Knee Pads

BMX race knee pads: protecting the knee and shin

The knee is exposed twice over in BMX racing: on the ground in a slide, and above all against your own pedal or bars when a foot comes off over a jump. Long race pants are compulsory in a moto, but they only keep abrasion away; the impact absorption comes from the knee pad. It is the most worn add-on protector in training, especially in jump and rhythm sessions.

The families of knee pad

• Compressive sleeve with viscoelastic foam: thin, breathable, worn for a whole session without hampering the pedal stroke.
• Hard shell over damping foam: superior protection against sharp pedal and handlebar strikes.
• Knee-shin version: the shell runs down the shin, an area badly exposed to flat pedal pins.
• Hinged or articulated-panel models, which follow the bend of the leg without riding up on every crank.

CE levels and reading the labels

Two sets of standards meet on the label. EN 14120 covers protective clothing for roller sports: it is the cycling-side benchmark, the one behind soft sleeves. EN 1621-1, which classes protectors as level 1 or level 2 according to the force transmitted in the impact test, is a motorcycling standard: gravity brands display it very widely, but it is not the regulatory benchmark for cycling. Level 2 protects more but stays thicker and warmer: acceptable over a short moto, but on a two-hour summer training session a well-vented level 1 will actually be worn — and a pad that is worn beats a pad left in the kit bag.

Choosing your size

The reference measurement is thigh circumference, taken some fifteen centimetres above the knee, backed up by calf circumference on knee-shin models. Pull the pad on, bend the leg and turn the cranks a few times: the shell must stay centred on the kneecap. Silicone bands inside the top of the sleeve stop it sliding, but they will not rescue a size that is too big. For a growing rider, a model with two adjustable straps will hold all season.

Working with pants and shoes

Most race BMX race pants are cut generously enough at the knee to take a soft sleeve; a hard shell often calls for a size up. Check as well that the shin protection does not press against the cuff of high-top BMX shoes, which would lock the ankle in the low position.

Care and service life

Rinse and hand wash the sleeves, dry them flat out of the sun. Dirt worked into the compressive fabric wears the fibres and costs you hold. Change any knee pad whose foam no longer springs back, whose shell is cracked, or whose elastic has gone slack: all three signs point to a protector that will slip at the moment of impact.

The BMX RACING advice

As a multi-brand shop, BMX RACING sets the cuts and levels of Fuse, Kenny, Shot and the other makers side by side rather than selling you the one model in a range. Give us the thigh measurement, the rider's category and the intended use — training or competition — and we will suggest references that work with your BMX elbow pads and the rest of your kit. Dispatched within 24 to 72 hours, you can spread the cost over 2 or 3 payments.