Training & Nutrition - Pain in Leg

After about 20 miles I get a pain on my outside calf just below my left knee. I use clipless pedals. Do you think this is a setup problem?

It could be the isichial-tibial band that runs from the hip past the knee on the outside of the leg. There are stretching exercises to do for it. I've had problems with the right one. There are, IIRC, several causes, but a major one may be you are pushing too high (hard) a gear. Touring cyclists can suffer it because they try to climb hills with a load on bikes without a sufficiently low granny gear to enable them to spin.

Shift to lower gearing and lift your cadence (or pedal strokes per minute). Your seat also may be a little high. Drop it a few millimetres to see if that makes a difference.

This webpage has a full range of stetching exercises, including those for the IT band:
http://www.ultracycling.com/training/howard_stretches.html

Other than that, consult a doctor or a physical therapist.

R

Last year I got that pain i my right knee area, it got so bad I couldn't lift my leg up more than a few inches when standing. I stopped riding for a couple of weeks till it went away and it never returned, but this year I have that pain in my left knee. It went away after a few days off, but I rode alot over the 4th of July weekend and its hurting again. I think seat height is a factor, and letting it heal fully before any tough rides.

Thanks for the info. I think I will lower my seat a little and try to increase my cadence in a lower gear.