SixSixOne Recon V2 knee pads £85

With their new Recon V2 knee pads, SixSixOne aim to provide lightweight, pedalling-friendly protection for trail riders. The D3O Ghost padding is thin and flexible. Together with the abrasionresistant cover, it should fend off scrapes and grazes, although it won’t do much to deaden the pain of hard impacts. SixSixOne have extended the padding further down the shin than on the original Recons, which is a worthwhile improvement.

The strapless sleeve stays in place well thanks to silicone grippers at the top and bottom, and we like how it continues a good way up the thigh. We never noticed the pads sliding down. The mesh material at the back of the knee breathes well and doesn’t become too bunched up. They’re comfortable to pedal in and no warmer than other similar pads. We found that they didn’t mould around our knees as well as some, though, resulting in some excess material near the knee cap. This wasn’t a problem in terms of comfort, but did make the padding less secure than we’d have hoped for. The issue could potentially be exacerbated in colder weather, too, when D3O padding typically becomes less flexible. We also think the price is pretty high for the protection they offer. Sarah www.upgradebikes.co.uk