so i worked for a pedicab business last year and my knees haven't really been the same since. i'm usually ok on my rode bike but when i ride my mountain bike or bmx i really have to take things slow. i'm only 24, i have no interest in racing, i'm just wondering if this is going to cause me some problems later in life or if there is anything i should be doing to fix it or keep it from getting worse.

If you're experiencing pain or stiffness now then do yourself a favor and go to a doctor and/or orthopedic specialist. I think they can better answer your question and/or suggest or order
any PT, if needed. They can also suggest any ongoing self-care or exercises, etc.

If you don't want to see a doctor, at least see a personal trainer. They can determine if you need to strengthen the muscles around your knees. I'm guessing the pedicab bike did not fit you well and you probably are suffering the consequences.

The pedicab business is hard on the body. I would ride in low gears and use platform pedals. No hard cycling anymore.

go see an orthopedic doc, I can't diagnose a bike problem over the internet so your will to trust our advise on your knees.

fair, i guess i should see a doctor. no insurance though, so that kinda sucks.

Go to a school or university nearby that may have graduating students specializing in orthopedics/physical therapy that offers pro bono assistance.

Listen to travelmama. bk

The pedicab puts a lot of strain on the joint; is it possible that the thing was not adjusted properly? Here's the old standard formula.... If you have pain in the front of the knee, around the kneecap, then your saddle is too low/too far forward. This means you are "hyperflexing" the knee. Likewise, if the pain is in the back of the knee, you are "hyperextending" the knee as a result of your saddle being too far back or too high.
At your age, it's unlikely you've done any severe damage; I'd suggest a trip to the doc (a sports medicine guy if possible), a brief layoff and standard treatment with the old RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) routine for a couple of weeks.

i understand what i did wrong, and like i said i haven't worked for that business since last year. i knew that the frame was too big. i lowered the seat all i could, it was just that at the time it was the only work i could find and it was either that or not eating.

thats a tough situation to be in. My advice is to do whatever it takes to go see a sports medicine DOCTOR. If you are starting to have issues now at 24, something is not right. 9 times out of 10, a quickie in physical therapy will take care of it. Dont continue to do things that hurt your knees. You do not want to start developing arthritis. You are at a point right now where you can break the cycle of whatever is going on. Letting it go on for a long period of time, and you will find yourself in a very bad place.
When our bodies hurt consistently, that means that something is wrong. You do NOT want to let this go, and end up getting bilateral knee replacements by the time you're 40!!!! (Just kidding, im sure you will be fine, just get it checked out asap!)

You may be able to help it by shifting to an easier gear and spinning faster. You may simply be putting too much strain on the joint.

+1 on travelmama. There are some injuries which only heal if you give them a lot of rest time.

SSSSSSSSSSSStretch