Anyone had this weird knee sensation?

Dizeee

Hi all. I have something going on with my knee which is odd. Been happening now for around 8 weeks at a guess, possibly more.

My left knee has what feels like a numb sensation on the outside and beneath of the knee cap. It is so hard to explain what it feels like, but it is not so much painful, more it feels like something connecting my knee to my shin is folded / overlapped / twisted. It sometimes becomes a bit achey on the bike, but usually it just feels like I have a numb spot on my knee. If it becomes achey it is a very low volume of pain.

I have been adjusting things for weeks over this, cleats, saddle height, fore and aft. When I change something I can often improve this sensation but after a day or a ride it usually returns.

I have a theory that I have been grinding too much. Around the same time it started, I started pedalling everywhere and up things on the big ring on the bike. I had been using the small ring prior to this, but having got used to a relatively new bike, I decided it was time to move up to the big ring for 95% of my riding. I have noticed on club rides that when pedalling up things my cadence is VERY low compared to others. I tend to grind a big gear, always have, and rarely use the small ring unless were talking some of the worst categorised UK climbs. For example I would still big ring Newlands, but would small ring for White Down. Could this be the cause?

Yesterday I small ringed it 32 miles home from work and it did seem to help matters.

Dizeee

Obviously not then lol

sungod

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

kingrollo

Its your call - but I wouldn't grind big gears. I do most of my riding on the small chain ring - only flipping up to the big ring for fast descents.

dinyull

Newlands - 2km at average of 11% - is that the one?

If your riding in big ring for that then your either very fast...or wrecking your knees.

Are you cross chaining too?

Dizeee

Dinyull wrote:

Newlands - 2km at average of 11% - is that the one?

If your riding in big ring for that then your either very fast...or wrecking your knees.

Are you cross chaining too?

Yes that's the one. I am AWFUL for cross chaining always have been but I just found I go up faster in the bigger gear. Its not been an issue before and I do a lot of miles, but I did notice this having moved from small ring riding this Spring to big ring riding on the same bike.

simon_masterson

When you say your cadence is very low, what are we talking about?

jgsi

So if someone was behind you 'spinning' a gear and then they decided to accelerate past you because they were 'over' the gear, what would you do apart from popping your knee out of its socket?

Dizeee

Simon Masterson wrote:

When you say your cadence is very low, what are we talking about?

Prob when grinding somewhere around 60 ish.

Dizeee

JGSI wrote:

So if someone was behind you 'spinning' a gear and then they decided to accelerate past you because they were 'over' the gear, what would you do apart from popping your knee out of its socket?

Increase cadence in the same gear and / or stand up and power through.

jgsi

Obviously...... because you is in the wrong gear and can't do anything about it.

simon_masterson

Dizeee wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

When you say your cadence is very low, what are we talking about?

Prob when grinding somewhere around 60 ish.

Probably best to increase cadence then. If you aren't experiencing knee problems then 60 or so is ok, and as low as 50 is ok if you want to do strength training, but clearly your knee isn't keen. Try somewhere between 75-100 and see how you get on.

reacher

Well, if you carry on and continue to persist on wrecking a joint like a knee theirs no way back from it if you damage it enough, is not common sense enough to tell you that applying force like that is not sensible when you have other options to achieve the same result

Dizeee

Yes but I just hadn't become aware of how little I seem to spin. I am going to make a concious effort to do so now rather than grind however.

thefd

Dizeee wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

Newlands - 2km at average of 11% - is that the one?

If your riding in big ring for that then your either very fast...or wrecking your knees.

Are you cross chaining too?

Yes that's the one. I am AWFUL for cross chaining always have been but I just found I go up faster in the bigger gear. Its not been an issue before and I do a lot of miles, but I did notice this having moved from small ring riding this Spring to big ring riding on the same bike.

Are you trolling!!!

okgo

TheFD wrote:

Dizeee wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

Newlands - 2km at average of 11% - is that the one?

If your riding in big ring for that then your either very fast...or wrecking your knees.

Are you cross chaining too?

Yes that's the one. I am AWFUL for cross chaining always have been but I just found I go up faster in the bigger gear. Its not been an issue before and I do a lot of miles, but I did notice this having moved from small ring riding this Spring to big ring riding on the same bike.

Are you trolling!!!

He has form.