Knee pain and saddle position

[Melalvai]

This is all good to know. I've been doing the fire hydrant exercises. I know my back isn't strong enough because I keep throwing it out on my upper body workouts. I've been given additional core exercises for that. I'll look into the butt exercises! I had no idea until recently how everything is tied together at the core.

[Owlie]

Out of curiosity, is it mainly the muscles above or below the knee? Front or back? Behind the knee? Sharp/dull pain? I had some of this when my injuries fired up in September, though I am sure that your pain is more fit-related than mine was.

Front, right above the knee cap. It's about where I imagine the muscles (quads and sartorius (?)) attach.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Front, right above the knee cap. It's about where I imagine the muscles (quads and sartorius (?)) attach.

Raise your saddle up higher by about 1/2" and see if that helps. Front kneecap muscle pain can be a symptom of a too-low saddle.

[Melalvai]

Tonight the Thurs instructor told me to ride knock-kneed. After class I told him all this, and he said "That is true but your knees are too wide. When you thought you were riding knock-kneed your knees came in line with your feet."

[KnottedYet]

Tonight the Thurs instructor told me to ride knock-kneed. After class I told him all this, and he said "That is true but your knees are too wide. When you thought you were riding knock-kneed your knees came in line with your feet."

Sometimes people open their knees when the saddle is too low for the way they ride.
It makes their legs act "shorter."

[Cataboo]

I'm pretty sure I need one of my cleats adjusted too. I feel like it's forcing my left knee into a position it doesn't like.

which pedals do you use? How much float? I use speedplay frogs so that my knees have a lot of choice over where they end up - but saddle height makes a huge difference in how happy my knees are and the cleat has to be in the right spot on my shoe.

[Owlie]

I'm using SPDs.
The pain is mostly my left knee, which may be made worse by that cleat. Another fun fact--I pulled out my Castelli shorts (the ones with the scorpions on the outside of the leg openings), and noticed that the scorpions were beginning to peel off on the inside of the left leg more than they were on the right. Could be an artifact of washing or whatever, but makes me wonder.

[Catrin]

Did your LBS adjust your cleats to this bike? I know that you are saving money for a fitting, but perhaps they would be willing to take a look at it and not charge much?

It sounds like the pain I had when I was relegated to using toe cages after return to spinning class awhile back after my injury. I had terrible sharp pains from time to time from my left knee from those da*n things. Thankfully I can, now, clip in for spinning, but your pain sounds like that. Wondering if your current cleat adjustment has your left knee just slightly off.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sometimes people open their knees when the saddle is too low for the way they ride.
It makes their legs act "shorter."

that's like when you see grown men riding little kids' bikes- their knees are always sticking way out like those circus chimps riding bikes. lol!

[Becky]

Wondering if your current cleat adjustment has your left knee just slightly off.

This. It's amazing what a tiny tweak in cleat angle to do to improve comfort...

[OakLeaf]

Fore/aft cleat placement (which is a matter of how far your knee and hip extend, which muscles are bringing you power and what's going on in your ankle) can often benefit from an expert eye and measurement.

Side/side and rotational alighment are more, if they're off, they're torquing your knees every pedal stroke. You can feel that if you pay attention. Find someplace you can spiin steadily, preferably a reasonably flat road. Have whatever tool you need to re-position your cleat accessible. After you've warmed up, focus on how your knee joints feel. Does it feel like your tibias are being pulled to the outside or inside of your knee joints? Uncomfortably turned? A lot, or just a little?

Reposition your cleats (I always have to think way too hard about which way everything has to go, since my shoes are upside down when I'm moving the cleats ) and try again. See if that helps.

[Owlie]

Side/side and rotational alighment are more, if they're off, they're torquing your knees every pedal stroke. You can feel that if you pay attention. Find someplace you can spiin steadily, preferably a reasonably flat road. Have whatever tool you need to re-position your cleat accessible. After you've warmed up, focus on how your knee joints feel. Does it feel like your tibias are being pulled to the outside or inside of your knee joints? Uncomfortably turned? A lot, or just a little?

That's it exactly on the cleat adjustment! I can't articulate it off the bike, because I can ignore it until the last five or so minutes of my workout. Sounds like I need to scoot it a little closer to the bike.