loubikes

So, I have been pretty busy and haven't really been able to 'train' for my first tour coming up. I commute 11 miles roundtrip but have had summer off (teacher). I have done some traveling and other things and haven't been biking as much. For the last couple weeks, I've been trying to get more hours on the bike. I've been doing 10-20 miles every other day but my knee is acting up.

It's like it is a little numb. It can feel a little cold sometimes and sometimes a dull aching. Doesn't hurt when I bike. I recently noticed that I sometimes have some side-knee movement when I pedal and that seems to aggravate it. When I focus on avoiding that motion, I can tell my knee feels much more normal.

I was planning 6 days of 50 mile bike rides but I haven't gotten over a 25 mile ride. I am 30 and my brain still thinks I'm early 20's, when I could subject my body to any level of punishment and recover.

I had been thinking if I was at 30 miles before trip, I'd be ok.

Have I not planned well. Or do you think it's reasonable to give it a try. I'm going to continue monitoring these next few rides prior to the trip, with my last one being 40-50 miles. I don't have to push myself and can always turn back or even get picked-up on the trip if need be.

Thoughts? Experience? Thanks.

Thulsadoom

I'd be avoiding that motion, if I were you.

dellwilson

Google for IT Band Syndrome and see if the symptoms fit you. I recently had a hint of symptoms that I brushed off as overtraining and went on a couple of more rides because I had two weeks of business travel ahead of me that would force a break. On that last ride, I ended up completely lame with ITBS . I've been off work for six days with my leg iced and elevated to get the inflammation down and I'm looking at months of recovery. My point is: You do don't want this. Make sure your symptoms aren't ITBS and don't push it if they are consistent.

Bacciagalupe

I for one am highly hesitant about diagnosing knee problems over the Internets. At a minimum, you really need a good fitter to actually observe what you're doing and recommend a fix.

Unfortunately it also doesn't seem like a good idea to overhaul your fit right before you go on tour, and won't have time to recover from what sounds like a mild injury.

It also, I have to say, seems like a really bad idea to do six 50+ mile days, on a loaded bike, when you are having knee issues and can't do 25 miles without serious problems.

I'd recommend rescheduling the trip, and booking a session with the best fitter you can find in your area.

simplygib

See a doctor. Numbness and "feeling cold" sounds like nerve issues to me, but I have no idea what I'm talking about. I do agree with dellwilson in that you do not want to exacerbate knee issues. I had issues on tour once, tried to push through it, and ended up unable to ride for six months (patellar tendonitis). Thought I'd never be able to ride again, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Don't chance it. See a doctor, get to the bottom of it, and then you'll know if you can still do this tour or if you'll have to postpone it.

trafficcasauras

think logically about your knee movement. if its just from the bike, it may take a really long time to go away. but it may not hurt on the bike.
my legs and not the same length, and it really affecets your knees.

MassiveD

I have a really bad right knee, as a result of being in an accident where the knee cap was torn off. I also have a really bad ankle from the same injury. When I did my first multi week post injury bike trip, I really had no idea what would happen and how far I might get before calling for a pick-up. Turned out I could keep at it indefinitely, first afternoon was 40 miles, then the second day about the same, then I did two 90s, and kept that up for several weeks. The whole key was to have zero resting on doing anything other than remaining comfortable on the bike, that was the sole objective. Once you have to press on to make campsites, plane trips, or keep up with friends, or pals met on the road, you have a potential problem.

When I set out I did have certain pains that felt likely to get worse over time, and had that happened I would have had to stop almost before I started. But they did not get worse, so one does not know what will happen if one pushes on cautiously. I had not done any pre-tour cycling, or broken in my Brooks, and I made some minor position changes as I got underway. I did, however, know my way around bikes a bit. I was 46 at the time, and had heart disease. I'm not suggesting you just do it, but you will likely be doing something physical if you don't go, so maybe there is some level of activity you could pursue on a bike also. Remember over 16 hours to do 50, you only have to average a little over 3 mph.

Aren't there braces for the knee that articulate with lateral stability.

jurjan

go see a doctor...
that's the only REAL answer to medical problemes (on OR off the internet) worth giving.
unless you are in deepest africa and there's no doctor for 100's of kilometers (or someplace like that), then you take it easy while getting to a doctor as fast as possible.

loubikes

Darn. Waiting for everyone to say, 'Oh don't worry about it ... if there is one thing I know, as a doctor, it's that knee pain is not a concern when cycling.' Or something along those lines

I hate going to the doctor about this kind of stuff because I feel like they have no idea. He'll just say, keep off of it for 2 weeks and see how it feels.

Would you actually go to a specialist or use your normal physician?

Bacciagalupe

Again, I'd start with a bike fitter.

If you see a doc, see a specialist like a sports doctor.

rogerstg

It really depends on how severe the issue is. If I went to a doctor every time something bothered me, I'd spend all my time there.

An inexpensive thing to try, that worked wonders for me, is KT tape. There are YouTube videos on how to tape for various issues. I use the full knee support taping. Unlike various knee support braces, the tape is unnoticeable while riding.

FWIW, you can get it at WalMart or Dick's as well as lots of specialty stores and online.

loubikes

That's what I'm struggling with. It isn't severe or even moderate pain. It's more of a general discomfort and it doesn't even really manifest itself until after the ride.

You feel stupid asking for advice, when the only thing you can really do is self-monitor and use common sense but you don't-know-what-you-don't-know so I thought I'd ask for thoughts/opinions/advice to see if there were any elephants in the room that I wasn't aware of.

As far as getting a bike fitter, what should I expect? I have several bike shops in the area but none advertise this sort of service except one, that puts it in the context of deciding between bikes they sell. I guess just call and ask. Would they just tipically take a look at your posture and make adjustments and charge you x-amount of dollars for the 'session'?

seeker333

Online fit calculators, perhaps a good place to start since they're free and only require 15 minutes of your time for measurements:

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

Requires the usual email registration:

https://www.wrenchscience.com/

staehpj1

Probably the best advice. I would bet that you need wedges under your cleats to fix that.

Thulsadoom

I would recommend educating yourself on bike fitment, at least. A good bike fitter is hard to find, many of them are clueless, it's better if you can set your own self up. Also read up on long distance riding.

You should have as little as possible side to side movement of the knee while pedaling. Your knees should go up and down and that's it.

It's better to be a solid and well conditioned cyclist before setting off on a tour. Many tours get cut short because of injuries caused by issues that would have revealed themselves through prior training.

A doctor is just going to tell you to take two aspirin and stay off the bike until your knee feels good.

djb

seat height, seat fore/aft position, your shoes, cranking too high gears--there is a whole batch of things that could be causing this. As others have said, proper position of stuff like that is pretty much essential anyway to get checked out.

as for your knee, sports medicine clinics in my opinion are the best place to get issues like this looked at by people who know sports and sports related injuries and or issues. Here one must pay out of pocket for them, so they are not like just going to the doctor (I assume you are American, so you have to deal with issues like this all the time, so you will know what is covered by insurance or not, if you have health insurance)

damselfli

Here is what I would do ~ in this order:

Don't adjust your bike until you meet with a person who knows (a lot) about fitting properly. If they can observe you with your current bike fit, they can provide some feedback. Then, get the proper fit.

Ice and elevate.

See a sports specialist. You could have anything going on from torn meniscus to nerve sensitivity to simple pain from muscles that haven't been worked before.

Read up ~ and follow up ~ about preparing for longer rides (and riding with weight).

Good luck, and chin up. You are young, you will get there!

Boudicca

Is there an option to start the tour and bail if things get bad? Or to ease in more gently with a 25 mile loaded day? Can someone pick you up if the trip is not working for you?

valygrl

SOunds like a bike fit / cleat position / shim issue to me too.

A quick google in your area yielded this:
https://endorphinfitness.com/triathlon-bike-shop

They have a Serotta fit center and performance testing service. I would give them a call, explain your situation, and try to get an appointment for a position evaluation. THat knee wiggling around thing sounds like what I had, which was solved with a shim and saddle positioning.

GOod luck!

ironwood

What gears are you using? A lot of cyclists ride big gears; that, and a misadjustment of the pedals can lead to knee problems. Cleats and clipless pedals improperly adjusted can cause knee problems. Try peddling free . Grant Petersen has written about this on the Rivendell site.

valygrl

Oh no you did not.

Tourist in MSN

I used to stand on the pedals to accelerate or to push up hills. No more, that is too tough on the knees. Instead I gear down and push less hard. For a month or two before a tour and while on tour, I am even more careful that I do not push too hard on my pedals.

I was on a supported trip a year ago. One gal in the group blew out her knee. By occupation she was a nurse practitioner and was telling us with the correct anatomical terminology what she thought was wrong. She was fit, experienced cyclist, she had cycled in the rockies and she thought that she knew her limits. After she blew out her knee she kept pedaling for the rest of the trip when she could have ridden in the van. But, she kept with it and ran a high cadence and low overall speed - meaning she did not push hard on the pedals.

If this trip is important to you, go on the trip but cut your speed a bit and drop down a gear or two to save your knees.

Doug64

+1

The best bike fitters are physical therapists that specialize in bike fitting and sports rehab vs. a person at the bike shop who has taken a one day course in bike fitting.

Some insurance companies will cover the cost if you are referred by a doctor.

loubikes

Thanks all. For anyone else who might be in a similar situation, I did decide to do the trip:

I know you don't want to mess around when you have an injury, my knee was uncomfortable and even had some minor pain on and off the bike. I was able to have a guaranteed pick-up at any point on my ride. I could camp for days, almost anywhere if needed and had decided to turn around if it became really painful.

I kept a high cadence and biked at a slow speed. I only had this window to do the trip and I so I took a calculated risk.

The trip went really well. I did have to modify the distance for other reasons but I went nearly 220 miles and 73 miles of Skyline Drive. It was amazing. I learned so much and I have so many more questions now that I'll be posting over the next week. And some pics too.

Thanks again.

simplygib

Glad to hear it went well.