knee pain

[lura]

Ok, I went out and got that bike I dreamed of, got it fitted to me and have since developed knee pain.
I am looking for some ideas. The pain is on the outside, above the knee, about where the quad ligament feels like it joins the knee capsule.
I have checked seat height and crank length and they are the same. I did a century last weekend, but it had started getting irritated before that, so I rested 4 days before the ride. Let it rest for 4 more days after the ride. Took a 30 mile last night and was feeling it when I got home.
Anybody had this situation? Got any ideas?

[Veronica]

Have you checked your clips to make sure they're set up properly? Have you been doing a lot of hills and mashing instead of spinning?

Those are two things that have bothered my knees lately. :)

Veronica

[lura]

Thanks for the reply. That is the only other variation that I can think of. I was using SPD's, now I have Look pedals. Which I love!
But maybe the float is different and my knee doesn't track the same.
I didn't notice anything immediate when I got the new bike. It was more gradual. After about the 5th ride of 25-30 miles I started noticing it.
Which now that I think about it, makes sense that it would be the pedals.

[williamtash]

Hi I was just at my LBS over my look pedals and I asked about SDP and the looks. I was told the looks don't have as much float to them as the spd to. If you have knee problem spd are better because of the float like your on water. I would take them in to your LBS and see how you are spinning with them You could be heel in and not notice it your self someone would need to be infront of you to see it. Try that

[mstamy]

I was wondering if anyone has developed left knee pain from unclipping and stopping at traffic lights. I have to put my left foot down because of the crown of the street. This is the only thing that I can think of that would hurt one knee and not the other. The pain is around the lower side of the patella.

[MightyMitre]

Hi Mstamy

I'd certainly check out the set up of your pedals - especially as you've just changes to Looks. The cleats only have to out of line a bit for it to hurt your knees, as my boyfriend discovered in a race a few months ago.

One way to make sure you've got the cleats in the right place is to sit on a table or high surface with your legs dangling over the edge, just realxing, and make a mental note of the angle your feet . You can then adjust your cleats accordingly so your feet are in a similar position on the bike.

Have you got red or black Look cleats? The red one have some float, but if you've got the black ones they don't have any float at all, and would definitly recommend you get some help from your LBS in setting these up.

Hope this helps. If things don't get any better then don't put off going to see your docotor/ sport physio. I had a knee problem last year, where the muscles on the inner thigh weren't strenghtening as quickly as the outer thigh muscles and my knee-cap was literally being pulled out of place by the stonger muscles. This only started as a small niggle but due to me trying to ignore it , it got a lot worse before I saw a physio. Still, all better now...

Let us know how you get on.:)

[Irulan]

The pain is on the outside, above the knee, about where the quad ligament feels like it joins the knee capsule.

that was my symptoms when I had over tight IT bands.

This site here is the exact stretching prescription my sports doc gave me:IT band stretches (http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2000/02_00/fredericson.htm)

Irulan

[williamtash]

Mightymitre

Hi I really didn't know the differance in the color of the cleat had to do with the float. I have the red ones. That Idea about hanging your legs is right on. my LBS used that on me because I have MD and my legs go numb quickly so I have to have the clips just right. I was wondering why they had me in a chair first in bare feet. then in my shoe and on a trainer for 15 min just to set them. I thought they did it to everyone I guess not. Now I know how to do it for my other set of cleats thanks

[MightyMitre]

You're welcome williamtash.

Don't really know why anyone would want to the black Look cleats with no float. A guy in our club uses them but I can't think the lack of float is a good thing. It would only take the cleats to be out by a fraction and you'd have all sorts of problems, but he seems to like them!

Still each to their own - personally I'm a total Speedplay devote... :D

[williamtash]

MightMirte

I really wish I had known about the speedplay before I got the looks. I think later on I will most likely go to them. I have really not heard anything bad about them. They main thing is they are easy on the legs. thanks again.

[mstamy]

Thanks for your advice. I am using speedplays. They are the first and only clips I've ever used. Really easy to get used to. After riding in traffic with me on Sat. my husband had a little pain in his left knee. I think it probably is from having to stop at lights. There is a little bit of a jerk if you are still moving a litttle too fast. We'll just have to make sure we slow down more - unfortunately.