Issue #053 RSS

Issue #053, Review -

Rapha Trail Knee Pad – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

Rapha was founded in London as a fashion-focused clothing brand for road cyclists. However, in 2021, the Brits have officially jumped on the MTB wagon. The aptly-named Trail Knee Pad is made of a stiff yet stretchy material with a removable insert. This is lined with SuperFabric, which is far more robust than the main sleeve material but still very thin and light.

Read more

Issue #053, Review -

POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

Swedish manufacturer POC is well known for its sleek, stylish yet functional sports clothing and protective gear. The Joint VPD 2.0 Knee is all of the above. POC’s multi-purpose knee pad is short and beefy and features a sewn-in, non-removable insert that wraps around the sides of the knee, thus offering the best lateral protection in the entire test field. Moreover, the chunky VPD insert is Level 2-certified, recording the best impact absorption qualities in our lab tests, measuring 8 kN residual force at 2.7 ms.

Read more

Issue #053, Review -

Pearl Izumi Elevate Knee Guard V1 – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

American cycling and outdoor gear manufacturer Pearl Izumi has its roots in the road bike sector but also offers a wide MTB-specific product range, including clothing, shoes and protectors. The Elevate V1 knee protector features a thin, stretchy sleeve material with light mesh at the rear. The front is reinforced with a thin plastic skid plate, which is meant to increase durability while at the same time improving the sliding qualities of the pads in the event of a crash.

Read more

Issue #053, Review -

Ortema GP5 – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

Ortema are German orthotics specialists who also offer a wide range of protectors for different sport disciplines, including ice hockey, ball sports and even motorcycling and mountain biking. The GP5 knee pad is Level 2 certified and offers one of the highest levels of protection in the entire test field, reading 13 kN at 3.4 ms on the lab monitors. At just 136 g, it’s also one of the lightest pads, while its € 89 price tag places it in the mid field of this test.

Read more

Issue #053, Review -

Leatt AirFlex Pro – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

South African protection specialist Leatt is well-known for designing and creating the neck brace back in 2003, a donut-shaped neck support also called the “Leatt brace”. Since then, the portfolio of the Cape Town based company has grown extensively, and now includes a massive range of MX- and MTB-specific clothing and protectors. The AirFlex Pro knee pad retails at € 89.99 and stands out from the crowd of knee pads for its distinctive design: unlike with the other models in this test, the insert isn’t integrated into the sleeve but sewn on top of it.

Read more

Tags