Dainese Trail Skins Pro Knee Protectors

Product Information

I’d recommend trying the Trail Skins Pro before you buy them rather than just relying on Dainese’s size chart. Self-preservation makes crash testing knee pads particularly difficult and whether or not a tester crashes in them is a roll of the dice rather than a scientifically controlled procedure.

That is, for their way of testing. I'm not sure whether that's the complete story for me as it doesn't cover two (perceived) advantages that hard shell gives you. That is, they distribute that residual force over a larger area and the slide better (which for me is a good deal of what I want protection for). I think my pads take loads of crashes and replacement after 4 or 5 crashes, that could in some cases imply a single ride so that isn't feasible. Yet most of these crashes aren't big, mostly sliding out sessioning corners. Trying to hit them faster and faster up til failure. The Trail Skins Air knee guard is constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector, inspired by the geometry of auxetic materials present in nature that, following an impact or stress, expand in all directions simultaneously, increasing the area of coverage. The 70€ Trail Skins Air Knee Guards share the same Pro-Shape 2.0 knee pad & side skid plate, but feature a simplified fit. Held in place with a simple extended sleeve design – essentially a long lightweight mesh knee warmer, elastic grippers at the top and bottom hold the knee guards in place, likely reaching up under the grippers from a pair of padded cycling shorts. It’s a solid idea, but seems to require a precise fit from the start, maybe more so than most other knee pads we’ve ridden in. For now the Lite line only includes the 60€ Trail Skins Lite Knee Guards, that take an even more simplified approach. Dainese Trail Skins Lite Knee GuardsEach of the molded viscoelastic pads designed to move with your joints – knees, elbows & shoulders – use the same ‘Auxagon’ tech pads like we saw in the debut of the Trail Skins family last year at Crankworx. Thin and open on the outside, they are able to flex in multiple directions with your body… They feature similar mesh sleeve construction, but use the thinner but less vented Pro-Shape 2.0 pad ( at right above) which is foldable. photo by Luigi Sestili BCA Their tighter-fitting style feels different from bulkier knee pads such as G-Form’s Pro Rugged Knee Guards and they are significantly more flexible than pads such as the Alpinestars Paragon, which means they can get away with being a little more snug. A matching 60€ pair of Trail Skins Air Elbow Guards give arms the same protection, again held in place by wide elastic bands with silicone grippers.

The tab with Dainese logo got dog-eared, exposing the hooked section of the Velcro fastening. Ian Linton / Immediate MediaThe Trail Skins Air knee guard is constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector, inspired by the geometry of auxetic materials present in nature that, following an impact or stress, expand in all directions simultaneously, increasing the area of coverage. The structure of the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector allows for maximum flexibility and adaptability whatever the knee position, tracing its movements throughout all phases of activity. It absorbs 83% of the force of an impact, rather than transmitting this to the knee. The family of Dainese Trail Skins protectors represents the perfect balance between rideability and protection, allowing the rider to take on any discipline with maximum freedom of movement and in accordance with the highest international safety standards.

The Trail Skins Air elbow guard is also constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector and shares the features of the knee guard. The elbow guard remains stable, even during intense activity, thanks to a very long transparent sleeve that extends to the bicep and a practical elastic at forearm height. XS - XL, €59,95 As for the padded protection shorts, they are the Trail Skins element I have used the least probably. They are comfortable, with super soft body fabric and a comfortable chamois, but I haven’t gotten the sense that the little hip pads offer much real benefit to me personally. They feel a bit odd when you pull the waistband of many regular trail short over top of them, but once in place they do their job & disappeared from my thoughts mostly. But again, I get the sense that sizing down would give me a more secure fit, especially in a crash.Either way, it is funny as the test from Enduro-MTB.com/en claims that the "soft" pads are actually better. Dainese is dedicated to producing the most effective safety solutions in every arena where athletes continually push the human body and mind to surpass their prior achievements. From our motorcycle racing origins to alpine skiing, mountain biking, competitive sailing and outer space’