very new commuter!

redderekthelampshade

Thought I'd say hello as I've being lurking in your forums for a while just gleaning advice!, basically I have being using my bike to get to work for a couple of weeks now (used to live in london and ride but since I moved I got lazy and fat :-( ) - my new ride to work is about 3.5 miles so it ain't far but blumming heck I'm feeling a few aches and pains! - my main complaint is pains in my knees, would you guys suggest I suck it up and just let my chubby legs get used to things or would you suggest I alter seat/handlebar heights.. the bike doesn't feel uncomfortable to ride especially its just the knees are aching! :-)

Any advice is welcome! oh and I was just looking through the post 'show your bikes' - some lovely looking bikes.. alas mine is an old diamond back m20 and pretty rubbish so I'll not bother showing it off ha

Craig

Initialised

A quick rule of thumb is that your seat should be about as high as your hips, your knees should go to 85 degrees , your pelvis shouldn't rock side to side as you pedal. Also spin in lower gears rather than straining in high gears (should practice this more myself). Mostly it will be getting used to it and it will fade as your muscles develop.

godders1

Welcome! Difficult to advise on bike setup over the internet. It's probably the usual aches and pains as your body is getting used to things but worth googling to make sure you have a reasonable position.

There are a few rules of thumb for saddle height etc. eg. http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ght-14608/

redderekthelampshade

Hi.. thanks for your replies - just had a quick look and the seat was alot higher than it should be so I've dropped it down.. so I'll see how I go in the morning :-)

Poves

Hi Craig,

Welcome.

Aching knees after such a short ride suggests that something is wrong with your set up or the way you ride .....or you really are very unfit!

First thing to look at is saddle height. Ideally your legs should only have a slight bend in them when at the bottom of the pedal stroke - so raise your saddle to the height that will allow you to remain seated with just the balls of both feet touching the ground. Conversely you shouldn't be so high in the saddle that your hips need to rock from side to side to allow reaching the bottom stroke.

Then look at gears.....many cyclists ride around in far too high (hard) a gear. Try to select a gear that allows you to pedal easily and when pedaling ensure that the ball of your foot is in a position that is roughly above the pedal spindle.
Many cyclists ride with their foot too far forward on the pedal (with their heel tucked in to the back of the pedal) and this stops your ankles flexing correctly and puts extra strain on the knees. If you can, I would recommend some form of toe clips as these really do help. There are some cheap ones that are open ended but help locate your foot correctly, and these are ideal for nervous starters.

Still focusing on position - keep your knees tucked in so they run parallel with the cross bar (or imaginary cross bar if your cycle hasn't got one) rather than jutting outwards at an angle

Finally make sure your brakes aren't dragging, your chain is well lubricated, and your tyres are well inflated - all which will make getting your cycle moving easier and create less strain on your knees.

Sorry if some of this is obvious - but even if there's only one useful tip it may be of help.

Poves


Also ensure that as you

redderekthelampshade

thanks for that advice :-) I am really unfit - hopefully that will improve over the next few weeks.. a lot of people at my work cycle in on a morning - generally between 10/15 miles - I dare not say that I'm currently struggling with 3.5 - mucho depressing!

Initialised

Ah you'll get there in no time. I used to find my ~7 mile run hard at first. Now it's something to look forward to at the end of the day. I had knee problems at first but they've faded as I got used to it and got my position right.

corshamjim

My commute is about the same distance and I remember yes it was quite daunting the first few weeks (when I started it about three years ago). Stick at it and it will very soon feel easier (except it wasn't so easy in the head wind I was against this evening!).

redderekthelampshade

thanks for your replies - I really felt like giving it a miss and accepting i'm destined to be an out of shape chunk.. guess I'll just keep at it and hopefully it'll get easier!

jonnyboy77

it gets easier, the key is to stick at it and make yourself some goals to aim for so that you stay motivated to keep doing it. I started in 2010 with a 3mi each way commute, and was determined to make 1,000 miles within 12 months (topping it up with weekend/evening rides) I hit that target, and now I focus on doing at least 8mi in a morning, sometimes 10, then just the 3 home.

I use tools like Strava and Endomondo to track the days I ride, the distance and now the speeds/pace I keep. I also used a bar mounted cycle computer early on just to keep tabs on my average speed, distance and cadence.

Stick at it, the fitness will improve more quickly than you might think.

- Jon

redderekthelampshade

Hi - just an update.. Last night I altered the seat height and paid dearly for it this morning!! t'was too low and boy was the ride in to work dreadful - anyways when I got to work and to some tools I raised it up.. Must've done something right because the ride home was actually enjoyable for the first time!! Although when I got in I have realised I've lost the rear light.. haha if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all!!

littleprawn

Hi mate!

I started my commuting just before Easter and I am easing into it (so far, once per week and easing to twice in May/ June onwards. The distance is a shade more than you but when you are are unfit, be sensible and build up your confidence. I too started having aches in my knees halfway in my morning commute last Friday and on the back late in the afternoon.

The cause was me wearing my old trainers which I use to use for running (hard soles for pronation). I reverted back to my regular trainers (trail trainers which had softer soles) and had a very nice if not cold commute Monday morning...so my advice...only change things slowly and do not be too hasty!

I take my hats of to people which commute in the rain...I am too much of a wuss to commute in heavy rain!

jonnyboy77

I got a good soaking this morning, but I am always determined to take the bike regardless of the weather. The car is only used when absolutely necessary, only two days so far this year.

Jon

Initialised

If you can you should leave 'emergency clothes' and old or cheap pair of shoes, you know for the days when the weather catches you out or you fall and rip something or get dirty.

I got soaked on he way back tonight (despite overshoes and supposedly waterproof trousers) but it was one of the best for ages. I suppose I've gone from avoiding riding (first year or so) in the wet to revelling in it, you never know, might happen to you some day.

corshamjim

I found that deciding to go out whatever the weather led me to find what waterproof clothes actually work well.

My no. 1 advice is get a helmet cover (Carradice for example do one). And +1 to initialialised's advice on leaving some spare clothes (especially socks) at work. I wear SPDs on the bike so change in to proper shoes when I get to work anyway. The pair I have at work now have never been worn outside the office! I sometimes wonder if I should simply get a pair of carpet slippers instead.

redderekthelampshade

Thanks for all the tips!, I've cycled in the rain this week and to be fair it seemed to make it more fun.. It felt like more of an event than normal! My legs have improved this week.. Still aching but they seem to be recovering alot quicker than when I started.
Oh and I'll admit this now.. I've purchased a gel seat cover to help my aching bum.. I know it's probably not on the list of must have items but it seems lovely and I promise I'll remove it when I'm less achey :-)

desweller

Because your body's not used to the exertion, it's worth stretching after every ride, no matter how short; it will help with your daily recovery and doesn't take long.

redderekthelampshade

tried some stretching... seems to be making a difference which is good! thanks for the tips.. the gel seat cover is also doing a cracking job! lol

littleprawn

I did my commute in the rain this morning. Was not as bad as it seems. My top tip is to wear a baseball cap under the helmet, it sure kept out the rain in my face this morning! Need to get my steel hybrid roadworthy for commutes in the rain (it keeps changing gear and rear brake is knackered...but it does have full mudguards!, but it was not as bad as I expected....hoping for a dry commute later this afternoon....

lockstock666

As far as I'm concerned the water only acts as a road smooothing agent, meaning I can push a bit harder and go a bit faster.

The only time I notice I'm wet is when I get undressed. Its only ever the front of me or the side of an arm. Never the back, sack or crack.

Oh and I have said it before and I will say it again. Mudguards = awesome.

cookeeemonster

Hi, I'm a bit late to this thread but I thought i might point you here if you get any more problems: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/health-knee-care-and-maintenance-17010/ and http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/health-knee-care-and-maintenance-part-2-17445/

I'm a noob like you - decided to do the london to brighton ride 6 weeks ago and now after some training I do my 37 mile round trip commute a couple times a week - it's pretty easy now (and I was pretty unfit before, am shocked at how quickly you can get in to this)

I got knee pain after my first long ride, the article above explains what's happening and how to fix it with exercises and so on. Basically your muscles can get up to speed a lot faster than the tendons in your knee, so you may need to be careful.

All the advice above is great plus I'll add that you should take it easy when you first start your cycle - you need to warm up before you push things.

And to emphasise what other people have said - it really, really does get soooooo much easier, riding in rain is no problem, mudguards are essential and the seat cover wont be needed once you harden up

redderekthelampshade

Thanks for all your replies!! - Just an update.. the knees still ache a little but the recovery time is getting quicker and quicker which is great!! nothing worse than getting in from work with aching legs and then having chase two young children around until bedtime!! - Now I know I'm capable of doing my commute I'm thinking of either having my bike sorted out (its a mountain bike with big knobbly tyres, the gears keep slipping, the bottom bracket has seen better days etc etc) or I might have a look at my works cycle to work scheme..