Dakine is renowned for making durable mountain bike products that stand the test of time. Through extensive reviews over the years, I’ve personally found many Dakine products — from shorts and jerseys to hydration packs and even bike travel bags — to last much longer than similar products from other brands.
It frustrates me when mountain bike soft goods wear out in a short period of time, despite the inevitably expensive price tag, so based on Dakine’s history of producing reliable products, I decided their Slayer Bike Knee Pad was well worth testing in my never-ending search for the perfect knee pad.
Dakine Slayer Bike Knee Pad key specs
- Dual-density DK Impact foam
- Durable Cordura® outer
- 4-way stretch mesh back
- CE certified to EU 2016/425
- Weight: 378g/pair
- Price: $90
- Buy from Backcountry (on sale for $54 as of press time)
The Dakine Slayer knee pad is a pull-on, sleeve-style pad with no straps or adjustments. The padding itself consists of Dual-density DK Impact foam, which is bendable by hand but retains a fairly stiff shape while pedaling. The pad provides substantial coverage, generously wrapping around the side of the knees and providing respectable extension down the shin. The pads are pre-curved and side-specific, so be sure to note the right/left indicators on the tags inside the pads.
The pad’s back is made of 4-way stretch mesh fabric, which is very breathable. In keeping with Dakine’s reputation for producing reliable products, the mesh feels thick and durable to the touch, indicating that it will withstand the abuse of rough-and-tumble riding.
The pad features a single silicon gripper cuff around the quad but no silicon gripper for the calf.
Based on the large pad coverage with fairly-stiff protection, the Slayer fits squarely in the enduro or all-mountain category. If you’re risking a serious fall with a high-speed impact, this is the pad for you.
Out on the trail
It seems that I end up falling between sizes no matter how much weight I lose or gain, and based on Dakine’s size chart, I fall on the upper end of the size-large pad. Dakine offers the Slayer in six sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL. With only one larger size available, I opted to stick with the large.
Out of the box, I found the fit of the large to be uncomfortably tight. However, I had measured twice and ordered once, so I decided to give the pads a few rides to see if they would break in a bit.
After a handful of rides, the Slayer began to break in and stretch out, and the previously tight fit ended up becoming a tolerably-snug fit. This snug fit, especially around my calf, turned out to be critical for keeping the pad in place. Despite a snug fit around my calf, the silicon gripper on my quads was never quite strong enough to keep the top of the pad in place. The top end of the pad would consistently loosen up and slide down, but the snug fit around my calf kept the most important part — the protection itself — centered on my knee.
While pedaling in the Slayer, I did feel some binding in the mesh behind my knee. This is likely due to the snug fit and the fact that there aren’t any cutaway sections in the mesh to increase flexibility. However, based on the slippage of the upper silicon gripper, I’m convinced that I couldn’t have sized up to the XL.
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After a couple of months of testing, I still haven’t crashed in the Slayer — and now that I write this, I’ll probably go down on my next ride. Still, the expansive coverage of the Slayer’s pad is confidence-inspiring in the event that something does go wrong. I’m curious how the Cordura fabric, which covers the impact zone, would hold up in the event of a crash on abrasive rock.
Finally, based on my sizing experience, I’m concerned that the Dakine Slayer isn’t offered in large enough sizes for big, burly riders. If I, at 5′ 7″ and just under 160lbs, am right on the line between the L and XL sizes, I can’t imagine how a larger rider over 200lbs could possibly fit in an XL. Big boys, beware.
Pros and cons of Dakine Slayer Bike Knee Pad
Pros
- Expansive pad coverage
- Durable Cordura fabric and 4-way mesh back that should stand the test of time
Cons
- Slippage from the silicon upper gripper
- Sizing seems skewed to the small size. Won’t fit larger riders?
Bottom line
True to Dakine’s reputation, the Slayer Bike Knee Pad is designed to stand the test of time. The hardy Cordura fabric and stretch mesh coupled with the expansive pad coverage are all positive signs of a pad that will serve its owner for many years. However, without any strap adjustments, sizing has to be spot-on, and I’m concerned that none of the sizes offered by Dakine will work for larger riders.
