You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
For years I used standard hard capped Fox Launch Pro knee pads - they started getting pretty tatty so went for some Troy Lee Raids D30 - fit great, well made with good coverage..
But had a big off over the weekend and landed on a knee - I felt every bit of that rock I landed on and could barely walk last night
Obviously armour can only do so much to absorb the forces, and I've no doubt they did save a lot of damage - I was travelling fast and hit the ground like a sack of **** - but I can't help but think about all the crashes I had wearing my Fox Launch and think these would have done a much better job
I've never seen the point of lightweight 'enduro' knee pads and I've always wondered just how effective D30 is - can it really harden up that much in the split second you make impact with something? Probably going to dig out the old Fox Launch pads in future
Thoughts anyone?
Yeah, I've got some with that stuff in. Not had a massive off wearing them, but I did get my neice to whack me on the knee with a wooden spoon just to show how effective they were. Turns out they weren't. 😭
Good for abrasion, but not so much for impact I reckon.
I use it where the flexibility is useful - upper body and shorts. Hard pads on knees and elbows. I agree the D30 only really feels like it'll help against cuts and scrapes.
I use my D30 pads for situations where I used to use nothing at all, so that I have no excuse not to wear them.
They do stiffen up on the cold weather so are less flexible, but they also keep my knees warm.
For pointy stuff and racing, I try to use my old Race Face ones that are more substantial.
I have used lots of D30 equipped gear whilst racing enduro and rally (motorcycles). They've worked well in several minor crashes. I had a much bigger crash early this year; I believe the D30 inserts worked well; in particular, my D30 chest protector stopped a puncture wound to the chest (Outer layers were wrecked but chest barely bruised).
If you can't get your head around how quickly it "hardens" then just try flicking the stuff! Don't pull any punches here... use a finger nail to flick it as hard as you can 😉
I've got a pair of D3O kneepads. They are ok. Like above I use them when I would have previously had nothing.
I teach A level Design and the syllabus has some material science and the kids need to have some case study knowledge of smart materials. I naturally use D3O as a great case study as it is easy to relate to and has a myriad of real world applications. BUT...and it's a big but....its ability stiffen in response to impact reduces with use. Lab tests show it falls away quite dramatically after a few impacts. Not at work now so don't have the links to hand but it seemed pretty conclusive. Knowing this it's always mildly amusing watching D3O users demonstrating it's properties to their mates over a trail centre coffee by abusing the stuff. We all know that helmets should be replaced after a knock but are happy to mash the hell out of the bit of D3O to make a point but render it no better than a sliver of silicone when we actually need it.
I have Race Face Ambush kneepads, quite a bulky D30-based pad with a bit of side protection like your TLDs.
I'd agree they possibly don't seem quite a protective as the Launch Pros - of which I still have a couple of pairs in use. I've also landed on a knee and found it hurt more than expected.
No injury though, which I suppose is the whole idea.
Got the RF ones very cheap, wouldn't have bothered with D30 otherwise - knowing how good the Fox are anyway.
.its ability stiffen in response to impact reduces with use. Lab tests show it falls away quite dramatically after a few impacts. Not at work now so don’t have the links to hand but it seemed pretty conclusive.
Interesting.
I've got knee pads for sailing made form the stuff and they take an absolute hammering and still seem fine. Although that's mostly stuff like jumping across the boat and landing on my knees, occasionally on something sharp, rather than the MTB where they would only ever get the occasional big knock.
They do still harden when made to flex quickly but I did wonder if they'd changed over time. Still doing their job mind you so obviously hardening up enough (probably a bit like some sailors choosing to wear scrum caps where others go for climbing helmets, the former is much better if you clonk your head on something, the latter much better if you Sail a Fin!
I've a set of light weight race Face d30 pads, which have been pretty good. I also have a set of Scott grenade pads for uplifts and stuff, these have seen some big crashes that I've walked away from.
I think the d30 stuff works, but not as well as a big piece of plastic stuck on the outside.
Interesting.
I’ve got knee pads for sailing made form the stuff and they take an absolute hammering and still seem fine. Although that’s mostly stuff like jumping across the boat and landing on my knees, occasionally on something sharp, rather than the MTB where they would only ever get the occasional big knock.
They do still harden when made to flex quickly but I did wonder if they’d changed over time. Still doing their job mind you so obviously hardening up enough
But for most of what you describe here a gel pad would do the job. Cushioning is a big element of protection too. A defunct D3O pad is still an excellent gel/silicone pad.
But for most of you describe here a gel pad would do the job. Cushioning is a big element of protection to. A defunct D3O pad is still an excellent gel/silicone pad.
Probably, eventually the D3O pad cracked so I removed the smaller bit, the rest still seems to do a job.
D30 has been shown to be fairly shit in comparison to other soft armours, eg knox, SAS-Tec in motorcycle mag tests where they run them through lab tests.
My know Level 2 elbow guards have cushioned some fairly big hits without me feeling much at all. It's much softer, thicker and flexible in the cold than D30.
Hard armour over the top of the soft armour is going to distribute the force from sharp impacts and slide better though - I haven't replaced my POC VPD DH kneepads yet because of that.
This is interesting - I was half expecting to be told how great D30 is - glad it's not just me - agree that (to me) it seems ok for slides/grazing etc but not heavy landings on rocks
Back to the Launch Pro then!
Hard armour over the top of the soft armour is going to distribute the force from sharp impacts and slide better though – I haven’t replaced my POC VPD DH kneepads yet because of that.
POC VPD is similar to D3O though. D3O as a company make pads from an impact hardening polymer that other companies incorporate into their products. POC just do the same in house.
Ditto SAS-tech and Knox, they all make pads that 3rd parties then build into their clothing. That's not to say D3O are any better/as good/worse than the others, but they're all basically selling similar products (alongside traditional hard armor too).
The Knox Microlock stuff is similar to D30, in that they both act in a non-newtonian fashion but other than that they really are very different. The Knox material is softer, less dense and more flexible and is less affected by cold weather. The D30 has a much more plasticity, rubbery feel to it. The back protector I have is so much stiffer that it holds its shape relatively well when out if the armour, the Knox back protector is cannot hold its shape at all and will fold in half without any help. It's also thicker, my level 2 Knox back protector is about twice as thick as my D30 level two back protector and heavier but it conforms to my back a lot better.
There is quite a variation in the performance of these new armours....
I'm a bit of an armour conessieur because I eat shit a lot....