goldfinch

Kidding of course. And no, you do not need to place the standard disclaimers about "not medical advice" or "see a doctor."

I have not been able to ride as much as I would like in the last two or three months, ranging from 250 to 300 miles a month. That should be enough to tread water. Anyway, Sunday I went on a 48 mile ride on the flats, the first half into a moderate wind and the second half with a tail wind. I trucked along pretty good and spun the pedals as I usually spin, with an average cadence of over a 100.

The next day both of my knees were bothering me directly above each knee cap. It is fine when I sit and fine when I walk. It is fine flexing my leg when no pressure is on it It is not fine biking. It is not fine getting up from a seated position. It is not fine operating the clutch on my car.

What could have happened? I cannot bike more than a very slow and no pressure on the pedals five miles. I am staying off the bike for a few days. Saturday I have the first of the season organized ride. I think I have no choice but the skip the metric and do the 50k, if I am lucky.

TrojanHorse

Did your seat slide down by any chance?

Take an advil and pop some ice on those knees.

aggst1

OP, did you lower the saddle? The pain you describe is indicative of a saddle positioned lower than it needs to be.

phread59

Take a coupla Alieve's and call me in the morning.

Mark Shuman
Who thinks saddle or just plain soreness from disuse.

Rowan

It's not unusual when coming back from reduced riding. I know the discomfort is annoying, but I don't think there would be any permanent damage, and when you have done a few more rides, your muscles there will be fine.

goldfinch

I'll check my seat height. Thanks for that tip.

I hope my knees are better by Saturday.

Neil_B

Quadriceps are the muscle group that extends the leg. Sounds like just too much, too soon. I agree with Rowan, time off and care should correct the problem. But check the saddle height too.

Myosmith

I get pain in the distal tendons of the quads when I mash into the wind or stand on a lot of hills. I've reached the point that going up stairs was very painful. It is very similar to my powerlifting days when I would do heavy squats and lunges. The good news is that the pain goes away in a few days. Rest, ice and OTC anti-inflammatories do wonders. You don't have to, and probably shouldn't, stay off them completely. Do some light rides or take a stroll to keep the blood moving and prevent stiffening up. As the pain subsides, do some stretching, but don't overdo it.

Hope you feel better soon and BTW, don't get medical advice from the internet and go see your doctor

chefisaac

I bet something had to do with the seat post. Pain above the kneecap happens when the seat post is too low (I believe thats what I remember lol) and seatposts tends to become lower through time. When you find that sweet spot, market it with tape so you know next time.

Rest, ice, rest, and ease into it. Check the seat post.

goldfinch

The seat post is fine. I have a line scratched in it and it hasn't slipped.

My knees felt much better today and I did a slow and easy 12.5 miles today without incident. I am not going to do the metric on Saturday though, between forecasted rain and cold, and the fact that I do not appear to be in shape for the ride, I am going to do the 50k instead.

Rowan

Yes, the 50km one sounds like a good choice. Unless there is wind again. Over time, the muscle in that area of the leg will strengthen, and unless you go climbing big hills, pedal into strong wind at low cadence or do some touring with a heavy load, it shouldn't worry you again this season.

jim p

This may be very bad advise but I would have to move that seat up at least 1/8" at a time just to see if it felt better.

goldfinch

I was thinking about that too. I'm not messing with anything until after the 50k.

goldfinch

Well, I did 38+ miles today. I could feel my knees on the hills but it wasn't a terribly hilly ride. No problems after the ride. So, it looks like I am fine.

Neil_B

Brava! Brava!

nkfrench 

Middle age sucks. You know this wouldn't be a problem if you were 20.

Are you wearing the same shoes you usually ride with? I don't remember if you have clipless pedals or if you have platform pedals and the possibility of street shoes with variations of sole thickness. The effect of thicker soles would be similar to having the saddle lowered.

I would think 250-300 miles a month is enough to handle a flat 48 mile ride given that you haven't been completely off the bike for quite a while.

goldfinch

Yeah, it is a little odd. I ride clipless on my road bike and the shoes are the same. Nothing was changed. I have no idea why my knees ended up bothering me so much. There were no after effects from the 38 mile ride and I might have gone ahead and gone for the metric but I lost my cell phone on the ride and was all bent out of shape about it.