I have a pair of KH leg armor and find that after a while of riding they slip down towards my foot exposing the upper part of my knee. It’s not so bad until I UPD off of the 36er and the tumble results in skinning the upper part of my knee - which is now exposed.
Is there any secret to keeping these in place?
Thanks
Jim
I ended up getting longer ones that cover my knee even when they have slid down.
Interesting. What’s a good one? My tibias are long.
Thanks!
This is the size chart from KH’s website:
Small (S): 35 cm (14”) 150 cm - 160 cm (5’0" - 5’4")
Medium (M): 37.5 cm (15”) 160 cm - 170 cm (5’4" - 5’8")
Large (L): 40 cm (16”) 170 cm - 180 cm (5’8" - 5’11’)
X-Large (XL): 42.5 cm (17”) 180 cm - 190 cm (5’11" - 6’2")
XX-Large (XXL): 45 cm (18”)
According to this my size is XL, but then the straps are to long and has to be shortened.
I had the same kind of situation with my Fox leg armor (doesn’t cover the back like the KH).
I ended up stealing and idea I saw on a friend’s armor: covering the knee. Now I am wearing volleyball knee pads under my leg armor and it helps to prevent skinning if the armor shift.
I was too lazy to sew velcro on both to keep them aligned (as it was done from the factory on my friend’s armor).
I’m wondering if I can get away with getting a pair of 661 rages and putting the KH over that (or actually a little below it). Might be too bulky though …
Does anybody run the POC VPD 2.0 DH knee pads? Wow - more than $100! Plus then I need to get something for shins.
Hmmm
I’m just glad to know I’m not the only one with this KH armor problem (and I’ve tried both L & XL, same issue on both).
KH over snug-fitting D30 knee pads
I used the KH size chart and bought mine big - XL I think. The good news is that with my 5.10 Freerides that are mid-high, the KH armor can’t slide down.
The bad news is that they are pretty wide and the knee cap in particular is waaay too big (I have long skinny legs). Plus the straps were too long even when it was new (deos anyone really have knees that huge??). Now, they’ve stretched out. I solved this by tying 2-3 knots in each strap to make them shorter.
I don’t have those, but on my recent Pacific Northwest trip I picked it some of the new D30 knee pads (mine are RaceFace) as I got them on a pretty decent sale of like 15% off plus the Canadian exchange rate helped a little (list price if also well over $100). Anyway, those fit my knees like a glove and the KH armor fits over it perfectly! I’ve actually been riding this way most of the time since I got the knee pads about a month-and-a-half ago. It works great!! It gives my extra protection for the knee, as even if the KH slips then the RF are staying put, plus I get the double-layer foam for my 36 UPDs (had one last year where a dog stopped in front of me and I bailed at 19+km/h and landed directly on my knees. While the KH helped a lot and I had no abrasions, I still bruised my knee through the pads).
Anyway, for me the KH over snug-fitting D30 knee pads works great!!
The picture shows how I (mother in law) shortened the straps by folding and stitching them together. I (mother in law) shortened the two straps over the knee by 4 cm and the two top straps on the leg by 3 cm. The lowest strap was not shortened.
In additon I had to remove the plastic protection on the inside of the leg to make the KH armors fit over the ancle protection without rubbing against the frame.
My KH armors are now a perfect fit and does not slide down.
(To find your right size, measure the length of your leg from the top of your ankle joint to the middle of your knee. I forgot to mention that in my last post.)
+1 XXL KH Percussion halfway up my thigh. Great coverage! Under armor tights nearly eliminate any strap rubbing. KH is my armor of choice in the winter. Kris has the only guards on the market with back-of-the-leg coverage. In the summertime I love POC VPD Long Knee DH (now with plastic skid plates which have proven useful for geared Cokering). l also have an older version of POC VPD short knee and shin guard (back is lycra fabric) separates. Best when worn together as the shin is high enough it keeps the knee pads (no skid plates) from sliding. Coolest set for hot summer mUni. I’ve also dabbled in 661. Check out my User CP Picture Albums.
I purchased the POC 2.0 knee pads and those will definitely stay put and protect my knees much better than the KH.
I was looking at the shin guards that go with this - but then it occurred to me. I never have even come close to threatening my shins or calves. I can see where definitely you need knee/wrist - perhaps elbow - for those UPDs - but how is it that you can mangle your shins? I haven’t been riding that long but I can’t discern a how that wound would come to be?
Try doing some tricks that involve taking your feet off the pedals such as unispins.
When you’re really beginning (or trying any “next-level” skill), then there’s the problem of totally losing your balance and raking the pedals across the back of your calves. I’ve had this happen at least 3 times although not in the last while as I’ve gotten better (I think once was practicing jump mounts where I only landed on one pedal). Two times the KH protected me and I had no damage. One time while riding muni (I think my first of second 36er muni, where the big wheel was really hard to control) I lost my foot on one pedal and the uni continued to roll. My foot was then planted on the ground and the pedal came around from the back and the uni continued to roll and scraped all the way down my leg. The KH helped a lot, but lower near my ankle the pins got around the material and I had three nice cuts.
But I think it’s mostly mental… Although I had been wearing my KH virtually 99% of the time in the last year (as I said above I’d been doing the KH over the D30 for a while). Well, last week I decided to forego the KH and only wear the D3O knee. Well, I was hoping to time a light just right but then got there about 5 seconds too early, help on to a pole for about 2 seconds and then started out when it was green but there was then a turning car and I had to dismount. Somehow I wobbled to the side as I pushed off the pole and immediately dismounted and, of course (Murphy’s Law), my KH handle bar landed on my shin about 2cm BELOW where the D3O stop. I’ve still got a bruise now over a week later.
But again, I think it’s 90% psychological and 10% for the freakish mishap where you and the uni go flying and then the pedals rotate uncontrollably and the pins attack your calves.
For muni I will continue to cover the full leg. For commuting I’m mostly wearing them now b/c the double layer is warm so I can ride without tights or long pants. By next summer I shouldn’t need them anymore.
I had to modify mine:
