Outdide knee pain on longer rides only

[Willo]

Last summer when I was on hols in France, I started to get some pain on the outside of my knee. While I had been wearing them for a while with no probs, I adjusted the cleats on my shoes after some advice on here and elsewhere and, after some rest, resumed riding and never thought of it again. A year on and it happened again and this time I put it down to upping my distances and frequency of rides too suddenly while on holiday without the usual work constraints. Again, I rested when I got home and then all was okay on the spin bike in the gym and on some short but hilly 20 mile rides. However, yesterday, when out on a 30 mile spin with a numbr of short but steep hills it started to ache again after ahout 17 miles. I basically get an ache on the outside of the knee and after it just feels bruised for a while. I'm sure it's cycling related (I also run and it's never been initiated while out running).

I have nowhere local that seems to do bike fitting, but I've looked at countless pages and my saddle seems to be the correct height and I have run out of cleat adjustments! The odd thing is that the knee was fine all summer until I went to France. As it seems to occur when I step up the distance/hills I'm wondering if it's just me pushing too hard too quickly (with limited time it's a case of just making the most of the time you have so sometimes the distances jump around a bit). My frustration is that I'd like to enter the odd Sportive next year and build up to do some longer rides of 100 miles or so. However, while it's more of an ache and doesn't stop me completing a ride, I'm starting to fear it's going to get worse if I keep on pushing it.

 

[HLaB]

I'm no physio but perhaps its not the angling or position of the cleat, its your foot and a good pair of orthotic insoles are needed.

 

[teletext45]

I had the same thing- turned out i had pronated heels- been to get some proper insoles
sorted everything out

get some insoles and re-check your cleats

andy

 

[Willo]

Thanks. Will try and get to a physio, but just difficult finding someone who deals with cycling related injuries, set up etc.

 

[teletext45]

I had a bike fit with a cycling coach he helped me out alot and a bike fit is worth every penny !

andy

 

[totallyfixed]

Might be an insole thing and a couple of others you could try, first, if on hills you are grinding up them and staying in the saddle this puts immense strain on your knees and lower back. Second, to get a really good position for your cleats sit on the edge of a table and let your feet hang without touching the floor. The angle of your feet to a plane parallel to the edge of the table is the natural angle you should be cycling in your cleats. My cleats have no float in them at all, when I'm spinning at nearly 200rpm on my fixed I do not want any lateral knee movement. Grinding up hills in the saddle with lateral movement to your knees is a recipe inviting injury sooner or later.
Hope that helps.

 

[Willo]

Thanks, really helpful. Re hills I mostly get up out of the saddle given most on my regular routes are steep but fairly short. However, one factor is that I ride a triple and with better strength/fitness I've been pushing up the hills in the middle ring whereas a year back I'd be in the granny ring. On Sunday, for example, there were half a dozen shortish but steep hills and I was thinking that, while I am getting up them okay, maybe the higher gear is putting extra strain on the knees.

 

[Fnaar]

I've occasionally had that in Spring, when I start upping the miles... IT band syndrome, possibly. My answer was to reduce miles a bit till it subsides.

 

[HLaB]

I've occasionally had that in Spring, when I start upping the miles... IT band syndrome, possibly. My answer was to reduce miles a bit till it subsides.

If it ITB are you stretching, I've found that really helps me and I can wear it off within a few days. My favourite, (if I'm Explaining it right ) is too stand up, cross your legs at the thighs and lean to one side and you should feel it stretching the band on the other side.

 

[Willo]

Thanks again, just attempted that stretch in the office which got me a few strange looks but think I get it so will give it a go before/after rides.

Managed to find a place fairly local that does 'SICI pro-bike fitting' - Downland Cycles in Canterbury if anyone knows it? However, they only have one mid-week slot before Chrimbo , so may have to wait for now unless I decide I can spare a day's leave. £120 for a 2 hour fitting with adjustments to existing bike, cleats etc. if possible.

In the meantime, will just take it fairly easy and hope it's more down to my doing too much too suddenly.

 

[mr Mag00]

dont stretch before ride!

 

[Fnaar]

Thanks again, just attempted that stretch in the office which got me a few strange looks

It helps if you keep your keks on in the office

 

[Willo]

dont stretch before ride!

Why? For running, in helping me overcome and prevent recurrence of serious achilles tendinitis, my physio gave me a pre-run stretch routine that I follow religiously and it has worked for me over the last 2 years.

I bit the bullet and booked myself in for a bike fit. Figured it would be money well spent and with a 2-3 hour appointment I figure it will be thorough! Will be interesting to see what comes out of it.

 

[HLaB]

Why? For running, in helping me overcome and prevent recurrence of serious achilles tendinitis, my physio gave me a pre-run stretch routine that I follow religiously and it has worked for me over the last 2 years.

I bit the bullet and booked myself in for a bike fit. Figured it would be money well spent and with a 2-3 hour appointment I figure it will be thorough! Will be interesting to see what comes out of it.

If it works for you and physio advises it fine but there is the possibility that in stretching cold muscles you can actually do more damage. I used to pre stretch but found exactly that and my preference now is a warm up ride then stretch, however when I stop , I usually find myself gossiping and forgetting to stretch