Troy Lee Designs Raid Knee Guard Review

The Raid Knee Guards are one of those knee pads that do what they're meant to do very well, performing beautifully within their intended application. Shuttle laps, bike park, and enduro racing are all wonderful options. These pads posted impressive scores in the fit/comfort metric as well as protection. Pedal-friendliness was surprisingly impressive as well, although these are not the best choice for long rides — given the intended aggressive application, ventilation is mediocre. For the right rider, however, these are an excellent choice.

Performance Comparison

Protection

The Raid delivers excellent levels of protection. They feel burly enough to go fast at the bike park or launch some large gaps. They aren't the beefiest and protective knee pads in our review, but they are not far off.

These pads use D3O padding. This is a soft and pliable material that hardens upon impact. Riders get all of the benefits of flexible and plush padding while enjoying excellent levels of protection. We didn't intentionally wreck while wearing these pads, but we did use some less-than-scientific ways to test the D3O padding. One method involved a hammer. The D3O material is protective, effectively absorbs the impact, and is quite comfortable. It is a win-win-win.

Examining these pads further, there is a patch of foam above the protective patch. This protects the area above the knee cap from the dreaded handlebar impact. Moving down there is the main D3O patch that starts wide at the knee cap before tapering into a narrower patch as it moves down the shin. The main D3O patch is a bit thicker than many of the other knee pads in our review. This is confidence-inducing and reassuring. The main padding ends at the mid-shin area. There is also foam padding that runs along the inside and outside of the main armor to protect the inner and outer knee in the event an impact misses the main padded area.

Fit and Comfort

If there is one area where the Raid Knee Guards really stand out, it is in the quality fit and high levels of comfort. They are extremely pleasant on the leg, and we would have no problem wearing them all day.

Our size large pads fit true to size. The fit is consistent throughout the knee sleeve, hugging the leg and staying in place. A strap at the top of the sleeve helps fine-tune the fit. There are no pressure points or hot spots on the inside, and the underside of the padding is extremely pleasant and flexes easily to conform to your leg. Throughout the pedal stroke, the padding remains comfortable and does not cause any irritation.

It should be noted that given the thickness of the padding and the length of the sleeve, the Raid can get a little toasty. A hot and sweaty leg can detract from comfort for sure. We will discuss this matter in further detail below in the ventilation metric, but it certainly detracts a bit from overall comfort.

Pedal Friendliness

These knee pads are designed to shred hard. Protection was clearly the priority when designing the Raid Knee Guards. Additionally, we found the pedal-friendliness to be impressive, especially given the intended use of these pads.

The sleeve and armor have an ergonomic design with a slight bend between the upper and lower portion of the knee guards. This allows for a nice pedal motion as you aren't fighting against the sleeve shape. Throughout the pedal stroke, these pads allow for a solid range of motion. The bulk of padding around the kneecap is certainly noticeable, however. Throughout the pedal stroke, the mass of the material at the knee is evident. It is not a hindrance or uncomfortable, but you are quite aware that you are pedaling with a burly and aggressive pair of knee pads.

Ventilation and Breathability

These are thick and burly pads. It's no surprise that they are not the most well-ventilated set of pads in this review.

The neoprene material is quite thick on the front and sides of the sleeve. On the rear, the material is significantly thinner and is semi-translucent when stretched. This is designed to allow heat to escape from the back of the leg. The armor patch is so thick that air doesn't really pass through from the front. Again, let's remember that these pads were designed with gravity-fed endeavors in mind. This riding style doesn't rely heavily on serious amounts of pedaling or sustained climbs. Yes, these pads are warm and toasty, but we don't think that's a huge deal.

Durability

The Raid knee pads appear to be a well-made and durable product. The stitching remained intact, and there were no areas that appear to be destined for failure. However, based on years of testing knee pads, we can express a little bit of concern over the fabric finish on the front of the Raid. This soft fabric can be problematic when dragged across rocky or gravelly trails at high speed. Harder materials such as plastic can more easily withstand high-speed crashes without ripping/tearing. This is the tradeoff with D3O or soft-armored pads. At the end of the day, we feel that soft and plush, yet protective, padding is the bee's knees, even if it is a little more prone to ripping or tearing.

Value

The Raid Knee Guards are among the more expensive knee pads in our review. The on-trail performance is impressive, and the fit/comfort levels are tremendous. As a result, it is easy to call these a strong value despite the lofty price tag.

Conclusion