New goalie leg pads help
 

My brother is looking at getting a new set of goalie leg pads. He plays competitive inline hockey and is looking to upgrade his existing beginner "CCM RGP10 Roller Hockey Leg Pads(http://www.hockeyworld.com/index/page/product/product_id/434/product_name/CCM+RGP10+Roller+Hockey+Leg+Pads)". These are the models he is currently looking at:
http://www.hockeyworld.com/index/pag...g+Pads-+Senior
http://www.hockeygiant.com/nbh8vpxxgpsr.html
http://www.hockeyworld.com/index/pag...+CLEARANCE-+Sr
http://www.goaliedeals.com/rbk08x7gpsr.html
http://www.goaliedeals.com/rbk086knhlgpsr.html
http://www.hockey.us/goalie-equipmen...c-000423bb4e79
http://www.goaliedeals.com/bau09vx40gpsr.html
http://www.goaliemonkey.com/rbk-goalie-legpads-6k.html
http://www.goaliemonkey.com/rbk-goal...pulse7-sr.html


His budget is 250$ and would like to stay under it. Hes looking for the best possible pad for the money.
He's got some questions:
Whats the difference in durability between roller hockey pads and ice pads, and can he use ice pads for inline without them getting torn up?
Which of the above are trash and which are decent?
Playing on an inline rink, which would hold up the very best? I'm not looking to replace these pads every year (or even every three years), so Id like something that can withstand sliding and whatnot on an inline rink. I dont want to deal with duct taping the sides or having to buy an external slider either. I want to be able to use the pads as is, for a long time.



Thanks for taking the time to help me out

I'm not going to go through all those links, because I can imagine what they all are. The bottom line is you should scour ebay and other such places for a used set of pro level pads. I picked up some 'old' Vaughn Velo's on ebay for 200 bucks. These are $1200 pads, well used but they will still work for me for seasons to come until they finally fall apart.

I've never seen it happen first hand, but the cheapo pads apparently fall apart very quickly. Every materiel used in them including the stitching can't hold a candle to pro level gear.

I don't think I was clear on that first post, and probably provided too much info. He's not really asking "what should I buy";

Ice is smooth, it doesn't wear your stuff down, less friction, etc. Ice pads are probably not really well suited for that type of wear and tear, at any price range. That being said, things listed as "Roller Hockey Pads" might be, and may even be lighter weight since ice pucks are much harder, heavier, etc. It would be a horrible waste, at any price, to buy ice pads if they were going to get destroyed at a similar or faster rate than cheap pads (and by cheap, these are list price of ~500+).

Consider the following:
http://www.hockeyworld.com/index/pag...+CLEARANCE-+Sr

http://www.hockeyworld.com/index/pag...g+Pads-+Senior

http://www.hockey.us/goalie-equipmen...c-000423bb4e79

Ignoring list price, is it worth the price difference (ie; better lifespan) between 1 and 2? Is there going to be a considerable wear and tear difference between 2 and 3? 1 and 3?

equally important: how can one tell, other than 'more expensive is better'? - price is not a good indicator of quality.

It's a matter of what the right tool is for the job, and what the most cost efficient choice is.

Of course, if some things are straight-up crap, I would like to know as well, because it's not worth consideration.

Price is a pretty good indication of quality when it comes to goalie pads.

On a pure $$ to quality level, option 1 is the best bang for the buck. Are you choosing pads based solely on price/potential to last the longest, or are you trying to find a pad that will fit his style of play as well...? If you include that last part, maybe we can give you some more options.

I think it's pretty much longevity; as I implied, cheap ruined pads and expensive high quality ruined pads are still ruined pads...
He plays in a local inline league, I don't know if $1k pads are gonna make him a better goalie than 200$ pads (if anything, more weight might be an issue). That being said, I guess he'd be a hybrid. He has problems pushing on the sportcourt when down, so his lateral movement is on his skate cowlings, not his pads. His current pads are worn out and ripped along the inside bottom as a result.

Granted anything will be better than what he has now (see the first post) : they're very narrow, there is no pad extension along the inside, and they don't roll out completely when he goes into the butterfly [or maybe its just him :D ].

I would personally go with option 1, and find myself a set of covers to prevent the pad from ripping apart.

You can find some more info on that here:

http://www.goaliestore.com/board/doc...ad-covers.html

not a goalie...but these guys sure seem to help...good luck

When I describe the rink we play on, I should mention its alot like a Tennis court. That said, are there any covers out there that can withstand that?

Figured I should mention that last night he decided to pull the trigger on the CCM Gatekeepers, and will be adding slide plates to them.

CCM RGP10 Roller Hockey Leg Pads

im looking at picking up a set of these to play some goalie in the occasional ball hockey game. would be used primarily on painted concrete srface. i wanted to know how they were, and how long they lasted? thx!

Ill have my brother answer this:

For concrete, the front holds up very well - it's synthetic, which tends to hold up well. I've had mine for about a year, I play about 6 hours a week (though nothing last summer, too hot for me!). They're tough enough to take speed pucks and keep you safe.

One thing to consider, however, is that there are no sideboards, and the pads themselves are rather narrow... and they're meant to stay put (not very butterfly-friendly, although there is this fist-sized cushion for your knee when you go down, but you don't want to be taking shots on that). The insides of the pads are nylon, and you're going to want to tape them with duct tape (what I did), or modify it in some way, because the inside wears out really fast on concrete.

All in all, right now I think you can pick up a pair for like $75, so if you're just playing occasionally, testing out the waters, etc, they're fine. As a beginners' or learning pad set, I think they're really good, and are a great value, considering that the cheaper alternatives are plastic & bed foam (like Mylecs). I wouldn't recommend them for anything competitive, though, they're just too limiting.

If you want, I'll submit pictures, but right now my camera is broken, so you'll have to wait a little...

Also, check out those vendors posted up top (those pads aren't necessarily appropriate, but they often have good deals, though you may have to wait for clearance). If I had to give a recommendation on a brand, I would look at Mission (they were bought by Bauer, but you can find them on clearance).