Ace, did you say what your knee problem consists of? Maybe I missed it. But here's what works for me regarding knee pain: I wear a Cho-Pat strap every time I go out for a ride of more than a few miles. I have arthritis in my left knee and both kneecaps are rotated outward a few degrees, though the only one that complains is the arthritic lefty. Apparently the Cho-Pat strap supports the kneecap just enough that those conditions are rendered insignificant as I pedal.

Or maybe it's just a placebo effect--who knows? Bottom line: I'm able to do rides of 40+ miles without significant knee pain, whereas I couldn't do that without the strap. Last spring I did a 4-day bike tour, with back-to-back 40+ mile days and came home still able to ride pretty comfortably.

Check out the strap at FootSmart.com.