Dear Dr. Gonzo,

I had a very similar thing happen to me on my first long bike ride. I had the seat adjusted too low for the first 200mi, and developed what I think was patellar tendonitis and achilles tendonitis. I thought I was maimed for life when I returned home. I couldn't bike or run without pain for weeks. Then I just did neither for about a month and eveything cleared up completely.

If you have any kind of inflamation in your knee or in the tendons and bursa surrounding it, it will take time to heal. Time and Ibuprofen/motrin. Joints like the knee have a notoriously poor blood supplies, and therefore it takes a while to "flush out" the white blood cells and debris that inflammation introduces.

I also found that by taking Ibuprofen BEFORE a ride (with a meal, of course), i could minimize the pain during and after. If you take Ibuprofen before a ride, STAY HYDRATED, as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Ibuprofen and Motrin are not easy on your kidneys.

So to sum up - try taking it easy and give your knees the time they need to improve (repetitive motion and impacts can both irritate your knee). Use NSAIDs with care to reduce inflammation before it even starts.

BK