Are Roach knee pads to hot for SoCal??

[SoCal Life]

I searched the forums and hit up my LBS. From what I can tell, read and feel, I like the Roach Freeride, Fox Launch, and really like the T.H.E. Storm knee pads.

For people that actually ride them: Are the Roach's to hot in the summer?? I had them on in my LBS for about 15min. and my leg was already sweating. But I do like how cushy they feel. The Fox are a lot lighter and more breathable, but I don't like the feel as much as the Roach. And I absolutely love the T.H.E. Storm, but they won't be making Large sizes for at least a month or two, and I can't wait that long.

I ride clipless pedals, so I will only be using them on trails like Noble, ATT, Iron Mountain...etc, and not on the trails I'm riding 2-3 times a week.

[roadkillross]

no they are bomb. either those or 661 tomcat's

[soul rider]

not too hot i use the free ride model vs the dh, the dh wraps around the whole leg or pretty close and i think has 2mm more base cushion

[tkblazer]

any pad you wear to cover your legs will be warm, but the roach/race face pads are freakin sweet. i sometimes wear them all day on my rides since they're so comfy.

[gurp13]

I've been looking at getting some pads too. I don't need them often, but they're great for overgrown trails and stuff that's crazy sketchy. Seems like when I borrow them they never really fit right and flop around. I was thinking about the Fox Launch as well, but the Roach pads got really good reviews on mtbr.

[roadkillross]

gurp, the roach are waaaay more comfortable than the fox launch. the amount of padding in the shin is unmatched

[Winston]

My 2 cents:

Roach/Race Face knee/shin pads - Comfy, but when you crash your knees get skinned up. (They tend to slide down in a crash.) Also the stitching doesn't last long.

Fox Launch knee/shin pads - Great protection and they stay in place when you crash. Not as comfortable as the Roach pads. On some people, they can rub your knees raw when riding uphill.

661 Kyle Strait knee pads - Comfy all day and they stayed in place on my last wreck. No shin protection.

[ShinKen]

I vote for the fox pads!! they do their job and stay in place!! they will rubb u raw if u use em when climbing!! but really who in their right mind uses pads when doing a long climb?

just my few cetnzz!!

[SoCal Life]

Originally Posted by downhillross13

gurp, the roach are waaaay more comfortable than the fox launch. the amount of padding in the shin is unmatched

^^^^ I agree. Gulp, go try on the Fox Launch pads at your LBS and you'll see that they are no where as comfortable as the Roach FR.

Sweet, I'm going with the Roach Freeride knee pads then!! Thanks for the info everyone

Hmmm... I guess it took me about 10min. to finish my post cause those last two posts weren't there when I stated typing(no, I'm not that slow, I just get distracted very easily)

I'll wait another day or two and see how much input I get before I make my final desicion

[roadkillross]

good choice..now find the cheapest price online. i got mine from beyondbikes.com but im sure there are cheaper sites out there

[soul rider]

troy lee combats are also a good one

[dubjay]

Originally Posted by Winston

661 Kyle Strait knee pads - Comfy all day and they stayed in place on my last wreck. No shin protection.

Anyone know if the 661 Veggie Wrap shinguards work with the Kyle Strait knee pads?

[Nagaredama]

I own both the Roach FR pads and Fox Launches.

The Roach pads are so hot it is ridiculous. The few times I crashed with them on, one slid down and I ended up with a skinned knee.

The Fox's do not wrap around as much, are less padded and as a result are cooler. They are also far easier to put on and off. When doing a ton of pedaling while wearing them my knees sometimes get hot spots. However, it seems to come and go.

Overall I like the Fox pads better because they aren't as bulky. I am after a piece of plastic between my shin; pedals or rocks. I'm not sure how much extra protection the extra padding of the Roach's really provide.

For riding while clipped in I would like to get ahold of the 661 Kyle Strait knee pads. My buddy has them and wears them on XC rides and never notices them.

[SoCal Life]

Originally Posted by downhillross13

good choice..now find the cheapest price online. i got mine from beyondbikes.com but im sure there are cheaper sites out there

I don't know if any of you have ever used this site, but I think it rocks. Clicky Clicky

This is how I put my bike together so cheap. I live about 1/4 mile from Beyond Bikes and they price match, so I don't really have to pay shipping anymore. I got my Thomson X4 stem for $60, my WTB Rocket-V SLT for $64 and a bunch more stuff using this site. The site update very accurately, so it will tell you the best price even if someone is having a blowout sale.

[roadkillross]

Originally Posted by dubjay

Anyone know if the 661 Veggie Wrap shinguards work with the Kyle Strait knee pads?

arent the veggie wraps knee only....and only for nee shins that dont stay in place..

Originally Posted by Nagaredama

I own both the Roach FR pads and Fox Launches.

The Roach pads are so hot it is ridiculous. The few times I crashed with them on, one slid down and I ended up with a skinned knee.

The Fox's do not wrap around as much, are less padded and as a result are cooler. They are also far easier to put on and off. When doing a ton of pedaling while wearing them my knees sometimes get hot spots. However, it seems to come and go.

Overall I like the Fox pads better because they aren't as bulky. I am after a piece of plastic between my shin; pedals or rocks. I'm not sure how much extra protection the extra padding of the Roach's really provide.

For riding while clipped in I would like to get ahold of the 661 Kyle Strait knee pads. My buddy has them and wears them on XC rides and never notices them.

the tomcats are even slimmer than the kyle straits since the kyle straits have side padding which the tomcats dont have. very nice

[tkblazer]

strange, i've never had the roach's slide down on me, but i am using the XL's so the shin pad goes all the way down to the ankle and fits perfectly with my 510's.

[dubjay]

Originally Posted by downhillross13

arent the veggie wraps knee only....and only for nee shins that dont stay in place..

I think you're thinking about the 661 Padlock. The Veggie series (knee & a shin) are primarily just for vegetation (thus veggie) and light abrasions. No plastic shell for protection against big hits.

[roadkillross]

oo my bad