7iDP Covert Knee Pad

(discontinued)

Review by Fred Robinson // Photos by Fred Robinson and Brandon Turman

7iDP may be a newer name when it comes to protection in the mountain biking world, but with over 65 years of combined experience in MTB protection design and product management, it should come as no surprise that they are gaining more and more notoriety as one of the leading brands that consistently nails their products. Excited to get another chance to put a 7iDP product through the wringer, we laid our hands on the Covert Knee, a kneepad that offers customizable levels of protection in a low weight, form fitting package. Read on to see how we got along.

7iDP Covert Knee Pad Highlights

• Removable foam inserts and knee cap for washing
• Low weight, high strength flexible 1mm cap for superior fit and pedal motion
• Double layer custom foam to increase air flow and reduce weight
• Compression fit, designed to be packable
• A combination of Poly/Spandex and 4 way stretch mesh to provide good fit and ventilation
• Designed beyond CE EN 1621/1 standard to ensure maximum protection
• Sizes – S/M/L/XL
• MSRP:$89.95 USD

Initial impressions

Curious about the “customizable” levels of protection, the first thing we did when we received the Covert Kneepads was pull them apart. This examination revealed a rather clever construction of foam/plastic padding that allows you to combine or remove different pads within the poly/spandex mesh sleeve to suit the day's riding plans (more on this later).

Overall construction of the whole package looked top notch, with solid stitching and a high level of finish quality. The spandex panel shapes that make up the back and sides of these pads seemed appropriate for holding the pad in place during a crash while allowing an unrestricted pedalling motion. And on the topic of pedalling, it was high time we got some done.

On The Trail

The important question for any product in general, and protection in particular, is how well does it perform on the trail? We're happy to report back with nothing but positive things to say here. When we first put the pads on, they did sit off the kneecap a bit which felt kinda funny, but once we hopped on the bike it became obvious that this was intentional. 7iDP calls it “X Profile Cap Design”, a pre-bent X-shaped kneepad which is supposed to facilitate fluid pedaling action and help keep the pad in place when you hit the ground.

It seems as though 7iDP did their research and the pads do indeed feel fine while pedaling, even on those long mile days. They never slid down or hiked up our legs, and the few times we did crash in the Covert pads they stayed in place and did their job.

The close fit kept the pads from chafing and despite the fact that 7iDP didn't cut out any excess material around the back making these a “full-sleeve” pad, they weren't overly hot, breathed well and dried out pretty quickly.

In our opinion though, the standout feature of these pads is the ability to customize the level of protection they offer. Within the kneepad sleeve there are two interlocking foam pads and a plastic knee cap. You can choose to run all three layers for the maximum level the Covert Knee offers for the nastier trails, or you can go the minimalistic route for easier trails and run only the one foam pad that is at the bottom of the stack.

You can also mix and match within the stack if you choose to. Say you want a less bulky pad but still want that hard plastic knee cap, just remove the middle foam pad and run the cap directly on the foam base. A pretty unique feature that we found ourself messing with often depending on what trail we were riding.

Things That Could Be Improved

We dug deep to nitpick these pads and pretty much came up empty-handed. We can't even complain about the price as they fall more or less inline with most other high-end offerings out there. They do lack some protection on the side of the knee, but they're not full-on DH pads and the balance of flexibility, comfort and protection on offer here is pretty much spot-on for the intended usage. We want to complain, we really do, but we really got nothing.

Long Term Durability

With only a few minor diggers behind us we can't comment too much on the Covert Knee's ability to handle multiple big crashes, but the times we did hit the dirt the pads did their job protecting us and after dusting them off, they looked just as good as the did before we went down. Despite the snug compression-type fit and pulling them on and off even when sweaty or wet, the threads holding the pads together didn't pop or break, something that's common in less expensive gear of the compression type. All in all, the Covert Knee appears to be in it for the long haul.

What's The Bottom Line?

7iDP set out to create a compact, compression-fit knee pad that can pack away easily while still providing adequate protection for more aggressive riding, something enduro racers and trail riders will definitely appreciate. The Covert Knee provides adjustable levels of protection so you never have to run more than you need and in every configuration it still allows for an unrestricted pedaling motion in a comfortable package. To quote a friend of ours we lent these pads to for a ride, “they're F'n awesome.” To paraphrase said friend, 7iDP nailed it.

For more information, head on over to www.7protection.com.

About The Reviewer

Fred Robinson, a.k.a. "Derf," has been on two wheels since he was two years old. He picked up a mountain bike in 2004 and started racing downhill in 2006. He has seen moderate success racing CAT 1 but focuses his efforts on building, maintaining and riding his local trails. He's deceptively quick for a bigger guy and likes steep, fast trails where he can hang it off the back of the bike. As a SoCal native he mostly rides trails covered with loose, traction-less turns and sharp, immovable rocks. Besides downhill, he rides trail bikes, road, and also enjoys the occasional dirt jump session. He is currently a student at UCSD and a wrench at a local bike shop.