Decathlon D3O Knee and Elbow Pads
Decathlon D3O Enduro Light D30 Knee and Elbow Pads
As someone who fits into the XC – and veteran XC at that! – category when it comes to MTB, body armour has never been part of my ride wardrobe. However on receiving a set of Decathlon D3O knee and elbow pads maybe it’s time I reconsidered?
Why use pads?
The purpose of protective clothing like these Decathlon D3O knee and elbow Pads is to provide some form of cushioning when you inevitably crash. Inevitably? One of my sons has been heading out with friends on their MTBs this summer. Where previously he was happy to go on long XC rides with me, now he’s looking for jumps. This means he returns happy, tired and covered in cuts and bruises.
While these are mostly innocuous and can be dealt with, with just a wipe and a plaster, I’m aware they could be much worse. Body armour, like Decathlon D3O is designed to lessen the effect of these inevitable impacts. The material used in the pads is made by D3O and features a material that is soft and flexible; until you hit it. Once struck, the padding becomes hard and dissipates the shock.
These knee pads use D3O Ghost Reactive technology, which is CE-certified (Regulation EU 2016/425) for Level 1, Type A knee protection. I had a quick look around to find out what all this means, but I think Loam Wolf’s YouTube explains it best. Basically Level 1 is a lightweight protection, so if you’re going on a long ride, with some ‘crashy’ bits, this could be fine. Or maybe you’re an experienced rider and feel you just want a little extra padding, ‘just in case’.
Decathlon D3O Enduro Light Knee and Elbow Pads
As I said I’m an XC rider, so will looking at these from that point of view. However, I will get my fearless son to give them a go as well and will let you know how they fare. The pads each come in their own handy carry pouch, which is a nice touch. If you’re familiar with arm or leg warmers, then these work in the same way, you pull them up and over your limb; like a sleeve. Wide silicone grippers at the top of the sleeves are designed to keep them in place. This is often a weak point on warmers, too loose and they slip down, too tight and you lose circulation!
To avoid the baggy tight look, you need to get the right size. My mediums are perfect on my skinny cyclist arms, but could, perhaps be slightly tighter on my thighs? Then again, if I dropped a size they’d probably be too tight. A case of try before you buy, like all clothing. To give you an idea of my proportions, I’m 172cm, weigh 65Kg and a have a 50cm thigh circumference.
D3O pads
The base material is a lightweight synthetic fabric, perforated on the back for enhanced ventilation. On the front, non-removable D3O armour is directly applied, forming a series of hollow diamond shapes that provide flexibility and body conformity without restricting movement.
Coverage: Elbows: 210 x 120 mm, Knees: 225 x 140 mm. A little note about D3O, it’s pronounced D3OH, not D3zero!
Shins!
Putting the knee pads on and I’m impressed with how well they conform to my knee. They follow the shape without any pinching, well not while I strut around the house. What I do notice – and this seems to be the same with other pads – is that the coverage doesn’t extend further down my shin. Looking at my son’s legs and it seems that most of his shins have impact marks. I’m guessing these are from pedals as well as the usual trail ‘stuff’. While you obviously want to protect the delicate knee joint, surely being whacked in the shin is something you want to avoid? Then again they are ‘knee’ pads, not shin pads!
Arms
Switching to the elbow pads and the protection seems ample. There’s plenty of material around the elbow, with the pad extending about halfway down my forearm. Plus the sleeve extends low enough to protect against summer nettles
Between my son and me, we’ll be trying out the Decathlon D3O Enduro Light Knee and Elbow pads. I reckon he will get the most use out of them, but I will give them a go. Time for dad to go big on his next ride?
We covered Decathlon’s Buy Back service a while ago and it’s still going. Decathlon offer to buy back some of their own brand products. A handy way to clear up some space and get money off your next purchase.
