First Ride: 2019 Dainese Enduro Knee Guards
Dainese have been in the game of making pads and protective apparel for mountain bikers and moto for some time now. Over the years, their riding gear has been refined and revised as technologies have progressed and the sport has continued to evolve.
For 2019, Dainese is introducing their Enduro Knee Guard. The Knee Guard is their solution for enduro racing and aggressive trail riding. The pad is designed to offer a high level of protection, while also giving the mobility necessary for riders and racers who are going to be spending extended periods of time pedaling uphill in addition to racing down.
For 2019, Dainese is introducing their Enduro Knee Guard. The Knee Guard is their solution for enduro racing and aggressive trail riding. The pad is designed to offer a high level of protection, while also giving the mobility necessary for riders and racers who are going to be spending extended periods of time pedaling uphill in addition to racing down.
Enduro Knee Guard Details
• Enduro Knee Pad
• ABS molded protection
• Slip-on, with upper elastic velcro strap and fixed elastic calf strap
• Colors: Black
• Sizes: S-XL
• Weight: 18.34 oz (claimed)
• MSRP: $129.99 USD
• www.dainese.com
• Enduro Knee Pad
• ABS molded protection
• Slip-on, with upper elastic velcro strap and fixed elastic calf strap
• Colors: Black
• Sizes: S-XL
• Weight: 18.34 oz (claimed)
• MSRP: $129.99 USD
• www.dainese.com
A Velcro strap up top keeps the pad in place.
The back is designed to breathe, while the sides offer additional protection.
Construction
The conundrum with knee pads for enduro racing and trail riding is that in addition to doing their job of protecting the knees in a crash, they need to stay put while pedaling and be comfortable. I think that it's safe to say that advances in bike technology have far outnumbered anything in the arena of protection. Many of the pads currently available either offer too little protection, or ample protection, but without the comfort.
Dainese have attempted a solution, with the development of their Enduro Knee Guard. The pads are a hybrid of soft and hard-shell construction. Hard ABS plates on the front of the pad to deflect impacts and offer more protection to the kneecaps and shins than a soft material can. The plates are designed to offer mobility while on the bike and pedaling, and they're mated with Daniese's "Pro-Armor" and "Crash Absorb" side padding to give additional protection and coverage.
The ABS plates are pre-curved in a position that allow riders freedom of movement when climbing and descending. There are elastic bands that grip the legs on both the top and across the calf, and elastic gripper lining inside of the top and bottom of the pads. The pads have a soft and breathable "Airnet" material that's coupled with a jersey mesh on the backs.
Pressure points at the top and bottom of the molded ABS plastic is less than desirable when your leg is extended
Performance
I had the opportunity to spend the better part of a day in the kneepads outside of Whistler BC. The ride we did had a couple hours of descending as well as a substantial amount of climbing, traversing, and had a little hiking thrown in for good measure.
I first put the pads on while sitting down. The material was soft and comfortable. I tested a size medium, which fit my, what I consider standard, 5'10", 150lb, long-legged frame well. Upon standing up, however, the ABS pads reached their limit of extension and the bottom of the pad pushed into my shin with a noticeable amount of force, while the top applied pressure above my knee.
This is quite obvious, to the point where, if I were trying on a set of pads and looking at buying them, without a doubt, I would write them off. I mean, who wants what feels like the edge of a table or MacBook Pro pushing into their shins while they're standing? Alas, it was a review in progress, and we had a full day of riding ahead. I slipped them down and proceeded on. I knew there had to be some saving grace somewhere, although they had me wondering if anyone had actually worn the pads before today. After I hopped on my bike, my opinion started to evolve.
On the bike, the pads didn't move - pedaling or descending. The sensation of a blunt object in my shins all but disappeared. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they stay put better than anything else out there, but for the amount of protection offer, they do a damn good job. The pads breathe well and actually feel soft. No Velcro scratching at my skin and no hot spots on my knees.
I was successful staying upright, but one member of our party wasn't as fortunate and took a strong digger. He suffered a rock, straight to the kneecap and while it put a small hole in the abs plastic, I imagine that it would surely have resulted in a trip to get sewn up at the Whistletown medical center had he been wearing a soft knee pad.
What Dainese Says:
I brought up my concerns to the team at Dainese and they confirmed that others had similar thoughts about the pads being uncomfortable while standing upright. Some people may try to argue that it's a non-issue, since the pads are meant to be worn while riding, and that rigid armor offers a great deal of protection. I maintain, however, that it's a big issue and very possibly a deal breaker.
The Enduro Knee Pad isn't going to be available until November and Dainese say that they are actively working on a solution to this issue. While there's no confirmation of what the solution may or may not be, at minimum, I think we can expect to see some additional padding on the inside where the ABS pad contacts the shin on the final production models.
To alleviate the pressure and get exercise at the same time, you can just squat instead of stand.
The ABS plastic looks as if it will do a stellar job of protecting the knee.
 | Dainese's Enduro Knee Pads are designed to offer a great deal of protection for enduro racing or aggressive trail riding, and they deliver on those fronts. Overall comfort is another story. While these pads will fit everyone differently, pressure points were a common complaint among riders. If there are some significant revisions made before the final production model, I think that Dainese could have a hybrid pad that is a solid contender. |
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My iXs pads have a strap right beneath the kneecap. It’s on top of the calf and therefore well positioned to stay put - it can’t slide down because the calf gets larger beneath it. It’s simple and perfect.
Oddly enough the corresponding elbow pads have a strap right at the bottom and they keep sliding down the forearm - instead of right underneath the elbow so the forearm would hold it up. So I can’t quite credit them with genius design...
After I crashed with my TrailSkins and knee hurtings for 2 weeks I Always wear my Grenades now
They are cheaper than These and offer a lot more protection (ie more Side protection). Yes they are warm but really comfortable.
And still going strong after 3 years.
It looks like the reviewer should have tried the L size. 5’10 long legged should be L.
I have tried the old ones, size XL, and they did fit great on me. Most XL are too tight.
Complaining about the pads not being comfortable while off the bike, it is like complaining that a cycling jersey is too long in the back. I rather unstrap the pads while off the bike than having them sliding off - which most do. However I think getting the right size would eliminate the problem.
Dainese unlike all other brands, has extensive experience in moto gp, mx, etc. Arguably it has a bigger heritage than others, I bet they know how to desing protection that actually protects you rather than sliding off.
Dainese are concerned about safety first and foremost - hence the creation of this pad. Enduro riding needs protection that is both durable and comfortable and while there are a lot of comfortable options on the market, what Dainese are doing with this pad brings a more appropriate level of safety into the mix. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the final production version and I’ll update thoughts on it at that time!
Every company has some misses however, and Dainese is definitely not perfect. My personal experience is with the trailskins 2 elbow guard. I and two other owners of the guards all have issues with the pad sliding down during rough trail riding. They did protect well in one crash where the pad had not slid down yet thankfully, but as of now I only wear the pad with a 3/4 or full sleeve to help keep it in place. The trailskins kneepads are great though, so here's hoping they sort the fit out on these enduros.
Anyway, point being, I would hope that 20yrs later, they would have their hardshell standalone knee/elbow game dialed, but from the sounds of the article, they don't. They have far too much experience, money, and R&D resources to be making these kind of rookie mistakes. I'd expect this sort of thing from a startup who is just rebranding some crap from a Chinese catalog company, but these guys have been involved in DH since the early-mid 90s!
I feel the sliding of pads comes down to differential diameters in your limbs -- wrist vs lower bicep/triceps for elbow guards, and thigh vs calf muscle diameter in knee guards. Some brands/styles work for you, some don't. Adjustable straps help, but don't always deliver a perfect fit.
www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/it/en/race-face-ambush-knee-d3o-guard-2017/rp-prod113076
That being said, this season the knee pads have been a bit problematic. I guess after too much use, the material has got too soft and seems to 'roll over' or bunch up on itself at the top of the knee. It's been pretty uncomfortable as it means the velcron rubs against my knee/thigh.
Was looking around at other options, but guess I'll get another pair of these too as they've always protected me through anything I've thrown at them.
I would say that the few diggers I've taken with Raids resulted in excellent protection, better than I would have thought.
www.d3o.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/D3O-Consumer-Care-Instructions.pdf
I actually sent my pads back to TLD to test and they said they are ok, but the only detail they give about their testing is they used a "light impact", which is all they told me when I asked about how to test the pads to make sure they are working properly. I think it's difficult to know for sure what condition D30 is in after reading the info in the link above, and it seems difficult to test the material properly. This is why I think it's better to go with a pad that features removable impact material if it's D30 or the like.