Pain in the knee
 

Hey guys,
I have been riding on the same bike for quite some time now, and I haven't made any adjustments on it. The last couple of times I have been riding though I have had pain on the inside of my left knee. Just the one knee on the one side, any suggestions?

Bee Sting, Spider Bite, Growing Pains, Saddle too high.

I have the same pain, although I can trace mine to an event of kicking something. I am having knee surgery for a torn Meniscus on the 15th. The pain I have is very acute and feel like my knee cap is being forced off my knee. After riding it is sore for a couple of days with acute pain if I load my knee at 90 degrees.

I get pain on the inner side of my leg at the knee. I've helped mine with slight cleat rotation (toes out) and consciously angling my foot. I tend to drop my heel when I'm out of shape and tired. It comes and goes as my level of fitness changes.

Is it at the knee of a few inches below it? You can tell by running your finger from the inside of your knee down along the Tibia and slightly behind it. I've been having treatment for Pes anserinus (adductor) pain which in all likelyhood is because of tight IT and Quad (abductor) so the adductor muscles are compensating which either strains them or they get inflamed from rubbing. GL

it's the knee for sure. 12 years ago I had patellar tendonitis. I have never adjusted my cleats before so maybe I will give it a try. As far as saddle height I have never been measured professionally before. I am out of shape too, haven't rode that much during the cold winter here. good luck with the torn meniscus moralleper, hope you have a fast recovery.

I've had off and on knee pain the last year or so. I recently got the pain again while on vacation so it wasn't even due to riding. I believe its runners knee but i'm not positive. Pain is right around where the quads and knee meet. Have a doctors appointment next week because i haven't been able to ride due to the pain. I want to get this sorted out soon as the weather is getting nice and its a shame i can't ride.

This happened to me. Then I got a professional fitting and it went away after a couple weeks of light to no riding. So it could be your fit? Those millimeters could make a difference over time.

how long have you been riding? take break, see doc if pain doesn't go in a few days

History of patellar tendonitis and not riding much before now--sounds like a classic overuse injury. Do you stretch or do any strengthening exercises? I had Patella Femoral Syndrome creep in last summer. Spent time resting per Dr's orders then found www.sports-injury-info.com because the rest didn't work. I realized it was all too coincident that the pain initially started a couple weeks after I stopped doing core exercises. Started up the program and felt immediate improvement and was back to pain free for a bike trip in CO two weeks later. You can check your fit and cleats and braces and such, but if you aren't doing any stretching or strengthening then you may be missing the real problem.

OP, please see a medical/health professional for a proper diagnosis and not from a bunch of guys here. That out of the way, I consider myself more of runner, and a cyclist as part of my cross training - only to say I'm acutely aware of the various ailments that we subject our bodies to in these sports. My 2 cents here then, as I haven't seen it mentioned, is to consider the alignment of your back/hip/spine I've had knee pain that were not attributed to runner's knee or ITBS, but rather, improper alignment of my spine. Went to my chiropractor and the knee pain went away on my next run. Just something for you to consider.

I appreciate all the advice guys. I took a few days off from riding, and hope to be out on the road again soon. I adjusted my cleats and no I don't really stretch much before I ride which is stupid of me not to. I am going to try stretching and see how it helps. In the mean time I plan on just doing some nice and easy spins, not pushing myself too hard, and if it still becomes a problem then I will go see a doc about it. Thanks guys.

FYI, stretching before use doesn't do much unless you've warmed up first.

Knee pain article: http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

This is the correct answer. Increasing volume too quickly while not stretching will cause this sort of issue. Stretching is more important than people think if one is putting in decent hours on a bike. It can be made worse by a poor bike fit/haphazard cleat adjustment, and cold weather. If your cleats are aligned wrong, you'll feel it on the outside of your knee more than the inside, as that controls lateral movement. If your seat is too low I do believe you'll feel it on the inside of the knee.

Observe your pedal stroke while riding- is your knee tracking straight up and down, or wobbling side to side? When your foot is in a neutral position, do you have float available to twist your foot around in both directions (you should)? Do you feel hard efforts mostly in your quads, not in your hamstrings? Do you drop your heel at the bottom of the stroke? Do you have to point your toe (as in, are you "ankling")? These are all things to consider when making sure you're well set up on your bike. I tend not to give a **** about the KOPS fit, as all the things I just mentioned require different adjustments for different people.

To reiterate- You should feel your quads and hamstrings engaging when you pedal. Your lower back should be mostly straight. When sitting and not accelerating, on a climb you should be able to relax your upper body and not lose power. You should have float available to both sides of your neutral foot position to avoid putting side stress on your knee. Your heel should not drop, but you shouldn't have to point your toes, when your leg is fully extended. Bar position is determined by how flexible you are and what you feel comfortable with.

And learn some stretches.

Having to take time of the bike last week and this week to heal up.
Tender knee along the inside of the patella as I run my finger along the patella.
Swelling on the inside and lower par of patella with pain under the cap, a "creaking" of the joint and tenderness to pressure.

I'm going to see how it goes, then get back on the bike and spin easily.

I do 150 - 200 miles a week commuting and weekend club rides. Ramped up my training no problem.
Then did a century with a lot of climbing and the slow grinding up the hill took a toll on my knee.

Never really had this before, even after other challenging rides. Now all the sudden I'm jacked up.
I'm hoping this passes and a few adjustments is all I'll need to be riding pain free like I was for so long before.