spot, but luckily the knee cup seems to sit pretty low when the pads have found their place on the leg, almost overlapping the shin guard, but if you are diving into a sharp rocks with a bent knee, the area between the plastic hard shells could get pierced if you are really unlucky.
Overall I'm really satisfied with them, and they were really cheap as an added bonus!
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
No mention of the Lopes guards in here? the OP was looking for a knee shin, those work for me, but I am old school and like a lower guard, lots of protection...but also love our shock dr/TLD guards for general trail shredding, shuttling.
If you guys have critiques on the Lopes guard, let me know here, looking to revise them with Brian soon.
I hadn't noticed this comment.

I've got some Lopes and like them. I'd critique the velcro attachment of the shell to the knee sleeve. They work "okay", until you crash. An impact from the side or from above the knee allows the cap to peel back and become useless.

I like the knee sleeve, two-component system, but maybe a strap around the thigh would be better. That, or an over-sleeve like you see minnaar use over his Moabs.

this is sounding complicated...
 

Tomasis

Monkey
Feb 26, 2003
681
0
Scotland
I got Scott knee pads. Digging them!

I didnt use any strapping and L size fits snugly on my legs. Those got very warm easily in pants. Probably due lots of padding around though I will not fear use those on DH tracks except the most extreme ones.

I might make a review on scott guard stuffs when time comes.
 

intensified

Monkey
Mar 31, 2004
519
6
Canton,Ma
them vpd bones are killer pads, i just used mine today for the first time and pretty impressed with them. the moabs were my second pic, but I really wanted to protect the entire shin poc gets it done.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
The only things to criticize is the stiffness of the pad when bending the knee into an extreme angle, and the slight lack of coverage between the knee cup and the shin guard. There's only a thin layer of soft material on that spot, but luckily the knee cup seems to sit pretty low when the pads have found their place on the leg, almost overlapping the shin guard, but if you are diving into a sharp rocks with a bent knee, the area between the plastic hard shells could get pierced if you are really unlucky.
Hasn't happened to me yet. I've eaten shlt pretty hard on those things too. :D

There's not 'pedal pads' but they also aren't useless like most of the ones that are. Still rockin 'em myself until I find something better.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
I've been rocking the Leatt hardshell knee/shin's lately. I really like them. I think I like them more than my POC VPD bones stuff actually. Their upper body armor is better too.
 

juanbeegas

Monkey
May 6, 2008
355
2
Singapore
Kidwoo, have you ever had THE Storm knee/shins? If you have, how would you compare the Lizard Skins, in terms of fit and comfort? I'm really skinny and come from a country with really high humidity and heat.
 
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kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Kidwoo, have you ever had THE Storm knee/shins? If you have, how would you compare the Lizard Skins, in terms of fit and comfort? I'm really skinny and come from a country with really high humidity and heat.
I had two sets of those before getting the lizard things. They're pretty damn good. The top section is a little hokey and never felt solidly attached to my knee but after stuffing them a few times, I learned to trust them.

They're nowhere near as solid as the lizard skins though. I haven't had those budge at all. I only bought the LS pads because I couldn't find another pair of T.H.E. storms (dumbass me left them in the woods one day). I wouldn't buy another pair though after these.

Heat and humidity seem like they're only a factor when you've got them on a long time (we talking dh descents here or you want to pedal in them?). The lizard skins are surprisingly well ventilated when you're moving. I'd say they're definitely hotter than the storms if you're wearing them for more than that.
 

davet

Monkey
Jun 24, 2004
551
3
No mention of the Lopes guards in here? the OP was looking for a knee shin, those work for me, but I am old school and like a lower guard, lots of protection...but also love our shock dr/TLD guards for general trail shredding, shuttling.
If you guys have critiques on the Lopes guard, let me know here, looking to revise them with Brian soon.
I like the Lopes pads, very comfy. I use the knee sleeves for xc naunts some days. My only real complaint would be that in a hard impact the section between the knee and shin tears and separates. I've had this happen on 2 pairs.
 

juanbeegas

Monkey
May 6, 2008
355
2
Singapore
Heat and humidity seem like they're only a factor when you've got them on a long time (we talking dh descents here or you want to pedal in them?). The lizard skins are surprisingly well ventilated when you're moving. I'd say they're definitely hotter than the storms if you're wearing them for more than that.
Unfortunately, there are no shuttles where I'm from and any little "DH" we have, involves tons of pedalling to get to.
Yeah, those Storms are getting harder and harder to find. I'm almost at the end of the life of my second set and I'm just looking at alternatives. I'm not exactly the fastest, or do I go really big, so the Storms have kept me together quite well over the years.

*Edit - THE does have an online store, but after shipping, it makes it a lot more expensive than when a certain online retailer had them.
http://store.the-industries.com/c/protection_f1-storm_f1-storm-slip-on-knee-shin-guard
Maybe it'd be cheaper for you guys in America.
 
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Verskis

Monkey
May 14, 2010
458
8
Tampere, Finland
Hasn't happened to me yet. I've eaten shlt pretty hard on those things too. :D
Yeah, that is probably pretty unlikely, but I was thinking about the worst case scenario. It is possible though.

There's not 'pedal pads' but they also aren't useless like most of the ones that are. Still rockin 'em myself until I find something better.
I agree on that as well. They're not uncomfortable to pedal on DH sprints, but I won't go trail riding with them, I have the old style POC Joints for that. By the way, the Joints are not useless at all, I just wanted to add some shin protection.

The lizard skins are surprisingly well ventilated when you're moving.
Yep, the best ventilated pads I have had.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
Pretty happy with my Kali Aazis 130s...
just an update here, my original ones broke unexpectedly (the kneecap cracked without impact) so my LBS (JRA Cycles is awesome) replaced them free of charge. They also let me grab a set of mediums as a replacement, which are friggin perfect. They fit perfect, are super comfortable, and breathe relatively well. Definitely a good option if you like the kneepad style but want a bit more protection for your shins.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I have been wanting to try out the Lopes for a while now, but the velcro attachment has kep me away. I was thinking if the sleeve had a sewn in slim insert that the shell pad could "CLICK" into, it would be perfect.

There are these one sided "CLICK" attachments for the rainfly on my Sierra Designs tent that I think would be perfect for the application. Know what I'm talking about Stik?