Do you drive as well?

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Comments

  • rampax
    rampax Posts: 139
    It may be obvious, but are you sure that you and your bike are a good fit? Is your saddle height right? One thing especially - if you are using clipless pedals, make absolutely sure that you have your cleat position right and have 'float' both clockwise and anti-clockwise from your favoured foot position. If I get my cleat setting wrong by more than a few degrees, I too get sore knees and hips within a few miles. Otherwise I can do 12 hour rides no problem.

    Thanks for your concern, but unfortunately the problems are more with my unique physiology: I have very "bandy" legs, and naturally I walk a lot like charly chaplin, and have been for 36 years. The action of cycling is forcing my feet into a straight position, which over time puts stress on my hips and knees. I too used be able to cycle good distances over tough terrain, but since I have been commuting to work, its had an effect on my recreational cycling. I am trying new methods of getting to work, as its the weekend riding that I enjoy more.

    Cheers.
    The A6 Hazel Grove - "Always the worst part of any ride".
  • Motorbike and car. I make no apologies and wouldn't give either of them up, couldn't give the car up really it is an essential of daily living. Public transport goes from where we don't live to places we don't want to be and generally sucks.
  • rampax
    rampax Posts: 139
    I agree.
    Since I have started this combining the train with cycling I have noticed that my commute has suffered. The worst bits are:

    1: FAR too expensive - about the same as my petrol costs used to be
    2: Too crowded
    3: Slower than just cycling the full 10 miles
    4: Unreliable/unpunctual

    Hopefully I will just get used to it.
    The A6 Hazel Grove - "Always the worst part of any ride".
  • DavidTQ
    DavidTQ Posts: 943
    rampax wrote:
    It may be obvious, but are you sure that you and your bike are a good fit? Is your saddle height right? One thing especially - if you are using clipless pedals, make absolutely sure that you have your cleat position right and have 'float' both clockwise and anti-clockwise from your favoured foot position. If I get my cleat setting wrong by more than a few degrees, I too get sore knees and hips within a few miles. Otherwise I can do 12 hour rides no problem.

    Thanks for your concern, but unfortunately the problems are more with my unique physiology: I have very "bandy" legs, and naturally I walk a lot like charly chaplin, and have been for 36 years. The action of cycling is forcing my feet into a straight position, which over time puts stress on my hips and knees. I too used be able to cycle good distances over tough terrain, but since I have been commuting to work, its had an effect on my recreational cycling. I am trying new methods of getting to work, as its the weekend riding that I enjoy more.

    Cheers.

    I guess I was lucky, I had quite a few problems with my knees when I first started cycling due to bow legs \ splayed feet, my doctor just wanted to give me tablets for the pain, the NHS pysiotherapists gave me a load of stretchs to do (I gave them a try but they were entirely useless) a sports specialist (private) finally told me that the cause of my problems was to do with the arches of my feet and I needed to see a podiatrist which the physiotherapists refused to put me through to. Ended up getting some boots £20 orthotics and over a couple of weeks they made a huge difference to my cycling. I would imagine though that your problem is probably different to mine if you got to see a podiatrist and they couldnt help :(
  • ColinJ
    ColinJ Posts: 2,218
    rampax wrote:
    The action of cycling is forcing my feet into a straight position, which over time puts stress on my hips and knees.
    If your feet need to be more heels-in, toes-out perhaps a pair of kneesavers would help? If the feet need to go the opposite way, they probably wouldn't!