Protection

spingle

Hello,

Does anybody else wear lower leg protection? If anyone does, why type do you wear? I am currently trashing my legs. I managed to cut my leg on bracken the other day and the have various scratches and holes and various bruises at different points of life, not unlike a colour chart!

Help!

By the way, I have posted previously about damaging my legs and it hasn't got much better. Well it has. I can do blue runs without any bother but the minute I get near a red...There are war wounds and then my legs!

Sorry this is a long post but I am at my wits end. I love being on my bike but my legs can't take much more.

Levi_501

Scratches look manly

Have you tried full length cycling trousers ? or perhaps Ron Hills, the ones with the hops on the bottom which stop your feet falling off.

Thewaylander

Have a look at shin and knee armour, or either or depending where you recieving dmg.

its just around your knee's some kyle straight from 661 knee pads are good, but if its your shins too would say that race face has some good shin knee combo items that were light and airy enough for some trail center riding.

is it pedals or rocks hitting you shins to cause the damage?

spingle

Hello again,

Thanks for the comments. It is more the back of my legs that I am damaging with my pedals as well as verious knocks and bangs to my front shins from rocks and things. I never seem to hit my knees (well that will be the kiss of death on that!)

I was in a bike shop yesterday and the person in there suggested that I change my shoes to sticky fivetens so my feet pop off less frequently.

I think I just need to get better! :oops: and quickly as I don't really want to look "manly" as it kind of clashes with my being a girl and all.

Thewaylander

Pedal hits happen alot, until you get used to flatties and learn to unweight the bike corectly and use pedal grip.

And even then it still will happen occasionally. i reccomend getting a light weight set of shin knee combo pads untill you learn. And better shoe will aid grip but until you become more experienced using flats you will always slip and take a bang.

thighsofsteel

I've recently looked into lower leg and knee protection as i go to Afan quite regularly and the last 2 times I've had collisions with rocks - am still sporting large scabs on my right knee & shin from last week actually... it'll be trousers for work for a while..!

Anyway, i had a look in a bike shop and they had a huge selection of the SixSixOne stuff which was all great except that it feels really restrictive, plus i had to go for at least a medium in the men's stuff - hence the name 'thighs of steel'...! It's not only bl**dy expensive but it feels heavy and bulky so i'm looking into other options - will keep you posted on my findings!

hobbo31

I can recommend 661 shin veggies and some five tens, the veggies give some coverage on the back as well, you just need to try them to get the correct size

ketka82

Hi spingle,

I used to suffer from this A LOT when I used flats. Since I've been using SPDs it hasn't been a problem but I do feel your pain!

The knee and shin protectors from SixSixOne and the like will protect your shins OK but are extremely restrictive and make pedaling much harder - especially uphill! They also make you really hot! I guess this is because they're designed for throwing yourself down mountains, not for regular singletrack. I only ever use mine in particularly rocky places where I'm likely to fall off - otherwise they annoy me too much!

I've never used them myself, but have you though of investing in a pair of football shin pads? Sounds funny I know, but they would protect your shins without restricting your knee and are way cheaper than the cycling-specific options out there.

kathg

Hi,
I know exactly what you mean.. I'm permanently black and blue (but I bruise really easily)
Anyway, I bought some 661 knee pads after a lovely flier in to some rocks on the climachx trail and things have been much better since.... But here's the top tip!! For pedalling uphill wear them lower around your shins (protects all shin and back of leg from pedal bash and scrape) this also means you don't get restricted behind your knees or too hot. Before going down anything rocky just hoik them up so knees and upper shin protected nicely ! I tried the race face knee shin combo on and found them awful, my legs are too short for them I think, felt like a 'stormtrooper' or 'terminator' and couldn't bend my legs to pedal - hilarious actually!

This works for me anyway, I could even wear a skirt to the pub now!

Good luck.

Kathg

spingle

Thanks for all your tips people!

FiveTens work!
FiveTens work!
Yipee!

Did the same route as I did the day of the terrible bleeding and not one injury this time! Don't care if it is all in my head as I can now go out with confidence!

Yeah!

Anonymous

I've been recomended to five ten sticky shoes too, havent got a pair yet but might invest. I really dont fancy SPD's.