Author Topic: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed  (Read 9217 times)

avocado

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Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« on: October 25, 2015, 09:17:01 AM »
So I've been full Moustachian with transportation for 7 weeks. We have an electric car (Volt, 2012) and rarely put gas in it. I ride my bike almost everywhere, but man ... it's killing my knees. I have a hard time walking up the stairs in our house. I feel like my knees are 70 yrs. old. I'm 45, former collegiate athlete (swimming), still in better than average shape (4 yr old kid has significantly has limited my working out). I shouldn't be having these issues, and I didn't have them before buying the bike. I've been traveling for 3 days and my knees feel much better.

I've adjusted the height (it was too low), and that has helped, but something is definitely wrong.

I bought a Nashbar, and in general I like it. It's a bit difficult to mount and dismount quickly, and I'm 6'2. I usually cart around a 4 yr old, so I would definitely be amenable to switching bikes and selling the Nashbar.

The research I've done online says that I should probably pay to have an expert recommend a proper bike that will suit my needs and have it properly fit for me. This will cost several hundred dollars, and I have no idea where to start.

I absolutely love cycling, I love the stress release, and I love the fact that I now realize just how much driving stressed me out (and I'm a seriously mellow guy). Biking everywhere for less than 2 months has already paid for the bike ($25/wk in fuel savings just by riding my kid to school and back and all his activities and appointments). I've shed 10 lbs, so I really want to stick with the bike and avoid driving.

Any advice would be very welcome.

big_slacker

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2015, 10:04:24 AM »
Pay for a pro fit. Worth it.

TheDude

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2015, 10:11:41 AM »
And spin spin spin no mashing

Singularity

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2015, 10:21:33 AM »
Pay for a pro fit. Worth it.

I know several who had issues fixed with a good fitting including knee pain.  Get a paper record of your anatomical measurements and the bike setup measurements, so you can transfer the fitting to a new bike in the future.
Expect to may $75-150 for a good ~2 hour professional documented fitting.  This can also help you increase your the power you generate on the bike allowing you to ride longer and faster.  It is a one time expense that I've done and is well worth it.  You will end up with 2+ pages of measurements and angles.


Here are two links with a solid discussion of bike fitting. 
http://www.coach-darryl.com/Bike-Fit.html
http://phillypedals.com/does-your-bike-fit/

(Picture checking knee alignment with plum line) 

« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 10:46:53 AM by Singularity »

Blatant

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2015, 11:57:43 AM »
Perfect advice. Assuming you have no other knee issues you didn't mention, it's almost certainly a fit issue, unless you're constantly mashing a huge gear.

I'm a pretty serious mountain biker and have found bikes with too-slack seat tube angles really irritate my knees.

Pay for a fit or do some experimentation with seat position relative to your pedal spindle. Money/time well-spent  vs a knee replacement.

Glenstache

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2015, 01:31:02 PM »
+1 on a pro fit. That fit should include cleat position (assuming clipless) on your shoe and work up through saddle and handlebar position from there.

You can ask someone in the local road racing scene who they might recommend to get a good fit.

There is typically a really big difference between a pro fit from someone who really understands the body mechanics and what you might get as a fit from a floor clerk at a bike shop (they know more than the average person, but there is a lot to know and a lot of nuance where 2 mm will make a big difference). I've had a number of fits through the years. The fit from the guy who used to do fit design for Seven cycles and had figured out several thousand fits was the best. It was a pretty amazing before and after and worth every penny in increased riding enjoyment, performance, and most importantly: injury prevention.

You may also want to check in with what your health insurance covers. I had some knee issues prompting a fit session and my insurance covered the cost of a fit by a local PT who also happened to be a cycling coach (not a coincidence).

Syonyk

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2015, 01:47:51 PM »
The difference someone who does something for a living makes is impressive, and there are plenty of areas where paying someone is worth the money.

Fitting yourself to a bike if you've got pain problems is one of those.  A bike fit is cheap, compared to new knees.  They're telling you something.

Also, suspension tuning on motorcycles.  The guys who do it constantly can literally take a few measurements, bounce your bike with you on it a few times, twiddle some things, and be perfect.

kendallf

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2015, 02:32:59 PM »
Tell us where you are and maybe somebody local will have a recommendation for a fitter or a shop.

A few things from my experience, may be worth what you pay for them..   :-)

I have never had a fit of any kind, even while riding 7-10,000 miles a year and racing.  If you read up a bit and listen to your body, you can usually get pretty close on your own.  Most cycling related knee pain comes from a couple of issues, the first being seat height.  If the pain is above the patella, often the seat height is too low.  If below, your seat height may be too high and you're irritating the patellar tendon.  A separate issue may be if you have some sort of body geometry issue that makes your knees, ankles, or some other part of your leg not track linearly when you pedal.  Compensation for this often shows up as knee pain.  Finally, you may have just taken on too much too soon.  Overuse will make your knees hurt if you didn't ramp up your mileage gradually.  Try moderating your ride time and effort.

Here's a link to some good advice from Peter White; he's a curmudgeon and the antithesis of a bike racer, but his advice makes more sense than many absolute fitting "systems".

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

If you try some adjustments and you are sure that your duration and intensity are appropriate, and your knees still hurt, go find professional help.  Somebody who fits a lot of bike racers will often be experienced and good.  Fitting lots of triathletes is not the same.  :-)   I have been impressed with the Retul system of capturing measurements and allowing dynamic tracking of knee and ankle position; you might look for a Retul fitter, but experience is more important than the technology used.

Good luck!


kpd905

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2015, 03:40:33 PM »
+1 to a pro fitting.  It may cost a few hundred bucks, but that is nothing compared to knee replacement surgery.

Ocelot

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2015, 04:20:50 PM »
+1 for the fit again, but it's also worth finding the right fitter to do it - the old school way was to shoehorn you into an 'ideal' racing position which is easy to do but results can make things worse. A good fitter will measure and check everything from the angles your feet hang at, to the alignment of your angles/kness/hips, to the width of your sitbones, to your general flexibility. It shouldn't matter what sort of bike you intend riding as a good fitter will be able to work with any kind of bike (so long as it's the right size), it's really more about you than the bike.

The Specialized Body Geometry system is very good, Retul is good, the Serotta school was very good, and there are great fitters all over the place. Beware the recent development of all-in-one solutions for shops that rely too heavily on a fancy video camera setup and a chart of 'ideal' angles.

patrickza

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2015, 04:38:48 PM »
I'm surprised nobody said that you should get an electric bike.

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2015, 04:47:36 PM »
You may want to look into Iliotibial Band Syndrome.  My girlfriend is in outstanding physical condition - she can easily run 10 miles without any trouble and does lots of other exercise including plyometrics, weight lifting, hockey, etc.  None of those give her any knee trouble.  However, 10 minutes on a bike causes her immense knee pain, and if she pushes through it she can be (and has been) injured for months. 
I have no idea what is causing your issues, but the description of the situation sounded like what she went through and it took a long time to get it diagnosed.

Emg03063

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2015, 07:22:19 PM »
I agree you should address the fit issue, but also, take some glucosamine.

Syonyk

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2015, 08:25:03 PM »
I'm surprised nobody said that you should get an electric bike.

I'm all for them, but the root cause here seems to be poor ergonomics.

Now, if after some time, the issue turns out to be a knee problem that is not fixable with changing how your bike fits, then, yeah, an ebike is a good option.

Heather in Ottawa

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2015, 08:41:13 PM »
Kendalif has the best advice, Imo. No need to leap right to the pro fit. Rest up, raise that seat a bit more, see if it's better. You can figure a lot out for yourself with incremental changes. I'm a high mileage rider, too (about 250 km a week, mostly commute and utility trips these days), and when I've had pain on various bikes (knee from seat too low/fixed gear, Achilles from seat too high, wrist pain and numb hands from flat bars, and lower back from reach too long), I've done those small bike adjustments and the pain subsides within days to weeks.

bigstack

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2015, 08:45:38 PM »
advice: if cycling is killing your knees , don't start running.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2015, 09:21:57 PM »
When you started riding everywhere, did you ease into it gradually? Or did you go from zero cycling to 100 miles a week? Whatever else is going on, jumping into it too intensely can give you an overuse injury. You definitely need to back off for a little while to let it heal.

There are a lot of different things that could be happening. If you tell us more, we can narrow it down.

Where does it hurt exactly? Under the kneecap? Along the outside of the knee? The inside? Where the thigh muscle meets the kneecap? Below the kneecap? Behind the knee? Does it hurt all the time? Walking up stairs? Walking down stairs? If you sit for a long time, does it hurt more when you stand up?

Do you hear or feel crunching or cracking in your knees?

What gears do you use? Are you riding up a lot of hills, or on flat ground? What's your cadence (how many pedal strokes per minute)? If you're pedaling slowly in a high gear, that is definitely more stressful, especially if you're also towing a kid.

What kind of shoes do you wear (sneakers, cycling shoes, street shoes)? Do they have enough arch support? Do you use cleats?



dios.del.sol

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2015, 09:49:58 PM »
Quick rule of thumb:

  • knee pain = saddle too low
  • lower back pain = saddle too high

darkadams00

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2015, 11:04:35 PM »
I didn't notice where you said what type of bike you're riding, just "Nashbar" (assumed road bike of some flavor). "Pro fit" might be a difficult find if you're not riding a road bike as most pro fitters would be trained for road bike geometry and positioning. At any rate, I started riding again in my 40's in a barely moderate fitness level compared to 10 years ago. As I rode almost daily to work and around town, my body groaned, creaked, and ached generally as it worked its way into cycling shape. I moved my seat up and then down, forward and then back, changed my stem once, switched my pedals, added bar ends onto my flat bars, and then did it all over again when I bought another bike with drop bars. I always carried my tools in my bike bag to make adjustments as needed--and I made some during my ride instead of waiting until I got home.

All in all, I would say that unless you are almost certain you have an anatomical issue (which a bike fitter wouldn't be able to ascertain), you should be able to work through the fit yourself. YouTube and Google are good friends to have. I'm primarily a utility rider who rides with bike racks, fenders, and often a trailer. I don't wear clipless shoes, lycra, or fancy bike clothes. None of my bikes broke into four figures. I've had the pains and strains and one injury (neck strain injury that took four months to heal--probably associated with office work and cycling combination).

  • Check vertical seat position (height).
  • Check horizontal seat position (distance from handlebar and relation to crank).
  • Use a higher gear (one gear higher than the one that makes you conscious of your pedaling effort).
  • Keep a log (track mileage/extra effort/big hills to account for your overall effort and rest).

A good log for the first year will do wonders--(1) Help you learn what to wear to keep from freezing in the winter and overheating at any time (I can overheat in the winter if I dress warmer than needed) and (2) Track your physical achievements and issues as well as your bike issues and fixes. My log help me put my clothing choices on autopilot and determine if a change on my bike helped correct a physical issue or not. Especially helpful if a similar issue arose a year later, which did happen a couple times.

Ocelot

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2015, 11:28:21 PM »
A good fitter will definitely identify anatomical issues, and will be able to fit you to any type of bike, pro race or beach cruiser. If your fitter isn't looking at your anatomy first and foremost, then you need to find someone better. I don't do fits myself but I've worked with some excellent fitters who have picked up on anatomical issues the riders themselves, and in some cases their physiotherapists, had no idea existed.

You can trial and error yourself but you risk making things worse/causing permanent damage at worst, and wasting a lot of time you could be riding comfortably at best. Bike fits may not be cheap but they're money well spent.

avocado

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #20 on: October 25, 2015, 11:45:45 PM »
Wow! Y'all did not disappoint!

I basically just needed to hear that I need a pro fit, so I'll look into that. I will continue to fiddle with seat placement, but I know my body well enough to know that yeah, I can't afford the time to fiddle around blindly hoping to find a solution. I would love to save the several hundred dollars, but I would much rather pay a local professional than an oil company for fuel, so it's an easy decision. There's way too much at stake.

I've always had knees on the weak side, and swimming ended up eventually stabilizing them. Running hasn't been an issue, but I've never really trained as a runner. I like to play soccer, and I haven't had problems since I quit youth soccer at age 15. It's really hard to describe where exactly the pain and discomfort is!

I am currently a stay-at-home dad / full-time Moustachian Household Converter Technician / child chauffeur, doing occasional side gigs when time permits. I haven't overdone it by jumping head first into a massive cycling regiment. I'm probably doing 30-40 miles a week. The discomfort was pretty immediate the first few days when I was within our neighborhood exclusively. I live in Miami.

spokey doke

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2015, 09:34:58 AM »
while someone above suggest IT band syndrome, the pain walking stairs sounds like it might be patello-femoral pain syndrome.  There are lots of things that can contribute to it (including weaknesses/imbalances in your hips).  There are a number of standard exercises to help address it.

Google

Glenstache

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2015, 09:59:34 AM »
We should also be wary of being physicians certified by Google U.

GuitarStv

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2015, 10:16:48 AM »
Tell us where you are and maybe somebody local will have a recommendation for a fitter or a shop.

A few things from my experience, may be worth what you pay for them..   :-)

I have never had a fit of any kind, even while riding 7-10,000 miles a year and racing.  If you read up a bit and listen to your body, you can usually get pretty close on your own.  Most cycling related knee pain comes from a couple of issues, the first being seat height.  If the pain is above the patella, often the seat height is too low.  If below, your seat height may be too high and you're irritating the patellar tendon.  A separate issue may be if you have some sort of body geometry issue that makes your knees, ankles, or some other part of your leg not track linearly when you pedal.  Compensation for this often shows up as knee pain.  Finally, you may have just taken on too much too soon.  Overuse will make your knees hurt if you didn't ramp up your mileage gradually.  Try moderating your ride time and effort.

Here's a link to some good advice from Peter White; he's a curmudgeon and the antithesis of a bike racer, but his advice makes more sense than many absolute fitting "systems".

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

If you try some adjustments and you are sure that your duration and intensity are appropriate, and your knees still hurt, go find professional help.  Somebody who fits a lot of bike racers will often be experienced and good.  Fitting lots of triathletes is not the same.  :-)   I have been impressed with the Retul system of capturing measurements and allowing dynamic tracking of knee and ankle position; you might look for a Retul fitter, but experience is more important than the technology used.

Good luck!

This is the best advice in the thread.

You can get someone to fit you on your bike if you want . . . but be aware that as your fitness, flexibility, and style of riding changes over time, you will need a different bike fit.  There's no need to pay someone to do this, it's better to learn to do it yourself.  It's really not hard, just requires a little reading and some tinkering Moving things up and down/back and forth over a couple weeks.

pennyhandlebar

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2015, 11:58:48 PM »
YMMV, but my health insurance paid for a visit to a physical therapist that focuses on cycling-related issues. (Can you tell I live in Portland, OR? :-) He worked on my bike setup, cleat positioning, and gave me some exercises that helped with issues I was having. He stretched it out to 3 sessions, but with a copay of $15, I didn't mind.

Might be worth looking into whether your health insurance would cover physical therapy.

TomTX

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #25 on: October 27, 2015, 05:38:17 AM »
YMMV, but my health insurance paid for a visit to a physical therapist that focuses on cycling-related issues. (Can you tell I live in Portland, OR? :-) He worked on my bike setup, cleat positioning, and gave me some exercises that helped with issues I was having. He stretched it out to 3 sessions, but with a copay of $15, I didn't mind.

Might be worth looking into whether your health insurance would cover physical therapy.

My insurance makes it fairly easy to get PT - just get a scrip from my doc, and I can choose the PT (though the doc has a default PT.) I go to a specialised sports PT place where each PT was previously a serious athlete, and they focus on getting you back into good shape for your sport, not just the minimal everyday stuff like being able to walk up the stairs at home.

darkadams00

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #26 on: October 27, 2015, 05:54:19 PM »
Two camps emerged once again:

1) Camp #1 -- Get Fit (Or.You.May.Never.Walk.Again)!!

Pay for a fit or do some experimentation with seat position relative to your pedal spindle. Money/time well-spent  vs a knee replacement.

Fitting yourself to a bike if you've got pain problems is one of those.  A bike fit is cheap, compared to new knees.  They're telling you something.

+1 to a pro fitting.  It may cost a few hundred bucks, but that is nothing compared to knee replacement surgery.

You can trial and error yourself but you risk making things worse/causing permanent damage at worst, and wasting a lot of time you could be riding comfortably at best.

Question 1: Do you really think that a person who says..."running hasn't been an issue" and "I like to play soccer" is on the cusp of a debilitating injury that deserves a pro bike fit more than a visit to the doctor/PT? Sounds like bad pharma disclaimers. And how do the millions of riders in both 1st and 3rd world countries even survive what with all those daily miles piling up on a bike that hasn't been tuned to the point where there is "a lot of nuance where 2 mm will make a big difference" (Glenstache)?

Question 2: So if you get a pro fit on a road bike, how will you know how to ride a mountain bike? Or a hybrid? How will that fit transfer to the Craigslist bargain that you're seeking? Should you even buy that bike? "Wait a week, sir. I need to get fit on that style of bike so I can determine if I should buy it."  You haven't learned a thing about yourself or your bike. You paid the bucks to get someone to tell you how to do what kids do every day during the summer.

Question 3: Who worries about cleats for basic utility riding? Why is that a default? "I'm going to jump on my bike and ride to the local ____ shop. Where are my expensive, specialized-for-cycling shoes that will make me a much better rider between here and there--1.2 miles away?" 

2) Camp #2 - Learn Your Own Body and Bike

kendalf just nailed it. Heather rides a lot and agrees. NoraLenderbee is asking the right questions. dios has a nice rule of thumb. GuitarStv concurs. If it hurts, stop, take a rest day, and figure it out. If you're "fiddling with seat placement," you learn something in the process--whether fiddling up/down/forward/backward/nose-up/nose-down works for you. It doesn't take long, and the knowledge is more valuable than 2+ pages of angles. And that knowledge is transferable to your next bike. And the bike you rent while on vacation. And your son/daughter's Christmas bike.

Or you can get a pro fit. All at a discounted price of $75 to "several hundred dollars."

GuitarStv

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #27 on: October 27, 2015, 06:07:21 PM »
Quick and dirty bike way to check saddle height in case this is causing the knee problems:


Put your heels on both pedals.  With the pedal on the left or right side fully extended away from your body, you should have a completely straight/locked leg.  When pedalling backwards like this, you should just barely be able to keep contact on the pedals.  If you lose contact with the pedals, your seat is probably too high.  If you don't have a fully locked leg, your seat is too low.

This seems to work pretty well for most people, with variations of only a few millimetres up or down depending on pedalling style.

Blatant

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #28 on: October 27, 2015, 08:59:31 PM »
I wasn't attempting to be as hyberbolic as you're suggesting, but I suppose your point is taken.

I'm a biker and one who's had knee issues. Did I personally get a fit? Nope. I had the time, experience and inclination to solve it myself. Not everyone has that.

The fit suggestion was an obvious one and worth every penny the OP paid for it. Or he can ignore it and go on his merry way.

Dee18

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #29 on: October 28, 2015, 12:03:00 PM »
I would check with a PT.  A good one will be able to suggest what action is causing the pain.  Also, you don't discuss this, but I developed knee pain when I tried to use bicycle shoes clipped to pedals.  Going back to toe clips solved the problem. 
Finally, a 4 year old is old enough to ride a trail-a-bike where they help with pedaling.  This is so great! The child really learns how to ride and they are up high with a fun view and close proximity for easy chatting.  When my daughter was 4 we got one.  She didn't pedal all the time, but on uphills I would say "turn on the booster power" and she would pedal hard for a couple minutes. Fond memories!
« Last Edit: October 28, 2015, 06:07:56 PM by Dee18 »

enigmaT120

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #30 on: October 28, 2015, 01:10:27 PM »
Quick and dirty bike way to check saddle height in case this is causing the knee problems:


Put your heels on both pedals.  With the pedal on the left or right side fully extended away from your body, you should have a completely straight/locked leg.  When pedalling backwards like this, you should just barely be able to keep contact on the pedals.  If you lose contact with the pedals, your seat is probably too high.  If you don't have a fully locked leg, your seat is too low.

This seems to work pretty well for most people, with variations of only a few millimetres up or down depending on pedalling style.

That's how I do mine, with the additional note that if you notice yourself rocking from one side to the other on your seat, it's too high.  Both sit bones should be in contact with the seat.  Also, that test won't work on a fixie unless you can ride backwards.

My left knee had been acting up, Dr. said probably arthritis and maybe from running.  Bicycling fixed it, but to be fair I don't run as much either. 

TrMama

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #31 on: October 28, 2015, 01:27:01 PM »
In addition to getting the fit dialed in (however you do that), make sure you "spin to win". Cycling is the exact opposite of competitive swimming in this respect. All the swim coaching I've had has focused on getting the swimmer to do powerful strokes with a fair amount of glide between each one.

Biking works best (and is easiest on your body) when you pedal in a low gear at a high rpm. Racers (the guys who bike hours and hours a day for years at a time) pedal at 90-100 rpm. Select a low enough gear so you can pedal fast. Only gear up when your feet start to "float" at the top of the revolution. Newbie bikers tend to select the hardest possible gear and then mash on the pedals. This is really hard on your knees.

Silverado

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #32 on: October 28, 2015, 03:47:25 PM »
Saddle too far forward got me for a few rides. Slid it back, healed.

v10viperbox

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #33 on: October 28, 2015, 04:01:03 PM »
Are you clipped in or not. If you are not then that is your issues, if you are clipped in then you need to get clips like the speedplay ones which allow for your to have some wiggle in your knees. I they have adjustable float in the angle of release so you can wiggle your foot angle while ridding. This will take the pressure off your knees to be in one angle.

They take some serious getting used to though if you ride out of the saddle or climb a lot through. Its like pushing on the peddles when they are made of ice plus the ground is moving up and down. Once you get it figured out your posture on the bike will be much much better and you will be better at cranking out the watts. 


avocado

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #34 on: October 29, 2015, 08:51:58 AM »
Two camps emerged once again:

1) Camp #1 -- Get Fit (Or.You.May.Never.Walk.Again)!!


Question 1: Do you really think that a person who says..."running hasn't been an issue" and "I like to play soccer" is on the cusp of a debilitating injury that deserves a pro bike fit more than a visit to the doctor/PT? Sounds like bad pharma disclaimers.
Ok, I frickin' laughed with your entire post!

But in fairness to the YOURWORLD'SGONNAEND!!111!!! crowd, this is a serious issue that must be addressed immediately to avoid a debilitating, permanent injury. That's what my body is screaming at me.

Since getting back into town and back into the swing of things, I've adjusted the seat height (higher), and it has helped. I'm now about to go run an errand in my neighborhood and I've placed the saddle further back. We'll see how that feels.

I've totally scaled back on my pace. All errands are run strictly for transportation. I'm not trying to get a work out. What I'm discovering is that perhaps I did overdo it at first, mainly in the form of all out sprinting as I was trying to get my kid to school on time in the morning. (10 minute window to drop off a 4 yr old, which is practically brain surgery).

I've put out a call to my local cyclist friends to see if I can get a recommendation for a pro fit if the tinkering doesn't work. I'll also look into the PT/insurance possibilities.

kendallf

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #35 on: October 29, 2015, 12:36:22 PM »
I think you'll probably be fine as you get a bit more time in the saddle and adjustments.  Just in case, I'll offer a couple of recommendations.  I know some racers from the Miami area, but don't know a fitter down there personally.  If you're up in the Orlando area you can contact Adam Baskin at Cat One Fitness; in St. Augustine Jim Escobar at Pro Tri Fit; both are experienced fitters with good reviews from local racers.  I've ridden the Six Gap course with Jim and I think I landed on Adam in a road race crash once; does that count for personal experience?  :-)

GuitarStv

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Re: Cycling is killing my knees! Advice needed
« Reply #36 on: October 29, 2015, 12:42:53 PM »
I think I landed on Adam in a road race crash once; does that count for personal experience?  :-)

It depends . . . how good was the fit, and how personal was the experience?  :P