Originally posted by joelr
I've checked out a number of other posts on bikeforums re pain in knees. I understand that bike fit is very important. I've yet to measure my inseam and top tube and all that, but I'd like to know if anyone has a clue what specifically would be causing my pain.
I'm 6'2, and my bike is anything but small, although, as I mentioned, I don't have the measurements yet. My rides are usually 10 miles each way. I always consciously try to spin fast in low gears, but lacking a cyclocomputer, I'm never really sure that I'm going at 90rpm or higher.
The first area of pain is right above my knee cap, and to the side. I generally feel the pain near the end of the ride. I'm not very good at describing pain, but it every time I am surprised by it because it does not *feel* like normal pain. It sort of feels the way your calf muscle feels when you stretch it too far. After getting off the bike, the pain will continue for days, but it is different, it will now feel like a very sore nerve at that location, and it will generally hurt only if I touch it with my hand.
The second area of pain is even weirder, it is around 9 inches higher than the top of my knee. So I guess that would be my quad? I can't recall feeling the pain on the bike, but after getting off the bike, it will randomly hit me; it's a very intense pain as if someone were pressing down on a bruise I had. After I feel it, if I touch that very small spot on my quad, it will hurt again, no matter how lightly I touch it, like there is some very bad bruise there.
So, what is the most likely cause of these two different pains? My seat is high enough that I can only touch the ground with the ball of my foot. The seat post doesn't go any higher without going past the "do not pass" marking. The seat post is showing about 5 inches of itself, which people say is optimum with a bike that fits, I think.
I read somewhere on bikeforums that you should not bend your knee at an angle below 90 degrees, as it would put undue strain on it, but that now seems ludicrous, as, at least on my bike, there is no way to pedal without having an acute angle between your heel and seat at some point in the motion. However, when pedalling in the air, I do notice that if my heals are always at an obtuse or right angle to my seat, the knee doesn't work so hard, and the strain goes all the way up to my thigh (which I hear is good).
Btw, not to make this post any longer, but is it better on the knees to ride a recumbent bike, in general?
I am not a doctor, but I'd say you're legs need some serious strengthening. Ten miles isn't much. My wife doesn't ride all the often, nor does she workout as often as she should. Consequently, she finds consistent pain resulting from her inconsistent work outs and rides.
My bike is custom fit to me... A properly fit bike should keep ones feet flat though out the pedaling motion. Mine does. I can't say anything regarding recumbent cycling, expect that it is less likely to damage ones knees and I've tried it and didn't like it.
