Thor force knee guard alternative

[stujamur]

So my thor force are 4yrs old and fairly worn out . They have been a good fit and good protection . I have had a few straps break, stretch and the material with the velcro on it curls on the edges and has been uncomfortable .

So do i buy a new pair or is there a better alternative ?

I am scared off braces after seeing a mate wearing his brand new carbon fibre pods - a slow speed fall , bike came down on the indide of his leg and he broke his leg in 4 places right below the end of the brace ??? I dont believe that stack would have ruined his knee but who knows .

I did like the look of evs rs8 as a light brace / good guard but i have heard they fall apart easily . I can get for 250 aud .. I dont want to spend heaps .

I have been looking but i am finding it hard to find a guard that seems to be similiar to the thor but with better straps ??

Recommendations please

Cheers Stu .

[dbg326]

I wear these on the street...They're probably more than I should've spent, but that's in the past.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...knee-protector

...and while I haven't crash tested them, they're fairly comfortable to wear, and don't slide around like the cheaper A* guards that I had before. Decent knee/shin coverage, although, like one of the reviews mentions, there's not a ton of lateral coverage. Overall though, I'm pretty happy with them. They can fit under jeans fairly easily as well.

[stujamur]

They look like they could work well - i will see if i can find a pair to check them out .

Any others out there

[MadM]

I was buying my first set of knee guards this month. I tried on Thor Force and Acerbis Impact Evo. I bought Acerbis Impact Evo as they allow for more knee movement and are less binding around calf, at least for me. I didint like Thor's as they didn't allow me to sit normaly on my bike and were restricting my blood flow.

[stujamur]

Originally Posted by MadM

I was buying my first set of knee guards this month. I tried on Thor Force and Acerbis Impact Evo. I bought Acerbis Impact Evo as they allow for more knee movement and are less binding around calf, at least for me. I didint like Thor's as they didn't allow me to sit normaly on my bike and were restricting my blood flow.

Ok i had seen them - i must say i do long days and a lot of sitting i am always hanging to get the thors off . Do you think the acerbis offer as good protection

[SnowMule]

dang, wish I could get 4 years out of the Thors. Mine are good for about one before they're falling apart.

One thing I have noticed is there is a break-in period on them. Once you get past that they become a LOT more comfortable.

[C/W]

I can't tell if you're looking for a brace type or not. Your old ones were braces, but you comment about not wanting another brace?

I use EVS Option knee/shin guards. They're very comfortable, inexpensive. I wear them underneath my pants.

I also have a set of MSR Reflex guard that I like if I want a little more protection, but I tend to wear the EVS Options because they fit better under my pants.

[stujamur]

The thors are sold as guards and i know they are more a cross between brace n guard . I dont wont a quality brace as i have seen how they advert the force on the to the ends of the brace - causing breaks .

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by stujamur

The thors are sold as guards and i know they are more a cross between brace n guard . I dont wont a quality brace as i have seen how they advert the force on the to the ends of the brace - causing breaks .

Yes, for me, they're the best hybrid of brace and guard I've found, without looking at exorbitantly expensive made-to-measure braces.

I like the support they give that knee guards don't; it makes standing up for protracted periods of time much less fatiguing. Also, my left knee (which I've had problems with since I was a teen) really appreciates it when doing the "foot down and spin on the spot".

The OP mentions about the fabric of the straps cutting in. Two things I've found that make this more comfortable:
1) cross the securing straps diagonally, rather than routing them horizontally (so they go over the wide velcro strap in the middle).
2) Better still, wear knee brace sleeves or leggings under them; the straps won't chafe anywhere near as much.

Probably 20-25 crashes on mine now. Never had any knee injury whilst wearing them (nor any referred injury/pain in the leg as a result).

[stujamur]

I butchered my thors trying to make them more comfortable . I think they need to be binned .

Has anyone tried the acerbis x strong knee guard . It looks great .

[lvscrvs]

i recently purchased a set of the evs rs8... comfortable all day with bicycle tights underneath... maybe not as good without something underneath.... not too bad to walk in... feels like having an extended boot... they ride just above my sidi adventures so i have very good protection frrom mid/low thigh all the way down... too early to tell about longevity.... lots of plastic in these, which probably helps with the weight, but probably they are not as durable or supportive as some of the more expensive braces

[lmychajluk]

Originally Posted by stujamur

I butchered my thors trying to make them more comfortable . I think they need to be binned .

Has anyone tried the acerbis x strong knee guard . It looks great .

That does look pretty nice... I have a partial ACL/TCL tear. 99.5% of the time it's not a problem, but I'm getting a new bike that's a bit taller so I was thinking of getting something a little more substantial that would give me a bit of support in the knee as well. Anyone seen them in the states yet? They're not even on Acerbis' US site.

[stujamur]

Update .

My mate bought the acerbis x strong knee guard and i checked them out .

They are very well made ( a little better then the thors in my opionion
) . Similiar coverage but the strapping system is better and he says they are a lot more comfortable then the thors .

I have ordered a pair .

[TRUBRIT]

Just bought a pair of Leatt ones. The soft foam that hardens on impact. Very flexible and comfortable so far, though I have only rode twice since I bought them. One strap above the knee and open behind so you do not get bunching of the fabric behind the knee when sitting.

[shin938]

Can anyone say more about Acerbis x-strong knee guard? especially in comparison to thor force, I'm trying to decide between the two.
the only review I found was in Russian that said they look pretty good.

http://bikepost.ru/blog/33628/Obzor-...protector.html

My only concern with the x-strong is that when they are bent there is an open space above the knee as in this pic, you can also see that in their sales video in youtube. I'm not sure it should be a concern though.