23 Miles, But Some Left Knee Pain



BobCochran

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May 3, 2015
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I did 23 miles of riding today, which I think is a good practice ride, but the right edge of my left knee started hurting towards the end of the ride. I think it is because I've been using sandals for a lot of my riding lately. (Bob averts head, gazes at floor in red-faced shame.) Sometimes my left sandal becomes slippery, and my foot slips on the sole and moves quickly on the sole toward the left, and this seems to stress the right edge of my left knee, enough to cause some sharp pain when I pedal. Not constant pain though.

I'll rest the knee tomorrow and look into getting proper cycling shoes. My shoe problems all started with a corn that became prominent near the pinky toe of my left foot. My -- did it hurt! The doctor tells me my existing shoes are too small. So while I've been thinking about what shoes to get, I've been using a pair of wide sandals that don't bother the remains of the corn.

I'm itching to get some miles on the bike every day.

Thanks a ton

Bob
 
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Oh, must have proper size shoes. I made that mistake once. Funny it didn't dawn on me for a while. When I did get the right size shoe I wondered how I dealt with it.

I know it may sound funny to someone who has never used clipless pedals but boy are they comfortable once you get them adjusted. So much better. less slip and better pedaling! B)
 
With clip-less , which should be referred to as clip- ins , you have the ability to pull as well push, to some degree, and you also keep the knees in better position increasing stability. Also you are better off maintaining a cadence of 80 rpms or better. Low cadence mashing can cause knee pain. In my case knee pain comes from age and mileage.
 
There are cycling specific sandals. I am particular to Nashbar's house brand cycling sandal.
 
jhuskey said:
With clip-less , which should be referred to as clip- ins ,

The name is fine. The old style pedals were secured but what is called a toe clip. The new style are secured by a cleat that engages to a pedal without the use of the toe clip hence the name "clip" less.

This is a toe clip with the strap. The new style does not have a clip, "clip less".
 

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Thanks guys! I'll pay close attention to the shoes. I didn't realize that Nashbar sells their own brand of cycling shoes, thanks for pointing that out to me. I do have a pair of Keen cycling shoes but I think the left shoe is way too narrow and the right shoe is (barely) okay. I ought to replace them with wider-toed sandals.

Thanks a ton!

Bob
 
For the first time, I used my Keen shoes and actually used the SPD clip-ins. What a difference it makes in pedaling! I practiced on my street for a mile or so, and I'm getting the hang of "clipping in" and "clipping out". It feels real funny being able to pull up on the pedal. I went off for a grocery shopping ride -- and did 11 miles using the SPD clip-ins. I'm still thrilled. Not bad for an older guy who is pretty much a little kiddie in bicycling knowledge.

Sadly, another person in my household threw out the insoles to these shoes. They are pretty narrow and squeeze the edges of both feet. I found some insoles that were buried in a box of winter boots, and will try these to see if they elevate my feet enough to give squeezing relief. If they don't, I will promptly place an order with Nashbar for better shoes.

Thanks a ton

Bob
 
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This thread reminds me of my Hongkong trip the other week. We walked to the train station about a mile away and inside the train, I noticed the pain on my right foot, the entire bottom of my right foot. When I investigated, there was an extra sock inside the shoe, huh. Although the sock is actually a small hose, it created imbalance inside the shoe that affected not only the sole but also the front part of that foot.

So I guess that sandal caused the pain in your knee because your foot is somewhat favoring the sandal and had an adverse effect in your knee.
 
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