There&#;s a knee pad for every kind of mountain biker, and there are a lot of different kinds of mountain bikers. Kneepads can benefit everyone from hardcore cross country racers, to shuttle-only gravity riders. So to find the best knee pad for you, it&#;s helpful to figure out when you&#;re going to be wearing it, to help determine what you need it to do. Here&#;s our breakdown of the most common mountain bike disciplines, and what features to look for in a knee pad for each.
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While cross country riders might not be hitting the same big jumps and drops of some other disciplines, they&#;re still traveling fast through rocks and trees, and the consequences of slamming a knee are just as dire. For most XC riders, a low-profile foam or D30 knee pad, without straps, is the way to go. This style of pad will be unobtrusive until they need it. They pedal well, don&#;t get in the way, and offer some protection. The key is finding a pad that you can wear all day, both up and downhill.
The definition of &#;trail&#; is a broad spectrum that represents a lot of different takes on mountain biking. So it&#;s a good idea to establish where in that spectrum you sit. Are you going out to chase long, fast days in the saddle, relishing the ups as much as the downs? Then look for a low profile foam or D30 pad that fits well, breathes well, and doesn&#;t rub. If your &#;trail&#; riding falls closer to the &#;I don&#;t race enduros but they look really fun&#; side of the spectrum, it&#;s not a bad idea to go with something a little beefier. There are plenty of pads out there that split this difference, they feature a little extra padding over minimal style pads, and a plastic shell, but are still low profile, and comfortable to pedal in, without going the full hot and heavy gravity pad route.
While Enduro was originally just a race format, it&#;s evolved into a whole style of riding. If you put up with the uphills in order to savour the rowdiest downs you can pedal to, these are the pads for you. For enduro riders, protection, and ease of changing out the pads trumps everything else. It&#;s not really that important that the pad pedal that well, you can always just take them off and put them in your pack for longer transfers, or just push them down around your ankles for shorter pedaling stints. So look for a pad with good protection, and a hard shell. It should also have protection around the inside of the knees to protect them from frame strikes. And then make sure it&#;s easy to get on and off without taking your riding shoes off. That will make it much easier to change into and out of the pad between stages and transfers.
Finally, for pure gravity riders, your kneepad needs are simple. It&#;s all about protection. If you&#;re riding lifts or shuttling, it&#;s not very important to have a pad that pedals well, instead you&#;re looking for something that will stay put and keep you safe through high-speed crashes. It&#;s all about coverage. Look for something with good shin and knee coverage and a plastic shell that fits you well.
Do you want to protect your knees while mountain biking? Well, you're going to need a set of knee pads. We spent months testing some of the most intriguing options available. Our findings are compiled in our Best Mountain Bike Knee Pads Review, but first, you'll want to determine what kind of pad you should be looking for based on what kind of rider you are or want to be.
Knee pads come in all shapes and sizes. The Troy Lee Designs Knee Sleeve are geared towards longer rides with loads of pedaling.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
A critical step in identifying the right knee pads is to determine your riding style. To be sure, this isn't the kind of riding that you want to be doing, it is your most frequent style of riding. This cannot be stressed enough. Does the majority of your riding involve long-grueling climbs? If that is the case, pedal-friendliness is critical. Perhaps you shuttle up the mountains more frequently than you pedal. If that is your jam, look towards our more protective options.
Trail-riding is a very, very broad categorization. The term trail-riding can mean many different things to many different people. For example, ask a downhill racer what trail riding means, and they may define trail riding/trail bikes one way while a cross-country racer may have an entirely different opinion. As a result, we have broken the category down into some sub-categories to help make sense of it.
The G-Form Pro X2 are light duty pads that offer a nice dose of protection.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Light duty trail riding can be defined as riding singletrack trails absent of substantial rock gardens or roots. The light-duty trail rider might love big climbs and getting the heart pumping hard but has a strong preference for flowy and fast descents absent of a substantial amount of obstacles.
This rider may be on a short-travel bike with 110-130mm of travel and leans towards the cross-country side of the spectrum. Pedal-friendliness will be a critical attribute for this rider. We suggest looking towards knee pads that offer minimal amounts of protection but emphasize unrestricted pedal motion and low weight. These knee pads still have some padding, but outright protection isn't the top priority. Look for knee pads that are slim, light, and airy. If you see a lot of bulk and mass, those knee pads will likely be overkill for this riding style.
Mid-aggressive trail riding can be defined as riding whatever is put in front of you. This riding style is fairly versatile and can include big climbs, rowdy and rocky descents, and tough trails. This rider likes to ride almost everything and has no qualms with steep trails with loads of rocks and roots.
This riding style may be found on a mid-travel or aggressive trail bike with 130-150mm of travel and has a desire to push the limits and go fast. We have tested quite a few knee pads that slot into this category. They are quite versatile and can handle a healthy dose of pedaling and climbing while offering substantial amounts of protection. We suggest looking for knee pads that retain nice amounts of breathability and a reasonable weight. In terms of protection, a sizeable armor patch is desirable, as is some auxiliary protection on the inside and outside of the knees. You will want to avoid too much bulk as this will be a hindrance on longer rides.
Enduro riding is all about descending. Sure, you still need to get to the top of the climb, but that isn't a primary concern. Enduro riders are mostly concerned with charging down rough terrain fast and might fancy a few jumps along the way. This is still technically trail riding, but these riders are gravity-fiends and might use shuttles to get to the top of the mountain.
This rider probably has a burly bicycle with 150+ mm of travel and is not concerned in the least about being the fastest on the climb. This rider cares more about protection instead of weight or airflow. It is quite easy to identify these bruising knee pads &#; look for lots of armor and padding. Heavier weights often correlate with enhanced protection.
Enduro/gravity riders will love the 7Protection Project Knee.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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Everyone's body is different. As a result, sizing can be a difficult thing. Even if you wear large t-shirts and shorts, you may not necessarily wear a large knee pad. Your legs may be bigger or smaller than other portions of your body. While it is easier said than done, we highly recommend trying pads on before slapping down the credit card. Of course, this isn't always possible.
We found knee pad sizing to run a little smaller than one would expect. Our testers both wear size 32-waist pants and typically wear sized medium shorts and shirts. That said, all of our test pads were size large, and that was the right size. Medium knee pads are much smaller than you might think.
A proper fit is critical with knee pads.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
If you can't try your pads on before pulling the trigger, we strongly recommend evaluating the sizing charts on the manufacturer's websites. A soft and bendable tape measure is the only tool you need to get your measurements and make an educated purchase decision.
The aforementioned riding styles are a critical consideration when evaluating knee pads. Finding the pad to match your idea of fun on a bicycle is by far the most important aspect. That said, there are some other considerations.
Style is an important consideration when choosing knee pads. It is a very personal decision because, as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Some of our minimalist options have a very slender look to them. They almost appear to be more of a thin sock that covers the knee. Other pads have quite a bit of bulk. The way the exterior of the armor looks can vary greatly. Many pads have a tough fabric covering, while others have a plastic-like appearance.
Overall sleeve length can be a critical consideration as well. A short knee sleeve can be a bit more breathable but can also lead to the dreaded pad gap. Pad gap is a bit of a faux pas in many circles and occurs when there is a space between the bottom of your shorts and the top of the knee pad sleeve.
Some pads can be put on and taken off over a pair of shoes. Others require you to remove your shoes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Durability is another key consideration with knee pads. Nobody wants to have to replace their pads every time they crash because of a big hole.
The super-light sleeve design found on our light-duty options tends to be, no surprise, the least durable. In the reviews, we point out that they are best suited for experienced and skilled riders who won't crash often. We could easily see these pads getting thrashed by one single high-speed crash.
Pads with harder plastic knee protection will withstand abuse more effectively. The plastic exterior can take few different forms. Some knee pads have a very hard cap-like plastic over the knee &#; these are fairly bombproof when being dragged across rocks. Other knee pads use a more pliable rubbery material that is far softer and more flexible.
Price is an obvious consideration when selecting knee pads. Mountain biking is an expensive sport, and it is nice to save some cash where you can. The knee pads in our test come at a wide range of prices. Often, you get what you pay for, with price equating to more high-quality construction, superior protection, and high projected durability. On the inexpensive end of the spectrum, light and simple options won't likely survive many crashes without ripping or tearing. As is often the case, there is a sweet spot in between the expensive and affordable options.
Buying the right pair of knee pads will have you pedaling up for an extra lap on the gnar.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We spent countless hours riding, analyzing, and agonizing over these knee pads. Our goal is to assist you in your journey to find the best option for you, your style of riding, and your budget. Our best piece of advice is to be totally honest with yourself about your needs. This will provide a lens from which to view this information and should help narrow down the search.
If this is your bag, we recommend the burlier, gravity-focused, pads.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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