Intense Knee Pressure from Bike Riding

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dakotababy
dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey Everyone - this post is not for me, but my SO.

He is about 6'1, 305lbs - well into obesity. BF % is above 50%. He has picked up biking as a form of exercise, which he really enjoys. He is a beginner exerciser and incredibly out of shape at this time. He just went and did a ride of about 8 blocks in length in 20mins.

He came home with what looked like discomfort and pain located under his knee cap, he described it as "intense pressure, unable to straighten my leg/walk".

Just wondering besides stretching, any ways to alleviate this feeling while biking? I have a few ideas of what it could be either 1 - garbage knees from holding extra weight, 2 - lactic acid build up in the knees...along with other things like not stretching properly, or possibly the bike is not positioned properly.

I know when I bike, I tend to get a bit of this feeling in my knees as well - just not this severe. Any ideas or suggestions? Would a knee brace help this sort of thing? Thanks everyone!

Replies

  • greg88rosen
    greg88rosen Posts: 49 Member
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    Keep with the stretching, stay hydrated and look into taking fish/krill oil and glucosamine which are natural anti inflammatories
    Should feel a big difference in a matter of days
    If you're already doing this then take a little time off, walk moderately (in the morning before breakfast if possible) and rest until he feels better

    Hope this helps :)
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    Knee problems from biking are often related to a poor fit.

    Go to your local bike shop. Get him fitted on the bike. They'll adjust the seat height, angle...they can tell him whether the bike is too big or small for him. If you don't want to pay for the service, look up some YouTube/Internet tutorials on how to test for bike fit.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Definitely bike fit. You could both go since it sounds like yours doesn't fit you either :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,127 Member
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    Bicycle fit!! You and the bicycle are a machine. If you are set up correctly the machine does not function properly.

    Read this article ... all about the causes of knee pain.
    http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm
  • GBO323
    GBO323 Posts: 336 Member
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    +3 for Bike fit. I bought a WalMart bike (cheap!) and after a week of riding, my knees had me in tears...and I had to return the bike because the handlebars broke off. Went to a pro bike shop and they fit me to a new bike...INCREDIBLE difference... and I've been riding ever since.

    Biking and Walking are the two best forms of cardio for those in the obese range. Best bang for the workout.
  • ephiemarie
    ephiemarie Posts: 264 Member
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    +4 for proper bike fit. Most people seem to start with their seat entirely too low, which puts a lot of stress on the knee joint. With your rear on the seat, your leg should be nearly extended (10-15 degree angle bend at the knee) when the pedal is down. Being able to put both feet on the ground while seated on the bike means the seat is too low.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    This is a brand new bike, and he was just fitted for it yesterday. The bend at the knee is there when the pedal is down, but it is slight so he is not fully straightening his leg.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    Could it be maybe from just needing to get used to a new bike that is properly fit?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,127 Member
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    dakotababy wrote: »
    This is a brand new bike, and he was just fitted for it yesterday. The bend at the knee is there when the pedal is down, but it is slight so he is not fully straightening his leg.

    To double check this ...

    He needs to ride for a few minutes to get settled in the saddle. Then coast. Place the heel of the right foot on the pedal when it is in the 6:00 position (all the way down). Now, there should be an ever-so-slight bend in the knee. Now replace the ball of the foot on the pedal, and there should be slightly more bend in the knee. Ride!


    But a couple other questions:

    -- what is his (or yours too) cadence? Cadence is revolution of one pedal ... how many times a pedal goes around in 1 minute. If you're not sure, get a watch and count it. Count for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4. :) Ideally your cadence should be above 80 revolutions per minute, but if you're new to this it is probably less than that and you may need to work on spinning more rather than mashing.

    -- are you riding with the balls of your feet on the pedals. That's how you should be riding.

  • peterjens
    peterjens Posts: 235 Member
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    I had a bike fit and a shoe fit. If your foot is not properly placed and you don't have the right amount of float, it can affect the knee joints. You can thank me later.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    another vote for bike fit......one of the best things I did for my cycling was to pay a physiotherapist to do a proper bike fit (video analysis. mobility analysis......the whole 9 yards). Sadly this kind of service may not be available everywhere (and it's not cheap) but your local bike shop should be able to do a competent basic fit for a reasonable fee (if your bought the bike there they may even do it for free)

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