Knee pain after bike riding
Walkywalkerson
Posts: 456 Member
I am a little out of practice as my bike doesn't really see the light of day over the winter months.
But I did a 20 mile bike ride in the sunshine today with a short stop in the middle to go shopping.
And found the gradients EXTRA difficult and tough on my knees.
The pain isn't excruciating but I feel pretty achey.
I turn 47 next month maybe it's just age 😫
Or can anyone recommend anything to help?
I really enjoy cycling but today it felt torturous!
But I did a 20 mile bike ride in the sunshine today with a short stop in the middle to go shopping.
And found the gradients EXTRA difficult and tough on my knees.
The pain isn't excruciating but I feel pretty achey.
I turn 47 next month maybe it's just age 😫
Or can anyone recommend anything to help?
I really enjoy cycling but today it felt torturous!
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Replies
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20 miles is a pretty big jump if you aren't riding regularly. I would think that would be a big part of it. With gradients you may also be out of practice in moving into the correct gears. Another issue that can cause knee pain while cycling is having a seat too low so you aren't getting proper extension. A professional bike fit is almost always a good idea...an ill fitting bike can cause all kinds of pain in different places when you're riding any kind of significant distance.2
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cwolfman13 wrote: »20 miles is a pretty big jump if you aren't riding regularly. I would think that would be a big part of it. With gradients you may also be out of practice in moving into the correct gears. Another issue that can cause knee pain while cycling is having a seat too low so you aren't getting proper extension. A professional bike fit is almost always a good idea...an ill fitting bike can cause all kinds of pain in different places when you're riding any kind of significant distance.
Yes thankyou - I thought maybe my seat may be a little low.
The ride was to somewhere I have cycled to many times without much bother - but you're right it was a bit far for a first ride in a while.
I feel ancient!2 -
I'm 62 (with mangled knees) and hitting new mileage highs year on year - no it's not your age!
Build up slower, use your gears to keep your cadence up rather than grinding up the hills. If you can't maintain a decent cadence then pick smaller hills or change your gearing to suit your riding.
An issue I have with my particulalrly unstable left knee is that I have to ration out standing cycling very carefully.
Cleated cycling shoes make a big difference to my knee comfort as they tend to keep ankles/knees/hips in line - I see quite a lot of cyclists with their knees shooting to the side (compounded by wrong seat height) and putting a lot of torsion through their knees.3 -
I've also observed that cadence upon return is usually much slower since walking turnover may have been the majority of the winter stuff (I don't do indoor trainer).
So pushing harder than normal instead of your potentially better spin just because muscle memory forgot a little a bit.
Especially on hills when either prone or used to slowing cadence down anyway, pushing even harder, and if seat height not great, even worse!2 -
Hubby was struggling with knee and foot pain while riding his old bike. I convinced him to buy a new bike and have a professional fitting. Before he was too low and reaching too far. You don't necessarily need a new bike, but a fitting is a darn good idea.
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I was driving to work today and saw a guy riding his MTB bike down the road and I got the shivers as the riders seat was way too low for proper extension and his knees were flared outwards...it looked painful to me. It was a hard tail MTB, but he was riding it like a BMX trick bike or something.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I was driving to work today and saw a guy riding his MTB bike down the road and I got the shivers as the riders seat was way too low for proper extension and his knees were flared outwards...it looked painful to me. It was a hard tail MTB, but he was riding it like a BMX trick bike or something.
I see kids riding out to the dirt jumps and can't imagine pedaling one of those bikes across town.
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Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.
The pain was at the front of my knees
And my lower back
I'm definitely going to get a bike fit at the weekend- even though I am confused because I rode the same bike all of last year without issue.
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.
The pain was at the front of my knees
And my lower back
I'm definitely going to get a bike fit at the weekend- even though I am confused because I rode the same bike all of last year without issue.
Easily can be lack of flexibility now compared to then.
Tight hams can make you lean over different, putting more strain on back.
Sliding forward on saddle due to that shorten's the leg extension amount.
You had 1 ride, your first ride of the year, and rather long at that.
So many things could have frankly caused an issue.
I would not actually go and change bike fit based on 1 initial long ride, when the setup worked before.
I'd start back slower and shorter, I'd confirm muscles aren't tight, I'd confirm cadence is up.
Because to get fit for what could be a compromised position that will be gone after say 7 rides, and then it causes issues, is no good either.3 -
Walkywalkerson wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.
The pain was at the front of my knees
And my lower back
I'm definitely going to get a bike fit at the weekend- even though I am confused because I rode the same bike all of last year without issue.
Have you by any chance lost weight since last year? I had to move my bike seat upwards (taller) after weight loss, because with less padding on my derriere, my legs were less fully extended when I sat on the seat. YMMV.
It's weird, weight loss effects: I had to move my car seat forward (shorter) because of less padding on my back.
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.
The pain was at the front of my knees
And my lower back
I'm definitely going to get a bike fit at the weekend- even though I am confused because I rode the same bike all of last year without issue.
Easily can be lack of flexibility now compared to then.
Tight hams can make you lean over different, putting more strain on back.
Sliding forward on saddle due to that shorten's the leg extension amount.
You had 1 ride, your first ride of the year, and rather long at that.
So many things could have frankly caused an issue.
I would not actually go and change bike fit based on 1 initial long ride, when the setup worked before.
I'd start back slower and shorter, I'd confirm muscles aren't tight, I'd confirm cadence is up.
Because to get fit for what could be a compromised position that will be gone after say 7 rides, and then it causes issues, is no good either.
Yes it's a definately possibility that my flexibility and fitness is much lower than last year.
I will take your advice and stretch before my ride tomorrow.
I'm doing a similar ride distance wise but it's much less hilly.
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Where is the pain? I don't remember if front of the knee usually means saddle needs to go up or down, back of the knee usually means the reverse.
I would get a fitting done if possible, bring more info to this thread or research bike fitting if not.
The pain was at the front of my knees
And my lower back
I'm definitely going to get a bike fit at the weekend- even though I am confused because I rode the same bike all of last year without issue.
Have you by any chance lost weight since last year? I had to move my bike seat upwards (taller) after weight loss, because with less padding on my derriere, my legs were less fully extended when I sat on the seat. YMMV.
It's weird, weight loss effects: I had to move my car seat forward (shorter) because of less padding on my back.
Haha I never thought of this.
I'm 20lbs lighter than when I was riding last year - it's possible I could have lost a bit of junk in my trunk 😁
I remember doing that ride 50lbs heavier than I am now - I felt physically sick!
I never want to go back there!2 -
So lost weight usually has a double effect.
Less space under the sit bones so seat height has been effectively lowered.
Usually less forward weight on arms and not feeling as cramped in stomach/leg spacing, which might have caused you to be able to scoot back on the saddle.
Effectively higher seat height.
Did the 2 cancel out? Be very coincidental if they happened to. Possible.
Center of gravity leaned over would have changed for sure with lost weight to some degree - so now I will go for changing the seat height and rail position - which work in combo and you may or may not feel comfortable tweaking those a few mm's to improve it.2 -
My seat was too low - I went for a ride on Sunday that felt so much better.
Although it was much less hilly than the ride that killed my knees.
I'm debating on getting a new bike this year.
There are some fantastic mountain bikes on sale here in the UK at the moment.
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »My seat was too low - I went for a ride on Sunday that felt so much better.
Although it was much less hilly than the ride that killed my knees.
I'm debating on getting a new bike this year.
There are some fantastic mountain bikes on sale here in the UK at the moment.
New bikes are always fun! Heck I get excited when I get new kit…2 -
N + 12
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I wasn't sure if anybody here would get that.2
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N+1, until spouse is -1.1
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Others have left some good stuff...and I am not personally a bike rider - but might be lack of flexibility in your hips or lack of strength in surrounding muscles that contribute to good mobility in that area. Something to at least consider.0
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