Knee Pain? Fitness or Fit?
 

I suspect this is a fitness rather than fit issue, but let's see what you guys have to say...

Bike: 2011 Felt Z5, fizik arione saddle, 50/34 matched to an 11-28 rear. Speedplay X/2 pedals.

Did the Crater Lake Century this past Saturday under a very poor set of conditions: first ride on the bike after the test ride, first time on the road in the speedplays, first time using a compact double (other bike has 50/39/30 with 12-28). Ride is 7540' of climbing, with pretty much all of it in the middle 40-50 miles. Started to get some pain about 40+ miles in during a very long slog of a climb at the top of the knee, right above where it bends. Identical in both knees. Area felt sore the next day, was fine yesterday, and I had no problems with my strength training workout this morning.

Also, I sat for 90 minutes freezing at the top of the rim waiting on my friend before I resumed my ride.

My preliminary "diagnosis" is soreness due to higher climbing torque than I am used to as a result of tough ride plus double plus new bike generally. Thoughts?

I just got a new bike, too. And I think I test rode the Felt you decided on. ( It was very, very nice! ) The previous Sunday I went 50 miles around town, and did a very similar 50 mi on the new one this past Sunday to compare. My left knee was in pretty bad pain after a couple hours in the saddle, and all of the next day. I did a lot of climbing, but not 7,540 feet worth.

Two Clydes on new bikes, both with knee issues that didn't come up on the old bikes, makes me think fit is what's going on. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on with me, anyway, and you seem to have the same story.

I just went to a compact double and a new bike as well (Scott S20). Fitter changed my pedal position - A LOT - and what I noticed was soreness on inner thighs. I'm guessing it's positional and as you say, having to make more torque due to the double.

It's entirely possible it's both fit and fitness. A change in fit, even one towards what's commonly accepted as being correct, will change how muscles are used, and if those muscles are underdeveloped, compared to the others, you can get pain. Or you could have a change like different pedal tread width (the so-called Q-factor), which if you're using foot restraints of some sort, will change the angle of the foot on the pedal, which changes stress on the knee. Or you've got a different crnak arm lenght, and the change in leg stroke is causing the pain.

All bikes are a slight bit different. I don't care what the specs say.
The way we fit on each bike is different as well. You might want to get a little help with your setup.

I'm no one to tell anybody how to ride, but, 100 or 50 miles out on a new bike is not really what you want to do.
Try a few shorter rides to adjust things on the new bike.

One more thing;
New bikes want to go FAST! It's part of getting a new bike.

Maybe your riding style changed in a small way, after all you are excited about a brand new bike.

BTW; I got my new bike about 2 months ago, and hurt my knee the first couple times out as well.

Agreed on all points. I had an extensive professional fitting session on the new bike and pedals, and the bike generally fits like a glove: no saddle sores, no sit bone issues, no wrist issues, nada. But I do know better than to take a new bike on a 100 mile beatdown. And, as you yourself say:

A new bike sitting in a garage 400 miles away goes very slow :-) Doing the right thing is a very tough choice. I do feel fortunate that nothing went seriously awry during the ride.

I would say that, you need to let your knees heal a little. Then tweak your set up.
Even with the best of fittings, sometimes on the road, (not the trainer) we ride and pedal a little bit differently.

I am going to guess that between the newness and the miles ridden is the cause of your discomfort.

As I said, I would mark the settings I have now and tweak with it a little at a time. This will give you time to get use to the new... gearing....cranks...whatever.

Doing a 100 mile ride with 7500 ft of climbing, I don't question your overall fitness.

Doing the right thing is always the best way to go. Even if we don't want to. IE; Hammering when we normally spin, and that is a very easy thing to do on a new bike.

Did you train climbing for the climbing ride or just go out and do it?

If so how was your trianing? I once read that a rider should not do more than 2 climbing rides per week. I follow the rule and do pretty good. I have felt slight soreness of the knees after some trianing rides. I'll back off a bit on the climbing (3000 ft training ride instead of a 5,000) and the tenderness goes away. I think it's listening to your body.

If you just went out for the ride, I'd think the knees have a right to feel some pain.:D

Funny you say that but you're here with a knee pain issue.

The don't take a long ride on a new bike is for several reasons. Mechanicals, fit etc. Heck, you might have had knee pain on a long flat ride. ;)

I put in Superfeet Yellow footbeds on Saturday and then went out on a ride, about halfway through my knees were saying "ummm, stop....ummm I don't like this", so I turned around, doing 55 km.

Superfeet yellow footbeds came out of my shoes, and I'm icing my knees this week, hoping I didn't do anything serious.