Sweet Protection offers three slightly different knee pads in its range. There’s a full-length Knee Shin pad that protects against slipped pedals and flying rocks as well as tumbles. Then there’s the Knee Pad, with Velcro strap for added security and Sas-Tec, viscoelastic padding (think similar to D3O). Finally there’s the minimal Knee Guards, which are the lightest and cheapest option in the range. Over the knee cap is a Sas-Tec pad that’s reasonably generous in height compared to some knee sleeves, so you do get a touch more shin protection than average.

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When I first pulled them on, I thought Sweet Protection had completely messed them up – while the upper hem felt tight and secure around my thigh, the shin was baggy. According to Sweet Protection’s guide, I had the correct size (although despite having pretty skinny legs, my 48cm thigh measurement put me in size large pads), but it seemed like the fit was totally wrong. Then I rode in them and my concerns were quashed. Whether by luck or judgement, it seems that the upper cuff is sufficient to hold the pads in place perfectly, while the loose-fit shin means that your lower leg can move just enough when pedalling that the bottom cuff doesn’t pull the pad down slightly with every stroke. Security then, is a Sweet Protection strong point, and while the solid pad doesn’t let air through at the front, the vented back means it didn’t get too hot in warm weather with riding pants on. If I have one criticism – and this applies to quite a few knee sleeves – is that the pod itself is not removable, and that means you have to hand wash it to preserve the viscoelastic properties of the material.