Knee Pains after downhill on Hardtail

[OscarC]

Hi everyone,
I had a mountain bike race Saturday and I think the 30 min downhill killed my knees. My right knee especially under the patella. My knees we're fine before the downhill. The trail was very bumpy with rocks and boulders. I was riding a cheap hardtail. I'm a roadie and not a mountain biker so maybe my knees weren't use to it. It feels like if I had been pushing to high a gear and strained my knees, mostly the left.
Any one ever get this after a downhill? Does a hardtail really just punish your body vs. a full suspension bike. I'm grateful for any opinions.

Thanks.

Oscar.

 

[SomeGuy]

A (decent) full suspension would have saved your knees to an extent, yes. They have to absorb most of the shock from the pedals, and the pedals don't bounce around so much with a duallie.

 

[triguy98]

I rode almost pure downhills for 5 hours this summer on a hardtail. No problems here. I had a blast, actually.

 

[OscarC]

Are you conditioned to mountain biking? I've been on mountain biking on dirt less than 10 times but I'm able to go long because of my fitness level from road cycling where there is no upward pounding from the pedals. Do you think it's something else or maybe my body is just not used to mountian biking yet?

I rode almost pure downhills for 5 hours this summer on a hardtail. No problems here. I had a blast, actually.

 

[triguy98]

Are you conditioned to mountain biking? I've been on mountain biking on dirt less than 10 times but I'm able to go long because of my fitness level from road cycling where there is no upward pounding from the pedals. Do you think it's something else or maybe my body is just not used to mountian biking yet?

I was not mtbing much at all that time of year, much less downhills (big time flat lander here.) Perhaps a combination of factors affected you. Not quite used to mtbing very well could one of em. Bike set up and your technique/ positioning on the bike likely played a big role in it. I'm betting you tensed up for a big portion of the ride. The tensing alone could cause soreness, but then you add a downhill beating to it, and...

 

[John90210]

I had this problem only a few weeks back.

I spent a week and a half on painkillers and couldn't walk without them for a few days.

I found putting my legs up with a hot water bottle accross my knees really helped to ease the discomfort, might be something you want to try.

After 2 and a half weeks I was absolutely fine. I think my problem was more of a strain injury but I've never had anything like it before.