Knee pain

Whufcrule

Hi lads I have a bit off a problem hope some one can help me I'm make so as per usual I got a new road bike coming from mountain biking and I've only been out on it 5 times and I've done 3. 22mile rides a 45mile ride and a 56 mile ride and on both off the two long rides towards the end my left knee starts to hurt sort off right over the knee cap I'm hoping I've just done to much to soon?? I think my bike is set up properly I've watched every bike fitting video on you tube god knows how many times seems to be the same as on there so don't think my fit is the problem to much to soon lads??? I tried half hour on turbo trainer yesterday and knee started to hurt???

16mm

Low seat can cause this. Compared to an MTB, the correct height for a road bike can seem very high.
There are lots of resources on line for calculating this.

Grill

Get a proper fit and then buy a foam roller.

chrisvanderkaap

i think it's the cleat positioning. Normally moving the cleat forward a couple of mm should alleviate some of the stress around your knees. You might also want to lower the seat a couple of mm. This increases your cadence and allows you to spin, more than push, the pedals. This works very well for finding a good technique. One that needs quite some practice and not only watching videos!! Bear in mind that instructional videos tend to aim at generic methods of fitting while your body may need something specific!

One little tip on improving technique in higher cadence is to think pedaling forwards and backward instead of down an up.

Try it out and see what works.

chrisvanderkaap

16mm wrote:

Low seat can cause this. Compared to an MTB, the correct height for a road bike can seem very high.
There are lots of resources on line for calculating this.

seat has to be awfully low to create that kind of pain fast. like me (6'7") riding on my wife's shopping bike.

16mm

chrisvanderkaap wrote:

16mm wrote:

Low seat can cause this. Compared to an MTB, the correct height for a road bike can seem very high.
There are lots of resources on line for calculating this.

seat has to be awfully low to create that kind of pain fast. like me (6'7") riding on my wife's shopping bike.

I had a similar knee pain issue, after bike fit got seat raided about 15mm. A low seat combined with tight glutes and IT bands is a bad combination. The pain can start walking down the stairs first thing in the morning. It doesn't need to be extreme, just a bad combination of circumstances.

Whufcrule

Yeah I've raised my seat up and messed about with my cleats I'm hoping I can figure it out I haven't got the money at the moment to have a pro fit done used all my money buying the bike so wanna enjoy it very frustrating don't think it helped me going so far so soon but make ego and all that haha

wishitwasallflat

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

giant_man

yup, low seat, i had the same thing a while back

Whufcrule

Giant man how high should I move my seat up then?? Really need help on this one getting very frustrated can't seem to sort it out and don't wanna give up cycling love it just dont wanna be in pain while doing it

farrina

A rough and ready way of adjusting your sear height is to orientate your crank so that it lines up with your down tube (in its lowest position) and whilst in bare feet with your big toe in line with the pedal axle set the seat height so that your leg is just about straight.

If you then put your cycling shoes on allowing for the thickness of the sole this should be roughly the right height. There is no 100% way as what works for some is bad for others.

Things to avoid are any sign of rocking on the saddle (seat to high) or a feeling that your legs are not fully following through on the downstroke (think of it as a piston being baulked before finishing its cycle) seat to low.

There can be issues over time whereby if the seat is to low and the leg does not fully follow through you can overdevelop one muscle without the corresponding counterbalancing other and this can start to pull the orientation of the knee cap out of line, but I think this unlikely.

As stated in your previous thread if you have a turbo and a helpful friend to view your position on the bike you are ideally placed to do your own bike fit.

Regard

Alan

Whufcrule

Thanks lads I think Ill have a couple weeks off and give my knee a chance to heal seems to not be getting any better have moved the seat up now so hopefully when my knee better it won't happen again cheers lads

16mm

Look for ITB band stretches. This bit of your leg is often implicated in knee pain. Stretches for your glutes may also help. There are lots of cycling specific resources. I think road.cc did a sequence of videos recently.

Monty Dog

Depends on where the pain is - if side-to-side, then cleat position may be suspect or too-low saddle. If the pain is on the underside of the kneecap, then more likely to be ITB or simply over-doing it.

Anonymous

If its ITB, I found that moving position wont help (saddle, cleats etc). I tried this and it is a case of stretching and keep riding and building quad strength (what my physio also said).
Get a foam roller and roll around where it hurts the most to knead out the knots. Make sure you stretch after riding, and do some out the saddle sprints to build quads.
This is what I have done after my physio recommended it, and the pain has all now gone.

Whufcrule

Yeah it seemed to start in the left side off my knee but where I still been riding only on turbo trainer it now seems to be right over the knee cap or under it hard to tell really and now it's both knees sound like I over done it?? So gonna give it a couple weeks off rest and start again slowly I think ill look for stretches thanks for advice

Anonymous

Try keeping up shorter distances as well, as it does help for the muscles to develop. The roller is REALLY good, as are standing and pulling your heel to your bumcheek (do this stretch using both hands - left hand left leg/right hand left leg - as it stretches slightly different muscles).

Just suck up the pain with the roller - remember to breathe deeply (even if you are gasping in pain, as I used to). There are also some useful stretches you can do while at your desk. Look up runner's knee/ITB.

Also note that we are diagnosing this over the internet, so a session or a few with a physio may be useful, as their massages (while excrutating) are helpful and advice will be better. (Incidentally it is the main reason pro cyclists shave their legs, as once you add hair into the already horrific ordeal of a deep tissue massage, it only makes it worse!)

Wacky Racer

You'll never get a proper diagnosis on here, if you do it would be a huge slice of luck. Knees can be pretty complex, it really could be a number of issues. No-one has asked you if you have ever previously had any knee problems, that may be a good place to start. I don't know what your level of fitness is, certainly if you have been inactive for a while before taking up cycling then you are possibly doing too much too soon, but only you know the answer to that.

I've suffered knee problems for 4 years now, although the bike isn't so much of an issue for me unless I really thrash it, then I get some pain for a few days. I am working with a knee specialist having had MRI scans, and will hopefully be able to resolve my issues without surgery.

I'm certainly not suggesting that you need specialist help, in fact the best suggestion you've been given so far is to rest the knees for 10 - 14 days and see where that takes you. When you recommence cycling take it easy to start with. Restart with some flatter rides between 20 to 30 miles and don't be tempted to push too hard. You can gradually increase your workout assuming the knee pain doesn't reoccur. If the pain does come back you need to look at your position on the bike, and I would recommend you get a proper bike fit. If that fails, then you need to get your knees checked out by a specialist. I wouldn't even take my GP's advice on knees let alone someone on here.

16mm

Wacky Racer wrote:

<Gives Advice>

I wouldn't even take my GP's advice on knees let alone someone on here.

At best you get advice from people who have solved their problem, for free. Also a lot of good advice for further research, and foam rollers. See rumbleroller.com for my favourite.

Of course a good pro is great. But I've seen some physios who haven't had a clue, eg continual focus on the knees when the problem is the glutes. Even with physios, many have not successfully treated a cyclists knee pain. I'd rather aggregrate the advice of people who have, even if it's just their own.

Wacky Racer

16mm wrote:

Wacky Racer wrote:

<Gives Advice>

I wouldn't even take my GP's advice on knees let alone someone on here.

At best you get advice from people who have solved their problem, for free. Also a lot of good advice for further research, and foam rollers. See rumbleroller.com for my favourite.

Of course a good pro is great. But I've seen some physios who haven't had a clue, eg continual focus on the knees when the problem is the glutes. Even with physios, many have not successfully treated a cyclists knee pain. I'd rather aggregrate the advice of people who have, even if it's just their own.

Good and bad in all professions, it's hardly a revelation. Fortunately, my knee specialist works with sports men and women, including cyclists, the drawback being he doesn't come cheap, but I'm lucky enough to have private healthcare. As I pointed out - not one person offering advice asked whether knee pain had been a previous issue or brand new to cycling. It's pedantic to state I was giving advice, when in fact, as you well know, I was telling the OP to adopt caution when reading replies on here.