rltrock

Want to hear all about it. How it started and how you dealt/dealing with it.

worker4youth

Order of adjustments:

- Up your cadence
- Adjust your cleats/pedals.
- Get new shoes/cleats/pedals.
- Adjust fitting/seating position.
- Get new crank.
- Get new bike.
- See doctor.
- Stop biking.

woodcycl

Wow, can you narrow it down a bit? If I truly answered your OP, I would bore the begezus out of everyone and write several paragraphs. Bascially, I'm had a TON of illitibial band issues on both knees and have done a TON of things to alleviate it. It first reared its ugliness back in 1993. After lots of $$ and many many doctors visits later ... I am, a big knock on wood, riding without injury or knee pain.

Al1943

Nope:

- Up your cadence
- Adjust your cleats/pedals.
- Get new shoes/cleats/pedals.
- Adjust fitting/seating position.
- Speedplay pedals
- Get new bike.
- See doctor.
- Surgery
- Knee replacement

JPinoy

refit bike @ 3 different shops.
increase cadence
avoid 52 chain ring till I Hit 1K miles
Speedplay pedals
doctor's visit- didn't do squat
played a lot w/ saddle position
Patella & IT staps
Glucosamine tabs
PAIN FREE

now lowered back cadence to 85
mostly in the 52
now riding harder & farther

brinstar

I have pain on the outer side of one of my knees. I have visited two doctors which thought it might be some form of arthritis. After they did blood analysis found no evidence leading to a form of arthritis. Xrays of my knees look good no serious damage. After doing two pro fiting the idea that the pain maybe from tendonitis came about.

Is it common for cyclist to have tendonitis and what are some good steps of helping me get over it?

I think glucosamine should be in everyones diet with any sort of joint pains, btw.

rltrock

I used to have classic patella tendonitis right where the ligament connects with the knee cap which I think I overcame with physical therapy and some bike/pedal adjustments. However, over the course of that recovery my knee pain evolved to one that I would call a general throbbing pain around the length of the patella tendon and the cartlidge (?) around it.

Pain completely goes away with Celebrex, but that is not an ideal solution over the long term (especially if you read the papers over the last six mos on COX inhibitors).

Thoughts?

Thanks.

tinrobot

For me, it was cleats. Moved the right cleat so my foot was about 1-2mm further out on the pedal. It was surprising that such a small adjustment would have such a big effect.

ExMachina

Other than pedal adjustments, what have you tried to do to correct the problem ?

Can you link the pain to any change in your cycling life (new bike, colder weather, longer rides, different routes, new shoes, etc). Has your seatpost slipped down?

dspyder

Depends what you're talking?

I'd go with:

1) See doctor about pain
1.5) If with HMO, insist doctor performs proper tests or refers you to specialist
1.75) Argue with HMO that you really have real pain and "rest" is not a valid answer
2) Wait for MRI/radiologist/etc. etc. results
3) Make adjustments to bike and/or riding style and/or terrain as needed so as not to cause further injury (you'll need your knees in the future).

The basics are: proper positioning (kops or not), pedal float, high cadence, etc. etc. as listed in everyone elses posts.

Good luck!

--Darren

Savas

The last thing I need is to have my cox inhibited.

jazzy_cyclist

I"m not a doctor, but if the pain is on the outside of your knee, it sounds to me like ITBS (iliotubial band syndrome), a common problem with runners and cyclists. It's due to that tissue getting tight which causes it to get inflamed as it passes over part of the knee. If that's the case, stretching will help (just google "ITBS"). I would definitely suggest seeing a sports medicine specialist if it doesn't resolve.