Been running POC bone arm for 2 seasons now. Very minimal sliding (virtually none when I first got them) and nice and breathable (open arm).
http://www.pocsports.com/en/product/1252/bone-arm
Elbow/forearm protection - yay or nay?
I have some THE arm pads. Used to wear them a lot when I was learning and falling off lots. Comfy with not much arm pump but would slide up the arms on impact.
These days I come off the bike less and wearing them doesn't seem worth it. The more regular falls are taken care of with my knee pads. If I were to choose a second armour to lug about it would be something to protect my shoulders.. If there were something comfy, light weight and protective; since serious shoulder injuries seem to be the most regular serious injury in MTB. Not sure there is such a thing though.
Def yay, and POC VPD's.
Had a weird bail years ago, with my old soft shell Roach pads, and have had a really sensitive, floating chunk of bone in my elbow ever since. Hurts like a summanabich if I hit it just right, and I don't want to make it any worse.
Normally nay… although I am probably tempting fate. For the bike park I will wear more protection but for day to day shuttling, etc., just knee pads is the norm.
def yay, I started wearing my Race Face elbow/forearms before I got TLD knee/shins…seemed elbows forearms took more impact in all my early on bails, now just feels safer. had cm long splinters removed from my forearm after I plowed into a rotting stump, thought i got them all out and a week later some weird lump was forming on my arm…mind you, that was a xc ride, so no armour anyway!
Is anyone using the POC VPD 2.0 elbows? I tried a pair on and they felt pretty good but they are a bit spendy.
Yeah all the POC stuff looks sweet, but its like 2x the price of most other brands, which has scared me off of their gear so far.
Yeah all the POC stuff looks sweet, but its like 2x the price of most other brands, which has scared me off of their gear so far.
I tried their new long knees, and they were predictably awesome but other cheaper brands felt as good and as protective for much less money so I didn't buy.
But I couldn't find a set of elbows that were as light, comfortable and protective. The POCs were must-have as soon as I tried them on. The price disparity on the elbows isn't quite as bad as with the knees. I haven't landed on them hard enough to really speak to their protection beyond normal pads. So far they've mostly been subject to a lot of glancing blows as I clip trees and whatnot. Overall I'm totally satisfied. Worth every penny.
Though given my shins' recent run-in with my flats I'm reconsidering my increasingly minimal approach to protection. On big bike days my forearms could use some protection too. I'm going to make the POCs my go-to's when I go out for pedally rides with big descents. And get something with more forearm protection for shuttle/bike park days.
There's nothing better than an Orangina after cheating death with Digger.
It may sound odd but I'm using 661 Kyle Strait knee pads on my arms. I was tired of all of my other pads sliding down and the Kyle Straits stay up perfectly on my knees so I figured that they'd be worth a try on my elbows. The youth knee size fits me like a large elbow from most companies. So far they haven't moved around on me at all and are very comfortable. They can also take some good hits without disintegrating. As a bonus, they match my knee pads perfectly!
POC Joint VPD elbow pads are the ones to get? I've seen the ones that look like a black neoprene sleeve. Like these ones?
Shed head!
POC Joint VPD elbow pads are the ones to get? I've seen the ones that look like a black neoprene sleeve. Like these ones?
I had the original POC VPD elbow pads and they were great but the velcro died on one of them one day, so I picked up a pair of the VPD2 pads and they're fantastic. Completely unobtrusive and very comfortable. And no velcro on the new ones, jut an adjustable strap.
What I really like about the VPD2 knees and elbows is that they don't rely on straps or velcro to stay up…it's really the sleeve and the neoprene material that keeps them in place.
Sure they're a bit pricey, but I think it's worth it to have the protection without feeling any discomfort.
I have used many over the years, POC is what I am on now and they work great. Spendy tho!
I injured my left arm/elbow a few years ago so I started wearing Alpinestars when necessary:
They are great, although a bit restrictive - you can't straighten your arm fully.
POC VPD 2.0 are awesome, and great pricing from Different Bikes (better than CRC).
Had a weird day in Whistler where the pad slipped down while riding A-Line - anyone else experience this when riding thru the rough stuff??
Just got the POC Bone arms at the start of this year. F-ing love them. No slip, fit great, and barely notice them when on.
Used to have 661 elbows with the orange compressing rubber stuff, they were pretty good but I did get a bit of slip as the pads stretched out after 2 seasons.
I've got 12 screws and 2 plates in my right elbow. Cant be breaking that one again, arm protection is a necessity!
I have the POC elbows and find them great. I wear them primarily to protect me from glancing impacts and flesh wounds. I don't really expect them to save me from a broken elbow figuring that an impact of that magnitude would overwhelm the D30. Or is this just a case of not really knowing how amazing this stuff is? How many D30 users have walked away from a direct hit that you were sure should have caused a break?
There's nothing better than an Orangina after cheating death with Digger.
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