For many riders elbow pads are a necessity when the riding gets a little technical and the terrain turns steep, particularly less experienced riders. In the harsh Australian sun though, it can get hard to stand the extra heat and discomfort some elbow pads bring, often leading to them being left of the gear list. Sendy’s offering the Sendy Saver is a light weight option that offers protection with breath-ability…. we took a look and put them on test.
By Mike Branch
Product: Sendy Saver elbow pads
RRP: Kids sizes $59.95, Adults 64.95
Available at: Sendy gear, MTB Direct and all good bike stores
The Nitty Gritty
The Sendy Saver Elbow Pads are a lightweight elbow pad that is designed to keep your elbows protected when you hit the trails for all types of mountain biking. They come in sizes for kids aged 5 years and older through to adults of all shapes and sizes, meaning your little shredder can be just as protected as you are when you hit the trails.
- Stretch material for superb comfort fit
- Silicone non-slip upper and lower cuff lining
- Upper and lower cuff adjustable strap
- Non-allergenic materials
- Kevlar facing impact zone
- 5mm impact foam
- Low profile design to keep you on the trail all day in comfort
Test Results
One of the hardest tasks as a mountain biking parent is getting your little shredder to wear pads, particularly elbow pads. The environment we live in Australia is sometimes prohibitive to wearing extra protection when in reality we really should. The first thing you notice with the Sendy Saver Elbow Pads is how lightweight they are, something we see as one of the best attributes. Lightweight pads mean flexibility, especially over joints like the elbow and knees.
Don’t get us wrong they still need to have padding and do the job they are tasked with and that’s protecting your elbows. These pads are super lightweight, flexible and breath really well; something we thought we wouldn’t say about a pair of elbow pads at Brakes Wide Open. This is extremely important if you are wanting your young ones to wear them and always wear them.
On the trail you don’t really notice them too much when the trail points down but you still notice them on the climbs, something that will always be the case for elbow pads. The stretch material of the liner makes for a comfy fit and the breath-ability is great, with the insides of the elbow pads having an almost mesh-like material. We did put them to test on a couple of occasions on the dirt and fair to say they did their job well, keeping the elbows intact and free from injury.
The pads have fixture straps on the top and bottom that certainly did their job and there was no slippage during the test period at all. The low profile nature of the design also meant that they fit quite easily under all jerseys and you could barely tell that you were wearing elbow pads at first glance.
If you are sending huge gaps and are looking for some free ride protection these pads may not be for you, but they are a great set of pads for enduro or all mountain use. The lightweight nature makes them super easy to stash as well, meaning they can go in a hip pack and get ripped out and donned when the going gets steep. Overall we were pretty impressed with the Sendy Saver Elbow Pads.
The Final Word
Wearing elbow pads is not something every rider likes to do, most of the time it is because of how bulky and hot they seem to be. The team at Sendy have heard this loud and clear when they designed these elbow pads and have delivered a lightweight, breathable option that you can use for everyday use. Their focus is Kid-specific mountain bike gear and they have certainly delivered that, but it seems that they have delivered quality gear for the whole family, young and old.
The Adult range from Sendy is just as attractive as the kids range and the price point is really hard to beat. Mountain biking is an expensive sport and the team at Sendy have focused on delivering quality mountain bike protection at an affordable price point, something that certainly makes Sendy’s gear all that more attractive….
