General Cycling Discussion - Thigh Burn and Cramps - First Half Century

I rode my first half century yesterday (52.2 miles), and had some trouble with severe burning on my Quads, and some really bad cramping in a muscle just next to my knee. I started riding last July, and have been gradually working building mileage. I had ridden two 40 milers, one just two weeks ago. The burning started about 35 miles into the ride. As I hit 43 miles, I started a fairly steep climb, as I came out of the saddle, the muscles on the top-inside of my knee started twitching violently. I had to unclip and stop due to the pain and cramps. I pushed the bike to the top of the hill, waited 5 minutes and continued. Same problem on two subsequent climbs.

Questions:

1) Is burning on the Quads normals and will it get better with more training?
2) What the heck was going on with the muscles around the knees?
3) Any suggestions on improving to eliminate these problems?

Thanks,

Richard

It sounds like (1) your seat is too low (will hurt the knees and overwork the quads), (2) you're pushing too big a gear, and/or (3) your pedaling technique may be off. Also, are you hydrating properly? Cramps can be caused by a lot of things, but making sure you're hydrated before you set out to ride can help. Make sure when you pedal that your are pulling up while your other leg is pushing down, and that you are not just mashing the pedals. That will overwork your quads in a hurry.

If I had to guess, 1 & 2 are the primary causes of your discomfort and knee experience. Remember, you want to be at 90% leg extension at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Cadence should typically be between 60-100rpm, higher cadences are good if you are having knee problems.

I rode my first half century yesterday (52.2 miles), and had some trouble with severe burning on my Quads, and some really bad cramping in a muscle just next to my knee.
Are you drinking enough water when you ride. You should empty your water bottle about every 15 miles.
Poor hydration is a major cause of cramps. I know!!! :o

I also suffer from the muscle spasms around the knee syndrome. Only mine dont start till i crawl into bed at night following a ride. I strech, i hydrate, ...i dont get it. It feels really wierd-i cant get it to stop sometimes.