Review: iXS Hack-Series Knee Pads

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With more riders of all disciplines taking their bikes further and faster than they’ve done before, coupled with the increasing popularity of aggressive trail and enduro riding, the need for suitable protection that works in the saddle as much as it does tearing down the mountain, has never been more important. The protection market is a big one with some key players who have been ruling the roost for some time, but Swiss company iXS, although new to the UK and US, is long established in Europe and incredibly popular. In this review we take a look at the Hack-Series Knee pad and see what the Swiss have to offer…

Words: Olly Forster

Photos: Alex Tyler

The Hack-Series knee pads are a funny one when comparing them to other pads on the market. Initially they do look different, but they also feel different too. The knee cup is pretty massive to say the least and the overall profile is pretty large and more akin to a traditional plastic skate pad. The protective cup inside is made from a multi layered soft material aptly called ‘KnockOut’, which is both soft and pliable and designed with the lighter end of the aggressive MTB market.

The overall support is excellent and there is plenty of protection in all the right places. Adjustments are handled via two velcro straps at the top and bottom of the pad and offer a good range of adjustment should you need it. The softness and lightweight feel of the Hack-Series pads will aid their popularity with the intended market of dirt jumpers and enduro riders looking for a flexible, light weight pad to wear for long periods of time.

Having a cut away area in the rear is a standard design feature in modern knee pads and helps remove any undue discomfort from sweat build up in the crease at the back of the knee. The cut out does work, but it’s so small that it barely makes any substantial difference when you go out over a really long ride in the heat, but saying that, it did take almost three hours of hard trail riding on a boiling hot day to notice any discomfort. On the DH bike, they were spot on in the comfort department, but perhaps missing the level of protection some of us are looking for in DH knee pads.

When the rear cutaway section is too large, you’ll constantly be sticking your foot through it when putting your pads on, which will one day lead to a tear in the stitching and the demise of your pads will be on. Construction is spot and typically of the standard you would expect from a Swiss product – manufactured from a combination of ‘VentMesh’ and ‘AeroMesh’ to increase ventilation and reduce the pads overall weight, and these are light.

This didn’t impress me what so ever – the white printed logo, which I think looks pretty amazing, and definitely makes these pads stand out from the crowd, unfortunately reacts with protective ‘Bike Tape’ that many of us will use on our top tubes to prevent undue wear of our bikes finish – especially in the UK. Being under 6′ I do ride very much between my knees and always make contact with the top tube. The white logo leaves a white mark on the tape that is only removeable using some degreaser and elbow grease – if you don’t run tape, this most likely won’t be an issue. Read on…

Conclusion.

Getting out for hours on the trail bike, exploring new and old trails and using the versatility these bikes have to climb, jump, skid and scrub your way down the trail is leading to an explosion in the 140 – 160mm bike market. When you start using these bikes to there fullest you start to throw caution to the wind until you come off and wearing regular XC kit is a bout as good as riding a 2 hour loop in a full on DH set up.

Knee pads should always be the first port of call when suiting up do something potentially dangerous on a bicycle and getting some pads that work in the environment your taking them to is important too. The Hack-Series knee pads from iXS fit the bill in the trail, enduro and light freeride/ DH department offering a lightweight and flexible pad with sufficeient protection for the job at hand. I wouldn’t recommend them for extreme riding and the white logo and bike tape issue was a real pain in the backside and one that constant runs through the washing machine has not solved.

Aside from that these pads are good, there not the best out there, but for £35GBP, are right on the money and lets be fair, this is good value when you consider the design and features against other leading brands whose pads are often twice the price. The iXS Hack-Series knee pads are definitely worth a look – available in three sizes from Small to Large and available in Black and White.

For more info on these pads, check out iXS.com and if the English language function isn’t working, check out Hotlines-UK.com for the full range and prices. Happy trails!

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