Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Clipless Pedals.....Knee pain

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Clipless Pedals.....Knee pain

Old 09-14-08, 02:12 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
5kdad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Northwest Arkansas
Posts: 434

Bikes: Felt Z100 road bike, Schwinn Frontier, Salsa Marrakesh, box-store tandem, and Sun Recumbent trike.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 47 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Clipless Pedals.....Knee pain

I've tried off and on for many years to get used to clipless pedals. Doing better, but right now, after a few miles, i get a pain in my left knee, under the knee cap, a bit to the inside of my leg.
What do a need to adjust?
5kdad is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 02:28 PM
  #2  
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Which pedals, cleats and shoes are you using?

Do you have any aftermarket in-soles either custom ones or drop in replacements, e.g., Conformable, Superfeet, etc. ?

Has your saddle height and set back been checked either against the "standard" formulas (one size fits none) or by a good LBS?

What is your average cadence when cycling, i.e., do you spin at >90rpm or grind at <80rpm ?

Are you riding a geared bike or a fixie? If it's a fixie, do you do a lot of pedal braking and skid stops?
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 07:19 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
5kdad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Northwest Arkansas
Posts: 434

Bikes: Felt Z100 road bike, Schwinn Frontier, Salsa Marrakesh, box-store tandem, and Sun Recumbent trike.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 47 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I've had them so long, not sure on the brand. I'll take a photo of them tomorrow and post it, so you can see what they are.
I think the shoes are more of a mountain biking shoe. I have a very wide foot and had trouble finding a shoe that was comfortable.
I think my saddle height is ok, and the front/back position ok, I've read how to do that, and believe it's were it needs to be. My knee never hurts when riding with the platform pedals.
Not sure on cadence, my odometer does not measure that.
I have a 21 speed mountain bike and an older 18 speed road bike. I live in a part of Arkansas where there are plenty of hills, not really mountains, just hills.
5kdad is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 07:40 PM
  #4  
Bill
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO
Posts: 630

Bikes: Specialized Globe Sport, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Click on "Search The Forums" near the top of the page and search for "knee pain" and read tons of info on the subject. And if you do that I guarantee your pain will go away because there is so much there to read you will no longer have time to ride your bike.
wmodavis is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 08:00 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Yan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,835
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1804 Post(s)
Liked 563 Times in 390 Posts
You could try pedals with free float, such as Speedplay pedals.
Yan is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 08:21 PM
  #6  
Surf Bum
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Pacifica, CA
Posts: 2,184

Bikes: Lapierre Pulsium 500 FdJ, Ritchey breakaway cyclocross, vintage trek mtb.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by 5kdad
Not sure on cadence, my odometer does not measure that.
Assuming your bike computer shows speed, here's how I figured my cadence out. Go to the website below and enter your chainring and cog info and print it out. Go for a ride and get in the gear that you normally cruise in and note your speed on the computer. Look up that gear ratio on the paper you printed out and find the speed you were going and that'll tell you your cadence. https://www.hostelshoppe.com/tech_gearcalc.php
pacificaslim is offline  
Old 09-14-08, 08:41 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
DieselDan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Beaufort, South Carolina, USA and surrounding islands.
Posts: 8,521

Bikes: Cannondale R500, Motobecane Messenger

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Adjust your cleat toward your instep and toward the toes, moving your foot out and back.
DieselDan is offline  
Old 09-15-08, 05:16 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
staehpj1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 11,829
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1234 Post(s)
Liked 741 Times in 552 Posts
Originally Posted by Yan
You could try pedals with free float, such as Speedplay pedals.
Or just get the cleats you have adjusted properly for you. This can take a good bit of trial and error.
staehpj1 is offline  
Old 09-15-08, 06:34 AM
  #9  
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 5kdad
I've had them so long, not sure on the brand. I'll take a photo of them tomorrow and post it, so you can see what they are. - that would help

I think the shoes are more of a mountain biking shoe. I have a very wide foot and had trouble finding a shoe that was comfortable. - Sidi's Mega line or Lake Cycling shoes are two good brands with wider lasts.

I think my saddle height is ok, and the front/back position ok, I've read how to do that, and believe it's were it needs to be. - ok

My knee never hurts when riding with the platform pedals. - which is a good thing as it is to be expected if you have no inherent knee problems

Not sure on cadence, my odometer does not measure that. - just try counting pedal revolutions in 5s or 10s and multiply out to 60s for rpm. Higher rpm = less pressure on your knees

I have a 21 speed mountain bike and an older 18 speed road bike. I live in a part of Arkansas where there are plenty of hills, not really mountains, just hills. - keep your cadence >90rpm and you should be fine.
Thanks for the reply
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 09-16-08, 10:22 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 184
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by wmodavis
Click on "Search The Forums" near the top of the page and search for "knee pain" and read tons of info on the subject. And if you do that I guarantee your pain will go away because there is so much there to read you will no longer have time to ride your bike.
+1 Lol
Myqul is offline  
Old 09-16-08, 10:37 AM
  #11  
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Knee pains...

I too have knee pains, but I found something that has helped immensely. My foot doctor even thought this was a good idea. Part of the problem may be the angle that your leg is put in using the clipless pedals. I use free-float Shimano SPD-SL road pedals so that helpes lower the torque you may put on your knee. I have started using the "Cleat Wedge." Made by the Kool Kover company, you can use these thin plastic wedges between your shoe and cleat. They can help to angle your foot so that the alignment between your foot and lower leg (through the ankle) is straighter. This in turn helped lower my knee pains dramatically. When you are using your platform pedals, my guess is that you're actually angling your foot a bit without thinking too much of it. These wedges are not expensive and have been a knee-saver for me. Here's the link to their site: https://www.koolkovers.us/thewedge.html
Good luck, I hope this helps!!

-CyclingCowboy
cyclingcowboy is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.