The suspension travel is getting longer and longer, the tours more demanding and the risk of falling correspondingly greater. Until now, normal bikers have shied away from the brute appearance and, above all, the weight of classic hard-shell protectors. The alternative is soft protectors. Weighing between 300 and around 600 grams and with a small pack size, they fit in any touring rucksack, can be put on quickly before setting off and are hardly a nuisance even on short intermediate climbs. At the same time, they are by no means just token protection. Most manufacturers rely on a soft foam protector (e.g. D3O or SAS-Tec), which hardens at lightning speed in the event of an impact and effectively absorbs shocks.
You can find these soft protectors in the BIKE test:
Alpinestars Alps Kevlar, 59,95 Euro
BlissARG Knee Pad, 89.90 Euro
BluegrassBobcat D3O, 109.95 euros
IXSFlow, 75,95 Euro
O'NealGreg Minnaar, 89.90 euros
POCVPD 2.0, 119.95 euros
Race FaceAmbush, 79.90 euros
SixSixOne Evo Knee, 99.90 euros
We tested all the pads in the Leogang Bike Park for their downhill qualities and during a trail tour for pedalling suitability and comfort.
You can download the test results free of charge as a PDF below.
BIKE is also available as a digital edition.
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
