7IDP SAM HILL LITE

£79.99

SPECIFICATION Weight: 192g • Sizes: S-XL • Contact: 7idp.co.uk

As the name suggests, the Sam Hill Lite is a cut-down version of the regular Sam Hill kneepad. Simply, it has a smaller protector and uses a lighter-weight fabric and you also pay £10 less for it.

Essentially this is a very similar build to the Endura MT500

D3O Ghost pad – it incorporates a Sas-tec protector which conforms to your shape when inert but then stiffens on impact. The difference with the Sas-tec is it uses tiny scales that help it wrap around the knee. However, unlike D30, this compound is a lot more sensitive to washing, which is why there’s a hole inside to remove the protector – hopefully you’ll remember.

7idp uses stretchy Lyrca for the main body of the Sam Hill Lite but with a thicker reinforced material directly over the knee. The stretchy stuff has a slight compression effect and is also ripstop, so isn’t going to cut up if you take a detour into the brambles. Pad stability is pretty good too due to silicone grippers top and bottom, but the gripper on the top is quite harsh and pulled on my skin, leaving a red welt. The back of the pad also bunches slightly, causing slight irritation on longer trail rides. There are no problems with the lower edge of the pad, though – it doesn’t dig into the shin bone or peel away at the top. But we’d only rate overall comfort as average.

The Sas-tec technology does bump up the price, and at

£80 for this level of protection, the Sam Hill Lite is not light on your wallet. But if you want to grab some slim-line protection for a quick blast in the hills, the Sam Hill Lite is a good choice. It’s easy to pull on, small enough to wear under jeans or trousers and for short rides is reasonably comfortable.