knee pains??
Thread started by
palucha66 at 07.29.09 - 11:23 pm
Ok for some reason everytime I ride my bike my knees give off a sharp pain.This is mostly when I start using my bike for the day or after i take a short brake. Occasionally it happens when I stop at a light. Just asking does anyone else have knee pains? Do you know whats wrong with my knees?
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Bike fit and sizing. Could be a lot of things but get fitted for your bike, its a start. If the size and fitting is right, could be gear selection of the mechanics of your pedaling. Learn to spin and choose the appropriate gear.
sc_nomad responding to a
comment by BLAHER
07.29.09 - 11:32 pm
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im 5'9 so how tall should my bicycle be
palucha66 responding to a
comment by sc_nomad
07.29.09 - 11:51 pm
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people of the same height can have different proportions.
http://tinyurl.com/x1tz
Gav responding to a
comment by palucha66
07.30.09 - 12:03 am
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if its fixxed then you have to give it time to get used to the pressure . I think it takes about 1 or 2 months .. you will get the fixxie muscle soon ;)
Hectic07.30.09 - 2:42 pm
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if you can, i think you should go see a doctor. it can be the start of something serious that you can nip in the bud right now.
knee problems are a bitch and considering ur young, u dont wanna deal with anything like this so soon.
ive been having the same knee problem in my right knee towards the back of my leg.
try to see a doctor.
KiMS107.30.09 - 2:47 pm
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wtf seriously? take a
break and get a
brake. make sure your saddle is adjusted properly. generally back of knee pains are from too high of saddle. if it in the front it could be because your fixed or you saddle is too low.
larsenf07.30.09 - 2:50 pm
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could be tendentious. I started having knee pains too but took care of it with some glucosamine and a lot of stretching.
LionSaciDking responding to a
comment by KiMS1
07.30.09 - 2:53 pm
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....who got the idea i ride a fixie??
imma go see a doctor later.
palucha6607.30.09 - 3:04 pm
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oh then your leg is fuck up
and get a fixxed gear.
Hectic07.30.09 - 3:10 pm
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Why do you think he should ride a fixed gear?
Gav responding to a
comment by Hectic
07.30.09 - 3:18 pm
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thats what i was thinking as well.
i see the glucosamine+chondroitin pills at the pharmacy all the time.
how long does it take to take effect?
is it only for tendonitis or is it a supplement for all types of joint problems?
KiMS1 responding to a
comment by LionSaciDking
07.30.09 - 3:20 pm
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that stuff is for cartilage problems, no?
Gav responding to a
comment by KiMS1
07.30.09 - 3:44 pm
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glucosamine/chondritin is mostly for arthritis... it helps lubricate your joints. It can help with tendonitis, but it doesn't get at the root cause of tendonitis which is usually that your muscles are not equally developed and they are causing your kneecap (or whatever joint) to move at an angle instead of straight up and down, and rub against your tendon causing inflammation and sharp stabbing pain.
Cycling (and running) build up the outer thigh muscle a lot more than the inner thigh muscle. If you think your problem might be tendonitis you might try building up your inner thigh muscle (and your core/stabilizing muscles in general). I've gotten tendonitis in my knees since I was like 17 and I'm supposed to do physical therapy exercises every day for the rest of my life to strengthen certain muscles that don't get strengthened from cycling. I prob only do them 2x a week and my knees have been fine for the most part. Anyways, I would really recommend seeing a physical therapist if you can.
Also, try to make sure your feet, knees and hips are moving in a straight line when you are riding your bike. And wear good shoes. And don't ride fixed. Also, warm up - ride slower before you start hustling if youre having pain at the beginning.
One of the most important things to avoid knee pain if you have sensitive knees is: Increase mileage gradually. Just like it takes time to build strong muscles, it takes time to build strong tendons and ligaments. If you jump from regularly riding 20 miles to suddenly riding 40 miles your muscles might be sore but your tendons might be so inflamed you feel like someones stabbing a knife in your knee when you try to bend it.
Do you ride clipped in? If you do you can make little tiny adjustments in the angle of your cleats and shoe and foot that make a huge difference. This is mostly to make sure your feet are aligned w/ your knees and hips and to correct for flat or overarched feet. You might have to talk to someone who knows about bike fitting to know what adjustments to make. Someone reccomended I read a book by Andy Pruitt (I forget the name of the book...google it)... I havent read it yet but supposedly he knows a lot - he's the bike fitter for the US olympic team I think.
If your knee pain is under your knee cap in the middle of your knee it might not be tendonitis at all - the cartilage of your knee could be worn down. If the pain is behind your knee in the back of your leg your seat could just be too high. If the pain is on the top of your knee on the front of your leg (including tendonitis pain) your seat could be too low.
And last - there's this stuff called traumeel - you can buy it at a homeopathic drugstore like capitol drugs. It's pretty decent at reducing swelling in joints
anyways, sorry for going on for so long. Just wanted to share the knowledge I've gained from years of knee probs. Hope it helps!
Ayla07.30.09 - 9:37 pm
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sorry i assumed you were fixxed because you mentioned it happened when stopping at a light. mostly i wanted to make fun of the fact that the terms break and brake are mixed up wayyyyy too much on this forum.
larsenf responding to a
comment by palucha66
07.30.09 - 9:51 pm
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@Ayla thanks for the help. I dont think i have tendonitis because the pain is in the middle of my knees, I think the problem is that recently i have taken long bicycling trips that are 50+.
palucha6607.30.09 - 9:58 pm
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If the pain is in the middle of your knees, it means you have
Runner's Knee. Basically, R.I.C.E. the hell out of it and take some ibuprofen before long rides. If it keeps hurting a lot, go see a doctor.
Knee problems suck; I haven't been able to run for a few weeks now because of some mad ITBS from my last marathon.
BMFW responding to a
comment by palucha66
07.30.09 - 10:03 pm
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My knee hasn't hurt since I went back to cages from clipless, but it does crackle like a bendy straw! Do I have arthritis!!?
mixtemotions08.4.09 - 8:32 pm
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You may have not had enough float in your clipless pedals. My knees make lots of noises, but I was born with crummy knees
Gav responding to a
comment by mixtemotions
08.4.09 - 8:50 pm
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Can you guys help me out...I get lowerback pains when i go on 20+ mile rides...Maybe seat to high, need a longer stem, a better seat maybe...help
Dropkick_bruce08.4.09 - 8:54 pm
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same shit is going on with me and i just changed my bike but i happend before too
BLAHER responding to a
comment by Dropkick_bruce
08.4.09 - 8:57 pm
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I was thinking the seatpost height maybe but I'm not sure....I'm going to lower it and see how it goes...
Dropkick_bruce08.4.09 - 8:59 pm
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cant lower mine anymore if i do knees hurt
BLAHER08.4.09 - 9:02 pm
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go get properly fitted for your bike or a bike.
bicycle johns in burbank and i think helens/i martin on the westside has a bike fitting contraption. i know the burbank store does for sure.
ruinedbyidiots responding to a
comment by Dropkick_bruce
08.4.09 - 9:03 pm
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i did i went to i martin and got fitten for my size the thing the stem size might be wrong
BLAHER responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
08.4.09 - 9:07 pm
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I already got fitted for my bike also...I think the problem on my bike is the short stem/drops...not a good mix...
Dropkick_bruce08.4.09 - 9:09 pm
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If you are riding clipless and have knee issues, try speedplay pedals. Seriously the free float is amazing, at first it feels weird like you are on ice skates or something, but it allows your leg to align in it's natural angle without being rigidly bound. I have not tried their MTB version that can work with walkable shoes, but when I got speedplay for road shoes before ALC last year it blew me away the difference. I never had bad knee pains my self, but I have heard of people with lots of knee pain switching to speedplay and never had problems again.
Also be aware that forward backward position of saddle can effect knee pain as well, it's not just a seat height thing.
GarySe7en08.4.09 - 9:16 pm
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what good is paying for a bike fit if you cant buy a new bike?
have someone who knows where the saddle should stay adjust it for you, and make small adjustments as you ride until you find your comfort zone.
then measure everything
_iJunes responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
08.5.09 - 4:20 pm
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I fixed the problem I was having with my lowerback..I pushed the seat more back and slanted it a bit up and adjusted the height..Regardless I still need a longer stem....
Dropkick_bruce08.5.09 - 4:26 pm
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Most of these problems are due to bike fitting.
The ones that aren't usually go away as your muscles and tendons get stronger in response to the extra effort.
If it doesnt go away after a while you should try riding a smaller gear.
A lot of people think a bigger gear is faster but the truth is you should be riding the gear that allows you to spin roughly 90rpm.
If you are standing out of the saddle on hills, you are most likely in the wrong gear and wasting energy and cartilidge.
Big gears just put extra strain on your joints and destroy your stamina. Save the 53t chainring for the downhill.
stillline08.5.09 - 4:38 pm
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Good thread... lots of useful info here.
I haven't been able to run for a few months because all of a sudden my right knee starts killing me after 2 miles or so. (I used to run 5, no problem.) I'm thinking maybe I should try strengthening my inner leg muscles, like suggested above, and see if that helps.. because glucosamine doesn't.
For back pain on long rides, it could be a sign of dehydration... also, strengthening your core might help. I know that for me, my back will always hurt if I ride over 80 miles, I just take lots of stretching breaks when it happens.
canadienne08.5.09 - 4:40 pm
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A bike fit doesn't mean you have to buy a new bike. A proper bike fitting means finding the right stem length and angle, the right seat post height and for aft position of the saddle and angle, and even the cleat placement for those with clipless shoes. I got fit at Cynergy by Steven Carr last year and it instantly made me both more comfortable and more powerful on the bike.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by _iJunes
08.5.09 - 5:46 pm
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man my knee hurts,I think its my age.
Huey55508.13.10 - 1:05 am
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Raise that seatpost. Damn this thread is old. I used to have my first road bike when I posted this thread. Now I'm riding fixed. I need to get a road bike again before the pains begin again.
palucha66 responding to a
comment by Huey555
08.13.10 - 1:14 am
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lol no its fine trust me.Basketball injury..tore my acl.
Huey555 responding to a
comment by palucha66
08.13.10 - 1:31 am
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old thread but a lot of good info.
Huey55508.13.10 - 1:32 am
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So did riding a geared bike ease the knee pain?
I was a runner for many years, and my old knees couldn't take the fixed gear tension.
They are fine on a freewheel.
Creative Thing responding to a
comment by Huey555
08.13.10 - 8:31 am
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I used to get pain sometime from my road bike but the fixie has been fine to me more or less. The times I have had knee pain it usually required taking a break and possibly adjusting my bike a little.
I think being properly fitted is much more important on fixies and road bikes.
And for course riding a fixie with a hand brake is a lot less stress on the knees.
I think it is a shame that serious bike fitting is such rare knowledge.
Few shops even offer it.
trickmilla responding to a
comment by Creative Thing
08.13.10 - 9:08 am
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