Fell down a bit of an embankment in Ballinastoe last weekend and landed my shin hard on a pointy rock. Sore and lots of blood. As I was lying there I thought again about pads.
Has anyone any recommendations for pads re: comfort/protection/sizing (when ordering off CRC)?
he already did a coaching session with me and to be honest it doesn't do any harm to wear pads if you are a relative beginner, Ballinastoe is a disgrace, actually its a disgrace and lethal regardless of your ability.
The problem with decent knee and shinpads is they are a pain to cycle in ..
I'm not expert on armour as I only wear the 661 Kneepads and thats only on extreme to the max stuff..
Personally i wouldn't recommend Ballinastoe for beginners or improvers these days..its so badly cut up and shortcuts all over the place that it requires a lot more skill than you think to get around it safely
Richie
For XC/Freeride I think the 661 Kyle Strait is the best compromise. You get used to them very quickly and hardly notice them after a while (and they keep your kneesies warm in the winter!). There is a sizing chart on the CRC site. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...x?ModelID=9590
+1 for 661 pads, they are comfortable and don't slip. Also, what I like about them is that they protect the sides of your knees not only the front. The only drawback is that they don't really protect the shin.
Ballinastoe is a disgrace, actually its a disgrace and lethal regardless of your ability.
Personally i wouldn't recommend Ballinastoe for beginners or improvers these days..its so badly cut up and shortcuts all over the place that it requires a lot more skill than you think to get around it safely
Richie
I didnt think it was too bad myself, no real continious fast sections, all broken up by rocks/roots, but i can certainly see how beginners/improvers could be put off and i have come across a bit of traffic on the trails at the weekends...
I wonder are Coilte aware and are going to do anything about it?
+1 for 661 pads, they are comfortable and don't slip. Also, what I like about them is that they protect the sides of your knees not only the front. The only drawback is that they don't really protect the shin.
I have the 611 pads also, and while they do offer good knee protection, one of them keeps slipping down after cycling for about 10 mins, so I find I need to pull them up before going downhill. Probably my own fault for having fat legs :) They are quite warm too (again, probably the fatness!)
Yes, I would have considered pads for somewhere like Ballinastoe OTT but I'd rather that than a gouged shin. The track itself is still grand - I just overshot a corner and had pulled up, but then lost my balance and fell down the small embankment with the bike nearly landing on me. I crash regularly - if you aint comin' off, you aint tryin' hard enough!
I use the Troy Lee Designs T Bones there similar to the 661 kyle straights but are a bit longer and offer a bit of shin protection. I love them and have been through a few pairs over the years. There very comfy and u can pedal no problem and they dont move around much.
personally the knee shin pads are overkill for xc but id have no problem running a set of t-bones or 661 straits, i do think the choice if you do a lot of xc is the 661 evo pads with the d3o stuff in em, usually soft but goes hard on impact, would be my suggestion for XC use bit pricier but stay in place, feel comfy most of the time and harden up when needed. just a bit more expensive than the other suggestions.
Fell down a bit of an embankment in Ballinastoe last weekend and landed my shin hard on a pointy rock. Sore and lots of blood. As I was lying there I thought again about pads.
Has anyone any recommendations for pads re: comfort/protection/sizing (when ordering off CRC)?
he already did a coaching session with me and to be honest it doesn't do any harm to wear pads if you are a relative beginner, Ballinastoe is a disgrace, actually its a disgrace and lethal regardless of your ability.
The problem with decent knee and shinpads is they are a pain to cycle in ..
I'm not expert on armour as I only wear the 661 Kneepads and thats only on extreme to the max stuff..
Personally i wouldn't recommend Ballinastoe for beginners or improvers these days..its so badly cut up and shortcuts all over the place that it requires a lot more skill than you think to get around it safely
Richie
For XC/Freeride I think the 661 Kyle Strait is the best compromise. You get used to them very quickly and hardly notice them after a while (and they keep your kneesies warm in the winter!). There is a sizing chart on the CRC site. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...x?ModelID=9590
+1 for 661 pads, they are comfortable and don't slip. Also, what I like about them is that they protect the sides of your knees not only the front. The only drawback is that they don't really protect the shin.
Ballinastoe is a disgrace, actually its a disgrace and lethal regardless of your ability.
Personally i wouldn't recommend Ballinastoe for beginners or improvers these days..its so badly cut up and shortcuts all over the place that it requires a lot more skill than you think to get around it safely
Richie
I didnt think it was too bad myself, no real continious fast sections, all broken up by rocks/roots, but i can certainly see how beginners/improvers could be put off and i have come across a bit of traffic on the trails at the weekends...
I wonder are Coilte aware and are going to do anything about it?
+1 for 661 pads, they are comfortable and don't slip. Also, what I like about them is that they protect the sides of your knees not only the front. The only drawback is that they don't really protect the shin.
I have the 611 pads also, and while they do offer good knee protection, one of them keeps slipping down after cycling for about 10 mins, so I find I need to pull them up before going downhill. Probably my own fault for having fat legs :) They are quite warm too (again, probably the fatness!)
Yes, I would have considered pads for somewhere like Ballinastoe OTT but I'd rather that than a gouged shin. The track itself is still grand - I just overshot a corner and had pulled up, but then lost my balance and fell down the small embankment with the bike nearly landing on me. I crash regularly - if you aint comin' off, you aint tryin' hard enough!
I use the Troy Lee Designs T Bones there similar to the 661 kyle straights but are a bit longer and offer a bit of shin protection. I love them and have been through a few pairs over the years. There very comfy and u can pedal no problem and they dont move around much.
personally the knee shin pads are overkill for xc but id have no problem running a set of t-bones or 661 straits, i do think the choice if you do a lot of xc is the 661 evo pads with the d3o stuff in em, usually soft but goes hard on impact, would be my suggestion for XC use bit pricier but stay in place, feel comfy most of the time and harden up when needed. just a bit more expensive than the other suggestions.