looping knees

[mimitabby]

good grief, my husband took a video of me riding on the wind trainer because he and his friend have noticed that my knees do not go straight up and down while i am pedalling up hills.

I watched the video with him and it kind of made me seasick just to watch!!!

suggestions?

Mimi

[Bad JuJu]

I've got this going on all the time. Orthopedic doc did x-rays and an mri and found that my kneecaps point ever so slightly outboard--and my trying to make them go straight caused knee strain. So I just live with my weird gait.

[mimitabby]

I am hoping i can fix it!

[SouthernBelle]

If it doesn't cause you any discomfort, I wouldn't worry too much. We all have our physical pecularities.

Is your seat high enough? Mine is high enough that I don't think I have enough slack to loop. But on the otherhand, I haven't been taped, so my knees may look like a kangaroo's for all know. I think riding clipped also enforces foot and therefore knee position.

Random ramblings,

[salsabike]

If your knees don't hurt, you might want to just leave it alone. I went through this with Erik Moen, who said my left knee looped out a bit at the top of the pedal stroke. Didn't hurt, though. I made a conscious effort to correct it---and THEN it started to hurt. So now I just let my knee go where it wants to and don't suffer from it at all.

[mimitabby]

my seat is definitely high enough. Hmmm two of you are loopy and messing with it hurt your knees. wow. Maybe me too?

[KnottedYet]

Mimi - I've watched your knees and hips from behind. (can't help it. I also watch people's gaits.) Your right is pretty funky. You are an experienced rider who does serious riding. You could well be compensating for something somewhere, and if it's functional don't mess with it. Or go see Erik Moen. He's the one I'd really like to work for. :D

I know I've talked to you before about it, and you said it didn't bother you. Is it bugging you cuz it looks funky, or is it becoming irritating to your body?

[mimitabby]

Mimi - I've watched your knees and hips from behind. (can't help it. I also watch people's gaits.) Your right is pretty funky. You are an experienced rider who does serious riding. You could well be compensating for something somewhere, and if it's functional don't mess with it. Or go see Erik Moen. He's the one I'd really like to work for. :D

I know I've talked to you before about it, and you said it didn't bother you. Is it bugging you cuz it looks funky, or is it becoming irritating to your body?


Knotted, thanks for responding. I know i'm crooked. No it isn't bothering me yet. DH and other very experienced riders are concerned about it. This gives me a good opportunity to go see your guy :cool:

When i was a little kid, i was very clumsy and several doctors suggested that i be put in braces to straighten my feet. One Doctor said "Ballet school" which helped tremendously. but my mother was a single mom and moved around a lot and ballet school fell on the wayside after just a few years.

bicycling is the next serious exercise that i have done in my life, after a gap of over 40 years!

[Bad JuJu]

One Doctor said "Ballet school" which helped tremendously.
That's so funny, mimi--I had a similar experience as a child. When I was about 5, my dad thought I was bow-legged, and the doc said they should try sending me to ballet school to encourage my legs to grow straighter or at least to make them strong. I don't remember anyone saying anything about my kneecaps pointing outward--I guess "bowlegged" was a pretty standard description for knee anomalies in those days (mid 1950s).

Anyway, I hated the ballet teacher, who smoked and drank Coke (straight, I think) while we practiced. And her school was the only game in town, so that didn't last long. Now, like you, 40-some years later, my wonky kneecaps are making their presence known. But yes, it wasn't until I tried to change them that they started complaining--now I've learned to just let them have their way in all their wonkiness, and they'll take me wherever I want to go.

[mimitabby]

Gee, that's sad that ballet school was such a bad experience for you. For me it was the opposite. I was sure I would become a ballerina when I grew up.
I really loved it.. owell.

[Bad JuJu]

I was sure I would become a ballerina when I grew up.
And now you're a Bianchi Ballerina!;)