Leatt Airflex Knee and Elbow pads

May 16th 2001; that was the date I got my first pads for mountain biking. I’d just moved to Vancouver from the U.K. and was keen to go and get a taste (literally it would turn out) of the fabled North Shore trails. It was recommended by all that I get a set of pads and I settled on a pair from Roach that resembled slimmed down ice hockey goalie pads.

They were perfect at the time; well armoured for off-bike excursions, pre-5.10 pedal slips and other misdemeanors that could have left me needing a skin graft. They were big and bulky but I’d strap them to my pack and then put them on at the top before careening to the bottom; and they worked perfectly.

Fast forward 14 years and things have changed. I end up face down in the dirt rarely these days and my riding style has evolved so the ups are mixed in with the downs. Slim pads that are comfortable for long days of pedalling have replaced the SWAT gear, but I still want some protection for the inevitable calamity. The Leatt Airflex pads aim to strike that balance.

The Leatt Airflex pads are sleeve-type pads that slip on over the knees or elbows. The sleeves are made from a stretchy lycra-like material with a 6mm thick Armorgel pad attached. For pad wearers, the use of the non-Newtonian gels (under whichever brand,  D3O being one example) in pad design has made protection much more comfortable. These malleable materials remain soft and flexible until you smack them hard. No more clunky hard shells and a whole lot less bulk, which means that pads can now be designed for all day wearability.

These pads are very low profile and they sit under the hem of your shorts easily. The sleeves are easily pulled on and silicon grippers at the cuffs to keep them in place, with some extra in the middle around the pad itself to stop them sliding around. The sleeves are generously long, which for the knee pads means that the top cuff can end up under the bottom of your under shorts (if you wear them). If I were to pick on the fit a little I would say that some extra length on the bottom cuff of the knee pad would be nice, just to get it below the point on my calf when it tapers down to the ankle, further helping any riding up for that cuff.

Obviously you have to remove your shoes to get the knee pads on, but the idea of these pads is to be able to wear them the whole day, so they go on at the start of the ride. They feel good when you slip them on but, more imortantly they feel good once you are on the bike and moving around. It is hard to say how sweaty they will get in the summer, but with thin breathable material and the perforated gel to let some air through my hope is that they won’t be too bad.

Once pedaling you can focus on grunting to wherever you are heading that day, the pad flexing with the knee and elbow so that you can move unencumbered. The pads stay put nicely and don’t bunch up, fall down or rub you raw. When I first ride something new I tend to crash. I have no idea how I got into this habit but it helped me test out the Airflex pads first ride out. It wasn’t a big crash, but I did go down on my knees. It is in these cases where you need the pad to stay in place which they did – and I got away without a scratch.

Sizing on this type of pad is critical. The first set that I had were the L/XL size and while the elbows were fine, the knee pads were too big. Rather than sliding down, the issue was around the knee and the pads rotated some. With the S/M the fit is snug on the knees and elbows but that stretchy material preserves comfort.

I don’t have skinny legs, so the small size may be too big for some. Try a pair on if you can or consult the Leatt sizing chart (go to the product you are looking for and you’ll find a specific chart).

These products aren’t great for riders who prefer to have a pad they can pull on easily when they are about to get rad. These pads are for riders that plan to do a big day in the saddle – and they do that job just fine.

The Leatt Airflex Knee pads retail for $99USD and the elbow pads for $79USD and more details can be found on Leatt’s web site.

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Looks like a good option for enduring an enduro.