| REVIEW: Race Face Rally DH arm and leg pads Does the new look for a familiar product pay off? |
Imagine if you will... a man at the top of a rock face far, high up on Mt. Seven, where the locals warn, “It's pretty gnarly, you might want to go around.” His riding skills were less than sharp after the challenges of the previous day's riding at Kicking Horse. He thinks to himself, “What the heck, how poorly could this go?”, only to have that very question answered moments later.
Using that same imagination, picture my (yes, I'm the man at the top of the rock face) polished steed tomahawking down the hill while I was in mid-air watching that very same rock face closing in on me quickly. Very quickly. Without much time to think, I drop down on padded knee and slide safely, smoothly and gently to a stop, unscathed. Once my mind stops racing, I look down at the miracle that had saved my legs from the cheese-grater rock - my Race Face Rally DH pads.
Hyperbole aside, I never thought I'd get this kind of opportunity to test the DHs. In fact, I really hoped I would never have to, but in the moment of truth they saved my skin. Literally.
The details The Rally DHs feature a highly vented, two-piece impact-resistant plastic outer shell, 15mm-thick heat moulded inner padding, and hook-and-loop straps to keep them tight. The DH legs use a knee stabilization pad to stop them from wandering and an all-new floating back panel to keep them secure. The arm pads use Lycra and hook-and-loop straps to prevent slippage. There are three sizes of Race Face pads: medium, large, and extra large. Being 6’1” made sizing a bit difficult, because I am on the border of the sizing change between L and XL. If you've got calves, then go with the XL, but if you've got chicken legs the L may be a better choice. |
 The back of the new DH leg pads - buh-bye mesh || Photo: Michelle Austin |
Some key features are the great venting provided by the numerous holes and openings in the outer shell. Those openings, matched with moulded inner foam, carried fresh air to the fronts of my legs and arms helping to keep me cool and fresh. Riding up the lift, I actually felt the wind pass through the fronts of the legs pads.
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Another nice touch is the form-fitting shell: it's deep and snug, making the pads fit like a glove. Riders with bigger legs don't have to worry - the pads will mould to them just as well. The arms provide ample coverage from just above the wrist to the middle of the bicep, while the legs do a great job covering from just above my shoes to the bottom of my quads. They both fit comfortably and while the legs wandered a little bit, I did not find myself pulling them up as much as my last set of pads. The arms, however, were usually in need of readjustment at each stop. It wasn't a big deal, though, and all in all they are the most comfortable pads I have ever used. I wasn't expecting that from a hard-shell, heavy duty pad. |
I had the opportunity to try both this year's and last year's leg pads, and the difference between the two is noticeable. This year's legs scrapped the mesh back panel and replaced it with a floating back panel that stretches over the calf and is supposed to provide a more secure fit while also greatly increasing mobility and breathability.
The floating back panel looks like a good idea, but came up a bit short in the breathability department || Photo: Dan Austin
The floating back panel is a good idea, but this is where sizing became an issue for me. Although the straps around the knee are the same as last year and work great, the straps around the calves were too long for my tiny pigeon-like calves. They did cinch down, but the hook-and-loop closures on the straps were maxed out. Thankfully, the pads are deep enough that they stayed put, but on more than one occasion I would have liked a bit more adjustability in the rear strapping. This is more of a fit issue than an engineering issue, so sizing choice is key. That said, the problem is remedied with a bit of sewing genius. I did like the comfort of the new floating back panel, but I have to disagree with Race Face's claims that it increases breathability: the mesh provided an open path to fresh air. The floating back panel did a better job of covering up my legs than it did increase breathability. Bottom line - the new pads are hotter than last year's set-up. |
 The pads may not fit snugly enough for some riders || Photo: Michelle Austin |
Roses and sunshine? Not entirely.
A couple of things did bother me about this armour. First, as mentioned above, the new floating back panel seemed like a good idea but I preferred the old mesh back style. Having said that, a smaller size with a smaller panel may have provided me with more ventilation. These are not for your long epic rides in Moab, though, so although heating up was noticeable, it was not unbearable.
That leads me to the next issue - sizing. You have to make sure you try them on and not just read the sizing chart. If you're long and lanky, a size L may suit you better than an XL due to the ample strapping for the XL.
The DH pads along for the ride up at Silver Star || Photo: Denny Byrne
The verdict
I would suspect you can tell what I thought of the pads from my opening story, but if it was lost on you, I will spell it out again. These pads are great. If you’re looking for something to wear on long days of up-and-down riding, these may not be your best bet. But if you're riding hard at the bike park or your local DH trail, these puppies are where it's at.
 Lots of protection for bony elbows || Photo: B.A. Belton |
I dragged them all over this past season and they never let me down. Whether I was in Vernon, Kelowna, Rossland, Nelson, Golden, Calgary or Bragg Creek, they always saved my hide. I have landed on rocks, hit trees, aborted stunts, and just basically fallen over, and each time the Rally DHs took a bullet and kept me safe. I wonder if that’s more of a commentary on my riding than on the pads? Either way, they faced the fury and came out on top. Looking at the DHs now, the outer plastic has some nice gouges in it. Considering some of the things I landed on, this is a testament to the great choice of construction material. They have been comfortable each time I put them on and other than a bit of a roughed up surface and some ground in dust, they work as good as new. |
So are they worth taking a look at? In one word, yes. These are by far the best pads I have ever used, crashed with, put on, or borrowed (ick!). They stayed put better than any other pads I’ve tried and with them on, I felt confident enough to tackle almost anything. After that crash on Mt. Seven, I know that if I go down with these pads on, it will be me that crumbles before the pads do!
Pricing for the arms is US$55 / CDN$79, and for the legs is US$85 / CDN$119.
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