Troy Lee Designs T-Bone £39.99
The T-Bone was made famous by Sam Hill and continues to be a firm favourite among downhill racers. They are symmetrical pads, which, along with their unvented fabrics and fairly rigid plastic kneecaps, mean you’re constantly aware
of their presence. Despite slots on either side of the plastic kneecap, they don’t articulate anywhere near as well as the Kyle Straits and the cutouts themselves expose substantial chinks in the T-Bone’s armour. We’d bank on them lasting a long time, however, and at only £39.99, you get Troy Lee quality at Roy Lee prices.
MBR rating: 8
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Weight: 476g
Contact: www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

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TSG Desert £59.99
With full wraparound neoprene and a Lycra sock, you’d be mad to ride the TSG pads in the desert: they are the least breathable on test and stay damp the longest so expect to wash them frequently. The TSG’s protection is limited to a soft EVA (think the stuff they make ski-boot liners out of) kneepad, which makes them among the most comfortable and flexible pads here, but we wouldn’t like to rely on them in an encounter with a rock garden. We also found sliding impacts dislodge them more readily than all but the Fuse pads, and we couldn’t work out why they were £20 more expensive than most of the competition.
MBR rating: 6
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Weight: 468g
Contact:
www.ison-distribution.com

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