We started to discuss the anorak intricacies of design as Tav grinned form ear to ear and headed to the flagship knee armour.

Tav: Here we have the Tactic knee guard, we have used the Boa Closure system to secure the pad, this eliminates the use of Velcro, allowing for even adjustment along and around the pad. Velcro has its place but is a pain when it comes to getting that even tension; as the muscle moves the elastic just stretches so the pad tends to move and the padded area is not really being held in place. Velcro also has a tendency to wreck things in the wash.

CF: I hear you on that one, my wife gets so fed up with Velcro wrecking clothes in the wash and my skinny legs make it hard to get the right fit with elastic and Velcro, I always seem to run out of adjustment with a medium pad and a small pad is too restrictive.

Tav: Fitment and adjustability have obviously been a large factor with the pads, the Boa system allows you to make micro adjustments on the fly, unlike Velcro where you have to completely undo the strap. Here if the legs or arms “pump up” or you have over-tightened the pad then you can simply press the button and slacken the pad off slightly. The Boa system doesn’t just provide an enhanced level of adjustability and even tension it means we can make the pad more slim-line, giving the rider greater clearance around the top tube. The narrow profile also helps keep the pad weight down.

CF: So looking on the back of the pad I can see that the Boa cable ties into this section of rubber above the calf, I take it this offers a bit of stretch?

Tav: Yes exactly, the plastic cable in the system also has a level of stretch and this combined with the cross support above the calf helps keeps the pad in place.

CF: So how have you overcome the knee chaffing on the inside of the pad if you have a tighter fitting pad?

Tav: On the inside of the hard pad we have a floating knee cap section, this moves with the knee. On the mid-range pads we have incorporated a stretch section of neoprene to do the same job, this helps to keep the price down.

CF: Superb, I think I’ve only ever seen that on one other knee guard. The outer section here is nicely stitched in, what is this hard pad section made from?

Tav: This is a resin section made to our specification: the edge of the kneecap area is lined with a PP rubber in a polygon pattern to allow for movement and breathability. We spoke with various professors regarding the “intelligent” soft padding systems and they advised us that for this application there is no significant advantage over a standard high quality PP. The hard shell interior is lined with the polygon PP and finished in soft fabric.

CF: Some of the readers out there may be familiar with the Boa Cable Lock system from high-end snowboard boots and road cycling shoes. In those environments high impact from hard objects is less of an issue, how has the round dial on the Boa Cable Lock system stood up to impacts in testing?

Tav: It’s been a big factor for us when designing the pads, all our products meet and surpass the CE testing criteria, the Boa lock is very robust and has stood up really well in testing. The guys on the Trek World Racing Team as well as Steve [Peat] have been using the pads this year and we have had no issues. The cable lock dial is located at 45º on the inside of the leg; here it’s away from snagging on shorts and out of harms way from crash impact.