Cycling Protective Gear

The characteristics of mountain bike protective gear

The type of mountain bikes; Trail, cross-country, all-mountain, enduro or downhill, greatly influences the protections you will need. For the trail, it is recommended to have knee and elbow protections that are flexible to allow greater freedom of movement. These are necessary when it comes to challenging the unevenness and the many obstacles such as roots and rocks. We must also choose the type of padding and its thickness depending on the type of terrain on which you ride. The soft elbow and knee protectors are also suitable for enduro cyclists as they offer lightness and breathability; two features sought after by enduro cyclists.

Types of flexible protections

There are two types of flexible protections. Sleeve protectors, such as the G-Form and Race Face as well as those attached with straps like IXS Hack.

The protective sleeves are lighter, allow greater freedom of movement, are more ventilated and are made of compression tissue, allowing better blood circulation.

For more information on compression garments, we invite you to check out our compression stockings page.

The foam used in G-Form protections is equipped with technology that makes it harden on impact. This phenomenon allows this protection to be very flexible when pedaling which maximizes comfort, while protecting you during falls.

Mountain protectors attached using belts have a rigid shell at all times, but their construction still allows good freedom of movement.