knee pain

[kwak]

I have alot of knee pain and am at a lost of what to do
I have had my bike set up by my bike shop and am comfortable except for my kneees.
i use pedals with clips
Any help would be a great help.
thanks Robin

[Lucky13]

Is the pain specific to your cycling? Does it go away when you get off the bike? If not, then you should seek professional advice.

Generally, there are two basic reasons for cycling-specific knee problems...

1. The bike isn't adjusted properly. Is your saddle too high, or too low? Even minor changes can make a big difference. Are your cleats in the right position? If not, they could force your knees into an unnatural angle. Some pedal/cleat systems offer more lateral float than others, allowing your legs to find a comfortable position.

2. The cyclist is pushing too big a gear. Would this apply to you? Mashing high gears at low RPM's can cause problems. Have you tried spinning lower gears at higher RPM's?

[JayH]

Perhaps have it looked at by a sports physician. They could take an x-ray or MRI kind of tool and see if you either have a torn meniscus or perhaps torn/bruised tendons in there.  Try the suggestions here but if adjust the bike doesn't help, you might want to consider getting professional help here.

Jay

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

It could be very simple. In Police Cyclist training, they taught us "if your knees hurt, the seat is too high. If your thighs hurt, your seat is too low." I have found that finding that right spot on a seatpost can be a bit vexxing. With your backside on the saddle, your knee should be very slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point, and your foot is level.

Otherwise, I would suggest seeking professional advice, too.

Ride safe,
Hans

Hans Erdman, WEMT
Backcountry Trail Patrol-MN
www.trailpatrol.org

[kwak]

thanks for the advise ill try adjusting the seat post and see what happens. i spin the pedals at about 90 rpms

[cidhandyman]

I've had knee pain to an extent over the years.  I have found that standing against a wall and then sliding down so that my quads are parallel to the floor and holding this movement until failure, resting for two minutes and repeating for three sets will strengthen the muscles above and below the knee.  Basically you use your back and legs to hold the position and over time this will build strength in the muscle groups that support the knee.  You have also stated that you will check your position on the bike.  You might also want to make sure the toe straps you are using position the foot just over the pedal axle.  If its too far forward or back or if the foot pronates during the pedal motion you will experience discomfort as well.