Haters gonna hate. Mockers gonna mock. But I love pinky protectors at this time of year.
These are very much on my purchase list with the New Forest gorse going berserk presently. Not to mention the brambles on all the chalky downland surrounding. Armoured gloves and long sleeves are the current option, gets pretty sweaty.
(I had some full on MX ones on my Raleigh Maverick in 1985)
@speeder, Crank Bros are usually fine as long as there's no moving parts.
Unanswered question for me is these vs Sendhit Nocks.
(ps handguards aren't just for #enduro shredderz, mine are absolutely at their best in proper winter, with a set of pogies over the top, the two combine to give a non-wobbly non-annoying pogie result that doesn't wobble about on harder riding. Superb)
I hate, hate, hate the look of these things. But I can’t ride without mine (older Nukeproof ones bought in the sale). My local trails just butcher my hands if I don’t use guards. And it seems to have become much worse in the past year or two. I think part of my problem is always looking for new routes, and walking trails appeal to me.
So if I ever break mine, I’d be looking to buy a set of these. Thanks for the review @Benji.
Was going to buy these today as a result of the review (see thornproof gloves thread) but out of stock everywhere.....sendhits might be the next best option
Personally I’m not a fan. But I could have used them last week on Dartmoor as the tracks had got pretty overgrown and I was pulling horse and prickles out of my arms and knuckle all evening. So I’m not going to hate on them.
Was going to buy these today as a result of the review (see thornproof gloves thread) but out of stock everywhere.....sendhits might be the next best option
They're available from US Amazon for shipping to the UK (July 5th delivery supposedly), adding in the various costs they're only a few quid more than the UK retail price
I would strongly recommend the quick-release version I tested here (not the version that fixes to lock-on grips’ inner clamp)
Any particular reason? Just for easy swaps between bikes? I have the version that replaces a grip clamp and it is very neat, no conflict with dropper levers etc. The design is such that you can remove the guards anytime without having to rummage for the original clamp for the grips
I’m not particularly after a pair of handguards, but can see the attraction when the gorse is thick (ie now), but 50 quid, seriously? I am no fan of temu, but…
I’m not particularly after a pair of handguards, but can see the attraction when the gorse is thick (ie now), but 50 quid, seriously?
This is/was my thinking...good idea, but £50-60 for 2 clamps and some injection moulded plastic!?
Gorse is bad here year round, but especially at the moment + brambles and big, heavy ferns that grab your brake levers.
So I invested in some £12 jobs from that there AliExpress.
So far I'm loving them. They're keeping the gorse off my knuckles and have fended off a few tree strikes too.
Yeah I accidentally bought what I thought was cheap Sendhits but turned out to be a ripoff from aliexpress, they're definitely not as good- you've got to be really careful with the hardware and the "arm" is plastic not aluminium as with the real thing which means they're much less protective- but they were IIRC £9 and it's a really good way to at least try out the concept. I don't like encouraging ripoffs but if it lets you dip your toe for cheap and then maybe buy the real thing- which is what I did- then it's fine I reckon?
Based on the thread I bought some Sendhits. Tired of coming home with cut arms from bramble. Fitted them, suddenly I look like Halfords Accessories Man, c. 1980. But as I am 60 anyway, that's fine. How do they work? Honestly, for my type of off piste riding, they are as transformative as tubeless or droppers were. No more flinching, or having a 6ft length of bramble shred my arms. You can just blast on through. Still not sold on the looks though.
Are those not too low? Aware it is more camera angle and angle of bike, but I'd have thought they should be much higher than the grip to ensure the knuckles are covered...
Are those not too low? Aware it is more camera angle and angle of bike, but I'd have thought they should be much higher than the grip to ensure the knuckles are covered...
Maybe a little low, I'm still playing with the optimum angle. But they seem to be doing a good job of deflecting gorse and brambles - which often hit straight on or from below rather than above.
The perfect angle is probably pretty much flat, tbh, but it makes them look even worse, I had mine basically angled the same as my levers with just a little drop and at least it looks a bit coherent, and still worked well for brambles etc. If you want the wind deflection in winter they do have to be level, I think.
I’ve had them on both bikes for over two years since I broke my finger (quite tidily) in a crash and was shocked how long full recovery for bass & guitar playing was vs full recovery for normal usage.
Mine are Sendit Nocks. They’re not pretty but I’m so used to them and riding bikes with very brightly coloured frames but black everything else hides them a bit more.
They do a good job with the brambles as far as my hands and lower forearms but from there up I’m still getting abused by the excess of local spikiness - thinking of modding an old windproof into hot weather anti-bramble armour…
@chiefgrooveguru - that looks suspiciously like the Blackcap trig.........
will keep an eye out for a loud pink hardtail when i'm next up on the ridge....
