Fifty Plus (50+) - Help on my knee pain

I just purchased a bandage for my knee yesterday. It velcroes around the top and bottom so I can set the amount of pressure myself. The bandage also builds up warmth around the area.

Please note the text in the upper picrure pointing to the exact location of the knee pain right behind the patella (knee cap). The pain is behind the upper part of the knee cap.

I took a bike ride this A.M. and after about two miles the pain started coming back so I abandoned the ride so as not to injure it more. The injury I believe is just an overuse injury.

Do you think if I ice the knee and apply hot packs off and on or is it too late for that? The injury occurred Sunday on my 54 mile ride.

Thanks for any help.

P.S. I might be getting some Speedplay x5's today as they allow more float than my SPD's.
I might also get some kneesaver pedal spacers to allow my feet to not hit the bike as I angle my feet outward more as that is their natural ducky way. What thinkest thou, knaves?

Have you changed the seat height or has someone else?? The area where you are experiencing pain is one that the seat height can effect.

If you are going to ride, one of the important things that you can do is to be sure that you are spinning and not mashing. I am convinced that we all stress our knees when we ride with low rpm and heavy pressures on the pedals.

kycycler, the seat is where the LBS fitter put it after fitting me. Maybe it needs adjusted. Thanks for the input.

lighthorse, I try to keep a cadance around 90+ but often around 84. I try never to mash the gears. Thanks for your input.

Tony, given where you've got your arrow pointing in the photo, I would venture a guess that your seat is not high enough. This is the classic symptom of seat too low & pushing too high a gear. While it would be inappropriate for me to offer medical advice, I know that if I was experiencing pain in that particular spot, I would try raising my seat just 1/4 inch (sometimes a small change creates a big difference). I would also work very hard to not drop below 90 rpm's. - This I say from experience. When I drop below 90 rpm's for even a short time, I begin to feel discomfort in the spot you indicated. Those 6 additional rpm's, at least for me, do make a difference. Hence, I've my cycle computer set so that it shows rpm's not speed. Good luck, and hope you get it figured out soon. Having to abandon rides is not much fun.

Search function is your buddie on BF. There are lots of post on knee pain of all types.

General statement, more float will help but you really have to know where and what kind of pain you are having to get to the source of your problem.

Search function is your buddie on BF. There are lots of post on knee pain of all types.

General statement, more float will help but you really have to know where and what kind of pain you are having to get to the source of your problem.

If I were to draw the patella (knee cap) and draw a horizontal line right across the middle, the pain is right behind the knee cap starting from the middle to the top of the cap.

The source of the pain? Maybe biting off more miles than I could chew at one time and thus overusing the knee?

According to the book "Cycling past 50" the author says not to go more than 5% what one is used to doing on a bike or injuries can result. I guess I went way over 5%.

But still, maybe some of the problem has to do with how I am set up on the bike.

If I were to draw the patella (knee cap) and draw a horizontal line right across the middle, the pain is right behind the knee cap starting from the middle to the top of the cap.

The source of the pain? Maybe biting off more miles than I could chew at one time and thus overusing the knee?

According to the book "Cycling past 50" the author says not to go more than 5% what one is used to doing on a bike or injuries can result. I guess I went way over 5%.

But still, maybe some of the problem has to do with how I am set up on the bike.

I think it may indeed be bike setup. Not all shop personnel are equally good at bike fitting, and even the best can't do it properly without feedback from the rider. Your body is giving you feedback. Mark your seat post at it's current height. Then raise by 1/4 inch and see if it makes a difference. Ride on a flat without any climbs for a few miles while keeping cadence above 90 (not near 90). If it doesn't help, you can always put it back to your mark. This is a cheap, easy thing to do and may provide relief. It won't hurt anything if it doesn't.

Do you think if I ice the knee and apply hot packs off and on or is it too late for that? The injury occurred Sunday on my 54 mile ride.

Use ice ONLY during the first 24-28 hours. Then, you can either go to full warm, or do cold/warm intervals. I think you need some time off the bike to allow your issue to heal. Your brace is a good idea in terms of keeping your injured knee warm.

... Brad

Use ice ONLY during the first 24-28 hours. Then, you can either go to full warm, or do cold/warm intervals. I think you need some time off the bike to allow your issue to heal. Your brace is a good idea in terms of keeping your injured knee warm.

... Brad

I think I'll try some hot baths. When I was in football they'd put me in the hot tub (man was that hot!) to aleviate my muscle spasms in my back.

BSLeVan
I did, per my LBS put black electric tape where the seat tube meets the bike, so I can move it up or down and back to the original position.

I did put a new seat on. A Sella SMP Strike Evolution saddle. I tried to make sure it was at the same height as the Bontrager seat but did have to move it forward more to get the bone under the knee cap over the axis of the pedal. But the new seat went on the day after the 54 mile ride.

bac, thanks for the icing tip!

I think you should put on a set of flat pedals, try and get into a comfortable spin where your feet and knees feel good, then see where your feet are. You can then try to duplicate that position with your clipless pedals. You might have to wait for the knee to heal, or you could see if riding bothers it with the flat pedals and not trying to force your feet into an un-natural position.

Went for a 15+ miler this morning and the knees felt pretty good. The left "problem" knee gave just a little twinge every now and then and I worried it might come back full pain but it never did. The next 15 will tell the story. My MTB SPD pedals have flat pedal clip ons on the other side so I can ride with either clipless or regular walking shoes. I wonder if they make such a thing for Speedplays?
Anyway, I find I am more comfortable moving my feet further away from the cranks than my clipless would allow and am more comfortable pointing my toes out away from the bike than the spd's allow.

Edit: upon surfing the internet, I discovered these flat pedals which attach to Speedplays!
http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.merchandise&promoid=Aluminum%20Fore-Aft%20Extender%20Base%20Plate%20Kit

Do you get popping noises when you stand up after sitting for a while and does the knee hurt when you are off the bike? When you squat or turn abruptly? I have a slight tear in the meniscus in my right knee and your arrow points in the exact area where I get knee pain. I haven't had to have surgery but I don't overuse it either but at some point I will have to get it cleaned up according to the Ortho. You might not but it doesn't hurt to have it checked

Do you get popping noises when you stand up after sitting for a while and does the knee hurt when you are off the bike?

No popping noises.
No, my knee does not hurt when off the bike and walking etc.




When you squat or turn abruptly?

No.


I have a slight tear in the meniscus in my right knee and your arrow points in the exact area where I get knee pain. I haven't had to have surgery but I don't overuse it either but at some point I will have to get it cleaned up according to the Ortho. You might not but it doesn't hurt to have it checked


I think it was just an overuse problem. I went from doing 15 miles to 20 miles a day to all of a sudden doing 54. And I really got it on to try to catch another cyclist who was about an hour in front of me half the way of my journey. I caught up to him but the price paid was a hurting knee. Never will I do that again unless I feel capable.

O.K., yesterday I did two sets of 15+ miles with no knee pain! Woohoo! I averaged close to 15mph and the route I took is mostly flat, out in the country riding.

Tony,

You injured your knee, you have knee pain, and you have not seen the doctor yet?
Get yourself to the doctor, directly to the ortho if you can swing it.

Hot? Cold?
Remember R.I.C.E. Rest Ice Compression Elevation

Luck,
Jeff - still fat

Anyway, I find I am more comfortable moving my feet further away from the cranks than my clipless would allow and am more comfortable pointing my toes out away from the bike than the spd's allow.

Edit: upon surfing the internet, I discovered these flat pedals which attach to Speedplays!
http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.merchandise&promoid=Aluminum%20Fore-Aft%20Extender%20Base%20Plate%20Kit



First of all I would see a doctor. Then, if placing your feet further apart....larger 'Q' factor.....helps, you can always try using kneesavers...........


http://www.kneesaver.net/


Good luck.