Originally Posted by
Pamtivek
And for the sake of discussion, let's assume my saddle height and all of that is correct, which it is by all standards, and I don't ride clipless, just regular platform pedals.
Lets not. The title of your thread is "knee problem developing". Stop that development ASAP by getting a medically-based professional bike fit to figure out why your knee hurts. I'm only 25 and just went through this whole ordeal (chondromalacia) with my knees. Once you know you aren't going to damage your knees by riding hard, then you can work on riding those big gears at 90-100 RPM on flats to get stronger.