Hi Guys

Reading the "Why Knee Pads: A rant" discussion prompted me to ask this question: Which one should I buy?

Since I am just starting, I definitely need knee pads for the following reasons:
1) I am 38 yrs old and also an adult beginner.
2) I have a soft spot on my left knee from a motorcycle accident when I was a teenager.
3) I don't want to even think of a broken knee cap or a knee bruise, it is extremely painful, people who have had a knee injury will definitely vouch for it.

I want a good knee pad but not at an exorbitant price. Since I bike and plan to learn rollerskate in the summer, I can use it for the other sports too.

As usual I am very appreciative of your comments.

Thanks

The best ones would be the soft kind like volleyball players wear. I think they're quite cheap.

Simple! Go to your local sporting goods store and look in either the volleyball or biking section. What you are looking for are $5 knee pads in an elastic sleeve. In the volleyball section you might find very bulky ones, which are definitely too much bulk for skating, but they should also have the thinner ones there. The ones you want should be about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.

DH uses a similar knee pad that he got from HarborFreight, which velcro on, so you can put them on after your skates are on. I don't like them so much because they give just a bit less coverage on the side, but I see that they now have a gel version too. His knee cap took a direct hit at the rink yesterday while avoiding a reckless ankle biter, and his knee is a bit sore today, but nothing compared to what it would have been without the knee pad.

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My preference is for the skatingsafe knee pads because I don't like hte feel of the kneepads that wrap around your knee. I find that it irritates the back of my knee. These just sit on your knee. I wear them with snug leggings or tights and they're fine. Not cheap, but I have only had to buy them once, and I have fallen on my knees with them and not felt any pain. You can find them at www.skatingsafe.com .

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August 22, back on the ice!

You'll need a different knee pad (or at least to wear under your normal kneepads) for your left knee. Anything donut shaped will work. I've had damaged tissue on my right knee since I was eight, and it got so bad last year that I went to see my sports med doctor about it. I had been using cosmetic pads (which, for one spot, work a lot better than anything else) and gel pads. The doctor took a foam material it looked like a mouse pad, but apparently isn't, though anything like that will work, even if it is that thin) and cut it in to a donut. I (though I'm usually too lazy to do this unless I'm going to be skated for more than 2 hours) tape the donut to my knee so that the hole is right over the damaged spot right and put my tights over it. It's incredibly thin (you can't even see it with two pairs of tights over it), so you should be able to get normal knee pads (I'd second the recommendation about volleyball kneepads -- they're definitely the best for a beginner because they don't move around a lot). Without a hole, though, nothing will work quite as well, since you'll still be hitting that spot.

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Just wanted to mention that the material Perry is mentioning sounds like a Spenco material. I work at a place where we do custom orthotics and that is a material often put on the tops of them. I'm only guessing though, because it really does kind of feel like a mousepad material. Anyway, you may be able to go to an athletic store and buy the spenco insole which is real thin and flat and cut it out of that. Or you could go to a doctor, or podiatrist and they should have a roll of it...

I thought I was ordering a pair of those, only to receive one for my $35 . I sent it back, but might consider them again except that you have to have something to hold them in place, and I like to wear tights and jazz pants, which don't work well with them. I also have trouble believing that they could really be as good as my foam knee pads, but I know a lot of skaters have testified to their worth. Maybe when my foam pads fall apart, I'll get the skatingsafe gel pads and make elastic sleeves for them.

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Yeah, they are pricey, but it's not like they will wear at out least! Actually, for me, even one pair of tights works pretty well to hold them in place. Once you start sweating, it helps make them stick, or so it seems! They are made of a material that absorbs the energy of the impact quite well. Anyway, good luck with whatever kneepads you wear!

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August 22, back on the ice!

The thing is, that I need to be able to prepare in about 5 minutes, and do not have the time to go somewhere private to reach inside my tights to position knee pads. Also, when working outside, my legs rarely sweat.

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I often put the knee pads on at home when getting dressed to go to the rink (when I put my tights on). If tights are snug enough, you won't feel that much of discomfort walking around with skatingsafe's kneepads.

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--renatele