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knee protection - recommendations?

NoobCorpse

NoobCorpse

Active member
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Location
San Jose, CA
Moto(s)
red and orange
sorry if this should go in riding gear, but I wanted dirt-specific recommendations.


I had a nice get-off about 3 months ago and came down hard on my knees onto some dirt/rocks, and bruised the hell out of my knees and shins. I found out my $20 fox knee guards didn't do squat, so I am looking for options. I want better protection for my kneecap / shin, and I'm trying to understand the difference between guards and braces - braces look cool but I don't really need the leg support, I want the protection first and foremost.
I picked up some Thor mx knee guards but they look like just beefier versions of the regular knee guards, and they're a bit bulky (they come up the thigh).

Thanks in advance!
 
^^^I'd definitely stick with something like those if I didn't have hyperextension concerns.
 
As for the deference between guards and braces, the guard protects from front on impact, and mot much else. The braces, at least the good ones, tie into the boot to protect from torsional forces, and as byke said protect from hyper-extension. The torsion protection comes from the brace taking the load from the knee joint and placing it on the hip (a stronger joint). They also favor a more protective boot to be effective at this. Hope this helps sort things out a little. The easy way to look at it, guard = $70, brace = $500
 
Cool thanks. The Thor guards I bought look similar to those Dainese, I'll give them a try and see how they do, but might upgrade to braces at some point.
 
If you can, try them out first. Some people can't get used to the feeling of bulkiness. Plus, they can thrash the sides of your bike (mostly faster riders). Not that one should have concern for cosmetics over the importance of a properly functioning knee, but it's something to keep in mind.
 
I use CTi knee braces because of old knee injures but they are second to none and offer both knee and side knee protection along with ligament/lateral protection.
 
Jcrocker said:
I've fallen straight on to my knee going about 15-20 in the Kali guards and they worked great http://bit.ly/1vGsc9y
Click to expand...

What did you fall on? I tried 'soft' knee protection for dirt riding but it scared me. What if you crash and hit your knee on a pointy rock? Soft protection (like that Kali or Forcefield's Nitrex Evo armor) is good if you hit a flat surface, like concrete, but I require hard shell protection for trail riding.
 
thedub said:
What did you fall on? I tried 'soft' knee protection for dirt riding but it scared me. What if you crash and hit your knee on a pointy rock? Soft protection (like that Kali or Forcefield's Nitrex Evo armor) is good if you hit a flat surface, like concrete, but I require hard shell protection for trail riding.
Click to expand...
Good point I crashed in the dirt on one of the intermediate trails @ hollister in a downhill section. Maybe a good consideration for single track use ..
 
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