Review: 661 Rage Hard Shell Knee Pads
14 November 2013 | By AngusMcIntoshWhen you say SixSixOne without doubt the first thing that springs to mind is probably kneepads...
Late in the 2013 race season Gee Atherton appeared wearing some fresh new kneepads from SixSixOne but details were scarce and most people were left in the dark kept guessing of what was going on! A few weeks back I got the chance to visit the guys at 661 and find out some details on the range!
I really liked what I heard from the guys with some cool changes to the line that genuinely made some improvements over last years model. A short period later the pads turned up for review!
First Impressions
It’s probably pretty important to point out for this year 661 have chosen to split the Rage line up in 2. They still provide a soft shell knee pad which is almost identical to last years rage pad along with this new addition to the stable with a hard plastic cap inside. This review looks exclusively at the hard shell version...
First impressions of the pads? We were once again impressed by the overall construction of the pad. The stretch Kevlar feels tough and robust to the touch with a bit more of a printed design on the front for this year’s edition which I think looks awesome!
The Rage pad from last year was one of my favourites I got to use all year. I ran a whole load of pads throughout the last 12 months. The pad I carried on returning to when riding downhill was the Rage thanks to that perfect combination of comfort and protection.
Construction
The majority of the pads construction is made up from Neoprene and stretch Kevlar. EVA foam takes care of the side protection and the hard plastic cap inside the pad will deal with any damage to the front.
It may sound a bit obvious but the plastic cap is actually pretty hard, exactly what riders in the downhill community have been looking for over the "soft shell" Rage pad. Once you've landed on your knee's right on a pointy rock the first time, you aren't looking to do it a second...
The main body of the pad features a pre-curved chassis and has also had material removed from the rear to stop bunching. I would say the shape of the pad fits my knees better than the previous year and it certainly feels like your knee naturally lies in more of a pedal friendly position with the plastic cap in the right place!
It's important to also take into consideration it takes a few rides for kneepads to bend in and start to take the shape of your knee and become more of a personal fit especially with these tougher hard shell models!
The dual elastic straps at the top and bottom once again have the belt loops to keep the elastic in the right place and will ensure that the pad stays in place throughout general use pedaling and in a crash situation.
The Ride.
For me, the hard shell rage is definitely aimed at the more downhill orientated end of things as opposed to spending a full day in the saddle pedaling. That’s where the alternative soft shell Rage or slightly more expensive EVO pad with D30 inside would come into it’s own.
The Rage pads will work well with both shorts and long trousers thanks to a low profile fit but seeing as almost all of the downhill crowd use shorts 365 days a year this is becoming less of a problem.
On a recent wet weekend away to Revolution Bikepark in Wales I got the chance to really put the injury prevention credentials of the pads to the test. I took numerous spills all day onto a variety of terrain and at the end of 2 days riding I left Llangynog with both knee's in tact and no bruises to show. Job done for the Rage pads.
If your looking for the maximum in protection and don’t mind paying a slight price in terms of maneuverability the rage Hard shell pads are the ones for you.
The bottom line?
Stacks of protection in a package that looks cool and will stay in the right place when both pedaling and crashing all for £49.99.
For us, SixSixOne still top the tower when it comes to kneepads that both perform and don't break the bank.
