Floating Cleats?

[slmdunc]

Thanks ladies! We're going to experiment with some of this info and I'll let you know what happens. DirtDiva, your instructions do make sense! We're going to follow your advice, and if some more adjusting to her cleat doesn't do it for this weekend's ride - then we may go ahead and try the Frogs.

She is hesitant to miss ANY weekend rides, b/c we have our first century approaching. Thanks for the help!

[DirtDiva]

If that knee is hurting all the time and not just on/after longer/hillier rides, it probably needs rest more than it needs more riding at the moment. Hope it's not as bad as that though.

[coyote]

Is it possible that her saddle is set too high? I was reading Any Pruitt's book and he says:

"A saddle set too high can cause pain behing the knee because you have to reach for the pedals, excessively stretching the hamstrings."

Just a thought.

[slmdunc]

We had the bike fitted to her when she bought it, but I also had been wondering about her seat. She went to a different bike shop today, near her office, and they said the seat/fit looks perfect for her.

We tried the cleat adjusting, but it's difficult to get it just right, and we can't really tell if it helped until she goes out on a good ride. Turns out... today at the other bike shop - she bought the Speedplay Frogs!

She says they're SO easy to clip in and out of that it will be a bit of an adjustment, but she thinks this may do the trick. Fingers crossed!

[OakLeaf]

How long are the crankarms? How tall is she? Is her knee bent more than 90 degrees at the top of the pedal stroke?

If the pain is behind the kneecap, but in front of the femur, if seat height is the problem, it's more likely too low than too high. A millimeter or two can make a big difference there.

There's an active thread in the Health Issues section about kneecap tracking issues. What you're describing sounds just like the patellofemoral pain I get.

Myself, I prefer non-floating cleats (Look Keo at the moment). Yeah, it took me at least 100 miles before I was done tweaking them to where they felt just right. It meant short rides at first, and a couple of roadside adjustments. And still the occasional tiny tweak 1400 miles later as my muscle balance changes.

To me, using floating cleats seems analogous to wearing clothes that are too loose instead of finding something that fits. But that's just me.