Hey guys,

Just looking for some tips. I had some pretty bad knee pain on Saturday, took a few days off and went for a lunch ride today (Wed). Everything seemed fine. I went to ride again after work and the outside of my right knee was in pain again.

Is this full on ITBS? From what I've been reading, this takes months to recover from. :C

Is there a difference between regular inflammation and full on ITBS?

There's no guarantee it's your ITBand at all, but IMO every cyclist should have a foam roller, just to be on the safe side. It's also great for DIY massages toward your heart.
It'll hurt the first few times you put all your weight on your IT Band, but they're also great for hitting your quads, hams, calves, and hip-flexors.
Also, have you been to a pro-fitter to look at your position on the bike? It only takes a few mm's too high, too low, too forward, or too far back and...
I'd get the foam roller, schedule a pro-fit, and check your local library for a dvd like this one. That particular series is nothing special, but they have a stretch program that has been very beneficial to me.

It took nearly a year to recover in my case. There are stretching exercises on the net that help. I would also rub some BenGay or other pain reliever.

I know it's tough to explain exactly where the location of the pain is on the forums, but is the pain on the outside of the knees on the back or closer to the patella (knee cap)? I had all kinds of pain and microtears on the back of both my knees. An MRI and x-rays was taken on my left knee because it was the most injured out of both of them. I went to physical therapy for the injury and what they had me do works like charm: specific stretching and foam rolling.

Now, here's the key: low intensity stretching for long periods of time- none of the intense stretching in quick bursts nonsense! Also, make sure that you do the stretches after your muscles are somewhat warmed up or you'll risk causing more micro-tearing. So, if you don't ride one day, stretch at lunchtime of after work once your muscles have been working a bit. I followed this regiment and was back on my bike about 90% pain-free in a week. It's all about **myofacial release** (where the foam roller comes in). Google myofascial release. If your facia is tight, it will pull on different muscle groups in a bad way. So, if your fascia is tight in your quads, you'll get injuries in other arts of the body, like the lower back, hamstrings, et al.

They taught me all kinds of relaxed positions where I could read a book, play chess with friends and relax while getting my stretch on and it has to be done DAILY! Even if you don't ride everyday, stretching has to be done everyday. I concentrate on my hamstrings mainly because this is where my injuries were the worst. Foam rolling once in a while, but the **low intensity stretching for long periods of time** is the cure.
Maybe one day I'll get to scanning the handouts (about 20 pages) of all the stretch positions since this is a common question on the forum. I'm not sure if I'd get in trouble by the physical therapy business though! PM me if you are interested and maybe I can get them to you- THEY WORK! Good luck and I hope you heal up quickly, I know what it feels like and it sucks.