Submitted by
Varaxis
a Weekend Warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2010
Strengths: Almost full shin protection coverage
Shin straps cut to almost perfect length
Hard plastic shell doesn't snag on brush or anything else
Doesn't rotate around leg
Weaknesses: Very poor knee articulation--upper inside of knee gets chaffed smooth and old scar in front of knee had scar tissue chaffed off from pedaling
Knee straps long--it seems they want you to run the knees really loose, but your pads will slip downwards then
Big--it barely holds using my hydration pack's straps when I'm lugging them around
Bottom Line:
I much prefer the excellent comfort of the 661 Kyle Straits on the knee, but wanted the shin protection and plastic hardshell too, since I'm using platform pedals with pins and don't want them to be ripped up from a slip. The Kyle Straits don't look like they'll survive too many falls, but these pads seem rock solid.
I haven't hit them in a crash yet. I need to maybe get in the habit of trying to use them, since my last crash I landed on my chest mounted camera after being ejected off my bike on a fast downhill after barely clipping a large rock and having my bike deflected a large amount off course.
I'm going to do whatever I can to try and remedy the knee chaffing issue. I had one pad on tight that fitted almost perfect, but couldn't get the same fit with the other side, so I just ran it loose since it chaffed too much tight.
I don't trust soft pads from 661 and the cheaper pads are just... cheap. Get quality pads else you won't even use them. They help me find the limit of my equipment and my skills safely to help me ride better. I won't ride without them except when I know the ride is going to be well within my skill range and my bike can easily handle it.
Strengths: very tough shell and extremely durable, hey they've lasted me two long seasons of riding and still going strong - saved my shins/knees on numerous occasions from rocks/pedals and highspeed crashes
Weaknesses: the top straps are annoying if you pedal alot cause there in the back part of your knee , i got used to it and it doesnt bother me none but i know alot of guys hate these for that reason
Bottom Line:
i would recomend this to someone who rides downhill/freeride trails that have little to no uphill climbs
Similar Products Used: raceface leg guards/six six one
Bike Setup: 08 flatline - fox 40's - fox dhx5.0 and lots of other goodies haha
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Submitted by
MTB1618
a Weekend Warrior
from Chattanooga, TN
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2009
Strengths: Ergonomics- feels compfortable even when strapped to bare leg. Wraps around back of leg.
Weaknesses: Short straps
Bottom Line:
I put these on and ride and basically forget they're on. I had a few close encounters with my knees/shins with the ground and rocks and these work well. I wouldn't ride without them and for the price it is a no brainer. Just be careful where you buy them because I saw prices as high as $90, three times what I paid.
Similar Products Used: Major armor when I raced MX.
Bike Setup: Marin B17 DJ DeathRider.2005 DJ1 Fork
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Submitted by
nelsonjm
a Weekend Warrior
from Gaithersburg, MD
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2009
Strengths: Excellent shin and lower knee protection.
Weaknesses: Poor stitching (comes undone), top straps rub where the back of your knee bends, straps are too small for people with muscular legs (I understand the downhill version straps are a little bit longer fyi).
Bottom Line:
I fall often and where I ride is super rocky. After 2 years of riding here I cannot count the number of times I have kissed these things after they saved my knees/shins. Bottom line is my kneecaps would be destroyed without them.
There are a few problems with them however, the ones that bother me most is the way the knee cap straps are placed and the way it rubs the top of your knees raw after long days of riding.
Most recently I have done over the bar superman falls too and have a bruise right overtop of my kneecap which I believe is due to the pads slipping down a little bit.. it would be nice if they had just a little bit taller padding. That way they could move the straps up higher to solve two problems with one stone. If they had an independently mobile kneecap like the POC armor that would be even better!
Oh, as far as the stitching coming undone, the best way to fix this is to grab some zip ties and a drill. Just drill right through the plastic shell, through the strap (but not the soft padding), then use two zip ties to keep everything in place. Has worked great for me!
Submitted by
Foxbat
a Downhiller
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2008
Strengths: Secure - they won't slide in a crash and leave you exposed. Very tough materials - the plastic on mine have many deep scrapes which I am glad weren't flesh.
Weaknesses: A bit bulky and not as comfortable for longer rides with climbing but not too bad.
Bottom Line:
Tough and secure protection for your legs. Definitely one of the top designs on the market - recommended for FR and DH.
I've tried a lot of different guards and I've found that fit can be very personal. Try to check these out at a shop before you buy.
Strengths: Feel brilliant. spot on. considering the price, best value for a knee/shin guard.
Weaknesses: Made for people with absolutely no legs. I'm a road sprinter originally, so trying to get the velcro to properly fasten is an impossible task if I want to retain bloodflow. Simple solution though. Pick the stitching and relocate.
Bottom Line:
Awesome except a little irritating if you actually possess calf muscle. Skinny shuttle DHers need not worry.
Strengths: these things are so comfortable and dont chafe your legs. if you want to ride al day and not have to keep taking off your pads these are the pads for you. they have saved my shins from so many injures and make my rides much more injoyable
Weaknesses: poor sewing around plastic
Bottom Line:
they are the best pads on the market. just week stiching oh well.
Strengths: fit great, dont move around, great protection, comfortable, looks cool
Weaknesses: the stitching. seems like alot of the threads are coming loose. one of the straps the velcro is about to come off. I am about to send in for warranty
Bottom Line:
great pads, but the stitching is not the greatest.
Submitted by
Pebble
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2007
Strengths: Comfortable, fit well and do the job they're meant to.
Weaknesses: Ankle Srap & Calf Strap could be short for some.
Bottom Line:
Great pads, although probably a bit over the top for what is essentially XC riding. These days I'm a bit more complacent so take them only if I'm doing the rockier loop. I've thought of getting Kyle Straits or something but the protection of these is just impassable.
Heat wasn't really much of an issue, however I decided to customize them a bit. I cut the foam from the inside to widen it around the slots in the plastic shell. This worked really well, they now get a bit more air flow to the inside. You can cut the foam with a sharp knife & it will not deteriorate any further than what you have cut Period! This impressed me - they foam is top quality & they are made really well! If race face (roach) is reading this - why not make the foam holes a bit bigger on your new design?
I have also cut off the middle calf strap, it's not needed. For those that don't want to cut it off you can strap it around the front of the pad, I did this for a while before just cutting it off all together. The ankle strap is kind of short, but I suppose it's a good thing, means I can't wear it any higher than where it's meant to go - I suppose it's why they stay put, the actually can't go down or up even if they wanted to. Could be an issue for someone with thicker ankles though!
Bike Setup: Used to be on a Trance, now on a HT, buying an STP in January.
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Submitted by
Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Abilene
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2007
Strengths: -Fit -Looks -Quality
Weaknesses: -Straps not long enough for people with muscular legs
Bottom Line:
Thought I would try these out based on reading a lot of review from different companies. These fit like a glove. They really conform to your legs (kind of slightly wrap around). Great quality! The only problem is for people with slightly muscular calves; the male part of the velcro will not reach the female. Other than that, great armor!! Just ordered the arm FR.
Favorite Trail: Government Canyon (Balcones Heights)
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At: Pricepoint
Similar Products Used: -Some cheap fox stuff
Bike Setup: Haro Shift- '08 BB7s, Revelation 130mm dual air, Rockshox MC 3.1 rear, Time Atac XS clipless, WTB Weirwolf 3.2s, Specialized G2 saddle, and Mavic Crosstrails
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Submitted by
Tony Gorilla
a Cross Country Rider
from Bergen, Norwegen, Europa
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2007
Strengths: Rock solid, good fit, does not irritate skin
Weaknesses: elastics around calves waAAAY too short
Bottom Line:
Dunno wa ya ***Freeriders*** are all made of? Judged from the design of the Race Face / Roach Rally FR knee / shinguards it cannot be much more than skin, bones, and tendons... The male velcro ain`t nowhere near reaching the hairy female counterpart around my calves, so it spends its life rippin`up the elastic instead of gettin`cosy with its female partner. Lengthwise the fit of my medium is great(I´m 5"7` sub 160lb).
To get to the local GOOD STUFF ya kinda have to climb a couple of thousand feet before descending, so you tend to develop strong calves.. Maybe it`s made for all yer chopper transport and liftbased ridin`?
Similar Products Used: BD telepads, inline pads, soccer pads
Bike Setup: Marin Wolf ridge set at 5.5" w RP3 rear, 36 Talas up front, homegrown Hope pro2`s on 719, Thomson, RF, Juicy7, SRAM
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Submitted by
Brian Nystrom
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashua, NH
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2007
Strengths: Outstanding fit and comfort, secure and tough
Weaknesses: The straps that cross behind the knee can be mildly irritating, but they fit so well overall that these straps don't need to be tight. The stitching on one Velcro pads is coming loose, but I can fix that.
Bottom Line:
I like 'em and I wear 'em on every ride. As I stated above, I'm an XC rider who's gotten tired of getting chewed up in falls (I'm past the age where I think scars are cool). I haven't had a lower leg injury since I got these, but the scuffs and scrapes on the plastic indicate that I would have if I hadn't been wearing them. That's enough to make them worth wearing. They're comfortable enough that I don't even notice them most of the time. The one thing I do notice is that the knee pads squeak on sweaty skin, but it's no big deal. I'll probably add a layer of Lycra to them to eliminate the noise.
Submitted by
Alex Strauss
a Downhiller
from Boulder, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2007
Strengths: They stay put ALWAYS. They are very comfy and they look cool!!
Weaknesses: top two Crossing straps can cut into your leg when you strap them down tight.
Bottom Line:
I must have tried on or bought at least a dozen differnt types of knee/shin pads since I started freeriding. Dianese, Fox, 661, etc. but the ROACH FR pads are the best by far, they are comfy to wear, they stay in place and you forget they are on when you are riding. The only bad thing that I have to say is that the top two straps cut into the back of your leg when they are super tight, so my suggestion would be to NOT tighten them so much lol.
Similar Products Used: Fox Launch 911 661 Race Knee/shin
Bike Setup: Giant Faith (soon to be a glory), 66, dialobus, Maxxis minions, E13 SRS, Hayes HFX 9, etc.
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Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Yonkers, NY
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2006
Strengths: super comfy, great protection
Weaknesses: stitching is going already!
Bottom Line:
Great protection for my shins and knees - even when flying through branches. Everytime I ride I cut up my legs, I don't do much Freeriding but more XC with a bit of jumping/logging etc. Overall, the legs seem to get hot at first but once you start moving you'll notice the vents actually work well. I purchased this b/c of the reviews on this website. great stuff, now I feel more confident to do crazier XC rides. At first the behind the knee straps started to get itchy and putting pressure but i loosened them, they stayed, and it's better now. I fell on my first ride attempting a 6 log climb and instead of worrying I laughed as I fell - didn't feel a thing. Top quality item here. Highly recommended.
Stitching is all I am worried about, I know RaceFace does a warranty on it but still, a new product shouldn't fall apart.
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