Looking for some alternatives to the Kris Holms Leg Armor. I have a good set of knee pads already… any recommendations on some good shin guards.
Hi Bradahj,
basically, you can walk into any decent bike store and find some knee+shin guards. I got a pair of Fox guards on clearance sale a while ago and a friend of mine got some SixSixOne (like the pic attached) recently.
They provide proper protection on knee & shin when doing off-road riding as they are designed for MTB after all :D. They are opened on the back so that helps to keep you cool in summer and to wear them over a trouser in the winter.
It is important to test them (if possible) to make sure they are sized properly to you. The important thing to verify is how well does the top is attached to your leg. The last thing you want is to see it slide down when you pedal having your knee not perfectly over from a hit on the top.
I agree regarding getting the right size.
I have 661 race lites, which I bought nearly new.
After a few minutes when they get sweaty they don’t slide down.
http://www.bmxevolution.com.hk/shop/knee-elbow-armour/sixsixone-race-lite-knee-shin-pads/
The trouble is although they fit well they are too short, leaving a large gap between the guard and my shoes.
Great guards otherwise.
661 are good i only use them for trials and street and love them!
Kris holm armour is overrated IMO, i owned a pair and didn’t really like it, ended up selling them quick, and found them very expensive for what the product was.
Depends what kind of armour you want. If something strong, then I’m using KRK ones (older version of this one http://www.krkpro.com/en/product/asfalt_ochraniacze_piszczeli but I don’t know what is their availability outside Poland).
If you need just lightweight protection, then look at G-form http://g-form.com/index.php/shop-sport/bike/pads/pro-x-shin-pads.html. They are easy to wear, but still offer quite good protection especially for the types of riding where you don’t bash them with pins all the time.
I use Fox Launch Knee/Shin pads. I think they are designed for motorbike racing or downhill biking. Love them. They are washable (hand), they are open in the back (making them cooler although a vulnerability). They have a hard outer shell which allows me to slide. I also use the Fox Launch elbow pads.
After pouring over the options I recently went with the POC VPD 2.0 separate shin and knee. I like them a lot, they are comfortable, stay in place and have already been tested on a big UPD. My critique is that I would like better protection at the back of the leg and I don’t like that they are pull on, although I contemplating trying to resolve this with the help of a tailor. I went for separates as sometimes I only want to wear shim protection. They are expensive (www.outsideoutfitters.com had the best price I could find) but so are doctors and xrays.
You guys are awesome
Thank you all for your detailed replies. I really appreciated the assistance. This is a great community we have here 
Brine O2 Shin Guards
I tried the 661 shin guards, but couldn’t keep them because they trapped too much heat, and were therefore uncomfortably hot.
Subsequently, I found the Brine O2 Field Hockey Shin Guards for $29.99 on Amazon.
http://brine.com/product/o2/
I’ve been using these for about 6 months and love them. The shell is polypropylene, so it is very tough and slightly flexible. The liners are removable for washing. And the best thing: they are held in place by two velcro straps, so there is plenty of air circulation to keep my legs cool.
These also come with a pair of shinguard sleeves, which are lycra stockings, but I’ve never used them.
I highly recommend these.
I love POC. The shin guards do lack rear protection and I’ve got the pedal bites to prove it. 
I’ve had them for a while and worn them often. They are holding up really well for all the sweat they have absorbed. I kind of wish mine would wear out because POC is now making a DH version with hard shells to skid across asphalt without sliding. Not that my knee guards slide, especially with the shin guards holding them up.
Also, POC is the only brand of elbow guards (not in picture) that I’ve been able to wear and I’ve tried em all.
This might be a little off topic but …
I busted my knee cap a year ago and after my successful recovery 
I now swear by knee (and other) protection. While recovering I purchased close to a grand of equipment from AllSportProtection because of their return policy which is not limited by time.
I ended up keeping all the POC items and several 661s, returned the rest and got a full refund, after time. This was across several orders. My experience may not be typical according to their horrible status on ResellerRatings, your experience may vary.
- Chuck
I realize the original poster was all set as far as knee pads but I was looking for some place to comment on G-Form knee pads and this seemed like the best place. I have 7 sets of knee pads and these are my favorite ones. They are lightweight which is good since I sometimes ride in 100+ degree temperatures. They may not be the best for drag-type falls or where there’s serious risk of a puncture but they have served me well for falls on the ground and on rock. I had a hard fall yesterday where the unicycle slipped out from under me and I crashed hard on the rocky ground directly on both knees and felt no pain whatsoever.
I have a pair of the G Pads for my knees, and like them, but I still can pick up a bruise underneath them if I fall the “right” way. They save me from serious injuries, though, and they’re comfortable, so I prefer them to the other “hard shell” types I also have (and used before the G Pads).
full leg protection
Any advice and/or insights on full leg protection?
Yesterday, during a fall the pedal came around and gave me 4 deep puncture wounds in my left calf. Once I saw that dark, red blood all my thoughts went to full leg protection.
Thanks for any information.
I wear fuse shin pads - they have foam and protective plastic guards on the inside and front of your leg and foam padding around the outside and back. I have metal pinned pedals thta have caused a few rips in the velcro tabs which i have fixed. My calves themselves though never get bruised or scratched as the guard fully protects around the leg
I tried a pair of six six ones to begin with since that’s what everyone here seemed to be using, but I found that they were too short when they got to my apartment. After a few weeks of looking through every random store I could find in my area I stumbled upon some hockey leg guards at a local Dunham’s Sports that were the perfect size. I never would have found them if I hadn’t been distracted by some pretty hockey sticks I saw out of the corner of my eye.
I went budg on DIY leg protection because it seemed like integrated knee/shin protection would be too hot and would restrict mobility.
Rollerblade-type knee pads plus lightweight soccer shinguards with built-in ankle/achilles protection, then made full calf protection with old camping pad and velcro straps. Total investment of about $10. I’ve taken many hard hits from pedals, rocks, and earth without injury.
(Where I live, unused or once-used pads of all kinds are readily available at thrift stores.)
I used to have 661s, and they were great! I took many a fall without injury, and they had a back which offered some protection against my pinned pedals… not perfect, as I have a scar where a pin punctured and then ripped the armor as well as my leg, but much better than nothing (I have an ~10" scar on the same leg from that ;)). Alas, those pads were lost in a move or something…
I’m using KH now, I looked for 661s but couldn’t find any that wrapped all the way around. Very warm, yes, but where I live I can cope, and it means I can wear shorts into late December when riding.
The problem I have with KH is that sometimes when I fall the knee pad takes the impact (yay!) but then the armor slides down and exposes my knee to whatever terrain I’m falling on, like gravel, mud, etc. I stand up, the pad slides back into place, and the mud/sand/gravel/poison ivy is now trapped and held against my skin. I’ve had to become a better rider to prevent falls! 
I used to ride with ankle guards, and I keep meaning to try again, to see if that’s the solution (that they help keep tha rmor in place…
so many choices
I do have knee pads already…
Any good options for a “shin-calf-wrap-a-round” pad of some sort…
I don’t want another calf strike like the last one…
doesn’t seem to be much out there…
I have had two significant unicycle injuries. I wear low sided shoes and both incidents involved my ankle getting between the crank and spokes.
Since the latest episode I have been on the lookout for some kind of ankle and lower leg protection.
Last weekend I bought a pair of lovely leather horse riding gators at a garage sale for ten bucks. They extend from below the top edge of the shoe to just below the knee. There is enough room to put foam padding (cut from a yoga mat) under them.
But today I scored a pair of Sidi motorcycle boots at an op shop. They are a simpler construction than any I could see at the Sidi website.
Other motorcycle boots I had seen before and at the Sidi site were always too bulky, cluttered, heavy and stiff. Given they extend well up my calf, these boots are reasonably light at 678 grams each. They are significantly lighter than the combination of my usual uni shoes (502 grams) and the gators (366 grams).
Perfect ankle protection. I am really looking forward to trying them out on the weekend.