Submitted by
Humboldt1
a Downhiller
from Eureka, CA Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Local Trails
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$43.00
Purchased At:
EBAY!
Strengths:
-Good impact protection
-Great shin coverage
Weaknesses:
-They slide down pretty bad after the first week.
-VERY POOR protecion above and below the knee.
-The seems tear on the top straps
Similar Products Used:
THE Storm Knee/Shin
SixSixOne 4x4 Knee/shin
Bike Setup:
03' Santa Cruz Bullit
Bottom Line:
At first I loved these, but then after a few good crashes, I realized that they did'nt provide ANY protection for above and below my knee, so now I have my left knee inflamed with bursitis!
They stayed in place for the first week pretty well, but after that, I had to pull them up every 5 minutes, and that did'nt help, since they slid down immediately after I fixed them.
So, Unless you have control of where on your knee your going to land, I would'nt recommend these.
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Submitted by
Albertinho
a Cross Country Rider
from Zagreb, Croatia Date Reviewed: July 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Sljeme, Samoborsko gorje
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Markoprojekt
Strengths:
Big, tough, look good, pretty comfortable to wear. Easy to mount on the top tube of the bike while climbing.
Weaknesses:
They slide a little down after some time. You must take off your shoe to mount them (no big deal though).
Similar Products Used:
My first pads.
Bike Setup:
KTM Ultra Flite 2007 Marzocchi MX Pro fork Formula Oro K18 brakes Sram shifters, Deore/LX parts
Bottom Line:
These are pretty good pads if you get ones that fit. Mine slide down a little bit after extended periods of use, but you can stop and pull them up in half a minute. They make you warm in cold weather, but aren't too uncomfortable to wear in hot weather even for a few hours either. They don't obstruct pedalling at all. I may even try and wear them all the time when winter comes. You might need them even when you're not on the downhill section...
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Submitted by
Greg
a
from CT Date Reviewed: February 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
blueskycycling
Strengths:
Plastic is pretty thick and can take a hit.
Weaknesses:
If you're pedaling a lot these things will move on you.
Bike Setup:
Spesh Stump fsr
Bottom Line:
At first I hated these things, but now I can live with em. How's that? Don't use the top strap. All it'll do is crimp into the back of your knee and annoy the hell out of you. The spandex backing around the knee area is enough to keep it in place there. They will drop down on you all the time exposing the top of your knee to damage. If you refrain from using the top strap it won't be so bad. I wouldn't recommend getting these unless you get them at a serious discount.
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Submitted by
Mike Salkewicz
a
from Hopatcong, NJ , USA Date Reviewed: December 16, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
BlueSky
Strengths:
Padding is comfortable, straps easy to work with, breathes quite well. The price was great when I bought these, but recently BlueSky's pricing has soared (perhaps a holiday buzzkill).
Weaknesses:
Wearing these outside a pant is practically impossible; before long you'll be protecting the side of your calf as the pads shimmy all over the place. When strapped right to the leg, they tend to slide down - not a lot, but enough so that the small bit of padding below the plastic shin piece bunches up and leaves me with a pair of brutal blisters on the top of my ankle. This happens just about every extended ride (which is most times I am riding). The "softer" strap (the one that crosses at the joint) hates staying stuck and I often find it flopping around.
Similar Products Used:
None. Best friend uses Fox Launch pads which have obviously far superior securing methods and seem to stay put (the Fox's are roughly $70, though)
Bike Setup:
2007 Giant Reign 0
Bottom Line:
661 makes some really great stuff, don't get me wrong. I would never trade my Pro Bravo helmet in for the world. But these pads fall short in one of the most important factors: comfort. I cannot get the pads to stop shifting downward unless the straps are so tight my legs go numb, and when the do shift I develop these blisters on the tops of my heels that are incredibly painful after several hours of riding. The Race Lites are rather disappointing and, sorry to say, they'll be retired as soon as I can put the money towards a better constructed shin guard.
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Submitted by
Alan
a
from Mexico City Date Reviewed: November 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
SNT
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
It does not move one bit. Its also pretty comfortable, and the inside foam is very soft and vented. The knee "sock" works very well for stopping the pad from moving side to side. Good protection
Weaknesses:
The seams are a bit crappy on some parts. The sock is itchy sometimes The middle straps are way too long.
Similar Products Used:
661 4x4
Bike Setup:
Ironhorse Yakuza Chimpira
Bottom Line:
I dont know why there are so bad reviews on this product. Maybe people are confusing the RACE shinguards with the RACE-LITE shinguards (which suck a$$) Ive been using them for 4 months now, and I am very happy with them. They are very comfortable and they are not hot at all. I forget I have them on until I fall and realize that my legs are fine :) They are a very good product for the price. Maybe not as good as Roach pads, but much cheaper as well.
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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Sofia, Bulgaria Date Reviewed: May 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Strengths:
Maybe you'll wont get the feeling of wearing big pants without a belt when you buy the proper size.They're comfortable.You dont' sweat too much and they're affordable.THEY PROTECT
Weaknesses:
I haven't seen any
Similar Products Used:
661 pro DJ
Bike Setup:
Giant AC1 with Marzocchi 66
Bottom Line:
If you're looking for an affordable knee/shin protector that does it's job then buy this product
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Submitted by
james
a Cross Country Rider
from hardy, va, usa Date Reviewed: May 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
slickrock cycles, moab utah
Strengths:
absorbs impact, very cofortable
Weaknesses:
the top strap doaesn't hold down the top pads very well
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
jamis dakota al
Bottom Line:
these pads are comfortable and durable at the same time...sixsixone rocks
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Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Canberra, Australia Date Reviewed: March 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$30.00
Strengths:
Price, comfort.
Similar Products Used:
Only some dodogy hire stuff.
Bottom Line:
**** RACE-LITE model **** These don't seem to move around much, aren't too hot & do the job. Overall, I'm quite happy with them, even if they are for occasional use only.
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Submitted by
STRUS _
a Weekend Warrior
from Poland Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:
_
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
local bike shop
Strengths:
They are long and quite burly.
Weaknesses:
Slip down buttery fast, pretty hot.
Similar Products Used:
Dainese pads
Bike Setup:
some no-name fsr frame with 6' of travel + a marzo z1fr 2002 / a hardtail with a duro 130mm
Bottom Line:
i switched to these pads from the dainese pads, which were too short, didnt even reach half of the shin, plus the knee pad was the size of a nutshell, and the plastic was kinda thin. These done pretty much done the job on those issues; I'm 5'8 but I bought size Large, they are long and protect the whole leg, the plastic is pretty much hard duty, they do the job well, had plenty of hits and no injuries, but... they slip down like hell, even if I lock the middle strap, the knee part itself is starting to stick out, plus the knee strap is TERRIBLE, i have rather big legs and the strap is killing me, rubbing and doesnt feel comfortable at all.
I dunno about other you guys, but here in poland they're rather cheap so i suggest buying those if your on a budget, otherwise look 4 somethin' else.
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Submitted by
Alex Peasey
a Downhiller
from Inverness, Scotland Date Reviewed: February 6, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Laggan Wolftrax
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Square Wheels, Strathpeffer
Strengths:
Confortable Look good Long Lasting
Weaknesses:
Slip Down the shin Boiling!
Similar Products Used:
Dainese Shin Pads
Bike Setup:
'04 Giant Acid, Manitou Sherman Breakout +, Deemax's and so on
Bottom Line:
If you want to look good infront of your friends or if you want to have a long lasting shin + knee pad or if you want to ride around in comfort, this is for you.
If you live in a hot country or you have v.thin legs then get Dainese Pads!
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Submitted by
Chris MacLean
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec Date Reviewed: June 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mont St-Anne
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
La vie sportive
Strengths:
Bomb proof Easy to wash flexibility (knee and shin connection)
Weaknesses:
Unfinished job on the knee strap that hurts a bit PRICE
Similar Products Used:
Mace shin guards
Bottom Line:
The pads saved my shins so many times that I own a lot to 661.The pads are comfortable (except for the poor job on the knee straps) and durable. If you have a lot of money to invest in pads, buy it.
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Submitted by
jeramy
a Downhiller
from denver, co usa Date Reviewed: June 3, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
they are better than an ace bandage
Weaknesses:
you name it
Similar Products Used:
roach
Bike Setup:
iron hoarse sgs expert with upgrades
Bottom Line:
dont throw your money away on this product. spend the extra and get something that will work.
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Submitted by
joey
a
from ontario Date Reviewed: May 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$58.00
Strengths:
- cost less money than the pads that actually fit and work. - They don't come in bright grey. - come with sticker - inside padding looks cool - impact doesn't feel to bad if you have them strategically in place.
Weaknesses:
I'll narrow it down to a few... - don't fit - don't cover the top off the knee well - velro is super cheap - hurt/rubs the bottom of my shins - top strap is itchy - cause the same feeling when you wear big pants without a belt. -not discontinued
Similar Products Used:
roach rally fr
Bottom Line:
Don't waste your time, these "pads" are insulting. I bought them and returned them even before reading these reviews. Then realized everyone had similiar complaints.
Look at it this way you can spend aprrox $60 on these "pads" and then have to buy other pads for $80. Total $140.
or
Buy other pads for $80. Total $80.
It makes perfect sense. These pads are not good for the money when you are only talking $20 or so more for a real pair. I took them back and bought some roach rally fr pads the difference was 300x better. don't even waste your time, money and safety on these.
I know everyone is shaped a little different. But I truly feel insulted, this company should be ashamed for producing these pads IMHO. They are charging way too much compared to pads that work.
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Submitted by
James
a Downhiller
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: May 11, 2005
I love this product if i could i would ware them every ware, but my mom wont let me
Usually cool tempeture wise
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Submitted by
Clay
a Weekend Warrior
from Claremont, CA Date Reviewed: April 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Marshall canyon
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Pricepoint
Strengths:
Light, not too hot.
Weaknesses:
Slide down easily, strap behind the knee comes undone easily.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
AC2 Super t
Bottom Line:
Dont buy these guards for fast agressive riding. They will keep you safe from pedal bite and roadrash when laying the bike down, but for serious chaos and impacts they slide all over the place and dont come high enough about the knee. I took a hit the other day that was above the guard just at the top of my knee cap. It brutalized me, and I dont think it would have happened with another guard. The articulation of the knee joint and the depth of the knee cup just aren't good enough to keep it where it needs to be in most cases. It could be because I'm 6'3 and have long legs, but I just dont feel covered.
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Submitted by
stun
a Downhiller
from christchurch Date Reviewed: January 16, 2005
Favorite Trail:
port hills national DH
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction Cycles Christchurch
Strengths:
Very nice, good stitching, Dont slip down, looks good, exelent protection, good breathability, comfortable !!
Weaknesses:
None at the moment. ohh there not free!
Similar Products Used:
Roach (look Like Cricket pads)
Bottom Line:
The 2004 model is much better than the last years model. Dont have to worry about them just strap em on and ride. I prefer these over my cricket pads, um i mean roach rally pads and will buy these again if they wear out.
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Submitted by
David
a Downhiller
from Layton, UT, USA Date Reviewed: December 27, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Choose to Ride (now closed)
Strengths:
Good protection, comfortable, value-priced. They stay put.
Weaknesses:
Top strap (above knee) is too short.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
2004 BigHit Comp
Bottom Line:
You get what you pay for. These guards offer good protection at a decent price. When they wear out, I will probably buy a better pair.
If you don't want to spend a lot of money, these are a good option.
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Submitted by
BikerBoi
a
from Regina Date Reviewed: December 7, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
cheap protection from sharp, high-velocity pedals and dirt
Weaknesses:
the velcro straps are shot! after 2 months they started to fade, now the top strap doesn't hold at all
Similar Products Used:
cute nurses at the local emerg.
Bike Setup:
hardtail
Bottom Line:
not bad. cheap. protects me shins. looks cool. not as hot to wear as I expected. beats a pedal on the shinbone anytime. and the straps? black dectape holds them better then when they were new! problem solved
Would I buy them again? no, probably try the roach pads that I hear so much about. Do I regret buying them? not really
Workmanship could use some work, but I got them on sale, from an already decent price. I don't expect miracles for cheap! Are they worth it? for the occasional freeride, or urban day, yeah. Hardcore use? nope,not a chance.
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Submitted by
Terence Lam
a Downhiller
from Sydney, NSW, Australia Date Reviewed: September 28, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Local bike store
Strengths:
Doesn't cost too much, it provides all the protection u need when your out Downhilling and stunting around. Doesn't get hot, unless ur wearing it under something else.
Weaknesses:
The thing frays like a pig (i dont know) and the knee guard slides all over the place. Also, the sizing of these things dont range a lot.
Bottom Line:
This is quite a good knee/shin guard for the price, it doesn't get too hot and is very comfortable to wear even though the knee guards slide around. The fraying thats going on the edges of the knee area worries me slightly but its not biggy.
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Submitted by
Boyd Pendleton
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterloo, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: August 31, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Hydrocut
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Mamouth Mountain, Ca
Strengths:
Offers good breath ability and shin protection, relatively low cost
Weaknesses:
Slides down off knee, poor sewing workmanship
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
full suspension cross country
Bottom Line:
I bought these on a whim at a downhill resort in California when on a family vacation. I thought I should buy some protection and this was the cheapest thing they had at the mountain pro shop. I usually ride cross country but thought I could also use some leg protection for some of the more technical single track that I like to ride. I am generally happy with the purchase but they tend to slide down off the knee, which bothers me. However, they have saved my shins several times and give me more confidence when riding technical single track.
I probably would look at other products if I was going to buy shin armour again.
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Submitted by
dane
a Weekend Warrior
from clayton, ca, usa Date Reviewed: July 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
mile long, mt diablo
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
beyondbikes.com
Strengths:
very light, very comfortable, great ventilation.
Weaknesses:
strap itch, but could prevent.
Similar Products Used:
fox 911
Bike Setup:
kona stuff, dj1, mrp, atom lab 24's.
Bottom Line:
these pads are bad ass if you are sick of hot weather and legs ithcing. They are very light. feels as if nothing is on. cheap and good.
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Submitted by
B Walker
a Weekend Warrior
from St catharines, ontario, canada Date Reviewed: June 10, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1.00
Strengths:
saves your shins from pedal studs while just sidehopping around and trials type tricks. BUT.....
Weaknesses:
i sidehopped down a 5 1/2 foot to flat and slipped a pedal, and the crank spun and wham. i got a decent sized gouge in my leg RIGHT THROUGH THE SHIN PAD! i thought these things were supposed to protect you. i will admit they would prolly be decent for racing or whatnot (unless you wipe out a lot) and also that it would have been much worse with the pedal studs on my bare shin, but i guarantee with a rockgardn pad, they wouldnt have cut me through the pad.
Id say go for rockgardn airframe pads, or roach rally FR pads. they will save you much more than these will. also take note that the distance between the knee pad and the shin pad, is about perfect for someone my size (5'10") to get smashed by the pedal everytime. luckily on the 5.5 to flat it hit a little lower than that gap so it didnt do as much damage. check out these pics to see what the pad looked like after the impact (doesnt look like anything happened) and then a pic of what happened to my leg THROUGH the pad (nothing major but pads should prevent this.)
1.) the pad http://www.mtbottawa.com/media/pubpics/mtbo01544.jpg
2.) my shin http://www.mtbottawa.com/media/pubpics/mtbo01545.jpg
draw your own conclusions lol
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Submitted by
Steve
a
from Australia Date Reviewed: June 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good Ventilation, Fairly comfortable, Adequate protection
Weaknesses:
Dodgy materials and stitching.
Bottom Line:
I really expected more from this product when I ordered them In. When I got them home I nearly took them back Immediately because of the "Cheap" look and feel of these guards. The tag says "Made In China" and it shows!!
I have serious doubts about the longevity of this product.
On the other hand I have found them to be fairly comfortable to wear. I have stacked it and landed fair on my knees on more than one occasion with these pads (at jogging pace) and have been happy with the protection they offer. I don't think the stitching would handle high speed stacks too well. I will not be buying this product again when these ones wear out.
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Submitted by
Liam Carey
a Weekend Warrior
from Boone, NC Date Reviewed: April 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Yancey's Ridge
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$25.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA.com
Strengths:
Ventilated, well padded. Proper sizing (for me). Price.
Weaknesses:
Sheisty manufacturing, bad seams. Questionable durability.
Similar Products Used:
Electrical Tape, Bourbon.
Bike Setup:
Hardtail
Bottom Line:
Read all the other reviews and still ordered these anyways. Since some of the reviews were old and they were cheap I figured what the hell? The kneecaps on these are sewn on as opposed to just glued, I wondered how bad the sizing could really be.
Strapped them on and found that at 6'3" with big legs size L fit me perfectly. I was happy at this point. Took them for a ride, they stayed put, exactly where I wanted 'em, and with no crazy abrasion. At this point I was very happy. Got home and found that after one ride (no falls) the seams on the left kneecap were coming undone. I was no longer quite so happy. So I took out the old trusty loctite and saturated both the knee and shin guard seams, and this seems to have fixed the problem. At $27 for the pads + glue I'm thrilled to have adequately padded armor that fits me and doesn't move around. If I'd paid the $50 that these retail for, I'd be way pissed. I'll gladly use these until they wear out but I'll prolly get some Roach rally pads next time.6
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Submitted by
Justin Sane
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Catharines, Ontario Date Reviewed: April 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anything off road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1.00
Purchased At:
Rapid City Cycle
Strengths:
look cool, seem to be fairly cool but its not summer yet, so ill find out soon enough
Weaknesses:
Top strap has a terrible seam that rubs and irritates your thigh, i don tknow about you guys having strap problems i have mediums and the top and bottom straps are fine, but the middle strap is like 2 feet long (and the one on the right is longer than the one on the left). it seems like 661 just threw random length straps on all of them. they do move a bit, but it doesnt bother me a whole lot yet. oh yeah and it looks like the shin pad and kneecup on both sides are for the same leg, but all the straps are set up for the both legs.
$
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