pain in the shins

kev2b3
kev2b3 Posts: 159
edited August 2007 in Commuting chat
on my daily commute i need to cycle up a few hills, recently i have started to get pains in the shin area usually straight after the hill. just wondering if anyone as had this type of problem and what did they do to sort it out.
and before anyone says it i cant avoid the hills

Comments

  • DavidTQ
    DavidTQ Posts: 943
    do you do any warm up \ cool down stretches?
  • Jacomus-rides-Gen
    Jacomus-rides-Gen Posts: 453
    Can you give us a bit more info - like how fit you are, approximate cadence etc etc.

    My gut reaction is to say it is caused because you are pushing a gear that is too high.
    Sweat saves blood.
    Erwin Rommel
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Where about is this pain, exactly?

    Also what pedals do you use, and where is your foot placed on the pedals?
  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    Sounds like shin splints (sp?) to me. I use to suffer from this when running/jogging. How old are you? I believe shin splints are more common in younger people.
    SNAPS
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    I had shin splints once. Used to think that it was to do with impact and subsequent hairline fractures, but it isn't. The doc explained to me that if the muscle grows to quickly or pushes too hard against the cartilidge sheath on the front of the shin, it causes irritation and pain. Was resolved with a bit of chiropractor manipulation of my lower spine, some anti-inflamatory tablets and a week of rest. Never recurred.

    Worth your while popping to the docs, I would say.
  • kev2b3
    kev2b3 Posts: 159
    hi all
    here goes i will try to answer some of the questions.

    Firstly my name is Kev i am 43, some say i am reasonable fit but my works doc tells me that being 6 foot tall and 20 stone i am pretty much obese. I started commuting around 6 weeks ago and i am covering around 38 miles a day 4 times a week. I have no idea what my cadence is but when commuting i cycle around 12.8 mph and my heartrate is inbetween 107 - 137 bpm so i am not exactly pushing it. I ride a carrera gyphon for commuting and i use a shimano clip-in pedal. i recently upgraded the gears on the bike to a full set of shimano 105, and now i think of it the pains have been more frequent since the gear change. I sometimes ride a principia race bike which i find is slightly kinder to my shins but was not made for commuting so i find its not as comfortable as the gyphon. I must admit to never warming up or down and i never attemped any type of stretching.
    so what do you think

    many thanks

    kev

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