Helmet & Knee Pads Recommendations

Wanderer78

we folks, im on the hunt for an enduro helmet and knee pads, what are you folks using? i havent settled on a budget yet, so fire any recommendations at me, heads melted looking, thank you

Lemming

Wanderer78 wrote: »

we folks, im on the hunt for an enduro helmet and knee pads, what are you folks using? i havent settled on a budget yet, so fire any recommendations at me, heads melted looking, thank you

I have two helmets; a TLD A1 (it's a bit older now so no MIPS) and a Fox pro-frame full-face. The TLD A1 model is clearly still a very popular helmet being both still a running model and been given the MIPS upgrade too; I've no complaints about it as I've always found it comfortable to wear and looks good too. There are of course more ventilated options available but it is what it is. The Fox pro-frame helmet I commented on in another recent thread as being lighter than the TLD despite being full-face and is better ventilated although slightly less comfortable to wear initially regards the fit of the helmet around the forehead vs. the TLD A1 helmet; the A1 just "fit" like a glove but the Fox offering has a slight pinch to it that vanishes once your attention is elsewhere ie. you start cycling.

Edit: just to clarify the A1 is not a full-face and the Fox Pro-frame is still lighter than both it and the below mentioned D2 helmet which is full-face


I've had little experience with other helmets other than my TLD D2 full-face helmet which feels comfortable but is heavier and significantly less well ventilated than the Fox pro-frame; I would have no bother riding the pro-frame across an all-day enduro event but the D2 is more 'moto' so I wouldn't really wear out outside of doing bike park + uplifts.

For knee pads I wear a pair of POC VPD 2.0s; comfortable to wear although they may occasionally require a little adjusting after a while in the saddle despite having anti-slip grip stripes around the top of the pads. The knee pads encase your knee cap (that means the sides are covered substantially too) and upper shin and they have saved my knees once whilst one of my elbows took a beating (ended up on antibiotics for that one). Internally, the protective material feels quite forgiving against your knee cap and has that 'moulding' feel to it, so again with the 'feels comfortable' thing, but the outer feels more firm and as I understand it firms up under a hard strike. They can get a little hot to wear at times though but tbh that's to be expected with most knee pads. I've worn the pads under trousers as well so they're not super bulky either despite the appearance.

boomdocker

Knee pads - I use these; comfortable, light and good protection
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/ixs-flow-zip-knee-guard-2018/rp-prod168301
beware of sizing on knee pads, generally all over the place - I ordered 3 or 4 pairs before I got one that fitted ok
eg those ones above I have are XL and I have skinny legs

Helmets - any Specialized...

Wanderer78

boomdocker wrote: »

Knee pads - I use these; comfortable, light and good protection
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/ixs-flow-zip-knee-guard-2018/rp-prod168301
beware of sizing on knee pads, generally all over the place - I ordered 3 or 4 pairs before I got one that fitted ok
eg those ones above I have are XL and I have skinny legs

Helmets - any Specialized...

yea i can see sizing for pads is all over the place, the helmet sizing shouldnt be too bad, heads melted with looking now, i cant afford to be buying loads of different pairs, they probably dont allow returns on such things, do they?

Lemming

Wanderer78 wrote: »

yea i can see sizing for pads is all over the place, the helmet sizing shouldnt be too bad, heads melted with looking now, i cant afford to be buying loads of different pairs, they probably dont allow returns on such things, do they?

CRC do allow for returning of stuff; or they did at any rate once upon a time. Bought a pair of gloves that were a size off, returned for the next size up without any bother.

boomdocker

Lemming wrote: »

CRC do allow for returning of stuff; or they did at any rate once upon a time. Bought a pair of gloves that were a size off, returned for the next size up without any bother.

yes, CRC actually have a very good returns system, so just be careful when opening and trying on
Actually what some people do is order a few pairs and just return the ones that don't fit...

Jonesy101

I’m also looking to buy knee pads but Jesus they’re expensive. This IXS I saw on a review are really good but at 100 quid not sure if I can afford that. Decathlon do handball knee pads for a tenner which I’m thinking to get instead as I’m not doing anything crazy and just need a bit of protection.

What you guys think of these? https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/h500-handball-knee-pad-black-yellow-en-s178638.html

Lemming

Jonesy101 wrote: »

I’m also looking to buy knee pads but Jesus they’re expensive. This IXS I saw on a review are really good but at 100 quid not sure if I can afford that. Decathlon do handball knee pads for a tenner which I’m thinking to get instead as I’m not doing anything crazy and just need a bit of protection.

What you guys think of these? https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/h500-handball-knee-pad-black-yellow-en-s178638.html

Those look like they wont protect spit. They're 100% foam as per the description and designed for use on indoor handball courts, a universe - never mind a world - away from mountain bike trails. Besides not looking like they'll protect anything but the mildest and most gentle of crashes, they look like they will both rip with contact of a pebble and act like a sponge in wet weather.

Your knees are, relatively speaking, fragile compared with other parts of the body. They can damage easy and repair slowly; look after them.

covey123

Lemming wrote: »

Your knees are, relatively speaking, fragile compared with other parts of the body. They can damage easy and repair slowly; look after them.

You sound as old as my knees ;-)

Wanderer78

Lemming wrote: »

Those look like they wont protect spit. They're 100% foam as per the description and designed for use on indoor handball courts, a universe - never mind a world - away from mountain bike trails. Besides not looking like they'll protect anything but the mildest and most gentle of crashes, they look like they will both rip with contact of a pebble and act like a sponge in wet weather.

Your knees are, relatively speaking, fragile compared with other parts of the body. They can damage easy and repair slowly; look after them.

abso****inglutly, ive been fighting knee issues for a few years now, some pain in the hole, incredibly slow recovery when you get older

mad turnip

I bought a Project 23 glass fiber version this year. Pretty happy with the purchase got it for 125 pounds on chain reaction. If you happen to have a UK address, helmets and safety gear are much cheaper as they are tax free in the UK.

Wanderer78

mad turnip wrote: »

I bought a Project 23 glass fiber version this year. Pretty happy with the purchase got it for 125 pounds on chain reaction. If you happen to have a UK address, helmets and safety gear are much cheaper as they are tax free in the UK.

would that go for parcel motel as well?

jscallan53

mad turnip wrote: »

I bought a Project 23 glass fiber version this year. Pretty happy with the purchase got it for 125 pounds on chain reaction. If you happen to have a UK address, helmets and safety gear are much cheaper as they are tax free in the UK.

an post address pal also works well for this. i saved €50 on a bell super 3r helmet off chainreaction. just set your location to uk

Lemming

mad turnip wrote: »

If you happen to have a UK address, helmets and safety gear are much cheaper as they are tax free in the UK.

I did not know that, and I've been living in the UK for a few years now. Every day's a school day when I'm not rubbing oil of ulay on my knees :pac:

mad turnip

Wanderer78 wrote: »

would that go for parcel motel as well?

Yes parcel motel works.

Icyseanfitz

Also use poc vpd 2.0 knee pads, pricey and bulkier than the more xc type ones, but have saved my knees countless times. I'll buy them again when the washing machine/dryer kills them (3 years stong at the moment)

BoardsMember

Any suggestions for elbow pads? The IXS knee pads look great.

ec18

I've a sweet wanderer helmet that I love and a Full face TLD that hasn't got much use since BPI closed :-(

I've a set of TLD shin knee pads that are great, I never liked just the knee pads similar to these - https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/troy-lee-designs-raid-knee-guard/rp-prod142803

jrby

where's the best place in Ireland to get protective gear for young teenagers?

most stuff I've seen seems to too big for kids and too small for adults....

Wanderer78

jrby wrote: »

where's the best place in Ireland to get protective gear for young teenagers?

most stuff I've seen seems to too big for kids and too small for adults....

i suspect you ll find it difficult to find a bricks and mortar that will stock them, but id like to know this myself for adults as well

emeraldmtb

For knees, I'm happy with my Leatt Air Flex Pro.

For a helmet, if you intend to race any Enduro events you will need a full-face helmet. Personally, I tend to wear the full-face almost all the time now unless it's a very cross-country ride I'm going on.

Ive had the Fox Proframe for several years and loved it, comfortable and light. Its due to be replaced now (been knocked a few times). As more brands have entered the lightweight full-face enduro game the Fox is no longer the lightest and I'm tempted to try the IXS Trigger FF.