EVOC is greatest identified for making among the hottest bike journey baggage, hydration vests, and backpacks available on the market. All the best way again at Eurobike 2024, the model launched a small lineup of knee and elbow protectors to its rising product vary. These new limb protectors complement the prevailing lineup of safety backpacks and vests. In addition they leverage EVOC’s Liteshield protector know-how, however with a brand new model referred to as Liteshield Flex. Because the identify suggests, this padding is supposed to supply good impression safety whereas being breathable, light-weight, and versatile to adapt to the physique whereas using.
Evoc’s present lineup of arm and leg protectors consists of one set of elbow pads and two fashions of knee pads. Each units of knee guards supply Stage 2 safety, however seem like aimed toward barely completely different end-users. The LS Flex Enduro seems to be the burlier of the 2 knee protectors, that includes adjustable straps and “Direct Lash Loops” for an extra-secure and shift-free match. The LS Flex Lite offers roughly the identical padding and safety for the knee, however with a lighter, non-adjustable sleeve design.
I’ve been testing the EVOC LS Flex Lite knee pads for the previous month or so. The autumn climate has been serving up primo path situations, and I’ve been taking full benefit. I’ve been sporting them using my non-electric and electrical mountain bikes whereas racking up miles and vertical on every part from machine-built stream and hand-built skidders to good old style cross-country trails. Contemplating their Stage 2 safety score, I’ve been completely impressed by their consolation and pedal-friendliness.
Light-weight for Stage 2 safety
Comparatively low-profile
Secure on the leg
Pedal-friendly — no chafing
Honest worth
Not probably the most breathable
Pad is a little bit robust to take away/change for cleansing
EVOC LS Flex Lite Particulars
Curiously, particulars about EVOC’s limb protectors are sparse at greatest. The model’s U.S. web site primarily solely offers data on worth, obtainable sizes, safety stage, and shade, and that’s about it. There’s just about no point out of the supplies used and even the Liteshield Flex pad. The knowledge now we have on the pads comes from the press supplies we obtained again in April 2024, and happily, the worldwide EVOC website has a number of extra particulars.
EVOC describes the LS Flex Lite as being “comfy and light-weight, with lateral safety: our knee protector with Stage 2 safety class boasts optimum air flow, most security, and nice sporting consolation.” Offering the majority of the safety for the LS Flex Lite knee pads is the namesake Liteshield Flex pad. This pad is made out of a versatile thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compound, a reasonably agency black rubber materials with a posh sample of raised crosses and circles, that includes quite a few holes for air flow. The pad is pre-curved to match the form of the knee and higher shin, and it has cutouts to permit it to flex along with your knee.
Including to the safety are small pads bordering the principle pad on each the lateral and medial sides of the knee. These pads are considerably skinny, however they’re versatile and supply a bit extra safety for the often-neglected but nonetheless susceptible areas of the knee joint.
The Liteshield Flex pad is topped with an “abrasion-resistant, tearproof material” for sturdiness. The rest of the entrance of the sleeve is made out of a lighter, barely stretchy, however nonetheless robust-feeling material. Behind the knee, two giant, stretchy mesh panels are meant to advertise breathability. The higher portion of the sleeve extends ~5 inches above the pad and up towards the mid-thigh. The 1.5-inch-wide elastic higher gripper options three strips of silicone to carry them in place on the thigh. On the backside of the sleeve, a thinner elastic gripper has two silicone strips for grip across the higher calf.
By way of complete leg protection, I’d name them reasonably lengthy. The higher portion of the sleeve stops slightly below the mid thigh, whereas the decrease portion ends slightly below the pad across the higher a part of the shin. The LS Flex knee guards can be found in 4 sizes, starting from S to XL. I couldn’t discover a dimension chart on the EVOC web site, however based mostly on my expertise, the sizing appears to align with that of different manufacturers. The dimensions medium LS Flex Lite match me completely, matching the match of the Fox Enduro Professional that I examined earlier this yr. My dimension medium check pair weighs 395 grams on my scale — simply 26 grams greater than the lighter obligation Fox pads.
Knee Pad Safety Ranges
If you’re unfamiliar with the safety ranges in mountain bike pads, right here’s a fast and soiled rationalization. Stage 1 pads are typically lighter, thinner, and extra versatile, sometimes offering gentle to average safety and enhanced pedal friendliness. Stage 2 pads are often burlier, bulkier, and extra strong, to supply better safety and are aimed extra towards gravity using.
These safety ranges are decided by impression testing, the place the power transmitted by the pad, and to your knee beneath, separates Stage 1 and Stage 2. By way of numbers, Stage 1 pads will need to have a power transmission of lower than 35 kN, whereas Stage 2 pads cut back this threshold to twenty kN.
Inside the completely different safety ranges, there’s appreciable variance. Whereas the EVOC LS Flex Lite pads are rated Stage 2 for cover, they’re much less protecting than among the extra strong choices, such because the Endura MT500 Onerous Shell, for instance. That mentioned, these EVOC pads really feel way more substantial than the Stage 1-rated Fox Enduro Professional. Given the match, design, and thickness of the pad, the LS Flex Lite strikes me as falling roughly across the center of these two extremes by way of safety.
EVOC LS Flex Lite Efficiency
Earlier this yr, I spent fairly a little bit of time sporting Fox’s newest Enduro Professional knee guards. These bought me into the behavior of sporting knee pads for extra of my rides as a result of they had been so comfy and pedal-friendly that it virtually felt foolish to not. Given my renewed curiosity in defending my knees, I used to be desperate to strive the brand new EVOC pads. I’ve discovered many of the EVOC merchandise I’ve was well-designed and top quality, so I assumed the pads could be too. However I’ve heard virtually nothing about them since their launch, so I’ve been curious to study extra.
As talked about above, I bought the LS Flex Lite pads in a dimension medium, and it was the right match. I sometimes put on a dimension medium knee pad, nevertheless it was a little bit of a guess with out a dimension chart to go by — I’ve since realized {that a} dimension chart is offered on the overall evocsports.com website. Luckily, the circumference of the sleeve, in addition to the elastic grippers at each the highest and backside, is an efficient match for my leg dimensions. The pads are a lot comfortable across the knee joint with out being too tight or inflicting any discomfort in any respect.
The leg grippers squeeze my thigh and calf with simply sufficient stress to maintain them from slipping. The silicone strips and the elastic grippers themselves have been comfy towards the pores and skin and have a pleasant stage of stress that leaves simply the slightest impression within the leg. The decrease leg gripper seems to be doing the majority of the work, because the higher gripper has slipped down on a number of events; but, the pads have remained completely in place regardless.
The soundness of those pads has actually been fairly exceptional. I’ve been doing fast-paced 20-mile XC rides and different days logging 5,000 vertical toes of climbing, and these items haven’t budged. I’ve significantly not wanted to make a single mid-ride adjustment. And whereas there’s some stitching across the again of the knee, it lies completely flat and is well-placed, and I’ve skilled completely no chafing or discomfort whereas pedaling.
The form of the Liteshield Flex pad matches my knee’s form pretty nicely, however it’s barely firmer and extra noticeable than the softer, extra versatile pad within the Fox Enduro Professional. And whereas this makes them barely much less comfy total than the Fox pads, they’re undoubtedly not uncomfortable. Once more, I’ve been going for fairly lengthy and pedal-heavy rides and have had zero points.
By way of safety, the Liteshield Flex pad is sort of thick and dense, and it covers extra of the knee than most lighter-duty Stage 1 pads that I’m extra accustomed to sporting. They don’t really feel like full-on hard-shell DH pads, however my knees really feel very nicely protected. I’ve taken some minor spills whereas testing, however nothing that has instantly impacted my knees. For the sake of comparability, I’ve carried out a number of side-by-side impression checks with the Fox Enduro Professional pads on the concrete flooring in my storage, and the distinction may be very noticeable. I don’t have the gear to quantify it, however the impression power feels considerably lessened within the EVOC pads, which is to be anticipated.
Sporting knee pads will at all times be hotter than not sporting them, and that’s actually true of the LS Flex Lite. Whereas it appears that evidently EVOC put some effort into making the pad itself breathable, that appears to be principally negated by the robust, tear-resistant materials masking it. The mesh panels on the again of the knee help in air flow, however these pads have felt fairly heat on my knees. The temperatures have been fairly cool currently, and my knees have been very sweaty. The identical is true of different pads as nicely, so I can’t say definitively if the breathability is definitely any higher or worse.
Both method, they get very sweaty and can must be washed. Fortunately, the Liteshield Flex pad is detachable, and the material sleeve is machine cleanable. I discovered that because of the stiffness of the pad materials and the dimensions of the opening, the pads are a little bit annoying to take away and change. It’s doable, however just a bit extra time-consuming than another pads I’ve tried.
Comparatively, the Liteshield Flex pad is a bit thicker and bigger than the pad within the Fox Enduro Professional knee guards, and that’s mirrored within the bulkier form on the leg. Whereas these pads are undoubtedly lower-profile than many different Stage 2 choices, they aren’t fairly as smooth or streamlined as most lighter-duty Stage 1 pads. That mentioned, I’ve principally been sporting them with pants, they usually have match simply below fashions from Velocio, Race Face, 7Mesh, and Mons Royale. Shorts haven’t actually been in play currently, however I’ve tried them on with a number of completely different pairs, and there aren’t any match points so far as I can inform.
EVOC LS Flex Lite: My Takeaway
This can be EVOC’s first foray into knee safety, however I’ve been and proceed to be pleasantly stunned by the superb mixture of consolation and safety they supply. The LS Flex Lite pads match me very nicely, don’t shift in any respect whereas using, and have given me zero comfort-related complaints. The Liteshield Flex pad is strong and gives Stage 2 safety, but I’ve discovered these pads to be as pedal-friendly as most much less protecting choices.
Up to now, I’ve felt like pedal-friendliness comes at the price of safety, or vice versa, and I’ve typically had to decide on one over the opposite. For my part, the EVOC LS Flex Lite pads reveal that the 2 don’t should be mutually unique. So, for those who’re searching for knee pads that hit the center floor and mix one of the best attributes of the lighter-duty Stage 1 choices and the burlier Stage 2 fashions, the LS Flex Lite are value severe consideration.
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