[jonKranked]

13 of the Best Lightweight Kneepads | Vital MTB Roundup

Looking for knee protection that won't get in the way of a long day of pedaling? Here are 13 of the best lightweight options; tested, rated, and ranked for your convenience.

www.vitalmtb.com

Their weaknesses surround the size/weight (which is a plus to me for all-day pedaling), the amount of padding (i havent had an issue yet where they didnt do their job), and the woven fabric (which I find to be super soft). I like them. Alot. But both Vital and RideMonkey's general opinion is to just get the 7iDP Sam Hills.

i'm just looking for something super comfy for pedalling, and those seem to be the best. i have heavier duty pads for when its warranted (POC VPD) but i need something on the opposite end of the spectrum for general trail riding purposes. my only question as this point is on sizing; they have you measure above and below knee for fitment. based on the above knee measurement i need th XL/2XL size, based on the below knee measurement i need the M/L size. dur furq.

 

[Nick]

I like Race Face Ambush d30 armor.
RF pros: knees can go on/off without removing shoes.
cons: all fabric and have been hung up on impact. These with a hard cap would be ideal

also I have a brand new in bag pair of RF Ambush arm pads in medium which don't fit I'd sell for cost, or trade for a pair in large.

 

[mykel]

I now have a few days on the Leatt Hybrid EXT knee/shin
I ended up with the XXL and they fit - oh joy!
Coverage is good, but the old Nukeproof critical was better, especially above the knee.
Overall they fit well and pretty much disappear after they foam warms up.
I do notice the back of the knee by the end of the day, but it is just starting to become noticable and left no mark. I figure this may fade as they break in as I don't notice it as much now as I did the first day.

Not yet been tested in anger.

I also have some RF Ambush arms that feel like they would slip, but so far have stayed in place, through the chunder every time, but again not tested in anger.

 

[Rhubarb]

bump.... anyone have experience with the TLD speed sleeves? knee versions only.

Yup. Bought a set of their knee pads a few months ago when I was looking for some Trail pads. I ordered and return numerous pads - IXS, POC etc. and just could get something with the right fit, while looking for a something that wasn't too bulky. To be honest I gave up and went with speed sleeve because it was the best fit, and I just gave up looking. They have been good for trail riding - pretty comfy, stay in place, but they are minimal protection. To be honest it seems like a lot of cash for such a little protection. Crashed twice but the impact was mostly below the sleeve, so not a fair representation of the protection they offer. I would say you would be looking mostly for protection against grazes, and less for impact. There is no protection on either side of the knee.

I was using the RF Ambush for everything before getting the TLD Sleeves for trail riding. The RF Ambush Knee pads are outstanding. Super comfy and stay in place. The fit is excellent with good adjustability. Even for trail riding they work well, just a little more bulky than I would like for this purpose.

I will start looking again for something that is like the sleeve for fit, but with a little more protection.

 

[Kanye West]

I'm surprised nobody has come up with an Enduro Specific combination of chamois/goochpad & kneepad.

I'm only semi-kidding about this. I'd probably buy it just so the kneepads wouldn't slide down.

It would also have the added benefit of potentially de-panting someone while they had a minor crash, escalating the event from "minor knee scrape" to "dick being dragged through the dirt".

 

[chris_f]

escalating the event from "minor knee scrape" to "dick being dragged through the dirt".

That's always a win if you ask me.

 

[Flo33]

You talking Dainese style bib shorts, aren't you Hacktastic? Guess different anatomical measurements could be a reason nobody wants that.

I'm on some TSG Tahoe Caps and had a pretty hefty dismount 2 weeks ago where a little rut/berm gave way under my front wheel sending me headfirst into the dirt. Broke the base bone structure of my left index finger, but knee pads where still in place.
There were other involuntary body to ground contacts this year and the pads never ever left there supposed position. Reason for me is the smooth cap sliding over the ground instead of the pad sliding on my legs.

 

[jonKranked]

I'm surprised nobody has come up with an Enduro Specific combination of chamois/goochpad & kneepad.

I'm only semi-kidding about this. I'd probably buy it just so the kneepads wouldn't slide down.

It would also have the added benefit of potentially de-panting someone while they had a minor crash, escalating the event from "minor knee scrape" to "dick being dragged through the dirt".

I think the closest you'll get is an enduro onesie

MT500 Waterproof Suit | EnduraSport

The MT500 Waterproof Suit is the do-it-all, foul-weather onesie with a smile on its face and serious tech at its heart. This one-piece all-mountain suit reminds you that the worst weather can deliver the best days.

www.endurasport.com

 

[Kanye West]

Enduro Romper?

 

[jstuhlman]

wish i'd been rocking my kneepads last week...maybe they should be for backcountry days as well as lift days

 

[Nick]

^^^
check tire pressure
lube chain
carve Slayer into arm kneecap
profit!

 

[jonKranked]

^^^
check tire pressure
lube chain
carve Slayer into arm kneecap
profit!

also who rides in khaki shorts?

 

[Sandro]

Just ordered a pair of IXS Carve Evo elbow pads yesterday, all the while wishing that they had a hard shell outside and were black. Found this this morning:

 

[kidwoo]

I have yet to buy an IXS knee or elbow pad that wasn't head and shoulders above anything else I've tried in terms of staying the fuck put when your ride and crash.

I just bought some shorter dagger knee pads for riding moto because the cleaver shin ones I have work so well.

I rarely use elbow pads but even the old carves I have work well. Good to know they're making something with a hard shell. Fabric pads are still dumb as shit.

 

[djjohnr]

I have a set of medium Carve elbow pads I only used once if anyone's interested.

 

[toodles]

13 of the Best Lightweight Kneepads | Vital MTB Roundup

Looking for knee protection that won't get in the way of a long day of pedaling? Here are 13 of the best lightweight options; tested, rated, and ranked for your convenience.

www.vitalmtb.com

Their weaknesses surround the size/weight (which is a plus to me for all-day pedaling), the amount of padding (i havent had an issue yet where they didnt do their job), and the woven fabric (which I find to be super soft). I like them. Alot. But both Vital and RideMonkey's general opinion is to just get the 7iDP Sam Hills.

My TLD Sleeves rub the hell out of my knees on any ride longer than an hour. I basically just use them for shuttles now.

I wish I'd stock piled the useless Fox knee warmer enduro pads before they changed them. Those things fit me so well and never rubbed. The new ones are craptastic.

 

[kidwoo]

Pedaling uphill in pads.....heeheee

 

[jonKranked]

I wish I'd stock piled the useless Fox knee warmer enduro pads before they changed them. Those things fit me so well and never rubbed. The new ones are craptastic.

The Enduro pros? Why the hell would they change them?

 

[Bikael Molton]

I didn’t know they still made elbow pads.

 

[StiHacka]

I didn’t know they still made elbow pads.

They call them epads now.

 

[ChrisRobin]

I'm still using G-form elbow pads. Elite for bike park days and the thinner style for trail/AM/enduro-style riding. They're mostly there to prevent tearing holes in my arms since I have tattoos.

For knees, Raceface Ambush for all riding. They're on the bulky side but you can still pedal around with them. I tried a set of those new Raceface Roam knee pads. They suck.

 

[Sandwich]

What's good out there for DH specific knee pads, maybe with a little shin protection?

 

[Sandwich]

I have yet to buy an IXS knee or elbow pad that wasn't head and shoulders above anything else I've tried in terms of staying the fuck put when your ride and crash.

I just bought some shorter dagger knee pads for riding moto because the cleaver shin ones I have work so well.

I rarely use elbow pads but even the old carves I have work well. Good to know they're making something with a hard shell. Fabric pads are still dumb as shit.

Are you on the cleaver full length pads? Do they stay up because of the length or because they're well made? Their mallets look a little bit shorter but offer good protection

 

[Loki87]

What's good out there for DH specific knee pads, maybe with a little shin protection?

Scott Grenade + Scott detachable shin guards

 

[Sandwich]

Fit true to size? Large fits largely?

 

[Loki87]

Fit true to size? Large fits largely?

Well, i´m not sure what baseline to go by to determine whether they´re true to size. I guess it´s not too far off at least, unlike a lot of others i´ve tried which seemed to run ridiculously small. There´s certainly quite a bit of room around the knee itself. I´m not 100% sure if you´re gonna run into problems with the openings though. I´m on size medium as a 78kg, 180cm guy if that´s worth anything. I consider myself of average athletic stature, so medium seems apropriate for me and they´re not particularly tight fitting. I would guess they´re not too bad for thicker thighs as well, as i tighten mine up as far as possible so there´s a bit of room to play with.
Protection and comfort are outstanding though. I put mine on and forget they´re there. Oh and they do not get smelly, at all.
That´s all for the old Grenades. The new Evos don´t seem much different though.
They were also the only pads i found which had the shin protection extend almost down to my ankles, which was a requirement after i flung up a huge boulder right onto my shin while wearing my old POC VPD 2.0 DH, which left a pretty big hole in it.

 

[kidwoo]

Are you on the cleaver full length pads? Do they stay up because of the length or because they're well made? Their mallets look a little bit shorter but offer good protection

I have both. Bought some mallets to ride moto with based on how awesome the cleavers have been biking. They stay up because they're intelligently made. They have little silicon strips on the inside that does the equivalent of sweaty neoprene and they just bend well. Still a huge fan. I will say however that I haven't ridden with the mallets mountainbiking. But the cleavers rule for that, and no shoes don't keep them up. They keep their own bad selves up.

 

[StiHacka]

What's good out there for DH specific knee pads, maybe with a little shin protection?

I like them Leatt shin+knee pads.