Pedals for knees after operations

davefox

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of some pedal and shoe combinations for a road bike now that I have had a Medial Patellofemoral Ligament operation on my right knee to stop my knee cap dislocating every time I bend it.

I've been back cycling with flats now for nearly a year now but need to get some spds sorted for my road bike that will not cause my knee any problems.

Can anyone help?

Much appreciated!

Dave
8)

exlaser

Try time atac if you want a spd type pedal. They have loads of float which makes them easy on the knees. I have bad knees and could not get on with spds( got knee pain all the time) swapped to time and have had no further trouble.

arlowood

Maybe consider some Look Keo (Easy, Classic etc)

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-classic-2-pedals/

as they allow you to select cleats that have different levels of float.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-grip-c ... 5360333938

eg Black cleats have zero float, Grey have 4.5deg and red have 9deg. You can then experiment to find which suits your knee problem best.

If it's the action of clipping out (sideways twist) that's the issue then virtually all pedal designs allow you to adjust the tension of the retaining clip spring to make that action easier or more difficult as required.

davefox

exlaser - thanks for the suggestion!

arlowood - also thanks as well, they doo look good with the cleat options!

The others that I seem to recall offering more float are Speedplay Zeros, so i'll have to look into those too!

sungod

davefox wrote:

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of some pedal and shoe combinations for a road bike now that I have had a Medial Patellofemoral Ligament operation on my right knee to stop my knee cap dislocating every time I bend it.

I've been back cycling with flats now for nearly a year now but need to get some spds sorted for my road bike that will not cause my knee any problems.

Can anyone help?

Much appreciated!

Dave
8)

have you been given any professional advice on whether more or less float is better for you?

i had some (different) knee problems and part of the resolution was using speedplay zero so that i can tweak the float to be very narrow but in exactly the place i need it

if you do look at speedplay and want a lot of free float, the light action ones may also be worth considering...

http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuse ... ightaction

davefox

Thanks sungod, I'll have a look at that!

I've not been given any specific advice, but I am just doing early stages of research into it, so I have more idea of what to ask for in the shop.

I do have some issues with twisting my ankle outward, but that could be down to doing a new motion with my leg that I am not used to at the moment.

rafletcher

Another vote for speedplay - just what my cycling chartered physio bike fitter says he'll be using when his knees give out.

stannie

I have Knee problems ( knee replacement) and I find a time ATAC XC
are great on my MTB and hybrid.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/PETIXC/time-atac-xc-pedals

I use Speedplay X2 on my road bike
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/speedplay-x2-st ... tAodFz8Ayg

They have a good amount of float and are easy to clip in and out of

cattytown

TALK TO YOUR DOCS FIRST.

You need to know what your knee actually needs. I am a big fan of speedplays, and they are often touted for those with knee problems but that is because they have the potential for lots of float. That may or may not be what you need. Zeros are very adjustable - they have 20 deg of float that can be dialed back. Bear in mind a lot of real free float means you have a long way to go before you can release.

The Light action don't have the tuning option to reduce float, but they are a lighter in and out action. The X range offer more nonadjustable float. I found the Xs to have so much float I struggled to unclip.

Speedplay float is also normally cited as being good because it isn't centred.

It may be that flats are the best option for you once you have spoken to the docs.

Paul.

davefox

My knee is fine doing everything now, I am training to fight Muay Thai in November again, and there is a lot of twisting while stood on the balls of feet for kicking.

I am just wanting to find the best option for comfort and ease more than anything. I guess just being cautious when chances are I'll more than likely be fine with standard ones.

It's always good to have advice from the people who use the kit already.

8)

opusver21

I've had a right knee problem, which i was quite worried about just getting worse. Careful attention to seat height and moving the cleats back a tad behind the ball of my foot solved the problem, I tend to drop my heel quite a bit when seated and applying higher pressure so moving the cleats back allowed me to still push on through.
I also use the cheapest time expresso pedals which have loads of float in them to the point when i first started using them I kept checking the pedal wasn't coming off!

freefall_junkie

I was out of cycling for around 5 years after an operation for Patellofemoral problems, a legacy of years of hill running. I got back into it using Time Atac MTB pedals, and I now have Speedplay Zeros on my road bike. Both allow plenty of float which I think is essential if you have patella related knee problems. I wouldn't rely on what your doctor says. My surgeon was a well respected knee specialist but he clearly knew less than FA about cycling. If you want proper advice I would seek out a physio with specialist knowledge of cycling injuries and bike set up.

To give to you some positive news at one time I had all but given up of ever cycling seriously again as my right knee was so bad, now I ride at least 150 miles a week and did lots of big cols in the Alps last month. Good luck!

Oh, and Glucosamine and Chondroitin is your friend

Mark

davefox

Thanks Mark, same with my knee surgeon I would say, no doubt a brilliant man with joints of the body, but I doubt he'd know much about cycling, as he said I'd never be able to train Muay Thai again! But my physio was more than happy for me to get back in the ring to fight again!

Glad to hear your knee is doing well though, it's good to know!

I'll look into Glucosamine and Chondroitin for sure!