Knee/lower leg pain

nickel

Was out on friday evening for a quick 15 mile blast and noticed a slight stinging/tingling pain in the muscle just on the outside of my shinbone of my right leg. Didn't think much of it seeing as it wasn't serious but made sure I did some extra stretches when I got home. Went out again on saturday evening for another quick blast and the pain returned after about 12 miles and seemingly became more noticeable when I was applying a lot of force through the pedal (powering out the saddle/climbing etc).

So I decided to take a couple of days off and went out for a gentle 25 miler today, the pain returned albeit not quite as bad and now seems to have moved to just below my knee and around the upper shin bone. The pain is a kind of stinging/tingling pain and it definately made worse by pushing a big gear/climbing hills. I should add that I sprinted up a steep local hill (20%) to set a pb time at the start of fridays ride with the pain kicking in about half an hour after the hill climb, I'm wondering if I pulled/strained something then?

Anybody got any idea what it could be? I've had the same bike set up for months, covered over a thousand miles since I got the bike in early July, I'm sure the cleats are set up properly as I spent quite a while fiddling with them and I also use Time pedals for their extra float.

Help would be appreciated!
Cheers
Nick

gmacz

seat post moved.
I mark mine with pen and keep an eye on any movement.
SImple muscle pull is favourite.

Wirral_paul

Sounds like you may have strained the Patella tendon. This is looking highly likely what has happened to me and kept me off the bike for a month so far but sounds in just the same position.

My doc advised Ibuprofen and rest initially, but i'm now awaiting the results of an X-ray and highly likely in need of an MRI scan (the doc confirmed that the x-ray is compulsory before an MRI scan - at least around here).

Monty Dog

Sounds like some form of muscular inflammation / over use - maybe position (hyper-extension) or just over-doing it? The muscle groups you refer to, typically control extension of the foot.
Try an easy ride, lay off the big gears / out of saddle efforts and see how it feels but it is unlikely to clear up unless you ease-up, allow for recovery.

nickel

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll add that I naturally favour a heel up-toe down style of pedalling, on my ride today I tried pedalling with my foot horizontal and it did seem to help a little, guess I'll lay off the bike for a few days and when I do start riding again I'll take it easy. The pain isn't massively uncomfortable or anything I'm just worried if I dont rest it it'll progressively get worse, which is the last thing I want to happen.

CiB

I'd add that altho you've said the set-up is the same, check the cleats. I've just had the same thing after moving from egg beaters that had the cleats aligned during my bike fit last year, to a bit of serious pain initially on both legs then just the left after putting a pair of Look Keo road pedals on (at last). It's resolved itself largely through trial & error, but the pain was largely in the left calf & the left knee. There wasn't much difference in foot angle between my initial setting with the discomfort, and where I've ended up sans pain. Worth trying a tweak.

Cleat Eastwood

CiB wrote:

I'd add that altho you've said the set-up is the same, check the cleats..

+1 to this. I had leg pain when I used new cleats, it a bit of time for the left cleat to wear down only by a couple of mm but it cleared the pain.

nickel

Ok thanks, I've had a go at tweaking the cleats on the right shoe, I might put my M520s from my mtb on my road bike tommorow and go for a gentle pootle, that way if the pain vanishes I know its an issue with my road pedals.