i managed to put my kickstart through the upper part of my calf on sunday and figure some knee protection would be a good idea, but i cant tell from pics if any have much side protection or are just lycra socks to hold the caps on.

cant anyone recommend anything that would offer a bit of protection on the sides, not so much impact more abrasion?

If you are wearing proper trials boots these should offer the type of protection you appear to be enquiring about. Sounds extremely painful and I hope you are healing up ok?

I am wondering what boots you have and how far above them you managed to get on your calf?  

As for protective gear most of the trials gear I have seen I wouldn't expect to have much protection in regards to what your talking about as most of them are a fabric based compression type and wouldn't really do much to prevent a kick start lever from getting through.  Examples would be the Jitsie and Hebo, both are fabric...  

I suspect you will need something not trials specific if you can find it at all.  

Good luck.  

Edited January 1, 20197 yr by jonnyc21

Hi, you have my sympathy with that one, a number of years ago i ripped a hole on the inside of my left leg just below the knee , the hole was almost big enugh to put my fist in and was too large for a&e to stich up so i had to go to theater to get it sorted, hurt like hell for about six months and is still a little tender now after years. from time to time i give it a littlr bump and i wear mountain bike downhill pads they give nice protecton front and sides with little loss of manouverability to the knees . they don't fit under trials pants so i use enduro style pants , i always keep themwith me just in case i need them at a trial

just how do you do that?

I've a couple of witness marks on both legs inner calfs just below the knee. These are the result of feet slipping off the kickstart on wet or muddy trials (left leg Beta, right leg others) I wear Jitsie knee pads and of course the kickstart or footpegs strikes just behind the protected area, just like steel toe cap work boots, if something lands on your foot it lands just behind the toe protector?. If this is how you got injured try leaning your bike away from the kickstart side when kicking to ensure your foot gets good contact with the kickstart. 

I used to get loads of bruises on my calves before I got my Forma boots (when I first started I was using some Lidl £5 motorbike boots).  I still get the odd bruise above the boot, but only when I fall off!

Football shin pads....slide em down inside a football type sock on each leg. You can position them where you need protection most,  Elastoplast tape or Duct tape them to your leg..calf...it will hurt when you pull them off...all thisechairs pulled out?but you will be protected, also great if you have a knock about footie session between sections?⚽️

thanks for the replies.

i have gaerne balance, the bike is a beta but i grew up on bultaco so i should be ok with a left kickstart. basically a guy was faffing in front of me and suddenly decided not to go, the marshall was frantically waving and when i saw i rushed to start my bike and i wasn't entirely focused, my foot slipped, the cut is just below my knee to the top of my outside calf. fortunately i had brand new jitsie omnias on and the thicker fabric did not tear so that saved my leg really serious damage (i got away with 5 internal stiches 10 external).

so hence my question for some pads that would give me a little extra protection to the side, i'm actually less worried about knee and shin protection.

Ive seen this happen to a few people, on betas and gg, and with different heights of boots

I have some fox launch enduro MTB knee pads. Ive worn these for all day rides on the mtb & theyre really comfortable, not bulky at all.

Was thinking about using them for trials when I get back to riding.

Now that you have impaled yourself, your mind should always take that millisecond it takes to slow down and kick it right. 3 layers of stitches and a drain. I bled for thirty days. 1992 Beta zero.

I use Forcefield knee and shin Pads, designed for Enduro but are not hard plastic

They have full knee and shin protection, which extends around the sides

Not cheap at £80 a pair, but never ride a Trials bike without them, after some fairly serious haematomas cause on Enduro bikes, bu foorpegs

Edited January 2, 20197 yr by johnnyboxer