Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Helmets and Gear Knee and shin guards

I'm in the market for a pair of knee/shin guards and I'm not quite sure what to look for. The price range seems to be quite extensive and it's hard to see if there's a difference among any of the models.

Any recommendations and suggestions as to what to look for would be greatly appreciated.

I need guards that would go under the pants for street riding.

Thanks

Heck Alex....most of us don't like wearing helmets much less knee guards!

I've seen so many fatal accidents here and so many people with limbs missing that the safety issues really hit home. Besides, if you saw the way Thais drive, you'd be wearing body armor a la Robocop!

My girlfriend banged up her knee after taking a fall off her bike. She has a scar that won't go away and she was very lucky. Another thing is that since riding here is utilitarian and not recreational, you do a lot more riding, so your chances of an accident increase.

No argument from me Alex! I spent some time in the Phillipines and Okinawa and saw how they drove/rode.Im just sayin I doubt many of these guys have much expericance with the robocop outfits.

Check out the motocross sites. They have guards and pants with the guards that DON'T have any branding/brand lableing on them.

Triumph sells Denim Kep Jeans (MSRP $149) that have large keprotec reinforced panels, with knee, thigh and seat pockets for protectors. Not sure if Triumph sells the protectors to go into the pockets or not.

It's an option if you just want to wear jeans with built in protection, and not the full monkey suit.

Tom

I was thinking of something like this to wear UNDER the jeans. They seem thin enough to be unobtrusive and only slightly noticeable. I don't know how well they protect though or if there is a difference between the $10 ones and the $300 ones.

Alex,

can you get taiwanese-made SBK products there in Thailand?

I got a nice elbow/knee pads combo for a very good price.
I like'em because they are low profile, but still look strong enough and comfy.

Then have a look at these. Last time I looked, NT$ and Baht$ were almost on par.

If you want, I can get them and ship to you. Would probably be cheaper then shipping from the US!

http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/e31667013

We don't have 12$ shin guards around here, so I couldn't compare...

Of course, you usually have to pay for quality, but it doesn't mean you have to pay extra!

The big companies have lots of ad and sponsorship to cover so there's the extra.

I actually own the ones ones I showed you. Yes, they are warm for summer and I would sweat under, but comfy in winter protecting my knees from cooler wind. I wear mine under my jeans, they are low profile and almost unnoticeable.

I figure it is better to sweat a bit than wear shorts and flip-flops!
In the heat of summer, I usually have mesh pants, so those breathe much better.

Also depends if you will be wearing shoes or boots. You need shorter shin pads if you plan on wearing boots, and longer ones for added protection if you wear shoes.

Yes, there IS a BIG difference between the $300 ones and ALL the others!

The $300 ones (and thats $300 EACH), are true knee braces, everything else is a knee guard.

{ NEW Asterisk motocross Cell Knee Braces Guards Adult
WORLDWIDE PRIORITY SHIPPING! IN STOCK FAST SHIPPING!
Expedited shipping available }

I tried to link the Asterisk brand knee braces above, but couldn't. Plug in motocross knee braces to ebay, you'll get the site, and all the info.

I ride dirt all the time, and at my age, the money was well spent.

you could try this stuff. i have heard good things about them...never used them. kinda pricy.
http://www.bohnarmor.com/catalog/proddetail.php?prod=BGLA

"Adventure pants" is not really what I'm looking for. I have enough adventures in my pants, thank you very much.

Anyone know of a comprehensive site that does a breakdown of what to look for in these guards or if they're all the same and it's just a matter of comfort and fit?

you know what would be cool you could get a knights suit of armor from a museum you could be the ------ knight

All kidding aside, ride however you want but I have learned that it takes a while for knee to heal at any age.

My younger bro gave me a set of these (see link) they fit well under the jeans, the cost is about $60.00 I never go out without them.

ICON, Field Armour fits well under pants.

http://www.amazon.com/GUARD-FIELD-ARMOR-LEG-BLK/dp/B000WPKG70

I agree with you that banging a knee is no laughing matter. I was thinking of either the Icons you suggested or Fieldsheer armodillos I'm leaning towards the Fieldsheers because the reviews consistently point out that people with bigger legs have difficulty keeping the Icons in place.