POC Joint VPD Knee Guards
Utilising the impressive adaptable VPD material, the Joint Knee pads are super flexible and breathable while dishing up plenty of protection around your vital knee joint. Ideal for any rider wanting body armour that doesn't restrict pedalling and movement, the VPD Knee guard brings forth a new generation of body armour. Specialising in high-end mountain bike and ski protective gear, POC Sports is a swedish brand that has burst onto the downhill mountain bike scene with a range of body armour and full face helmets that are here to rival, and exceed, the best. With a fresh approach that balances a scientific background with real world rider feedback, the POC body armour range has a focus on rider safety like no other brand. So if you're looking for high-end bike wear that fits as good as it looks, POC protection is a new alternative to the usual motorbike-styled products on the market, packed with the kind of technology that will keep you out of hospital and on the bike.
The Trail Riders Body Armour
For fast-paced aggressive DH riding and racing, most mountain bikers will go with the Bone range from POC for the ultimate level of protection. However, not every track or riding style calls for full-blown polycarbonate body armour. On the other side of the fence, many trail riders are also waking up to the fact that we're riding harder, faster and on more technical trails than we were 5 years ago, and that a crash on these kind of tracks is likely to do a lot more damage than what you would expect. And so to meet these demands, POC have created their line of VPD armour that is designed to balance protection, flexibility, comfort and breath-ability. Included in this lineup are elbow, knee and shin pads that may not feature quite the same outright impact protection as the Bone range, but provide plenty of cushion and absorption from the bumps and crashes that are part of modern day trail riding, helping to keep your joints from getting damaged.
VPD
Unlike other soft-shell armour on the market, POC employ their Visco-elastic Polymer Dough (VPD for short) material in the shell of the knee guard that is both bendable and contoured to your skin. Although the VPD material is flexible like rubber, under impact the molecules lock together instantly to absorb the force and distribute it more evenly, much like hard-shell armour. The padding is lightweight enough for trail riding and the simple sleeve design with a single strap means they'll go about their business unnoticed. Though when things start to go blurry and you're heading towards the dirt, the VPD padding is ready to provide your delicate knees with the protection you require. The Joint Knee pads are all about maintaining flexibility and providing that "barely there" sensation, so you can be comfortable wearing them all day and not just for DH runs. The lightweight sleeve features a breathable mesh construction so that the pads remain cool even on hot days.
In terms of the evolution we're seeing in the XC and trail world when it comes to the level of difficulty that riders are attempting, soft-shell armour like the VPD knee begin to make more sense for the every day rider who would once previously just don the lycra shorts and jersey. Unfortunately it is only too easy for a crash to go wrong, though fortunately POC is there to provide the kind of equipment to keep you on the bike.
From POC Sports:
"All our products have been tested by top world gravity sport athletes and then further refined to perfection. Our athlete friends love to go flat out but without suffering cuts, bruises and headaches, or in the worst cases, risking back or brain damage as a result of crashes that sadly happens to even the best athletes. The end result is a line of lightweight, high performance gear that offers the ultimate protection against injury thanks to superior impact absorption and penetration resistance. When developing a product at POC, we do it in the spirit of doing the best. We never compromise in choosing materials or construction, to make a product cheaper or to increase margins, if that means compromising safety, quality or performance".
"It's our mission to do everything we can to develop protective gear that can save lives and reduce the severity of injuries"
The POC Joint VPD Knee guard features:
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Visco-elastic Polymer Dough (VPD) internal shell
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Suitable for trail riding and light DH
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Lightweight, single-strap design
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Aramid lycra outer material for abrasion-resistance
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Comes as a pair (left & right)
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Small: 30-34cm (calf circumference) 37-41cm (thigh circumference 10cm above knee)
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Medium: 34-38cm (calf circumference) 41-45cm (thigh circumference 10cm above knee)
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Large: 38-42cm (calf circumference) 45-49cm (thigh circumference 10cm above knee)
For the ultimate in body armour and protective gear, choose POC guards for impeccable design & safety