Tech

Review: 661 Rage knee pads

· By BikeHubCoreAdmin · 3 comments

Any gravity rider worth their weight in Stan’s will tell you that a solid pair of knee pads is essential to feel confident about bombing trails at 100%. With side protection and a big, solid front pad, the 661 Rage knee pads look the business, and are aimed at pure performance.

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The 661 Rage knee pads are a tier down from the full blown Evo pads and these iterations also come with a soft pad rather than the hard padded option. They are almost definitely the more comfortable option, though I’ve never tried the hard shell ones. I would think these are aimed at the all mountain, soft-core downhiller or someone looking for full protection without compromising price of comfort.

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Construction

The outside of the main pad is made from abrasion resistant kevlar, so it is definitely made to take some impact and rough landings. On the sides are 4 extra Eva Foam pads, which are softer than the main one but don’t need that extra support because it’s rare that they would take a direct impact. Ventilation comes courtesy of perforated and elasticated neoprane that makes up most of the body of the pads. The velcro strap at the top and bottom are nice and large, giving a lot of room for size adjustment and a secure hold too.

It’s the little touches to the construction that shows the quality of these pads. In the middle there are reinforcements at the stitching to not only make sure everything is held together, but also to keep it looking clean. The soft shell pad floats above the material that rests on your knee so that there is a gap to reduce heat and help ventilation. The Rage pads specific to each side, so comfort is high.

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On the trail

I always ride with a backpack – it’s become a standard for me. I usually ride trails where you climb to the top and bomb down. So for this reason I usually store my pads in my pack until I get to the top, then do the transfer to my body. On a couple of occasions I simply forgot to do it; I get to the top and get too excited to remember. On one such occasion it was to my detriment. I had the Rage knee pads in my pack and took a tumble, and the only thing hurt were my knees. A big dose of fail cakes on my part. Lesson learned.

Having said that, I still wouldn’t want to climb with them. That’s just a hot, sweaty mission on top of the already big mission of climbing. Once going down you really don’t notice the pads. They are never in the way and not at all restricting. That’s exactly what you want from pads: protection without restriction. A big bonus would also be to have pads that won’t drain you of your fluids. With the big hole at the back the Rage pads have some ventilation, but you’re certainly going to find the pads fairly wet when you take them off. That the hole is directly at your knee joint is also great, and keeps mobility at a max, but they are no light weights and will definitely make you sweat.

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For general trail riding I’d say that maybe they’re a bit bulky. It’s not always necessary to have this extent of padding on a daily ride. Having said that, though, it is always nice to have that extra level of security to help you feel more confident on the bike.

There’s no real faulting the durability of the Rage knee pads. 661 are renowned for their quality products and I don’t see these falling apart any time soon.

In the end

If you’re in the neighbourhood for a new set of knee pads, these are most definitely worth a serious look. As with all protection that you’ll buy, it’s down to personal preference. For general trail riding I’d preferably look at getting the 661 Comp pads instead. They are not so bulky, but compromise in the protection department. I’m going to throw this word in there: enduro. If you enjoy dabbling in that form of racing then these should really be considered highly. They are non-intrusive and effective.

The RRP of the Rage knee pads is R875 and you can head over here for a list of retailers.

Comments

Tree Hubber

Aug 11, 2014, 8:04 AM

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Golden Goose

Aug 11, 2014, 8:09 PM

Bought them and dig em. Comfortable on long rides and cruising to the trail.

Sizing is a bit on the large size, so try a pair on before ordering. If you have skinny legs, try a size smaller than normal.

niterider

Aug 11, 2014, 11:22 PM

Agree with you about these being hot, but taking them on and off sounds a bit extreme. Just slide them down to around your calves.

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