[wood booger]

Anyone use both/either?

Kali pads look like they could be hot in summer time.

More AM pedally use, not full blown lift assist DH runs. I need to be able to wear/ride in them for 3-4 hrs.

Currently have some 661 EVOs which work decent and are comfortable but seemed to fall apart in less than a year (stitching, webbing, you name it). Not worth the $ for me.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

i have some lizard sking knee-shin guards that have been awesome. very protective, have done 30 mile dh runs, and 20 miles of flat riding in the desert heat with not much problems.
they hold up really well too after more than 1 year of use...

fox quality has not been that great lately. comparing my fox launch suit to my lizard skins knee guards, i´d have to say i see more attention to manufacturing detail and design with th elizard skins

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

Been rockin some Launch Pros for a couple months now. Excellent fit, and they stay put. I've looked at the Kali's and they remind me of Straits. (Like, they're from the same sweatshop.) Fox's are for sure my favorite compared to Straits. I shredded those in a minor crash but the Foxes have been tougher.

Yeah, I crash a little...

 

[Sandwich]

I like the look of the Kali Vaza knee shin, but I've heard 90% good things about the foxes...plus, from the sound of it, you could get two foxes for one kali...

 

[bizutch]

Kali are virtually identical to Straits. Any difference is minimal. I have both.

 

[Jason4]

I just changed from a pair of 661 Straits to the Fox Launch Pros. I only have one weekend on the Fox pads but so far they seem to stay in place better. The knee cup seems to stick out further when my leg is straight but I'm happy with the overall fit. I'm kind of a sally so I don't crash very often but they both seem like they'll have the same amount of protection in a crash. The Fox pads have a strip of silicone across the back of the top strap that I didn't even notice until I took them off and then realized that it is probably the reason that they stayed up so well.

 

[mattmatt86]

I have the Fox's and I really like them however I wear them for DH. I probably would never wear them for any significant amount of pedaling as they are still pretty bulky. Sure I wear them for 3-4 hours at a time while at lift assisted resorts but 3-4 hours in the saddle is another thing.

 

[mandown]

If you are looking for knee/shin hardshell, I can't say enough good things about the POC Bone. You can strap em on without stepping in, and then leave the thigh strap undone for pedaling sections, and strap em down for the rough. They pedal nicely.

I'd also been considering the Race Face Flank:

 

[Sandwich]

those look cool. I dig the POCs but they are wildly expensive and I've even heard issues with THEIR stitching...

I dig those RFs but I have a set of the roach style ones and the quality kind of borks on them. I would have to think twice and see them in person before ordering a pair.

 

[mandown]

those look cool. I dig the POCs but they are wildly expensive and I've even heard issues with THEIR stitching...

I dig those RFs but I have a set of the roach style ones and the quality kind of borks on them. I would have to think twice and see them in person before ordering a pair.

I've started to notice some fraying on the stitching through the hardshell sections. I'm going to lay down some glue to stop things from getting out of hand.

 

[wood booger]

Didn't have the Kali pads in my size to even try on, so Fox Launch Pros it is. They feel pretty damn good pedaling around and the price was good.

Torture testing to be done @ Mt. Shasta and Mt. Ashland starting tomorrow.
I really seem to like crashing on the Shasta trail (it's a shuttle), so that should test the durability. Ashland will involve some much more riding, hopefully the knees don't get chapped.

 

[Sandwich]

let us (me) know how it goes! I'd like to get some fox lunches or those race farce ones by the end of the season.

 

[wood booger]

let us (me) know how it goes! I'd like to get some fox lunches or those race farce ones by the end of the season.

will do.

Hopefully get some good helmet cam to post up as well.

 

[wood booger]

Fox Launch Pro pads get the thumbs up!

Mt. Shasta was snowed in (or out), so we couldn't ride there. But made up for it @ Mt. Ashland; roughly 84 miles and 30,000 feet of sick single track descending over 3 days. Flowy trail, steep chutes, big booters, and a few rock gardens all in the mix.

Pads were comfortable to ride in (600 foot climb each run) and they stayed put when hitting the ground. Once they were on and settled, no slipping down. I have the small/mediums and they were almost a bit snug on the thigh, the strap could have been a bit longer (only about 1/4" of velcro was connected). They are pretty hard to get on over shoes, but it can be done. They fit so well it is hard to get them off at the end of the day, they were suction cupped to my knees!

I feel like they offered more protection than the 661 EVO's, and were not as bulky on the sides. Big open gap behind the knee was nice for pedaling.

Good knee pads that you can do AM type rides with.

 

[Sandwich]

cool dude, thanks for the feedback. Foxes are cheap, and I'd rather not run a "soft" guard no matter how "smart" it is. That simple plastic cap is lightweight protection and good way of dissipating a blow to a much larger area. My concern has always been slippage and grindage on the knee...my race faces don't slide down but they don't cover the top of the knee either.

 

[Jason4]

I have 3 more days of lift riding on my Launch pros for a total of 5 days now. It's all been at Whistler and fortunately I haven't had a hard fall on them yet. I noticed that the material on the back of the calf on the right pad is stretched out, the binding on the edge of the cut out has come off, and the perforated holes in the material are tearing when I was packing my stuff up for the weekend. None of this seemed to make any difference in the way the pads felt but I'm going to see if I can exchange them. It seems like this is probably just an unlucky fluke to see something like this after just a couple days of riding.

Other than that issue I've been very happy with the way they fit and feel compared to the 661 Straits that I also have.