SixSixOne have just fired us over a set of their new, Nico Vouilloz-inspired Recon Knee Pads. Lightweight and minimalist, much like the 10-times World Downhill Champ, these are designed for long days in the saddle or those who just want something to protect their knobbly knees.
Can a 70g knee pad really cut it in the real world? These SixSixOne Recon Knee Pads sure to make a mighty bold claim. Designed to provide the most protection in a super lightweight package, Pete will be putting these through the mill, hopefully with not too many ground interfaces.
- £47.99 RRP.
- 140g per pair.
- XRD Technology hardens on impact.
- Padlock connection attaches to EVO short.
- Hotlines Europe Limited.
These Recon pads from SixSixOne are, as mentioned above, designed to offer the user a very different experience to most knee pads out on the market. A world apart from the bulky neoprene offerings housing either a solid or D3O (or similar) cup, these have been pared down to provide a decent level of protection to the knee area in a very lightweight setup.
Protection is provided by the XRD Technology, which is an impact-hardening gel that stays soft and flexible while riding, but ‘freezes’ on impact. This gel is shaped to provide ample freedom of movement whilst out on the trails. XRD is designed to be breathable, not that this should be an issue in such a light design.
One thing that is interesting, to us anyway, is the EN rating. Anything sold in the UK must have an EU-approved safety rating of some kind. These Recon pads conform to EN 14120, which is the standard for removable machinery guards. Most knee pads are rated to either EN 1621-1 or 1621-2, which are motorcycle protective equipment standards, indicating that these won’t offer the same protection in a crash compared to most pads available.
Elasticated silicone grippers at the top and bottom cuffs are designed to keep things in place and comfortable. An elastic strap around the back of the calf cut-out isn’t silicone grippered, but is designed to prevent the pad from moving, working in conjunction with the upper and lower cuff grips.
To tell the honest truth, I’m not much of a knee pad wearer. More often that not, I’ll ride bare knee and just deal with the consequences. Outwith racing, where I usually fall off a lot, and therefore wear pads, they don’t get much of a showing. The Recon pad, assuming it will have room for my rather prominent knobbly knee, might be the pad that changes that.
I’m looking forward to seeing if these will impress me enough to, if not be on my knees all the time while riding, at least get slung in my pack for the clatter back to the car. Keep an eye out for a full review in the coming months.
Make your way over to the SixSixOne site for full details on the Recon knee and other pads. In the meantime, why not have a look at our other product reviews for more of the same?
