Elbow pads

Discussion in 'Armor' started by Louis Zegarra, Feb 10, 2016.


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  1. Louis Zegarra

    Louis Zegarra Member

    Location:
    Eastvale
    Name:
    LouisZ
    Current Bike:
    Giant Stance
    Guys, I'm looking to buy a good pair of elbow pads but I would like it to run down the forearm almost to the wrist. I have learned that if you fall forward, the forearms gets all scratched up by dirt.

    Someone told me that paintball elbow pads are the best for MTbing. What is your experience?
     
  2. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Hey Louis, I too am a guy who likes to protect my forearms. Seems when I fall, it's my forearms that hit the ground first. All the cool riders on the gravity side wear kneepads, but no arm guards. I rarely hit my knees - but always hit my forearms.

    Join the herd that's using the Troy Lee elbow/forearm guards (EGL 5550). They are light, comfy, fit in a pack easily and provide first impact protection. Like all pads, they will slide of you slide, but they will take that initial impact to minimize the damage. Also comes in handy when bashing through overgrown trails in an aggressive, elbows out posture.

    Here they are at Jenson.
    TroyLee5550elbow.jpg
     
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  3. Louis Zegarra

    Louis Zegarra Member

    Location:
    Eastvale
    Name:
    LouisZ
    Current Bike:
    Giant Stance
    Those are nice too. I noticed MTB padding are designed mostly for the first big impact situation, hence, the thickness. The slide scenario is very common is our sport but it seems to be more prevalent in paint-ball wars, hence, they are lighter with the design more for sliding when people dive in the ground. This pair I tried at my local paint-ball store felt light and there is a thumb elastic to prevent the elbow pad from pushing up in a slide. Still haven't decided which one I'll get.

    Exalt.jpg
     
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  4. siata94

    siata94 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    lake forest
    Name:
    siata
    Current Bike:
    lazy goat
    wow those Exalt pads look nice. I don't pb but did a quick search and another brand has good reps, Planet Eclipse.
    Did your pb store carry the PEs as well? opinions?

    I have several sets of pads and often don't wear them because they don't fit under longsleeve shirts.
     
    Mikie likes this.
  5. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    @Louis Zegarra ,
    Are you talking about just for DH efforts or a long day out on the Enduro trail? Those Exalts look awesome!
    First thought was how cool would they be in regards to temperature. They look like they "could be" hot to wear.
    I like them though! They need to come in blue (naturally o_O)...
     
    Louis Zegarra likes this.
  6. PMORTUARY

    PMORTUARY Member

    Location:
    Tustin
    Name:
    Dave (D2)
    Current Bike:
    Giant Trance
    Cyclotourist, Louis Zegarra and Mikie like this.
  7. scan

    scan iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    fran allas
    Current Bike:
    Scott Spark
    Stormtrooper white.....no extra charge!
     
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  8. Louis Zegarra

    Louis Zegarra Member

    Location:
    Eastvale
    Name:
    LouisZ
    Current Bike:
    Giant Stance
    Yes, they were a bit more bulkier.
     
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  9. Louis Zegarra

    Louis Zegarra Member

    Location:
    Eastvale
    Name:
    LouisZ
    Current Bike:
    Giant Stance
    I was talking for more everyday AM riding. The DH ones are too restrictive for AM. Yes, I was thinking about how would they do when is above 90+ I have to admit, they look very well ventilated on the forearm part.
     
    Mikie likes this.
  10. MattB

    MattB Member

    Name:
    Matt B
    I've been using these for the last couple of years, and unfortunately have decent amount of experience crash testing them. I agree with everything Herzalot said about them, but I've actually had pretty good luck with them not sliding too much ... maybe I'm not going fast enough when I crash. :whistling: They're comfortable enough that I usually just leave them on for the whole ride, but they can get hot in the summer, so fitting well in a pack does come in handy. I'll definitely buy another pair when these wear out.
     
  11. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Well, it's only been 5 years since I posted here. In that time Troy Lee designed an even-lighter elbow forearm guard that I used regularly. Unfortunately they also had a tendency to slide down my arm over bumpy terrain. On a recent nothing slide-out fall, the pad was still in place, but my forearm got significantly bruised and shredded.

    Rather than grow huge biceps, I decided to try the G-Form Pro-Rugged Elbow guards. These are also slide-on, no strap pads. I was attracted to these because they did not look like or feel like the lighter weird-looking G-Form pads with the exposed rubbery pads. These are covered in "Armortex."

    So far, they stay up waaaaay better than the Troy Lees. Whether it's The Luge, Rock-It, Lynx or T and A - these high speed choppy descents are a good test of the stability and grip of the pads. They stayed in place. That's impressive. They are also comfortable, and while not as lightweight or airy as their little brother, they appear to be more likely to do the job in a crash. I hope to never find out, but I am sure I will.

    G-Form Pro Rugged Elbow.png
     
  12. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    its difficult for me to find elbow guards that fit my arms. Anyone have any suggestions for xxl elbow guards? Also looking for good forearm coverage
     
    herzalot likes this.
  13. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Stop working out....
     
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  14. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    That...can’t be what you really want, right?
     
    herzalot likes this.
  15. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Planet Cyclery has G Form on a 15% off sale right now. Not huge, but helps: https://planetcyclery.com/g-form-pro-rugged-elbow-black
     
    herzalot likes this.
  16. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I'll tel you what I want, what I really, really want... :oops:
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?