Alpinestars’ entry to the competitive world of knee-only pads is the SLC. Initial impressions were promising – they’re a good length, with some padding on the sides too. But once on, the top and bottom securing straps are tight even though the actual pad sits pretty loosely, making them quite uncomfortable to wear.
The knee has a large shaped cup inside, and the huge exterior padded area swamps it around the edges. They’re okay with trousers, but if you wear them with shorts they flap around and have a tendency to twist on impact, even with the securing straps tighter than they need to be. The side padding isn’t particularly thick and doesn’t cover a big area either. On the plus side, they do allow a good amount of air to circulate so things don’t get too sweaty.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine.
