Newbie with knee pain

[mary9761]

My guess echoeing what others have said would be seat height. I know at one point I was having knee pain and once I got my seat adjusted to the proper height for me, my knees weren't getting the strain they were getting previously.
Now if I have knee pain, I know I've pushed it too much in the cold weather. I had to readjust the seat height on my stationary as well. Made all the difference in the world.

[Nanci]

The first thing I'd try is raising the seat by quarter inch increments. When the pedals are level, your tibia should be straight up and down, as a kind of guideline. You should have a slight bend in your knee when your leg is straight down as far as it will go. I've heard that knee pain is often due to the seat being too low, (kind of opposite of what you'd think) so I'd start in that direction.

Nanci

[KSH]

My knee pain early on was due to my cleats not being situated properly on my pedals and me mashing through, instead of spinning.

I then bought SpeedPlays (with float) for my clipless pedal...and I learned how to spin.

After about 2 months, my knee pain was all gone. And I had acute knee pain. It would hurt so bad, I would have to pedal with 1 leg at the end of a ride.

That's what worked for me. I'm not a Dr. or a professional, so I can't say what will work for you.

[Biking Mama]

I've made arrangements for a formal fitting on the bike and will check into floating gear. I do like a bit of tension while riding...what is spinning?

[DeniseGoldberg]

I do like a bit of tension while riding...what is spinning?

If you are pushing high gears, that could very well be the cause of your knee pain.

Here's a description of pushing vs. spinning from Sheldon Brown's web site (at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

"Pushing" a high gear at a slow cadence is like power lifting. It is good for building up muscle mass and bulking up your legs, but it does little for your heart or lungs, and you can hurt yourself if you overdo it.

"Spinning" a lower gear at a rapid cadence is more like swimming. The rapid motion, with many repetitions makes the legs supple and flexible, it is highly aerobic, and the light pressure that goes with this style reduces wear and tear on the joints. With practice "spinning" becomes easier and more comfortable.

--- Denise

[velodrome.co.nr]

i've had alot of knee pain over the years and lost count of the numerous books etc I have bought that help with this issue.
I even went to get re-measured up for my bike and had cleats realigned etc
So believe me I've done and explored every option.
I just put my knee pain down to long hard seasons and the requirement of rest. As i only seem to get problems in the off season.

[Dogmama]

Velodrome,

One thing about knee pain - once you injure those little ligaments, etc., they're easily re-injured unless they're completed rehabbed.

When I started working out, it was during the Jane Fonda/Jazzercise era. We wore cute (?) outfits and NO SHOES. We jumped around on concrete. Knee pain was constant.

Proper cycling, e.g., no mashing & pedaling in a circle, has really helped. I still get knee pain, but it isn't as severe (I couldn't push down the clutch on my wimpy Toyota truck 20 years ago.)

Good fit, of course, is essential.