Frustrated-Part II

[velogirl]

How long have you been riding? How frequently do you ride? And for how long each time?

How would you rate your knee pain (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Is is minor discomfort when you ride? Does it persist after you ride? Is it a sharp pain? A dull pain? Does it occur after a certain point (ie an hour) in your ride? Only when you climb hills?

It's not uncommon with new riders to have some discomfort when we begin riding. We're putting our body in a very unnatural static position and cycling is a repetitive motion. It takes time to get used to both of those stressors. I'm not saying that new riders should have pain, but I will say that it's common for new riders to have some discomfort as they build strength in all the muscles that support our bodies and our joints.

For example, how would you feel if you sat in a chair with your right arm raised above your head for two hours? Does this mean your chair is wrong for you? No, it simply means you're in a static position for longer than your body is used to. Now if you were to do that again the next three days, by the fourth it probably wouldn't feel so uncomfortable.

Or, how would you feel if you turned your head in circles for two hours. Same idea, your neck and shoulders would probably ache.

Just this week I was working with a woman who's been "riding" for a couple of years, but only rides once every other week. Each time she gets on the bike, it feels uncomfortable to her (both mentally and physically). Her bike fit is good, when we really talked about her pain, she admitted it was only a 2-3 on a scale of 10, and my advice to her was simply to ride more frequently and give it some time.

I'm sure some of the experienced riders on the board could share stories of how they felt after taking some time off the bike. I ride about 20 hours a week, but recently took six days off because of a cold. The first ride back for me was definitely uncomfortable -- my triceps ached, my knees were creaky, and my tush was sore. But it wasn't pain.

[songlady]

But I am not a new rider!!!! I did 2000 miles last year and 1600 the year before that without this kind of problem. This past winter was so mild that I rode the entire season. I know normal aches and pains from riding. This is definitely NOT it. My kneecap is so irritated that it's interfering with normal day to day activities, like stairs. I don't allow it to get to the point of sharp pain, I recognize the precursors and ice, stretch, rest, and take ibuprofen.
Trust me, there is NOTHING about this problem that is normal discomfort!!!!! IMO. joint pain/problems are not normal and should not be taken lightly!

[Nanci]

Well, the only thing that changed was your bike- so it must be something related to a different position compared to your old bike.

Nanci

[Jo-n-NY]

Another thumbs up for Speedplay Frogs here. It is now about a year that I have been using them. I lubed them once. I have not replaced the cleats yet and to be honest I do not know how to tell when they need replacing.

I do not have knee problems. I chose the Frogs because I heard of the extremely easy clipping in and clipping out.

However, I recently purchased a The Firm step aerobics system. Well, I have only used the 35 minute dvd and everytime after I use it the my knee caps feel tender inside. It goes away the next day, but once I do the exercise, the tenderness comes back. I think it has to do with the up and down on the step even at the lowest one. I do plan on using it anymore, but what I am getting at here, have you done anything different in your day to day activities.

Just picking at another straw here.

~ JoAnn

[songlady]

Thanks ladies, at this point I am 90% convinced it's the pedals. But there is no point in trying the Speedplays until the irritation completely subsides.

[KSH]

Thanks ladies, at this point I am 90% convinced it's the pedals. But there is no point in trying the Speedplays until the irritation completely subsides.

Well... I know I couldn't get rid of my irritation... until I changed pedals. Then, it took around a month of riding on the new pedals to get my knees back to 100%.

Staying with your current pedals won't help the irritation go away.

[velogirl]

But I am not a new rider!!!! I did 2000 miles last year and 1600 the year before that without this kind of problem. This past winter was so mild that I rode the entire season. I know normal aches and pains from riding. This is definitely NOT it. My kneecap is so irritated that it's interfering with normal day to day activities, like stairs. I don't allow it to get to the point of sharp pain, I recognize the precursors and ice, stretch, rest, and take ibuprofen.
Trust me, there is NOTHING about this problem that is normal discomfort!!!!! IMO. joint pain/problems are not normal and should not be taken lightly!

So, you have a new bike? And new SPD pedals? Is there anything else new in your life (another form of exercise, different car or desk chair, new walking or work shoes)? If not, I'd say you need to focus on your fit changes with the new bike and new pedals.

Did you match the geometry of your old bike to your new bike? If not, that would be the first place to start since you rode pain-free with your old bike.

I also agree that if you want to change pedal systems, you should do it now, rather than wait for your pain to subside.

One comment I will make about pedals with more float (like the frogs you want to get), is that if you had ITBS, this may not be the best solution for you. Large amounts of float require you to engage more muscles (and can stress your ligaments, tendons, and joints), because you need to stabilize your hip/ankle/knee to track correctly. While additional float can help those with knee issues, too much float can be just as bad as not enough float.

If you're in that much pain, I'd recommend chatting with a doc or a physical therapist to see if you can determine what the underlying cause is. Cycling in and of itself isn't generally the cause of knee pain. Usually, the repetitve motion of cycling just enhances a pre-existing condition (usually something we didn't even know we had).

[Kathi]

My LBS was trying to talk me out of Speedplays too. I've had Speedplays for years. I got them because I was having knee pain and the LBS recommended them as a solution. The knee pain didn't go away and it got worse. My ortho thought I had torn menicus so he went in an scoped my knee, it was synosivitis (an injury to the synovial sac). It was on the outside of my knee, also ITBS was suspected.

I also have chrondomalicia so I stuck with my Speedplays. I ride about 4,000 miles a year.

When I tore my ACL/MCL in Jan. my ortho gave me permission to ride my bike on the trainer for rehab. His first question to me was what kind of pedal was I using. When I told him Speedplays, he said they were the best for knees (not sure if he meant problem knees or knees in general).

I almost 8 weeks acl post surgery. I'm allowed to ride outdoors but I'm not allowed to use my clipless pedals, toeclips or straps or anything that catches my foot in any way. I tried using old mtn bike platform pedals but they locked my feet into a straighter position, one that I'm not used to. They were better with gym shoes but then I didn't get support. If I used hiking shoes I got better support but the lugs caught on the pedals.

Speedplay has platform pedal that snaps over the Speedplay road pedal. It's pretty neutral in design and I can get the float I need and holds my foot without catching it.

One day I tried an experiment on my trainer. I tried pedaling with my toes pointed forward instead their natural position. I immediately noticed pain in the center of both kneecaps.

Checkout the Speedplay website. There is a lot of information on float, design, maintence, etc.

About once a year the LBS lubes my pedals. A few drops of lube every ride helps to maintain the cleats. Also, when you notice flat spots on the springs its time to replace the cleats. I alternate shoes so I can't tell exactly how many miles that is.

Problems clipping out are due to the screws being tighted to tightly, my LBS did this to me once, or dirt or stones between the spring and outside of the cleat. Failure to lube the cleats makes it a little more difficult to clip out.

I started pedaling on the trainer 9 days after surgery and with my leg in such weaken state I could still clip out. I wear the cleat covers whenever I walk in them. If you do get dirt in them its easy to clean out with a small screwdriver.

As far as walking in the road ones I don't find them that uncomfortable especially with the covers on. I once walked 3 miles down a mtn pass, I was afraid to ride, with my cycling shoes on and wasn't in much discomfort.

They say you have a feeling of sliding on ice when you first start to use Speedplay pedals. I didn't experience that feeling.

I also use orthotics in my shoes without them I noticed more discomfort in my knees.

[TsPoet]

Have you thought about pedal extenders/knee savers? I used to have chronic knee cap pain, I also have ITBS. The pedal extenders solved my general knee problems, stretching has been great for the ITBS.
I did learn (the hard way) to put the extender only on the side with the painful knee.
http://www.bikescor.com/product/knee.htm

These are supposed to be great for women, people with wide hips, nock knees... anyone with a Q greater than their pedal distance.

Sue

[winddance]

As far as walking in the road ones I don't find them that uncomfortable especially with the covers on. I once walked 3 miles down a mtn pass, I was afraid to ride, with my cycling shoes on and wasn't in much discomfort.

I *heart* my Speedplays. Years of ballet have really taken their toll on my knees, to the point of where I threw in the towel on dancing and took up cycling instead. I find that I have the strength everywhere else to stabilize myself on the pedals, so I use the X5's. After some experimenting with pedals, I found that I just wasn't built at right angles, and most of the pedal systems I tried I couldn't adjust enough to make them comfortable for me.

I don't find the road cleats to be all that uncomfortable to walk in, particularly with the cleat covers on. To velogirl's point on float, the more expensive Speedplay road models have adjustable float, so if too much becomes an issue, you can customize them. I'm not too familiar with the Frogs, so I don't know that they have this feature, but it might be an option if the degree of float irritates your injury.

[DeniseGoldberg]

...I'm not too familiar with the Frogs, so I don't know that they have this feature, but it might be an option if the degree of float irritates your injury.

Frogs are a totally free float pedal. There is no adjustment in the pedal or the cleat. For me, that's a good thing. For someone else...

[songlady]

TsPoet, I have never heard of those before. Interesting! We did put washers on the end of one pedal because I was toeing out so much my heel was banging on the crank.
Ladies, thanks so much for sharing all your experiences. I have not been back on the bike since the 3.5 hour fitting on Tuesday. My ITBS is the most inflammed it's ever been. I am doing my PT exercises, stretching/rolling religiously, icing, and taking advil. Once things settle down I am going to stick to a flat pedal for a while, but have completely sworn off SPD's. Then maybe speedplays??? Also considering going to the doctor for a referal to deal with this leg length discrepancy I discovered. Wonder if I might need orthodics instead of just superfeet?