These new knee/shin protectors are 4X specialist Roger Rinderknecht’s signature numbers. First things first, these puppies are light! At just 490g a pair, they’re about as light as leg armour gets. The inevitable downside then, is that they lack the protection of full-on downhill pads.
Tough polypropylene shells are strategically placed down the front of the shins and around the kneecap area, and the remainder of the pads are made from a combination of IXS’s VentMesh and NockOut materials.
Airflow is really good and, for lighter usage, the tough padding is more than man enough. The fit is comfy and the Velcro knee cuff has a rubberised band to keep things snug.
The problem comes from the SqueezeBox hinge between the knee and shin areas. Designed to provide added flexibility, it can actually hinge the knee cup upwards and away from the leg when pedalling.
To add to this, the knee cup itself isn’t big enough. It’s cut away at the bottom and around the sides, meaning rocks and other debris can still get in.
This area in your knee is right where the dreaded ACL lives and is a potential source of a lot of pain and an extremely lengthy spell off your bike.