Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Knee pain

Hey guys, I just did my first century on my Pista (or any other bike) and I'm noticing a lot of knee pain when I ride. I did it yesterday and just biking into town gives me sharp pains. Any other long trip riders have any tips and tricks for knee pain?

Please don't say anything obvious that will make me look like an idiot, like don't ride, rest, ice it, etc.

That last bit was aimed at you Nagrom and Scrod. :)

Can you describe where about the knee you hurt the most?

did you do KOPS? and if you did, where is the knee pain coming from? front or back? If it's the front, then either your saddle is too far forward or you need to get some brakes. Excessive skidding can take your knees out.

But that just means you're asking for it.

It sounds like you're no hand track stands are being done improperly and causing adverse effects to your knee ligaments. Using my expertise, I would advise you to switch your dominant foot, and try supping sqrls that way instead. Have you tried pegs?

In all seriousness, read this:
http://www.fix-knee-pain.com/cycling-knee-pain/

What's KOPS?

the knee pain is just in my knee, not really sure where. I don't skid much, only when it's a really close call which almost never happens. My saddle is definitely far forward, I didn't know that could be a problem.

Where is your knee pain?
http://www.masterdocs.com/paininknee/images/knee_grid.gif

Also, what gear are you pushing?

Hey guys, I just did my first century on my Pista (or any other bike) and I'm noticing a lot of knee pain when I ride. I did it yesterday and just biking into town gives me sharp pains. Any other long trip riders have any tips and tricks for knee pain?

Please don't say anything obvious that will make me look like an idiot, like don't ride, rest, ice it, etc.

Dude, you just rode a century (on a brakeless Pista with an Aerospoke and track drops, no less) and your body most likely wasn't prepared for that kind of mileage. Taking a day or two off the bike to allow the only body you'll ever have is probably the smartest thing you can do.

Also, what gear are you pushing?

I'm pushing 46:17. I climbed about 5.8k feet. And from the chart I'd say its in the 19, 13, 14, 20 region

Try dropping your saddle a little bit.

I'm pushing 46:17. I climbed about 5.8k feet. And from the chart I'd say its in the 19, 13, 14, 20 region

That's a pretty high gear for that amount of climbing. You probably just pushed it too hard. Take a brake(ba dum tsss) for a couple days.

Try dropping your saddle a little bit.


^I personally wouldn't recommend that. Dropping your saddle is usually reserved for back knee pain. In his case, you either raise the saddle or bring it back if bike fit is the issue. Like Scrod said though, it's probably cuz he road a century underprepared and needs rest.

Hey guys, I just did my first century on my Pista (or any other bike) and I'm noticing a lot of knee pain when I ride. I did it yesterday and just biking into town gives me sharp pains. Any other long trip riders have any tips and tricks for knee pain?

Please don't say anything obvious that will make me look like an idiot, like don't ride, rest, ice it, etc.

How can we not say that? You're asking a question that doesn't have any other answer.

It's like saying I ran a marathon, and go for a run the next day, and say "Gee, my legs are kind of aching. What's wrong?"

What the hell are we talking about here?

Part of me was asking as a joke. The other part was incase there's some cycling secret. I'll give it a rest. Also, I'll try raising the seat and giving it a push back.

Your saddle shouldn't be so low that you dont have to tip toe at a stop while on the saddle, and it shouldn't be so high that your hips rock side to side while pedaling. If you have access to a trainer, you should make a video of you pedaling slowly on it for about a minute so we can get a better perspective.

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

Pay special attention to the Anterior and Lateral sections.

Sounds more like an overuse injury. When you ride for 5-7 hours with your legs constantly moving all those muscles go through fatigue cycles and since the knee is a joint stabilized by muscles when you get fatigued the moving surface relationships start to degrade and you get irritation from Chondromalacia.


Any other long trip riders have any tips and tricks for knee pain?

Generally, long distance riders prefer saddle and cleat setback to the max. For fixed riding this can compromise spinning ability but it does generally improve the comfort level during lengthy rides. Long-distance fixed-specialist and former contributor to this forum, Paul Rozelle, appears to ride a fixed gear with no knee pain. So it's definitely doable, the combination of fitness, fit and physiology are the main factors you need to think about.

http://www.thebicyclestory.com/2011/11/paul-rozelles-24-hour-pre-pbp-fixed-gear-mont-ventoux-rides/

Note the setback of the saddle.

ETA: LOL. Now I remember you. Apparently the point of riding fixed it to destroy your knees. Riding with a brake would definitely help your condition. :roflmao2:


@Nagrom_ The point of Fixed gear is to NOT use brakes.

dont change anything on your bike.

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/18299983.jpg

eat protein and chill out for a day or 2

my first "big" ride on a fixed gear was 45 miles and my knees were killing me the next couple days, i didnt change anything on my bikes fit since then and all i did was rest to make it go away

fixed gear bikes really arent "meant" for long distances or time riding, but short races

Track bikes bikes really arent "meant" for long distances or time riding, but short races

ftfy

^I personally wouldn't recommend that. Dropping your saddle is usually reserved for back knee pain. In his case, you either raise the saddle or bring it back if bike fit is the issue. Like Scrod said though, it's probably cuz he road a century underprepared and needs rest.


Oops, misread chart. Thought his numbers were on back of knee. Yep, rest and healthy foods, bro.

Please don't say anything obvious that will make me look like an idiot, like don't ride, rest, ice it, etc.

Can you ride another century today or tomorrow? That will help diagnose the problem. It might be bone cancer.

Maybe try a set back post if you don't have one

Maybe try a set back post if you don't have one

What does setback do?

What does setback do?

It puts your saddle further behind the bottom bracket.

I meant how does it affect your cycling?

Wait, you did a century on that bike in your sig?

Track drops, brooks saddle, deep rim and aerospoke?

Hard to tell if that seatpost is setback or not, but usually a Brooks saddle needs a setback seatpost.

Yes but I used bullhorns with Aerobars, not track drops.

Damn, dude. I would not only rest for about two days, and eat a jack load of protein, but I would raise your saddle a tiny bit OR move your saddle back a tiny bit. I would also try to stretch your whole body, and start on some basic compound lifts to strengthen your muscles.

And switch to road drops.

Can you ride another century today or tomorrow? That will help diagnose the problem. It might be bone cancer.

This is completely out of line. Don't scare the kid; there is only a 30% chance this might be bone cancer from the symptoms I'm hearing.


I meant how does it affect your cycling?

A setback seatpost is useful for those with limited space for adjustment on their saddle rail (like Brooks saddles), people with long femurs, or bikes with unique geometries, like having a very vertical seat tube like so: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/walter-greaves-builders8.jpg

How it affects your cycling is a saddle that is further back (provided it improved your position on a bike) will put less strain on the front of your knees and will help you stay comfortable on longer rides. The downside is that it will affect your cadence - you won't be able to mash as efficiently. Sometimes a setback seatpost is essential for a good fit for some people - I have long femurs and they're a must for me. With your Brooks saddle, I would recommend just slamming it back as far as you can then see - after a couple of days of rest - if it feels any different on your legs. This stuff isn't as big a deal for those who ride a couple of miles at a time, but if you're going to be doing centuries, you need to fit well on your bike. Of course, there's always that chance nothing was wrong with your fit but you just overworked your knees. There are so many variables here, can't you see?! :crash:

I thought setback seatposts were designed to help with no handed track stands.

Bat, you make me want to sig so much ****.

@Training.Wheels, Thanks for the info brotha! I'll look into slamming my brooksies.

How many no-handed track stands did you do on this century? If it was more than 15, that may be part of your problem right there. That **** is rough on your legs.

I really regret posting anything about no handed track stands.

^sig'd

If plan on doing more long distance rides, give your body some time to rest, stretch a lot, get a front brake or both brakes and get professionally fitted to your bike.
I can ride all day long on my Big Block, with road drops, hoods and both brakes, without any pain, I got fitted to it a year ago and haven't messed with my position ever since, feels great.
Back when I started riding longer distances I would got for a 50km ride and be sore for a whole week, fast forward a few years, I did a 180km SS Mountain Bike ride a few weeks ago and didn't feel a thing the next day.

This reminds me of when I was much younger, just starting out in cycling and tore my knees up on a cycling trip, the first 800 miles was on flat land (up the east coast) and I was feeling it, would of been good to stop then, since that was my first major trip and I hadn't done any cycling to that level to really prepare me. But then we started on the return trip through the mountains, went over 300 miles in very tough stuff and then the rest of the trip was not mountainous, but very hilly. I had very sore knees at the end of the trip and my right knee never completly healed.


If I could go back and do it again I'd prepare myself better and probably would have done a shorter trip with not so many mountains until I built my knees up. But I'm stuck with this bum knee, but luckily I found a way to recuperate it somewhat. My way is to do various exercises, but my base would be weightlifting, because you can work your body in so many ways, unlike running/cycling/hiking, there's not much in the way of changing how you do it.

Today, despite my bum right knee, I'm very active and even run with it and no pain and no medication, no surgery. I think weightlifting is key to building my knee back up, but also not spending too much time doing one activity. Of coures what constitutes "too much time" is relative, all I mean by that is that I don't limit myself to one activity, that's not to say I only spend a very short amount of time doing one activity. I can hike all year and not feel too much pain. I DO bike all year, it is my primary form of transportation.



I can't emphasis enough how important weightlifting is to keeping my aging body healthy. I feel so healthy today, that I can go for a 10-mile run and not even feel anything, even in my bum knee. A century ride is nothing, it's as if I'm getting healthier every year, but at the same time I'm getting closer to senior citizen status.

Thanks John, for the advice and story! Ill have to look into weightlifting. I feel like its mostly in the bone though, how my knee may be running low on that fluid that it uses for lube.

I know of lot of geezers who ride fixed centuries often. All of them use risers or road drops (unless they're on a high wheeler) and a front brake.

Drink water, eat protein and put a brake on it. That or suck it up and learn to live with knee pain; you did it to yourself.

Ill have to look into weightlifting.

No-handed weightlifting FTW.

No-handed weightlifting FTW.

http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/mouth_280a86_447709.jpg