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Evening folks.
I currently have Troy Lee Designs 5400 knee pads and 5500 elbow pads, both in a Large. They just about fit - the elbow pads being particularly snug - but on Sunday, the right knee pad kept slipping down.
The reason for the slippage is that the stitching which kept the rubbery retaining band in place has given up the ghost, and the reason for that is that when I first put them on, it was reminiscent of a scene from the incredible hulk just without the green skin!!
I've been looking all over the place for anything which is going to be large enough - for a moment I got really excited when I noticed the TLs were only a large, until I discovered they don't do an XL! - but at the moment, every single sizing chart I've looked at reckons I'm some sort of freak of nature!!!
Surely I can't be all that unique?
If I can't find anything else, I'm going to have to go with another set of 5400s and hope that some of the 15kgs I've lost this year has gone from my thighs, but if anyone can recommend anything else, please do!
Full measurements are thigh 23.5", calf 16.5", Bicep 14", Forearm 12"
any womens ones
DO YOU EVEN LIFT BRO??
DO YOU EVEN LIFT BRO??
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I have big thighs, and use Race Face Ambush in XL. I also have teh gunz and use POC elbows in XL. Both are very comfy, without slippage. In a radical move, I went to a bike shop, tried lots on, and then bought the ones that fitted best and also matched my gnar stylingz.
24" thigh, 18" calf and 661 Kyle Straits fit fine in Large
That's part of the problem, Flashheart! Suburban Surrey isn't exactly overflowing with shops selling even one type of pad, never mind several! 🙂
I'm having to rely on internet shopping returns policies, but don't want to have to do more than I really have to.
Votchy, thanks for that suggestion. The Kyle Straits are apparently now 661 Rage, since Loic Bruni did lots of work with them to remodel them or some such, but I found an old sizing chart on the Evans website which claimed even the XL only has an 18" top opening, which seems thoroughly odd! Just makes it so much trickier when you get oddities like that in the sizing chart. 😕
28" Thighs here (oooo yeah) XL Bliss armour gels here, very comfy, in the habit of wearing them on almost all my rides instead of knee warmers now.
Never find yourself in the Smoke? A quick trip around Soho Bikes and CycleSurgery Spitalfields should give you plenty of options.
26" thigh and 17" calf. I use Nukeproof pads in size large. Fit perfectly and last very well
26" thigh 18" calf L Bliss knees.
17" bicep 13" forearm RaceFace (can't remember model sorry ) XL.
In the past I have found Canadian brands like Raceface good for those of us that are built like a drayhorse.
Argh! This gets even more puzzling! I've got a pair of XL Bliss ARG pads waiting to go back because they're just a little bit too small!
As for London, I work in Waterloo, so I've got Evans Waterloo and CycleSurgery Waterloo bridge within a 10 minute walk, but neither stock any pads at all. 🙁
And yes, I've double and triple checked my thigh measurement! It's definitely 23.5"
Kermit, Boris Bike (Or Brompton, I assume you have one! 😉 ) will get you to Soho Bikes or CycleSurgery (The Strype St branch) over lunch. Both have very good ranges of pads in stock.
I'm a similar size and use fox launch pros in L/XL size. I'd say they're at max comfortable stretch but are comfy enough. Order a bunch from CRC and return the ones that don't fit.
Just tape on some fanny pads. Might not stop getting hurt but they will soak up some of the damage.
Home to work is only 15 miles each way, so no need for a Brompton! 🙂
When did "need" ever come in to it? 😀
Boris it up there then. Worth a trip.
Ooh. MTB specialist Cycle Surgery! Might that mean they have a wider choice in store than they do on the website?
If so, I'll just stick some baggies in my pannier and scoot over there at lunch time. It'll be faster than figuring out how to unlock a Boris!
It is the MTB branch, yes. Lots of shininess in stock. Well worth a ring before you go though, online stock systems are notoriously rubbish! Manager and Assistant are both MTBers, and they know their onions.
Soho Bikes is also well worth a look, about the same distance away. A bit more "boutique", but very much aimed at the MTB market. Really impressive people there, and some great spanner monkeys out the back as well. Again, worth a ring in advance, to save a wasted trip.
Other option would be Greg at Moose down in Da Tooting Innit. Very good shop, been around for an age, and very much a MTB shop rather than just a bike shop.
In London, those three are the "specialist" MTB shops.
Leatt 3DF in XXL
Aha! Moose rather seals the deal then. All I need to do is get away from work a bit early, and I cycle straight past them on my commute! 🙂
Greg's a good man, deserving of more praise than he gets right now. He's been ploughing the MTB furrow in London (ish!) for longer than almost anyone. Through thick and thin.
As ever, give them a call before dropping by, though.
what - the bottom of your thigh, just above the knee, is 24" ?
bloody hell, Mr Forstermann
Mine are, I can't find any sock type ones that would fit me either
I'm about the same size as you and have had plenty of pads over the years and have come to the conclusion that Fox Launch are the best by some margin, in terms of security, comfort and ease of fitting.
You can either get [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-racing-launch-knee-shin-guards-2015/rp-prod60811 ]Knee Shins[/url] or [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-racing-launch-shorty-knee-shin-guards-2015/rp-prod60813 ]shorties[/url] if you want pedal scars for the chicks (shorties) to dig.
Scaedypants, yes. 23.5" is 4" above the knee, which is where most of the sizing charts say to measure.
3.5" more and I'll catch Chris Hoy in his prime, although I suspect there may be some minor physiological differences! 😀
18"/24" here.
RaceFace Charge in XL.
Comfy to wear all day.
Not as much protection as the more gnar offerings, more like knee/elbow warmers really, but after trying different models; these are perfect for my thrice yearly forays down Bike Park Wales's finest blue runs at my very own Red Bulk Rampage.
And we have a winner!! 🙂
Thanks to Honourablegeorge for the suggestion of Leatt 3DF. Elbow and knee/shin pads arrived this morning, and are a perfect fit!