If you’re one of those riders who likes to pedal uphill unencumbered and then don leg armour at the top, or even just if you don’t like standing around in a cold, muddy car park in your socks, these new O’Neal AMX Zipper knee pads could be the ones for you.
They’ve got the usual pre-shaped cut, Lycra sleeve, silicone gripper strips, and upper and lower Velcro straps. But as the name suggests, they’ve got one thing other pads don’t – full-length zips. These mean you can pull them on or whip them off without removing your shoes, and without having to readjust the straps afterwards.
Will the zips chafe or clog up with mud? Only time will tell, though there is a zip garage at the top of each pad so you don’t snag your leg hair. We haven’t tried them on the bike yet but they certainly pass the shop floor comfort test. Don’t like the sound of the zips? Never fear – O’Neal have another 17 leg armour options to choose from! RRP is £89.90/€99.90, and they do an elbow version too.
From the front, the O'Neal AMX Zippers look like any other knee pads
But full-length zips mean they're a cinch to get on and off
Twin Velcro straps mean these pads aren't going anywhere if you crash
They use O'Neal's SC-1 by SaS-Tec padding, which is flexible when pedalling but instantly stiffens under impact
In case you're curious, this is what the SC-1 inserts look like
They're removable for washing, or in case you want to use the pads as knee warmers
More info at www.oneal-europe.com.
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