rushbikes

Was out on an 80-mile ride last wkend and right around the 65-mile mark, my left knee started hurting. Only got worse after I stopped to suss out the situation. Anyway, things are still a bit tender down there so I'm reluctant to hop back on the bike, but it seems to be getting better.

In the mean time, is there anything I can be doing to keep my cycling muscles in good shape so I don't have to make up for a gap in fitness level when I get back on the bike? Am less concerned about heart & lungs than I am leg muscles - I still swim during the week.

HMF

muscles? probably not. Aerobic system - yes.

But why did your knee start hurting? Answer that question and you might be able to get right back on the bike.

rushbikes

The pain flared up after a hard 70-mile ride. I chocked it up to grinding away in too low of a cadence (hilly ride and I had a standard crank) and my seat being a bit too low.

The pain is in the medial part of my left knee, to the right of the patella, and about level with the center of the patella (see photo below - red dot indicates pain). Doesn't hurt to walk, run or jump, only on the bike and ONLY after I've been riding for a while. I gave my knee 10 days off the bike and on my next ride, it returned around mile 30 as though someone turned on a lightswitch to excruciating pain. I felt it was a bit tender leading up to that point, hardly noticeable though, and literally from one stroke to the next, it went from tender to excruciating.

Saw my Dr yesterday and he says it's inflammation of my patella plica and has me on a 6-day NSAID regimen. Says I'll be fine to hop back on the bike next week. I have my suspicions.

Shuke

Problem solved: shave your legs.

More seriously: I can empathize, I was injured for a month. You don't *really* start to lose anything until after two weeks and they say it takes twice as long to get it back as it did to lose it but that depends on if you have fast or slow reactions to exercise. Don't worry about working out in the time off, just wait it out until you're healthy. Swimming is pretty good if you really want something to do.

Additionally: figure out what caused your injury in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure in the case of injuries.

Out-The-Back

Sounds like you may need a pro fit although it sounds like you've been riding for a while...but then again why was your seat too low?

Ygduf

Yeah. Fit issue. Knee pains don't come from nowhere. You should follow Dr's orders and figure out what the issue is on the bike that's causing the inflammation in the meantime.

DanielS

Definitely get a fit done if you haven't already, and stretch - quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors. Consider using a foam roller for your ITBs as well. Any sort of tightness in these muscles can lead to your knee not tracking properly and getting inflamed.