Hello. After getting tire of putting on and off big knee pads Im willing to give these a try. Any experience with both, Im looking for a comfortable ride with good protection. I know they are not full length Knee/shin. Thanks.
i'd say they're about equal in fit and comfort, but you'll be paying the difference for the fancy EVO compression foam.
Personally, for long shuttles and park days, I am a big fan of the Kyle Straits. They're quite comfortable to wear without much irritation. I wear pants over them for all DH riding, which provide extra protection, and keep the pads in place during a crash. When wearing shorts, the pads will slide if you crash/drag hard enough.
FWIW, neither pad offers as much protection as a hardshell plastic kneepad.
i've got the straits...love the fit, they actually stayed in place for 2 crashes over the last 2 seasons.
only BAD thing is that they are shredded on the sides of the knees.
I'm actually going to try the Fox Launch. Similar idea, but after seeing the Fox, they just look like they are built stronger.
I have run both. The Evos do fall apart, especially that thin perforated foam that is supposed to hold them together on the sides - it basically started shredding itself to bits within a couple of riding days - BEFORE I even had a chance to crash. Pretty pi$$ed given the amount of $$ involved. However, thanks to the straps, they actually continue working after that foamy business has been ripped to shreds. The Evo stuff works OK, it does do SOMETHING to absorb impact. But as others have noted, when you crash and slide, they can end of moving around (but honestly, that can happy to almost ANY pad...). Side protection is not brilliant (which it is on the Kyle Straits...).
The Kyle Straits are just as comfy, offer better protection, and don't spontaneously disintegrate - that's what I'll be going back to after I squeeze another few months out of the Evos - I can't bear throwing them away until I've decided I've gotten my money's worth out of them - protection be damned...
Oh and in general, I find you can easily wear them a whole day, including pedalling and climbing - you forget they are there. This is valid for both the Evos and The Kyle Straits. So go ahead and try it out as an alternative to strapping and unstrapping those full leg jobbies...
Been really happy with the Kali Protectives Aazis soft knee guards. They have a hard plastic insert in the knee, lots of protection around the side of the knee, and breathe really well. I wear them all day and never notice they are on (until I crash).
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