Knee Pain

Good to hear. Float is definitely essential. As is right saddle height. My osteo seems to be well behaved this winter. Just ride more gentle when it is cold.

Sounds like they need fixing. Fingers crossed it all goes well for you. But yeah, riding is good for them long term, as far as I'm aware.

I think so too. But it hurts so bad right now that I don't know if it's a good thing to ride. Especially not fixed

I'm getting a MRI scan on the 17th and an appointment with a specialist on the same day.

I think so too. But it hurts so bad right now that I don't know if it's a good thing to ride. Especially not fixed

I'm getting a MRI scan on the 17th and an appointment with a specialist on the same day.

Oh - I meant as in, post-operatively. If they hurt so much now, best to lay off until the doctors have checked you out thoroughly... I know how frustrating that can be, trust me! But better safe than sorry and all that.

18 months on from my original injury I'm making progress, albeit very slow progress. Fingers crossed I will be riding again this summer but not counting on it.

Oh - I meant as in, post-operatively. If they hurt so much now, best to lay off until the doctors have checked you out thoroughly... I know how frustrating that can be, trust me! But better safe than sorry and all that.

Yeah it is. Gaining a lot of weight. Everything that was off my belly is getting back on it... Worked so hard getting rid of it :(. Total of 2 months not riding, gained 22 pounds, took me 9 months to get rid of that :(

18 months on from my original injury I'm making progress, albeit very slow progress. Fingers crossed I will be riding again this summer but not counting on it.

What was the injury?

I've had a bout of knee pain years ago when I was still riding the track - I was off the bike for a year and was endlessly backwards and forwards to specialists, but none of it helped.

In the end I cured it by abandoning clips & straps and getting clipless with some float. I'd stuck to clips & straps because of being mostly a track rider, but swapping was no problem. Been fine ever since.

My knees have been aching and feeling a little odd, I think it's the cold weather (I commute wearing shorts). Where I live everywhere is flat and I find 52x17 single speed comfortable for commuting the rest of the year round.

Having read that back I think the lesson is not to wear shorts out riding when it's cold, it can make your knees feel odd. I was riding the same bike last year without complaint and while having to wear trousers to work.

The unbridled freedom and great pleasure that short-wearing brings is best left for leisure and warmer days.

^ I'd say to have a think about your GI. It may be flat where you are, but that's not an easy gear to spin away on, especially with knee trouble.

Out of interest, what cadence do you average?

I've no idea about cadence... lower than average I expect. Probably why I prefer biopace chainrings to round.

As far as possible I try and keep moving as acceleration from a standing start isn't great. Definitely better to anticipate roundabouts than come to a stop, for example!

What was the injury?

Has never been completely clear, despite an mri and an ultrasound scan.

My guess is a minor tear in the tendon where the outside quadricep meets the knee. The recovery has taken so long in part because having sustained the original injury in July 2012 I re-injured it in late Aug 2012, Xmas 2012 and April 2013.

The whole thing is tedious, but on a perspective of months - rather than weeks - I can tell it is getting better.

Zerostar: I hope you can recover. I hate it that I can't ride :(

Noblevelo: Clipless was a big step forward for me. In the past I had some troubles after longer rides that my knees hurt. I switches to clipless and was pain free for a longer period of time. I love riding clipless. I do plan to switch to SPD-SL instead of SPD to get a little bit less float.

After having bursitis in my knees and hips for a number of years due to having one leg longer than the other and not bloody noticing I am finally pain free thanks to a mixture of pilates, yoga and orthotics in my shoes.

So what are some generic knee strengthening exercises I can do at home? To keep them stable under load.

http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/adult_health/sma_posterior_cruciate_ligament_sprain_exercises/

I was given exercises similar to these for physio. Now I'm back to reasonable strength, I do squats and steps in the gym as well, plus stair-climbing and of course the bike.

I haven't really had any problems with my knees for a while, but yesterday, in the kitchen making lunch, I suddenly got a sharp pain in my left knee on what feels to be right in the centre if the knee cap.

I can't fully straighten/lock-out my leg without pain. Walking is fine as long as knee is slightly bent at all times. The last activity I had done was a slow breast-stroke in the pool for 15 mins the day before, and a slow 2 minute cycle home from work for lunch...

I RICE'd it last night and it feels a little better and I notice some minor swelling. Does this sound like something I need to get checked out?

Has anyone been to see a physio at Cadence regarding knee related problems?

http://www.cadenceperformance.com/sports-physiotherapy/

Kind of. Well I had my bike fit there and mentioned my knee problems while seeing a physio at Bodylogic in Battersea.

To be honest the knee thing might have gone away, it might not, but I'm doing more running than cycling at the minute so it's hard to say what's causing what kind of pain in my knee! Great bunch of folks at both places BTW.

So built myself up another fixed build as I'd been missing it.

Knee doesn't feel quite so bad. I think stretching helps a lot but I'm going to see another physio.

At my age (24) I shouldn't have knee pain all the time... right?

http://www.balancephysio.com/

Been here for knee problems, not cycling specific (tore ACL playing football 12 years ago) but they definitely know what they're doing and have bike specialists as well. Would recommend.

At my age (24) I shouldn't have knee pain all the time... right?

I think it just depends what you've done to them in the past... Mine were fucked in my mid-20s, spent a year or two off the bike and they eventually healed themselves...

I'm still getting occasional pain in my left knee in cold weather, that's from coming off the bike last summer... Sucks...

After maybe 5 weeks of stretching and foam roller, I managed 120km and 1200m up yesterday with absolutely no pain.

I'm so happy that I can start riding properly again! Going to keep the stretching up and increase my riding more and more over the next few months and hopefully I'll be back on form by the summer.

I will repeat my recommendation for Nic at Velophysio - she's been amazing

What set of stretches have you been doing Morgan?

And what was the original issue?

I think it just depends what you've done to them in the past... Mine were fucked in my mid-20s, spent a year or two off the bike and they eventually healed themselves...

I'm still getting occasional pain in my left knee in cold weather, that's from coming off the bike last summer... Sucks...

It sucks to say this but I'm considering stopping cycling for a while - to see if the knees get better.

My friend is having knee surgery next Monday - same age!