Dainese is dedicated to producing the most effective safety solutions in every arena where athletes continually push the human body and mind to surpass their prior achievements. From our motorcycle racing origins to alpine skiing, mountain biking, competitive sailing and outer space’ The construction of the Pro-Shape 2.0 protectors is inspired by the geometry of auxetic materials present in nature that, following an impact or stress, expand in all directions simultaneously, increasing the area of coverage. Dainese sponsor some of the world’s very best mountain biking and downhill riders including Troy Brosnan, Mark Wallace, Ines Thoma and Florian Nicolai. As well as designing and manufacturing the very best in body armour and cycling wear, Dainese has one simple mission objective - that is safety, and this is illustrated in the following Dainese mission statement: Either way, it is funny as the test from Enduro-MTB.com/en claims that the "soft" pads are actually better. More than just three levels of knee protection, the expanded Trail Skins family now includes two levels of elbow guards, two levels of chest protection, and a pair of padded shorts. Mix and match to get the best combo for your style of riding… Dainese Trail Skins Pro light mountain bike protection Dainese Trail Skins Pro Knee Guards

The Trail Skins Air knee guard is constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector, inspired by the geometry of auxetic materials present in nature that, following an impact or stress, expand in all directions simultaneously, increasing the area of coverage. The structure of the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector allows for maximum flexibility and adaptability whatever the knee position, tracing its movements throughout all phases of activity. It absorbs 83% of the force of an impact, rather than transmitting this to the knee.

This inverts the hooked section so a part of it points outwards and snags onto the inside of riding trousers, shorts and bibs.

The ventilated front sections worked well at keeping air flowing across my knees and proved to be significantly cooler than knee pads with solid front protection panels. This was most noticeable on cooler days when it was possible to feel the cold air. The Trail Skins Lite knee guard is constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector, in a compound version that is even softer so that it can be folded in on itself, taking up minimal space. I’d recommend trying the Trail Skins Pro before you buy them rather than just relying on Dainese’s size chart.It’s a solid idea, but seems to require a precise fit from the start, maybe more so than most other knee pads we’ve ridden in. Thanks to the close fit and elasticated hems with silicone grippers, once the pads were positioned correctly on my legs they remained fairly static while riding, requiring only one or two minor adjustments throughout the day. The Trail Skins Air knee guard is constructed around the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector, inspired by the geometry of auxetic materials present in nature that, following an impact or stress, expand in all directions simultaneously, increasing the area of coverage. Their tighter-fitting style feels different from bulkier knee pads such as G-Form’s Pro Rugged Knee Guards and they are significantly more flexible than pads such as the Alpinestars Paragon, which means they can get away with being a little more snug. Combined with the use of highly breathable fabric, the structure, open across 55% of the area of coverage, ensures lightness and greater ventilation during every stage of the ride, even on the hottest of days.

They feature similar mesh sleeve construction, but use the thinner but less vented Pro-Shape 2.0 pad ( at right above) which is foldable. photo by Luigi Sestili BCA The tab with Dainese logo got dog-eared, exposing the hooked section of the Velcro fastening. Ian Linton / Immediate Media Now, a similarly constructed 75€ pair of Trail Skins Pro Elbow Guards offers the exact same protection tech for your arms. The pads performed well, dampening the impact so that I could continue riding without much discomfort. However, my knee suffered an abrasion-based graze where the pads had rotated on my skin, and my knee was also sore and swollen for several days afterward.That is, for their way of testing. I'm not sure whether that's the complete story for me as it doesn't cover two (perceived) advantages that hard shell gives you. That is, they distribute that residual force over a larger area and the slide better (which for me is a good deal of what I want protection for). I think my pads take loads of crashes and replacement after 4 or 5 crashes, that could in some cases imply a single ride so that isn't feasible. Yet most of these crashes aren't big, mostly sliding out sessioning corners. Trying to hit them faster and faster up til failure. I rode first with the Pro version ( above) but never was super happy with my fit. Sizing down to S kept them from moving at all. But I never really liked the short velcro straps that had to be adjusted behind my leg where I couldn’t see them, preferring the more simple fit of the Air or Lite pads. A matching 60€ pair of Trail Skins Air Elbow Guards give arms the same protection, again held in place by wide elastic bands with silicone grippers.

mollow: Yeah, lbs vs online is a bit of a compromise either way. Online gets you more options, the lbs allow you to fit what they have available. The large protective section was particularly flexible once warmed up, either from the heat of my legs or the sun, and not uncomfortably stiff when cold.The structure of the Pro-Shape 2.0 protector allows for maximum flexibility and adaptability whatever the knee position, tracing its movements throughout all phases of activity. It absorbs 83% of the force of an impact, rather than transmitting this to the knee. 55% of its surface area is completely open, ensuring ventilation and greater heat exchange during both the uphill and downhill phase. An ideal feature for riders who plan to take on long rides, even on the hottest of days. Each level of new third generation Dainese Trail Skins MTB protection starts with the same idea – lightweight & intricately vented Pro-Shape pads that stay close against the body and move with you as you pedal, delivering full protection while claiming to stay perfectly situated in place. c. Bike Connection Agency, photo by Luigi Sestili Self-preservation makes crash testing knee pads particularly difficult and whether or not a tester crashes in them is a roll of the dice rather than a scientifically controlled procedure.