First Impressions: POC Bone Leg and Arm protective armor
I met the reps of POC at Interbike 2008. New products for 2009 from this Swedish company and makers of snow/ski products are BIKE gear. To be more specific – gear that would cater to the extreme side of bikes, such as Downhill (DH), Freeriding, park and BMX. For our testing we received body armor (Bone Leg and Bone Arm) and the Cortex helmet (previously featured by RL).
These pads come in a cool color of white with their logo in orange. Below is the description from POC.
Bone Leg:
A knee/shin guard with shields made of sturdy Polypropylene and the inside of highly ventilated comfort lining. The top piece protecting your knee is made of VPD. Fit and mobility is crucial, without sacrificing protection. We have seen many products not doing their job. Long hours have been spent to develop the best possible ergonomics and fastening solutions and we succeeded. The Bone Leg comes with a detachable calf protector, saving you from blood spill when your pedal hits you from behind.
Bone Arm:
The Bone Arm is an elbow guard divided in three segments providing extraordinary fit and protection. The construction is alike the Bone Leg, where special attention has been paid to protect the joints.
I’ve had a chance to wear these armor on several downhill races such as the Vail Lake Hillbilly DH Challenge and a few of the Shimano Winter Series.
By far these pads have been the most comfortable I’ve tried. I’ve even worn them over leggings and thermals and didnt feel bound. Fortunately for me I didn’t have to find out whether the construction was solid enough to keep me from getting scuffed up. I’ll be wearing these to other DH races for the rest of 2009. Check back for an updated review.
POC Bone Leg and Arm are definitely an A+ on the looks and comfort. For more information, please visit www.pocski.com.
Now that a year has passed, could you please provide us with an updated review? In particular, I would appreciate your reporting on how hot it is while pedaling uphill in hot weather.
Thanks!
Mark
Mark – since last year, I’ve done my share of dirt testing w/the POC armor. Did they protect me? – they sure did. Not only did I crash on dirt but into rocks as well. These pads are SOLID!
Regardng pedaling uphill, I’m not sure what you are referring to. On trail rides where I’ve had to bring pads, I typically never wore them while climbing uphill. We usually suit-up before descending.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Joe