Knee's

[Eagone]

Guys

Been back into cycling now since November last year, building up the fitness I now ride 40 - 50 miles on a Sunday, with a couple of shorter routes in the week.

Sunday just gone I set off at 7am on my Specialized Sirrus comp Hybrid and completed 80k - 50miles in 3hrs 44, (my best is 3hrs 28) - I'm happy with that at the moment I'm 41 and still way overweight working its way down hopefully.

However - not my actual knee's but the bit where the leg reaches the knee's after all my long rides aches like mad, to the point where during the rest of Sunday and yesterday I get up out of a sitting position like a pensioner.

Any tips or exercises that will ease this stiffing?

 

[vickster]

Leg = shin or thigh?

Sounds like you've probably overdone it, potentially on bike that doesn't fit right or isn't set up optimally

Do you warm up slowly and then stretch all your leg muscles after riding?

 

[Berties]

Gentle warming up,warming down ,stretching, ensure bike fits you correctly, and a trip to a good Physio /biomechanics ,spin your pedals more than grinding ,

 

[Dayvo]

Yep, saddle too low, and maybe too far back.

Also have a look at the positioning of your cleats.

 

[Apollonius]

Another thing that hammers knees is riding in too high a gear. Keep your legs spinning and drop gears early when coming to an incline. Keep your chain-line as central as possible and make your first change the chain-ring. Aim for a cadence of at least 80 rpm.

 

[sheffgirl]

My knees hurt (the actual joint) if I do a lot of riding, I know I'm guilty of not using my lower gears, and I'm trying to work on that, and pacing up hills.
Sometimes they hurt when I squat down and try to stand up again. Must be showing my age :/

 

[brand]

My knees hurt (the actual joint) if I do a lot of riding, I know I'm guilty of not using my lower gears, and I'm trying to work on that, and pacing up hills.
Sometimes they hurt when I squat down and try to stand up again. Must be showing my age :/

Sounds like arthritis. I have septic arthritis in right knee. Leg muscles wasted away, needed to rebuild muscles or would need new knee within a year. Physio and rheumatologist said do low impact exercises (thank god cycling is nearly my only means of transport) AND non weight bearing. So no standing up on the bike. Weight training is just impossible. But cycling (on machine initially) in the wrong gears is essentially a weight bearing exercise. In other words great stress on the knee. Rohloff gears seem to make it easier to be in the BEST gear although not necessarily the right gear. At times a unnaturaly high cadence. I find I often move two gears instead of one. Pain is of course a very good measure of wherever your doing it wrong. Best not to use that as measure!

 

[Crackle]

My knees hurt (the actual joint) if I do a lot of riding, I know I'm guilty of not using my lower gears, and I'm trying to work on that, and pacing up hills.
Sometimes they hurt when I squat down and try to stand up again. Must be showing my age :/

It might be as Brand says or it might be muscular causing a maltracking patella. If it's the latter, it's easily sortable. Of course it might be something else entirely, knees are complex areas but I would consider seeing a physio for some assessment, joint stiffness in the knees is not always arthritis. Your GP would send you for an x-ray if you saw them. Just don't ignore it, knee problems will put you off the bike for a long time.

 

[vickster]

And you only have one pair of knees to see you through life, a replacement isn't an ideal solution

Bite the bullet, pay £50 (or less) to see a private sports physio, preferably one with interest in cycling (if it's your main activity)

 

[Amanda P]

My knees (no apostrophe required) are now over 90 years old (between them) and have done quite a high mileage. They sometimes ache, but they're sensitive to getting cold. It's rarely so warm in the UK that, when moving briskly, they don't get quite cold, but of course you don't notice that when you're exercising.

So I say, whatever else you change, make sure you keep your knees warm - i.e. covered, unless it's really quite hot out. My knees seem to appreciate that.

 

[Moodyman]

Wise words from Uncle Phil. I often get knee pain during the in-between weather period say March-April or Sep-October.

Where it might gave been just right yesterday, but dropped several degrees in temperature today.

 

[Keith Oates]

I had some small pain in the knees some time ago and then heard from someone ( I forget who) that if your main exercise is cycling the two muscles either side and above the knee cap do not get sufficient exercise and so strength to keep the knee 'in line'. The recommended solution was to exercise these two muscles each day and the pain may disappear. I did this each morning just by tensioning and the releasing for about 20 times and I found that after a few days the pain stopped. I now do this any time I get a knee pain and it seems to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sheffgirl]

The pain is on the inner sides of my knees, medial apparently. I googled it and apparently there are a few causes.
I also have a slightly 'crunchy' knee, an after effect of falling on it 2 years ago (it doesn't hurt).

 

[vickster]

Time to see a physio...I seem to remember you posting about your knees ages ago, did you get treated? If they haven't got better yet, time to do something, assuming stretching etc haven't helped. Crunchy with no pain isn't a great issue, most joints crackle

 

[screenman]

Eagone, just how much extra weight are your poor knees having to carry every day?