Like he said, no insurance.



Anyhow...

I am not a doctor, but:

Symptoms of ITBS cropped up for me six or eight weeks ago, and I've been largely off the bike since then. If it is ITBS, the orthopedist will likely prescribe physical therapy, which will run you even more cash without insurance.

It sounds like you're doing just about everything right. I do a few exercises to strengthen the the quads on my effected leg 4-6 times per week. They're boring and tedious, but they definitely help. Incorporating other (non-leg) resistence training also seems to speed recovery.

This past weekend I was able to do a little riding w/ a brace without much pain. My knee was pretty swollen the following day, so I'm going to another orthopedist tomorrow for a second opinion and hopefully and MRI.

Gearing down also helps, even if it means running a silly-low gear. (46x20 here....sigh...)