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Fuse Shin Guards

Fuse is a brand of protective gear made by We The People.  I picked up these shin guards a few months ago at a local bike shop.

Comfort

The first thing I noticed when I put these on was how comfortable they are.  They are made of soft neoprene with a hard piece of nylon sewn into the front.  The hard nylon is removable, but I found them perfectly comfortable with the nylon in.  There is no stiff feeling to these shin guards; they mold perfectly to your legs.  They are relatively cool and breathable too.   I have never felt hot enough that I needed to take them off.  They also feature an easy four-strap Velcro system to make putting them on and taking them off effortless.

Protection

With the nylon inserts they offer great protection to the front of the shin.  They are great protection from pedal bites as well as if you ever hit your shin on an object when riding trials.   I have hit my shins extremely hard while wearing these, but I barely felt a thing.  These shin guards also fully cover the back of the leg.  This will protect you from scratches to the calves.  There is no hard insert or padding on the back or sides though, so you can still bruise yourself through the shin guards.  They do not offer knee or ankle protection, but Fuse also sells knee and ankle guards.

Durability

These shin guards seem quite tough, as they have held up to many hits.  I have however made a small rip on the seam where the nylon insert is sewn in (mind you this was the result of doing a trick and having my leg come down on the side of a pedal which was broken and sharp)  I will likely be able to sew this back together.  I have seen no other serious signs of wear.

Price

While these shin guards are not cheap (around $40), compared to other options, they are fairly reasonable.  I feel they are completely worth the price.  They have saved me from many pedal bites and maybe even broken shins.  I mean, you can’t buy new shins after all.  The incredible comfort also makes them worth the money.  All in all, they are pretty reasonable.

Conclusion

Shin guards are a must for any serious unicyclist, and these are a good choice.  With great comfort and protection, as well as reasonable durability under normal conditions, these are perfect for the aspiring unicyclist.  The price isn’t half bad either.  Over all, I give these an 8/10.

Fuse Shin Guards
$39.99 at Albes.com