knee pain + specialized bike fit

GD73

i've started to have some knee pain ( inside edge) right leg.

other leg is fine no problems at all

i did have an arione saddle but i swapped it over as at the 3hr mark
my arse was killing me - back to an avatar gel 143.

as far as i can tell i have set the avatar the same as the arione

I have used anit inflamatories and ice on it and i took over a week off the bike
(went on holiday - done no cycling)

i came back on tuesday and went out for a 1hr long ride and the pain is back.

so off the bike and back on the ice and pills.

orignally i thought it was overuse injury as i upped my mileage
training for a 100 mile sportive.

do you think i left enough time between orignally injuring myself and
then jumping back on the bike.

7-10 days?

i am using pills and ice again and i am slowly getting better

how long should i have off the bike 2 weeks or more?

i am toying with the idea of a bike fit (speciliazed ) just to elimenate any setup
problems

anyone been thru the speciliazed system was it good - worth it

as it is £120.

any feedback welcome..

StillGoing

I think it's your seat position. Surprising how just a couple of mm difference can have huge effects.

Nerrep

Do you use clipless pedals? If so, I'd look at your cleat position; try rotating your toes inwards a bit more.

Incorrect saddle height would be more likely to cause you pain at the front or back of your knee than the sides.

sungod

i had pain in the same place, it just wouldn't go away over about 3 months, tried rest, no cycling or running, saw doctor (who said it was where one of the hamstrings attaches), wore knee support, no difference

i had a bike fit, but it really just confirmed my set-up was ok, however he commented that my feet pronate quite a bit, i'd had custom footbeds in my running shoes for years, but never occurred to me for cycling

so i tried the specialized blue footbed plus a varus wedge (they all come in the same pack together with instructions, or you can go to one of their fitting centres)

literally an instant cure, and even though i'm doing a lot more climbing now, no return of the pain

GD73

thanks guys..

i reckon i have set the saddle up the same.

and i do have clipless pedals... to be fair there is no more adjustment
to move them further in.

the stuff i,ve read suggested angling them out the way.

the odd thing is the cleats have been in the same position for ages
and have never caused me any problems.

only changing the saddle and upping the mileage would appear to have changed.

i will probably take 2 weeks off the bike rest recover take the pills and see

what happens...

sungod thanks for the response... it something to think about..

the specialized centre have said they can't guarantee they can eradicate the pain
but they will guarantee the bike is setup correctly.

at least i could eliminate something..

_jon_

I have recently had a similar problem. Using the mountain bike with flat pedals is no problem but I have recently purchased a road bike and added SPD pedals to it. First ride clipped in (about 30 odd miles) did give me pain on the inside of my right knee as well as the inside of my right foot.

I believe this to be caused by the fact that I badly sprained my right foot about two years ago which has caused pronation my right foot.

I have purchased some custom insoles (orthotics) that hopefully will make a difference. They are the type that you put in the oven, then put them in your shoes and they mould to the shape of your foot. (you have to stand in them with feet straight and shoulder length apart so that they mould to your natural foot arch)

I haven't tested them out cycling yet but am hopeful. They seem to have made a difference on the exercise bike. I think shimano use a similar system with their shoes.

Mettan

GD73 wrote:

the stuff i,ve read suggested angling them out the way.

Agreed - dont angle your foot inward too much - it increases the load on your (inner) medial compartment. To reduce the load on your inner knee you could use a lateral foot orthotic - that will increase the load through your lateral compartment and decreases it through your medial compartment. Keep working on your cleat position, and if the issue hasn't resolved after 3 weeks of rest, see a GP.

cyclingphysio

Here is a link to cyclingphysio.com. There is lots on there about knee pain that might help and it's free.
http://cyclingphysio.com/?p=72