Sherblock

Absolutely legendary bump.

Leukybear 

Pffffffffffft don't all of us have Ti knee replacement implants?

Nagrom_

Huh, this is neat. I shattered both of my knees about 6 years ago, cycling is how I rehabbed. Strong as ever now, much stronger in fact.

SCARFACE

Looking back, I think what help me to heal my knee so fast was geting back on my bike as soon as posible and having my immune system clean all that **** up. I haven't really had any other major knee pain since but i can attribute that to my low wiegh 140 is has been my average in the last 10 years.

If i could do it all over again i guess i would get more sleep and take a multivitamine with vitamin D or get more sun.

broakland

In my opinion running is much a much higher impact activity. However there are so many listings on Craigslist where people are letting go of their sweet rides cause the doctors told them to. There is some kind of covert war on bicycles by the medical community.

Santaria

Well, cars are much easier on the knees.

carleton

This an old thread but knee problems on FG bikes come for 2 reasons:

1) Running a gear that is too big.
2) Skidding on a gear that is too big.

The problem comes with the increased torque required to use big gears. If I had a road bike and rode it in 53/15 (same as 48/16) all of the time, my knees wouldn't be happy either. But, no one does this on a road bike. They use smaller gears to start rolling, thus using low torque, then they shift into bigger gears as speed increases with the torque never getting as high as it would if you started from Zero MPH in a 53/15 as well as riding hills on the same.

Road riders never think that they shifted from 53/26, 53/23, 53/21, 53/19, 53/17, then 53/15.


(Yes, I know 53/26 is running the chain diagonally...that's what most fred roadies do. I see it every weekend.)

Jaytron

In your opinion, what gi is "too big"? I'm thinking low 70's feels great, but I could be wrong.

ddeadserious

From riding a fixed gear, I had my knees amputated because it screwed them up so bad.

TejanoTrackie 

I don't buy the big gear hurts your knees meme. If that were true my knees would be shot long ago from doing full power standing starts on the track in a 90+ gear, and I've done overgear training up to 100 gi. This myth is about as valid as the one that spinning a super high cadence hurts your knees. The reason I use a lower gear on the road than the track is that it is less tiring to do so and I can actually go faster by turning the cranks faster, which generates more power. I can also ride straight up hills without having to zig-zag or even worse having to walk.

GMJ

I only notice pains in my right knee when I've been climbing out of the saddle for extended periods of time. It's pretty slight, and my toe clips are way too small, so that may have something to do with it.

I have terrible arthritis and knee problems in my family, so I am ****ed as it is anyways.

I run 46-15, about to bump to 48-15.

GMJ

I feel like zig zagging is just giving up unless you literally cannot turn the crank because of the grade and loss of momentum.

The walk of shame is the worst thing I can imagine happening to me on the road. I understand they have to do that in SF. In STL, I have no excuses.

monsterkidz

People riding bikes that do not fit them properly has more to do with the knee pain than riding fixed does.

Jaytron

Most hills you can eventually get up in SF. Most people adjust gearing as needed though. I've rode around SF running 80gi or so. It's painful, but doable.

I haven't had to walk of shame, except once after not being on the bike for two months and my leg cramped up lol.

JohnDThompson 

Practice your track stands and there will be no cadence so low that you can't keep going...

carleton

I think 81" and above is too big for street use.

TT, you are a trained athlete with proper bike fit, mechanics, and associated gym work. You are the exception to the rule.

Also, Standing Starts on the track are different than commuting on a 90+ inch gear when starting and stopping in traffic as well as climbing hills. It becomes an overuse issue no difference than elite runners don't run long every time they run.

illdthedj

lol this thread was started 6 years ago?
anywho ill chime in:

i had knee surgery, trimmed my minuscus. ive had like, half a dozen knee injuries, all soccer and snowboard related...pretty much all on the left knee.

anywho after the surgery is what got me into riding bikes. good physical therapy.

i started on a road bike, but got a "sweet fixay" immediately after (im such a trendy poser)

i rode a tiny gear ratio, like 46 x 18. roadrunner spin style.
the more i've ridden fixed, the more my knee felt better/stronger. i didn't do any skidding but i did use backwards peddling to slow stop. i think low gear ratios are totally fine fixed... AND i would add, i think low gear fixed is actually REALLY GOOD for the knees, provided you are not skidding all the time, because the gradual back pressure to slow stop works opposite leg muscles, providing a bit of a different type of leg workout.

just my 2cents.

in before:

and:

Spoonrobot 

46x18 is a classic gearing, nominal 69 inches. Not exceptionally tiny.

Nothing wrong with zig/zags or walking up a hill. It's part of the limitation of the system. As long as you're making forward progress you're doing good. Life isn't a MASH edit.

/spbx.

hairnet

I don't know about that. You can engage all your different muscles by changing your position on the saddle and how you push/pull on the pedals. It is easy to get sloppy when you back pedal and do more harm than good.

Street rider

The 8 year bump in the BMX section just a few weeks back wins for sure.

jack002

High cadience (over 80rpm or so) is HELPFUL to knees, both good and bad knees.
Low cadience is bad for knees.
If you MUST ride a fixie, keep the gearing low enough to minimize mashing big gears and keep your leg speed up over 80rpm.
I think a geared bike would be best if your knees are bad in any way. I hear about doctors reccomending bike riding even right after a surgery provided its done right. If you really fear damage, I'd think sports like football, snowboarding, walking and running do more harm overall.

illdthedj

pushing/pulling is different than resisting.
im talking about, say...going down a hill, and applying resistive back pressure on the pedals, or rolling up to a red light and gradually slowing down with your legs instead of brake. definitely feels different in my legs than just pedaling forward. im no expert, but it definitely feels like resistive back pedaling (not skidding) is working the legs in a different way than just forward pedaling. but i guess you are right, if you arn't smart about it you could do more harm than good....but thats the same as not being smart and mashing high gears when you should be spinning in a low one.

when i was riding around fixed after my knee surgery, i had a front brake and was pretty cognisant to what extent i was applying back pressure....if i felt at all like i was applying too much and it might be detrimental to my knee then i used the front brake.

i dunno that was 5 years ago, been riding both fixed and with gears the whole time, and havn't had any knee issues since the surgery.

i think riding a bike, while not being nearly as high impact as other activities, can still be detrimental to knee health if you arn't being smart about it and paying attention to your body.
perhaps though its safe to say riding fixed requires being a little more smart about it than geared.