There’s been a lot of interest in the G-Form knee and elbow pads, mostly because they look slimmer and more comfortable than traditional designs. The RPT (Reactive Protection Technology) padded section, made from a combination of nylon and silicon, is stitched to lightweight, stretchy spandex that you pull over your most vulnerable joints. We developed a great deal of confidence in RPT after seeing how well it protected one of our tester’s iPhones (G-Form specialises in consumer electronic protection cases). The actual PORON XRD is an exoskeleton-style armour, which is soft to touch, but which stiffens significantly with high impact strikes. The segmented/compartmentalised design allows the impact to be dissipated while also ensuring efficient articulation when bending the knee or elbow.
Pulling the pads on is easy enough. You have to remove your shoes though for knee pad fitting/removal. Make sure you buy the right size though. You want the elasticized ends with a rubberised gripper to fit firmly to ensure no movement.
When climbing we found the G-Form pads to be fairly light and inconspicuous, although some testers felt a little bit of ‘bunching’ behind the knee. Other testers never really noticed this. If they did, they never pointed it out.
Like any pads, they generate some serious sweat in hot conditions, but this is only really noticeable on long, windless climbs. Elbow and knee movement is refreshingly unrestricted. You feel the pads, but you don’t curse them. On the falls we did have – largely slides – the pads worked as they should. We can’t say they protected our knees and elbows better than other pads would have, but we can confirm that riding in them is overall more comfortable than any other pads we’ve tested. They’re also low volume, which makes them easy to store in your pockets or pack if you’re into Enduro racing or just all-day trail riding and only want to wear them on the descents.
We were given the black and bright yellow pads to test, which are best for photography purposes and, ultimately, G-Forms best marketing platform, but they’re also available in a more subtle all black. Another important benefit is that they’re completely machine washable…
*SIZES: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
COLOURS: Black/Yellow, Black/Black
PRICE ELBOW PAD PAIR: R699
PRICE KNEE PAD PAIR: R699
CONTACT: www.g-form.co.za; 071 606 7337*
TREAD Magazine is sold throughout South Africa and can be found in: Spar, CNA, Exclusive Books, Discerning bike shops and on Zinio
*Originally published in TREAD Issue 26, 2013 – All rights reserved
