My knees hurt

ednino

After some big rides I noticed my knees were abit sore. Never had this before on the MTB

I thought this meant the seat was too high so I lowered it abit. Hasn't helped

What causes this? Something in the setup must be wrong lol

Mikey41

Often means the saddle is too low. Or you are trying to push too big a gear.

farrina

If you are using cleats/clipless pedals check their alignment. It does not take much of an error for one's knees to protest. Note some cleats e.g. Shimano yellow allow some lateral movement.

Of course it could just be your bodies way of telling you it does not enjoy big rides - perhaps ease of a bit and build up more gradually?

Regards

Alan

ednino

Oh, so lowering the saddle wouldn't help lol

Maybe it is a cleat issue. I'll play around with that. I've got the yellow shimano ones

ellj22

It depends where the pain is in your knee. It could be saddle too high, saddle too low, poorly adjusted cleats, foot needing to be angled slightly, saddle not straight, wrong length crank arms, incorrect saddle layback, poor flexibility, poor gear selection, not enough cleat float, or it may just be because your body isn't used to it and needs time to adapt.

Thing with the mtb you generally change cadence and position more often so you get less repetitive strain problems. Best bet is to get someone in the know to watch you ride and adjust or get a bike fit. Remember any changes you make will require your body to adjust so you may still get pains initially and this is why it is important to reduce mileage and effort and build back up to reduce likely hood of injury.

If your saddle is slightly too low it shouldn't be too big of a deal. A few guys I know lower their saddle in the winter as it helps develop the muscle above the knee and also helps when the roads get rough to maintain a smoother cadence as you bounce around less.

ednino

Thanks guys, very helpful

Sprool

extended periods pushing too hard with too low low cadence (<80) gets my knees aching. It was a lot worse when i started road cycling so i guess the muscles around the kneecap are getting stronger. Getting out of the saddle for 30 secs or switching to lower gear helps relieve it for me.

Mikey23

Plus one for the above... As a beginner grinding out too big a gear using muscles that aren't fully adapted for the task is a likely cause. Happened to me but it generally goes away with experience

ednino

I've now found its only the left knee...

right is fine but left is hurting after a mere 15mile ride

lol will take a couple days off & have a play with cleat position

pride4ever

front/rear/side of knee. Without this info we cant tell you jack shit.

ednino

its at the front. almost feels like its the bone that hurts, not the muscles.
Done 64 miles today and left is pretty sore when I move it. Right knee is fine

Monty Dog

If it's on the kneecap/inside the knee then sounds like chronic inflammation simply due to over-doing it. Ease off a bit, ride lower gears and drop the saddle a touch and see if symptoms improve.

zoetrope

Sounds a lot like Patellafemoral pain syndrome, very common among new riders using cleats. Their is a misalignment somewhere causing your kneecap to track incorrectly with repeated extensions of the joint. the thigh bone and kneecap are not getting along like they should and thus their is pain.That certainly fits with your description of it being a joint problem and not a muscular one. Does your knee ever click when you extend it or feel like it wants to?

The chances are it is the cleats that are causing this issue. Very small adjustments can make all the difference with cleats, if they've moved your foot to even a slightly different position from what your body is used to/needs it can equal a world of pain and injury. If the problem persists I highly recommend getting someone with know how to have a look at your bike fit, cleat position included. that's if you've not already done that of course.

In terms of managing this, It's important to keep pain to an absolute minimum (duh). Pain will shut down the muscles around the knee causing them to work less effectively and therefore making your situation worse.
Always ice your knee after riding, it helps reduce inflammation and swelling - ice for about 10 - 15 minutes after every ride.

Furthermore there are several exercises you can do to strengthen your VMO muscle ( inside leg above kneecap - the one that normally needs strengthening when this pain occurs) and stretches to help with flexibility. Tight hamstrings will put a lot of strain on your knee, as will a lack of gluteal activation. Just google/youtube patellafemoral pain to take a look at some of these exercises.

When you ride turn a low gear and do 'no effort' rides only, slowly building up until you're hopefully back to full strength.Of course I don't know your situation inside out so might be completely wrong with all of that, but from what you've said it sounds pretty accurate.

I only know all this because I've spent 6 months dealing with it, seeing a physio and getting back on the bike again. My mistake was that I kept riding through the pain until it got so bad I HAD to see a physio. I urge you not to do the same. I rode 52 miles today and my knee only felt a little a bit tight. I've left clipless pedals for now until I'm back to full strength and can get a proper fit. I should also note that it's only my right knee that has the problem, I have never once felt anything in my left knee when riding. A few stops today for some stretches and I was okay so I'm getting there, but trust me, you don't want my last 6 months, so take it easy!