Without boring everyone with the detail, I’ve had 25 years plus of a shot right knee and multiple operations. Love my steel HT’s, but increasingly anything which gives a pounding from a day at BPW to even a slightly jumpy ragging session around Swinley puts me off the Switchback for several weeks at a time and that’s if I even manage to finish the ride.

So, would moving to full suspension make a real difference in any one’s experience?

Sounds like you need to control your urges a bit…..and e-bike? 😈

I’d try a FS to see if it makes much difference – I’m not certain it will. I do find my Covert is a smoother ride over rough ground (like a rutted bike park) and when pedalling than my BFe. Whether thats enough to make the knee pain less only you can try it to see.

Not as bad as yours but I have some knee trouble, I have two full suss bikes and my advice is to get something which pedals well. I much prefer riding my Process 134 as it pedals ok, My Knolly Warden is very plush and very good on tech climbing which is a weakness of mine because of the knee but it doesn’t pedal well at all and make my knee sore on long rides.

ACL reconstruction ten years ago , plus a cartilage opp , both knees not great , I find my full suss no better to be honest , what seems to help me is easer gears , spinning more than grinding , and an oval ring , which I now have on all my bikes . Full sus is definitely less wearing overall though
Edit , just read below definitely flat pedals for me too , even on my road bikes

My knee has gone from being a constant, literal, pain riding…. to an occasional annoyance.

I ride an fs but still had issues. Switching to flats accompanied by using an oval chainring made the difference for me.

Might not help you but it worked for me…

Osteoarthritis in both knees (circa 1mm left medially) I swapped from an Orange P7 to an fs Boardman due to the amount of pain I was experiencing after bumpy rides.

I’m happy with the swap it means I can still get out!

Have any of you tried FLEXISEQ , it’s a rub on treatment for arthritis , expensive but very good , I use it regularly