If you love adrenaline and hiking, then you are surely a fan of mountain biking as well. However, have you taken proper precautions and got yourself protective gear? Helmet is not the only protective accessory you should acquire – knee pads go hand in hand with this rather dangerous activity and luckily there are tons of great knee pads out there that are developed exactly for the purpose of mountain biking.

The answer to what exactly is the purpose and functionality of such knee pads is simple: as you are risking with a lot more than just getting muddy and there is a good chance of falling hard on a rocky ground, you can cause serious harm on your knees if you are not protecting them properly. That’s where knee pads come in play. Knee pads help to absorb the shock caused by the blow, hence they protect the cartilage that normally is responsible for taking the shock. If the cartilage gets injured, you can feel tremendous pain and some swelling. All in all it will mean you will have to say goodbye to your favorite sports for a while. In worst case scenario, damaging your knee might mean you will never get to go mountain biking without feeling some pain in your knee.

Shin injuries are not rare either and can be the results of hard impact. Though firstly the shin injury can usually be treated with just some resting and cold compress, it doesn’t mean you will get away that easily in case you should fall again. The end result can be much more severe such as getting a crack in the bone and in cases like this it can take weeks until it will be healed. For the purpose of protecting your shin as well as your knee, there are knee pad models that are longer and provide full protection for both the knee and the shin.

Mountain biking knee pads can be either with a harder plastic shell that can endure very strong impacts or with a lighter shell that has a softer material for avoiding abrasions. Besides that you can choose whether to get just the knee pads or longer pads that protect the shin as well. If you are a beginner, it would be wise to contact a mountain biking gear specialist who can consult you in buying the right gear for your purpose.

Even though knee pads are irreplaceable assistants for mountain biking, the pads cannot protect you from overuse – only you can do that. Many knee-related injuries are caused by putting too much strain on your knees such as doing the activity for too long or too hard. Stay moderate and take a break as soon as you get tired. There is no point in pushing yourself overboard as you will risk with permanent injuries. Don’t worry about the shame of wearing knee pads either – after all, it is much easier to prevent damages than treat the injuries later and risk with never getting back in the saddle pain-free.