Has anyone had a set of knee pads that just won't stay up? I bought the 7idp Transition Knee/Shin pads (these ones: https://cambriabike.com/products/7-idp-transition-knee-shin-pad-black) last year and they are so annoying. Any amount of pedaling and they work their way down until my knees are totally unprotected. I have to keep stopping to pull them up, and by the time I get to the bottom of a run, they've slid down again.
Pretty sure the size is okay – I got medium, which is what has worked for me from other brands. These ones have no velcro straps, just elastic and silicone grippers. They do have those blue loops at the top – are those supposed to hook onto something else? That might explain why they are so bad at staying up on their own.
Or is this why 7idp discontinued these ones?
by sprashoo
14 Comments
The material may just be extra slippy. If silicone grippers are only at the top, I’d expect sliding. The best pads I’ve used have silicone all through and/or a Velcro strap at the top. They’re a pain to get on, but they stay there for the whole ride. The blue loop is just to help pull them on.
I dont know what the difference is but I use the 7IDP Sam Hill knee pads and they stay in place, are comfortable, and I forget I’m wearing them sometimes.
Pads with no straps will start slipping at some point as they get older, but if they do it while new, no matter what the size says, they are too big for you. It’s worth buying pads that feel a bit tighter than you want them to, as they’ll wear in and stretch to fit.
Size down.
I’ve got a set of dharco that slide a bit but only from walking around and a set of Rapha that stay put all the time. I’m 6’2″ 190#and wear the Mediums
Too big… these kinds of pads are very stretchy and once sized right, won’t move at all. Don’t worry about them being too tight. I wear similar pads in size large which fit great but I did a trip recently and accidentally took my son’s pads (same pads) that are a size small. Just said fuck it and wore them anyway. Ya they were tight but they were actually fine, ha!
So ya, too big, get the smaller size. I also find pad size charts totally useless and you need to try them on. But once you find your size, that size tends to be the same no matter what brand you use.
Putting your bib shorts on top of the pads helps a bit. Also make sure they start nice and high and in a spot where bending your knees isn’t pulling them down.
I have a set of those and personally haven’t had issues, but the fit on this stuff is pretty individual
I have those same pair and do not have that problem at all, they stay up very well for me.
One thing I would try is to use long undershorts. Then have the top of the knee pads over the bottom of the undershorts. The silicone elastic at the top of the knee pads will stick very well to the undershorts.
Pads with a strap at the top of the calf work best at not sliding down. IXS has one. That placement puts the strap above a bigger part of the leg, which prevents it from sliding down. If the strap is on the thigh then it will still slide down because the thigh is bigger at the top as skinnier as it goes down.
If yours have the silicon band at the bottom, try wearing the band higher up, so if the pads sag they have to actually push the silicon down your leg rather than just droop.
100 squats a day
I have the exact same pair and they used to do the same. The way I fixed it was pull the bottom band up the calf to kind of wedge them in, not moved an inch since.
r/weightlifting until they fit
Pull from the bottoms up. Often they’re stretched upwards when you pull them on. So they’re not only falling down, they’re being pulled down to get back from being stretched up.