Do any of you wear knee pads?

[JMcDonald]

I just wanted to point out that my GF took the MSF course a few weekends ago. At 5'0", even the little TU-250s looked like the Bat Bike with her sitting on it :P . Thus, she had a little trouble keeping it upright, both due to her size and what turned out to be an inability to naturaly reach the controls (don't know why she wasn't telling them she had to slide / rotate her palm forward on the the grip to reach the front brake...). She passed, having dropped the bike five times during the skills sections, but kept going after each one (even picked the bike up herself a couple times), and they told me she was about the toughest student they'd ever had .

Long story short, she ended up with both knees quite bruised, with a few small skinned areas, and in pain for a week. She doesn't have any pants that will fit her knew knee pads underneath, but at this point she is perfectly happy accepting a little goofiness by wearing the armor on the outside, if it means she won't bang up her knees if she falls again while practicing. :P

On that note, another friend went down recently in a lowside, and was again all fine except his knees, which were rashed up a bit and very sore. He is also looking into kneepads at the moment.

I've always worn my knee armor, even when just practicing in parking lots. I wear them when I ride to school, and sit all through class with them under my pants. I've gone down PLENTY on dirt (it only took once to never forget my knee pads again), as well as on street bicycles, and know how even this can leave your knees sore and you limping for a week. I've also seen how un-fun a fractured knee-cap is. So, I have already had my lessons on protecting your knees .

Does anyone else consistently wear them (not just when at the track or when out racing around)?

[want1sobad]

never ride without them........WELL WORTH the $65 imo.

[addy126]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

never ride without them........WELL WORTH the $65 imo.

I use these as well...... great for discreet protection under any pant type, not to mention keeping my legs warmer in the cold windy weather.

[Reswob]

I use the A*'s Reflex Knee guard, but they're hot, bulk, and generally annoying to wear. I'm looking into getting some kevlar jeans that have pockets for knee armor.

[Flashmonkey]

I have three kinds of knee pads haha. A pair of "small" knee pads, that I normally use for snowboarding. A pair of "medium" sized, riding specific knee pads from Forcefield. And finally a pair of "large" sized MX kneepads from Thor. Depending on the type of pants I'm wearing (usually jeans, but I have baggy jeans, and extra baggy jeans) and what I"ll be doing when I get off the bike, I'll wear the set that is the most appropriate.

[CThunder-blue]

I just got my Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 pants and they're pretty cool w/built in knee pads. You could try seeing if there are pants that would fit her that has integrated knee pads.

[Cab305]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

I'm wearing mine in the bio picture

[00NissanNinja]

I have the icon knee and shin pads as well. Trust me you will want to wear some knee guards. I lowsided with mine on and I was able to get right back up with no injury to my knees or legs. If I didn't have them I would have had a nice gash in my knee.

[lux]

Yeahp, whenever I go for a ride.

http://www.forcefieldperformance.com...ector-leg/2359

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by lux

Yeahp, whenever I go for a ride.

http://www.forcefieldperformance.com...ector-leg/2359

Hey I have those too! They suck for walking around in because there's no joint at the knee....which means that whenever I straighten my leg, the top part of the pad digs into my thigh. Why Forcefield why?

[addy126]

Originally Posted by Flashmonkey

Hey I have those too! They suck for walking around in because there's no joint at the knee....which means that whenever I straighten my leg, the top part of the pad digs into my thigh. Why Forcefield why?

Those look less comfortable than the Icon Field Armor not to mention the level of protection is short on the sides of the calf area...

IICON IICON!

[JMcDonald]

Originally Posted by want1sobad

never ride without them........WELL WORTH the $65 imo.

Sorry ot keep quoting the same picture...

Do these require you to slide them up your legs? I was going to get those but decided against it since when going to work I put the knee armor on over my dress pants, and then put my riding pants over that. Would make changing that much more of a pain, heh.

[want1sobad]

no, there are four velcro straps. on/off is literally a 15-30 second process. i wear them to work everyday.

[GeneJunkie]

I recently picked up a pair of the Icon's... the same that everyone has been quoting.

Surprisingly they do fit under a pair of woman's jeans but you do see the knee pads (curse you boot cut jeans). I do suggest trying them on before you buy them, I have heard that depending on the shape of your knee they could slide down.

They have 3 velcro straps behind the calf and one behind the knee. If you have full length boots like I do... they can fit inside the boot... not very easily tho.

[DaBlue1]

One of the most disregarded pieces of armor you can have is one that protects your shins knees and hips. Lower extremity injuries are the most common injuries sustained by motorcyclist involved in a crash. An estimated 97 percent of injured motorcyclists sustain more leg injuries than any other type of lower-extremity injury, with bone fractures being more common than soft-tissue injuries.

So when considering armor, also consider some knee/shin armor if your pants do not already have it built in. Granted armor will not totally prevent all or the most severe injuries, but it can help. Ask any rider who has gone down and has gotten some really bad road rash, how it felt.

Armor can be relatively cheap to expensive, But even a proper fitting cheap pair of leg protectors can prevent a nasty burn, bruise, scrap, cut or abrasion. Remember when you were little and you scraped your knee after a fall from running? Now imagine that fall at 15-60 mph.
Even a simple lay down can result in an injury. Knee injuries can be very serious and you not even know it.

To add another layer of protection, I wear a pair Titan Sport Knee/Shin Armor. They fit pretty good and somewhat comfortable while riding. I wear them under my Icon riding jeans and on top of lycra so they don't scratch. I wish I had some of these when my bike fell on my shin years ago.

[setasai]

I use the knox cross guard knee armor in Large.
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=4152

They fit under jeans very easily with little bulk. They're perforated and pretty light so I walk around in them all day with little issues. During hot days, it does get a little sweaty but during cool days it's fine.

Watch the video for a closer idea of what it looks like and how much bulk it adds. I've seen other female members with these under their jeans and while its a tight fit, you can barely tell they're there.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

An estimated 97 percent of injured motorcyclists sustain more leg injuries than any other type of lower-extremity injury...

Wut?

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by addy126

Those look less comfortable than the Icon Field Armor not to mention the level of protection is short on the sides of the calf area...

IICON IICON!

I have larger calves and according to the New Enough website, unless you're sporting 16" or smaller calves, those things are going to be a bit snuggly. I don't do snuggly.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by Alex

Wut?

Couldn't find the article at the time, I was paraphrasing a statistic based on a study from NHTSA -Lower-Extremity Injuries in Motorcycle Crashes.

"Results: The number of State-reported motorcycle crashes has increased in the period from 1997 to 2006. There is an estimated 61 percent increase in the number of motorcyclists in traffic crashes in 2006 compared to 1997. The fatalities have increased from 2,028 in 1997 to 4,654 in 2006, accounting for a 129 percent increase. Most incapacitating and fatal injuries were sustained when the initial point of impact (IPI) was the front of the motorcycle. The analysis of the NTDB-NSP showed that lower-extremity injuries were the most common injuries sustained by motorcyclists treated in level I and II trauma centers, followed by upper-extremity and head injuries. While lower-extremity injuries were more frequent, head, chest, and abdominal injuries tended to be more severe. An estimated 97 percent of AIS 2 or higher (2+) lower-extremity injuries were of AIS 2 or 3. Injured motorcyclists sustain more leg injuries than any other type of lower-extremity injury, with bone fractures being more common than soft-tissue injuries."

The whole study here; http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810982.PDF

[Alex]

Got it, but it sure is a weird stat. 97 percent of AIS 2 or higher injuries to the lower body were AIS 2 or AIS 3. What the heck does that mean? 100 percent of AIS 2 injuries to the lower body were AIS 2. Here's the list of what AIS means:

http://www.trauma.org/archive/scores/ais.html

AIS Score Injury
1 Minor
2 Moderate
3 Serious
4 Severe
5 Critical
6 Unsurvivable

So all that stat really means is that 97% of those that are moderate or higher turn out to be moderate or serious, meaning only 3% of lower extremity injuries are severe, critical, or unsurvivable. Read a certain way, it could be used to show that the chances of a life-threatening lower body injury is extremely unlikely in a motorcycle accident (upper-body injuries are much more likely).

[JMcDonald]

Originally Posted by Alex

Read a certain way, it could be used to show that the chances of a life-threatening lower body injury is extremely unlikely in a motorcycle accident (upper-body injuries are much more likely).

Oh yeah that of course makes logical sense, contextually. But in the grand scheme, being alive and walking trumps being alive and in a wheelchair by a large margin :P .


And the GF found one pair of her jeans under which the knee armor will fit. So that's good. Now all we need is some abrasian protection for her lower half and she will be just about good to go!

[setasai]

When it comes to lower body protection I see myself using several combo's in this order:

1) dedicated riding jeans + knee armor (what i'm using now and i love it on the streets)
This to me is perfect for around town or going to school or shopping. Easy to put on and looks very normal minus the fact that you're carrying your other gear.

2) dedicated riding overpants with hip and knee armor - abrasion resistant + armor (I have the scorpion exowear Deuce overpants)
I like this idea if what I am wearing underneath is definitely not motorcycle rated clothing. Like shorts or other types of pants/slacks if I were to go to work. Overall I have not worn this combination too much because it feels like i'm going snowboarding and the armor isnt positioned as well.

3) riding pants with armor
At some point if I decide to get more spirited or spend some track time, this would be optimal but seeing as I'm super poor and I'm still a new rider, it probably wont happen for a while. No way are you going to walk around in it looking normal but if it's protection... this would be perfect and if you intend on getting it, I'd just go leather straight so you dont have to upgrade too soon.

4) normal jeans + underarmor like the bohn adventure pants
Haven't tried this combo but I've been thinking about it. Regular jeans plus armor covering most of my thigh/butt and leg/knee/shin area. Problem is no abrasion addon. I dont think there are really good abrasion underarmor in existence.


The day we make personal EM shields is the day i'll turn squid. I suppose if wolverine style healing were available I would consider it as well. It's kind of a toss up as to which will be invented first. lol

Point is, go with what your comfortable with because that is what you'll use most.

[addy126]

Originally Posted by JMcDonald

Now all we need is some abrasian protection for her lower half and she will be just about good to go!

Here you could gear her up in complete Icon Field Armor, including the butt and thighs.... just gotta pick out the right size. Let's just consider it all to be "unisex"....

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...-2-Shorts.aspx

[lockie]

Go with the riding pants with good armour. They're comfortable and warm and safe. They look okay but they're not jeans but safer. Only drawback is if you're caught shot somewhere on the road and need to water the trees in a hurry.

[actionace]

Congrats to your GF on passing the MSF. I've also considered wearing knee guards on the outside so that I could easily pull them off and run into the classroom.

For the daily around town commuting I use the EVS Glider LT pads under my riding jeans.

Fits well and mostly unnoticeable underneath boot cut/relaxed fit jeans (I don't wear mine super baggy) and comfortable enough to walk around in. They don't have a hard plastic outer shell so I'd definitely like to replace them with something that fits & works even better. The Knox Cross Guards are looking really good.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by actionace

The Knox Cross Guards are looking really good.

Yea I really like them. They're CE certified but they've got a really slim profile. Kinda makes me skeptical. Hopefully i'll never have to test it. Stinks that all this protection is for the "chance" that something happens.

[JMcDonald]

Originally Posted by trixter

aside from legs what other lower extremities are they talking about??

That's exactly what I was thinking... Tentacles, maybe?


Yeah we need to find something flattering for her to want to wear it :P . I was thinking about sewing some nylon panels (same material tow straps are made of) into the inside of a pair of her jeans (like I did with a couple of mine), or make a sort of under-short type of garment for her to wear under anything.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by trixter

aside from legs what other lower extremities are they talking about??

In medical terms the lower extremity is composed of the bones of the thigh, leg, foot, and the patella (commonly known as the kneecap). Because of the close proximity to the thigh, the lower aspect of the pelvis and gluteal region could be included too.

The thigh is the region between the hip and the knee.
The leg is technically only the region from the knee to the ankle.
The foot, or pes, contains the 26 bones of the ankle, instep, and the five toes.
Then there is the patella or kneecap.

[JMcDonald]

Oooh ok. So basically they are saying shin and knee injuries are more common than thigh or even foot injuries? That makes much more sense, and I suppose does drive home the point on which we are all agreeing (wear knee / shin armor :P ).

[DaBlue1]

Also according to the study, although lower-extremity injuries are more common than head, chest, and abdominal injuries in patients, they remain less severe. Only an estimated 3 percent of the lower extremity injuries had a maximum Aggravated Injury Scale of 4 or higher compared to 35 percent for the head, 32 percent for the chest, and 21 percent for the abdomen.

[Blackwidow]

yes i wear knee pads...i hate rug burns

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by blackwidow

yes i wear knee pads...i hate rug burns

pics!

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

yes i wear knee pads...i hate rug burns

wut? Huh? Did you say that with a straight face?

[Blackwidow]

lol nope, i had a grin on my face.

[KURT]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

lol nope, i had a grin on my face.

I was just wondering who was going to make that joke. Should've known...

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by KURT

I was just wondering who was going to make that joke. Should've known...

LOL yea...I almost feel bad for being surprised haha

[Blackwidow]

no worries guys, always remember, aunt widow will never let you guys down. loool

but seriously, i rather buy the pants that have the knee protectors in them...i'm so damn short that any knee protectors i wear look like pants on me anyway, might as well cough up the few extra bucks and invest in something that will protect my booty if i were to eat s*&^

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

lol nope, i had a grin on my face.

lol, bet you weren't the only one

[tjkamper]

I never ride without leg protection. Get some good ridding pants with armor. There are several types that simply fit over your clothing and zip on/off. They are convenient and if you ask me, a necessary piece of equipment that is usually overlooked by most new and even many experienced riders.

[dchun]

i wear the know cross guards long size
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=4152