Oh, and they may not fit the best under all pairs of pants. That rubbing the knee feeling, I get earlier when its winter and I'm wearing my Endura Spray pants. The Trail knee pads use a sleeve design to hold the pads in place and house an 'active polymer' insert from Rheon Labs. This insert has non-Newtonian properties which means it's flexible when pedaling but stiffens upon impact. Designed to keep weight down the compression fit, the slip-on design fits higher on the thigh than most pads. An internal silicone strip keeps the pads from slipping down.

Closure or Slip-on: These are slip-on pads with a compression fit. It's critical to get the sizing right with these so you might need to try on a couple of different sizes to find the perfect fit. Cons: These pads rely upon a close compression fit to work properly, and there aren't any straps to make small adjustments. It's critical to get the sizing right with these so you might need to try on a couple of different sizes to find the perfect fit. I've tried the POC VPD Air, which I hated almost everything about. They're too short both above the knee and below, they stayed up poorly, and the gripper material at the thigh would cause chafing. The fit for me is really good, I put them on and forget about them, even on long rides, even on 90+ degree days. That's not to say they don't get hot, but I feel it's tolerable. And they do not slide down at all for me, which is key. I think the extra tall sleeve is the biggest reason for this. The combination of the comfortable and secure sleeve with flexible knee protection makes the Rapha Trail knee pads fit and forget even on long trail days. After many intense testing sessions, we never needed to hike them up after a big climb and a good flow of air through the insert helps keep them comfortable on the hottest of days. The pads are very slimline so there are no problems fitting them under the tightest race pants, yet the thin Rheon Labs insert has offered plenty of protection when we have needed it.The pad does extend quite a way up your thigh, and it's worth consulting their sizing chart, which was accurate for me. The grippers do a thorough job without leaving any marks or soreness on the skin.

As elbow pads hug the body closely and cover a lot of skin, they can feel hot – particularly if you are riding hard. Having spent some time in the Transition pad it was surprising to find the Sam Hill even more comfortable when first fitted. One could easily be forgiven for assuming that more padding would mean less comfort, but somehow 7iDP has managed to improve the fit over the previous, lower protection version. The pad forms a very well fitted bond around the knee, one that makes it very comfortable to pedal and ride in. The surrounding padding, which isn't removable, does a great job and locating and retaining the main pad. Who's this item for: These pads are perfect for general Trail riding and hardcore Enduro racing. The lightweight design is very pedal friendly but can also be relied upon to protect your knees and stay in place during those inevitable crashes.No matter the material used, all 6 of the options included here meet CE level 1 certification, which was originally designed for protective motorcycle apparel. The test involves a 5kg weight being dropped with a force of 50 joules onto the pad. The resulting force is measured, and the average of nine tests must be less than 35 kN, with no single impact greater than 50 kN. Essentially, seeking out pads with that certification helps make you're purchasing protection that will at least do something in the event of an impact, rather than just being knee warmers that'll help hold all the pieces together. VPD stands for ‘visco-elastic polymer dough’ a patented substance that is soft and pliable when you’re riding along but then stiffens under impact. The other trait of VPD is that it’s heat moldable, so put this pad on, ride for a bit and it’ll fit better. Developed with Sam Hill, these are for aggressive trail and enduro riders who seek a lightweight and protective set of knee pads. Protection level: These pads offer light to moderate protection and exceed the CE EN 1621-1:2012 Level 2 standards.

Another thing that impacts comfort is breathability and ventilation, which will be discussed later. Do you get hot wearing mountain bike knee pads? Protection) warrants all original 7iDP products for a period of one year to be free of any defects in workmanship or materials. The warranty does not extend to any damage experienced through crashing, misuse, abuse, negligence, poor fit, modification or alteration or if used other than in the manner intended.

Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)

Protection comes down to two things: coverage and the protective padding itself. The protective padding should encapsulate the entire knee cap, as that's why you are wearing the pads in the first place. The sleeves of the pads should also cover the areas both above and below the actual knee cap.