Meet Specialized's entry in the lightweight knee pad arena, a segment of protection that's exploded as bikes have gotten more capable and typical riding style more rowdy. Indeed, we've all come to realize we're still soft-tissue organisms. But we want to climb without being weighed down by cumbersome pads. The Specialized Atlas pads are light and articulate well during pedaling.
We've spent a limited amount of time in them and the No. 1 takeaway was it felt like we were wearing knee warmers. But they're not as warm as knee warmers, as the rear of these pads are well-ventilated. Pedaling performance was excellent as there was very little resistance or binding. And the pads are on the long side, with the upper sleeve extending all the way up the leg so it can be tucked under your chamois liner shorts. There is a main protective pad and there are several smaller pads on each side that protect against side impacts.
We've spent a limited amount of time in them and the No. 1 takeaway was it felt like we were wearing knee warmers. But they're not as warm as knee warmers, as the rear of these pads are well-ventilated. Pedaling performance was excellent as there was very little resistance or binding. And the pads are on the long side, with the upper sleeve extending all the way up the leg so it can be tucked under your chamois liner shorts. There is a main protective pad and there are several smaller pads on each side that protect against side impacts.