off-road.cc

The Race Face Roam Knee pads offer serious protection in an easy-to-use wraparound design. They're about as cool for pedalling as pads this substantial can be, the fit is good and multiple sizes should cater to everyone – but there's no denying they're expensive.

• 661 DBO Knee Pad review
• 7 Protection Sam Hill Knee pads review
• Buyer’s guide to mountain bike knee pads

The Roam is a heavy-duty pad with a combination of parts that protect in different ways. The TPU skid plate helps with sliding crashes and the Kydex layer protects against piercing by sharp objects, while at the core sits a flexible D30 cup that hardens under impact.

It's all covered with Rip Stop nylon, and the D30 is removable to make washing easier (they also come with a mesh bag to keep the straps from claiming the rest of the wash like a sea monster engulfing a ship).

One great feature is that the Roams can be put on while wearing shoes – they're a wraparound design, instead of the more common tube. The wide Velcro straps are secure, and can be tightened for a great personal fit (though the sizing ranges from XS to XXL and is accurate anyway).

There's plenty of material around the knee and lower thigh / upper shin, so even if they twist or move in a crash a little, they should keep you protected.

There are small padded areas either side of the knee for when things get rowdy and knees hit top tubes or shocks, too.

I found them pretty good for pedalling, as the mesh back manages heat build up well, but the chunky front does still get sweaty. They never get overly hot, though – and they're easier than most to take on and off, too.

The Race Face Roam is a confidence-inspiring pad, and while it's not the coolest for general trail riding,  they're so easy to get on and off you can load them in your pack for long climbs.

Leave them on and the weight is reasonable, articulation is good and they don’t restrict movement at all. Sizing and fit is really good and well considered. I really can’t find much to fault with them – other than the price which, while reasonable for such a quality product, is higher than some very good competition.

• raceface.com

You might also like:

• The best knee pads you can buy for mountain biking - tried and tested protection for trail and enduro riding
• The ultimate guide to frame materials: what's best for bikes?