POC Joint VPD 2.0 DH Long Knee Guards

Back when we were kids, people used to stick a batter's helmet on their heads and wrap some old carpet around their legs and call it bike padding. Times change, though, and what used to considered gnarly riding would now get you laughed off the children's pump track, so repurposed helmets and old rugs just don't cut it anymore when it comes to protection. POC's Joint VPD 2. 0 DH Long Knee Guards, though, are designed to keep up with the ever rowdier trajectory of DH riding. Don't get the VPD 2. 0 DH Long confused with the regular VPD 2. 0, or the shorter VPD 2. 0 DH, though. The DH Long version has the same stretchy neoprene sleeve and hook and loop closure strap, but it brings in a hard shell to provide extra protection and less friction against the ground, so you slide rather than shred when you fall onto your knees and shins. Both VPD pads also share the same VPD padding, which is soft and flexible until impact, at which point it hardens almost instantly to absorb the impact that your knees would otherwise take, but the Long provides more shin protection, which you'll love if your legs look like hamburger meat after taking countless shots from pedals and rocks. The upshot If you're planning on getting gnarly, the VPD 2. 0 DH Long Knee Guard is an investment your legs will thank you for making.