Dainese Hybrid Knee Guards - Review
Dainese has been designing protective gear for over 40 years, beginning by manufacturing apparel for motorcycle racers before adding mountain biking equipment to their lineup. After a brief lull, they're now working to renew their commitment to the mountain bike scene. The Hybrid Knee Guard is the Italian company's latest effort, a pad that combines a hard outer shell with another layer of softer, more flexible padding, creating one of the most slender designs on the market.
The hard shell is coated to allow the pad to slide rather than stick in the event of a crash, while the soft shell under the rigid plastic provide further impact damping with a honeycomb shape that's exclusive to Dainese. The soft shell is made from a high-density polyethylene foam that's claimed to adapt to the rider’s body to increase comfort and breathability. Available in S, M, L, and XL, the suggested retail is $99.95 USD.
The front of the guards provide knee and upper shin protection.
The large back harness prevent the guards from shifting while riding.
Pro-Shape soft protectors on the side of the guard.
A small strap at the top and bottom of guards is used to fine-tune the fit.
Pinkbike’s Take:
 | The Hybrid Knee Guards weren't as easy to get on as I'm accustomed to, requiring all three Velcro straps to be open before I could slide them up my leg, but once strapped down they were extremely secure, and stayed put while pedaling. According to Dainese's sizing chart, I'm the exact measurement for a medium guard, but after trying on both sizes I chose a size small, due to the better fit around the top of the pads. Even with a size small, I never experienced any chafing from the guard, even on longer rides. As with most apparel, it's best to try before you buy to ensure the proper fit. When I first headed out with the pads on, the elastic at the top cuff allowed the pads to slide from side to side. After a little experimentation, I found that wearing the pads a little lower than I'd initially thought kept them securely in place, although that does mean there's minimal protection above the top of the knee cap. The hard shell pad of the guards is angled slightly in towards the bike, a position that proved beneficial as I tend to sometimes make contact with the bike with my knee while leaning into turns. The guards cover a large portion of the lower leg which provides added protection, but also can make them warm to pedal in, especially on those hot summer days. It's an inconvenience to get relief from the heat of the guards on a long climb, since you either need to remove the guards completely, which requires removing your shoes, or you can pedal with the guards slid down off of your knee, where the added length of the lower portion makes pedaling feel awkward. The Hybrid guards are best suited for riding lifts or shuttling, where they're a good pick for the rider looking for knee and shin protection, but without the bulk that typically accompanies those requests. They can be used for general riding duty as well, although they're more of a 'set and forget' type piece rather than something you would want to take on and off more than a time or two. If you're willing to compromise, the Dainese Hybrid knee guard is like scoring a buy one get one deal, a guard that can be called into duty for a wide range of ride styles. - Jeremy Muskat |
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Member since Apr 25, 2011
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They were the shiznit!!!
what I get is, the shorter length makes sense for moto boots that already cover that area.
But aren't these supposed to be MTB specific? why wear shin pads that don't protect your shin?