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Has anyone else tore up their knees on the TT bike?

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Has anyone else tore up their knees on the TT bike?

Old 01-12-10, 11:20 AM
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Has anyone else tore up their knees on the TT bike?

This is terrible. I was in serious training mode getting ready for my first big stage race of the season at the end of Feb. I was doing lots of miles on the TT bike as well. I started getting terrible frontal knee pain (Patellar Tendonitis). Now for the past two weeks, my training has gone to crap. I am starting to feel better. I have been staying off of the TT bike and just doing lots of level II, and rest.

I was mentally freaking out because I was/am so concerned I might screw up my season. I am feeling better, but still taking it easy.

From what it looks like, it is my TT position that is screwing me up. I am pretty far forward. I have spoke with a few people and said that this is a very common problem. I love my TT bike and was riding it at least 2 times a week (about 4-7hours). I did a pretty hard 3 hour on it on New Yrs day with some knee pain and it just got worse from there.

Has anyone else had this happen?
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Old 01-12-10, 11:39 AM
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no.

but I have a considerably higher saddle position (compared to my RR bike) because I am quite forward. Have you considered raising the saddle?
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Old 01-12-10, 11:51 AM
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Well, you have two things you can adjust - saddle height and saddle fore/aft. Consider how steep (effective seat tube angle). You may need to ride slacker (move saddle back), in addition to experimenting as suggested by Grumpy.
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Old 01-12-10, 12:25 PM
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I also run my seat quite a bit higher on the TT bike.
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Old 01-12-10, 12:44 PM
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Thanks for the info guys. I was thinking the same thing. Saddle height. I will look into it. I am really suprised how bad I hurt my knees from this. Pisses me off.

Oh well, I still have 5 weeks till my first big race. I should be ok..... I hope.
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Old 01-12-10, 01:00 PM
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I would think saddle height would be the first thing I examined. How did you come about your fit? Self Fit? Pro? LBS? BF.net?
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Old 01-12-10, 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Nate552
I would think saddle height would be the first thing I examined. How did you come about your fit? Self Fit? Pro? LBS? BF.net?
I am a self taught fitter although I have had various pro fits. TT bikes are new to me though fit wise. I was thinking I had the saddle too low. TT bikes are very different. I have been doing tons of research and tweeking it a lot. Unfortunately my fit changes so much from the trainer to the road on my TT. Weird.
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Old 01-12-10, 02:26 PM
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I broke a kneecap crashing a TT bike once. Does that count? I shouldn't have been in the aero bars for this corner, hit a cross-street storm drain and broke the rear wheel loose. By the time I got up and grabbed the brakes, I was headed for some off-road rocks.

My knee whacked the right aero bar clamp on the way over the bars.
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Old 01-12-10, 02:30 PM
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Originally Posted by waterrockets
I broke a kneecap crashing a TT bike once. Does that count? I shouldn't have been in the aero bars for this corner, hit a cross-street storm drain and broke the rear wheel loose. By the time I got up and grabbed the brakes, I was headed for some off-road rocks.

My knee whacked the right aero bar clamp on the way over the bars.
OUCH!!!

How long were you off the bike?
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Old 01-12-10, 02:32 PM
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12 weeks in a leg brace. Ten years later, my right thigh is still smaller. Most of the atrophy set in during the first three days. It was incredible how fast the muscle mass blew out of there when the leg was completely sedentary. The Dr. told me I couldn't flex any right thigh muscles for any reason.
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Old 01-12-10, 02:49 PM
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Originally Posted by waterrockets
12 weeks in a leg brace. Ten years later, my right thigh is still smaller. Most of the atrophy set in during the first three days. It was incredible how fast the muscle mass blew out of there when the leg was completely sedentary. The Dr. told me I couldn't flex any right thigh muscles for any reason.
My legs are toothpick like after all the knee and femur crap of the last 6 months. I have my last round of injections on Friday and then 6 more weeks of Zone .05 JRA and hanging out to see if everything is going to take. If all goes well, base will start at the beginning of March and I'll maybe see a hint of a quad or calf muscle by April if I don't collapse on my first tempo ride. I fear intervals.

Waterrockets, see ya next year in the 40+. Grrrrrrrr.
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Old 01-12-10, 02:54 PM
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<sigh> freaking knees
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Old 01-12-10, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by txvintage
Waterrockets, see ya next year in the 40+. Grrrrrrrr.
I look out over the fields and tell him son, someday all this will be yours.
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Old 01-12-10, 03:01 PM
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Ya, but I only have to put with him for a couple of years and then it's off the Geezer class.

Oh wait.
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Old 01-12-10, 03:14 PM
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...
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Old 01-12-10, 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by waterrockets
<sigh> freaking knees
+ Infinity!
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Old 01-12-10, 03:29 PM
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I had the quad pain that suggests too low a saddle when I first tried clip ons. Also my balls atrophied because I was perched right on the nose of the Fizik Pave saddle. My friend said 1cm forward needs 3-4 cm up, and I think that formula must have worked for me. I put the saddle forwards and up, and no problems after that. I did eventually get a Fixik Arione Tri saddle too, that has a much softer nose.
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Old 01-12-10, 06:33 PM
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Your symptoms indicate too low a saddle/too big a gear. Fix that and you fix your knees. Or at least the irritation. You should know that tendonitis does not disappear quickly. Chances are you will have some level of symptoms during your race. It's not like a muscular strain. Take care of your knees. Adequate warm up, knee warmers, and appropriate cool down will all aslo be of some benefit. Of course, this is to help prevent the problem. Avoiding icebergs after the ship already has a hole in it is only of limited help.

I am full of cheer!
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Old 01-12-10, 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted by DrWJODonnell
Your symptoms indicate too low a saddle/too big a gear. Fix that and you fix your knees. Or at least the irritation. You should know that tendonitis does not disappear quickly. Chances are you will have some level of symptoms during your race. It's not like a muscular strain. Take care of your knees. Adequate warm up, knee warmers, and appropriate cool down will all aslo be of some benefit. Of course, this is to help prevent the problem. Avoiding icebergs after the ship already has a hole in it is only of limited help.

I am full of cheer!

Thanks for the prognosis.

Yeah, actually the pain started about 4 weeks ago since I have been riding the TT bike hard. NYD, I did a hard ride on it and since then they got really pinchy/sore/etc right below the knee cap. From what I read it is patellar tendonitis. I have been very light on my riding since. I have been icing, jumper's knee compression straps, ibu. Still hurting. I hope I didn't cause too much damage.

Thanks again for the replies.
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Old 01-12-10, 06:50 PM
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Spinwax.

My knee pain started off as what might have been a case of simple patellar tendinitis. It's been about 4 months since then and I'm still off the bike due to pain.

I would advise that you take the time now, and use anti inflammatories, stretches (if there are any)/and or massage to take care of the issue before it gets worse. Listen to your body and it'll do what you tell it to.
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Old 01-12-10, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by ridethecliche
Spinwax.

My knee pain started off as what might have been a case of simple patellar tendinitis. It's been about 4 months since then and I'm still off the bike due to pain.

I would advise that you take the time now, and use anti inflammatories, stretches (if there are any)/and or massage to take care of the issue before it gets worse. Listen to your body and it'll do what you tell it to.
Thanks man. Yeah, the worst part is, I just had knee surgery in Oct. I was full on training (4 big stage races coming up through April) and now this happens. It has mentally messed with me more than anything. These are races I felt I could win, now I am just trying to get through this crap. They have felt better in the past few days. I am just going to continue to do the things I am doing and hopefully I will continue down the right path.

Man, getting old SUCKS!!!!!!!!1
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Old 01-12-10, 11:47 PM
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Originally Posted by ridethecliche
Spinwax.

My knee pain started off as what might have been a case of simple patellar tendinitis. It's been about 4 months since then and I'm still off the bike due to pain.

I would advise that you take the time now, and use anti inflammatories, stretches (if there are any)/and or massage to take care of the issue before it gets worse. Listen to your body and it'll do what you tell it to.
This.

Also, FWIW, check your cleats to make sure they aren't mis-aligned. When you get back on the bike focus on keeping the cadence high and smooth.
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Old 01-13-10, 07:45 AM
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Agreed, You can't train through knee issues, they won't just go away on their own.
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