The Complete Handbook of Bicycle Protective Pads
A Practical Reference for Buyers, Sellers, and Riders: Selection, Fitting, Standards, and Care
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Everything you need to know about bike pads: standards, materials, fitting, care, and the business of selling them.
About this book
Bicycle protective pads protect joints and limbs from impact and abrasion, but choosing the right one is rarely straightforward. Standards differ between Europe and North America. Sizing charts vary by brand. Materials that feel comfortable in the shop may not perform in a crash. This handbook cuts through the confusion with a structured, evidence-based approach to the entire category.
The book covers the physics of impact protection, the different pad types (knee, elbow, shin, hip, back, combined), and the specific standards and certifications that actually matter. It includes practical fitting procedures with anatomical reference points, installation and adjustment workflows, and a full maintenance and troubleshooting chapter. The second half addresses the commercial landscape: supplier tiers, private-labeling, rental considerations, and where the market is heading in materials and regulation.
Written for professionals and serious riders, this is not a marketing brochure. It is a reference manual to be used on the shop floor, at the trailhead, and in the warehouse. If you buy, sell, fit, or ride with protective pads, this book will give you the knowledge to make better decisions.
Reader Reviews
Kenneth Scott
★★★★★Finally. I've been buying and fitting pads for our team for three years and always hated how every brand's size chart claims to be the truth. This book gives you the actual reasoning - anatomical reference points, how to interpret the EN 1621 ratings without a law degree, and which specs change when you go from trail riding to downhill. The chapter on maintenance alone saved me from throwing away two pairs of perfectly good knee pads that just needed new straps. This is the definitive desk reference for anyone who sells or fits pads professionally.
Karen Scott
★★★★★It's a solid reference, and I appreciate that it treats the reader like a professional rather than a consumer. I especially liked the troubleshooting section on foam degradation and the generic descriptions of certification bodies - that saved me a lot of cross-referencing. My reservation is the chapter on business opportunities. It's competent but a bit conservative; the discussion of private-labeling could go deeper on actual supplier sourcing logistics. Also, some brand-specific examples in the fitting chapter would have helped, since the author seems to deliberately avoid naming names there. Overall: worth owning, but not the last word.
Eric Campbell
★★★★★I picked this up to help me choose between soft-shell and hard-shell knee pads for enduro racing. The standards explanation in chapter one is genuinely helpful - I now know the difference between a Level 1 and Level 2 test without anyone confusing me again. That said, the tone gets a little dry in the middle sections, and I found myself skimming the maintenance chapter because it's pretty obvious stuff if you've owned pads before. It's a good handbook to have on the shelf, but I expected a bit more hands-on, field-tested insight rather than academic precision. For a beginner buying their first set of pads, though, this would be a five-star guide.