1st season complete. Fun, but pains in foot, back of knee.



damosneeze

New Member
Nov 19, 2013
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I just completed my first season of riding. I loved it, but a couple of injuries have plagued me. Just throwing this out there to see if anyone had similar injuries.


Injury #1: Outer tendon on back of knee joint. Hurts towards the end of the ride and increases in pain days after a ride. Have yet to stop riding for more than a week straight to see if pain goes away.

Injury #2: Top of right foot, where toes meet the foot all the way to the ankle. Pain sets in after the ride, and is quite debilitating. Pain steadily decreases following day of ride but remains for several days. Has gotten progressively worse after each ride. Pain started happening halfway through the season.


I have been fitted on the bike and resolved earlier pains with pedal extenders and shoe shims.

My right foot is smaller than my left. So I'm thinking maybe the pain in my foot is a result of over-tightening the shoe, and/or cleat position.

My gear:

Ridley Damocles
Shimano ultegra clipless pedals
Specialized Comp road shoes



Any thoughts or recommendations?
 
"My right foot is smaller than my left."

I have the same condition...my right foot is shorter, but wider, than the left foot. It also has a higher instep. Buying one size of shoe (tight on left foot, loose on right) for both feet, I find it impossible to over-tighten the right shoe, but easy to over-tighten the left shoe. Pain in the toe-forefoot area may be related to your cleat position being a bit too far rearward (move shoe rearward on the pedal/cleat forward on the shoe). The pain may also be related to the fit of your particular brand or model of shoe.

Since you have been thru a fit, mark your current cleat positions and experiment. You have nothing to lose except the pain. Same goes for trying a different shoe if the cleat shift fails to improve your comfort.

Posterior knee pain...read this: http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/take-care-of-your-knees-part-2-17445/ Measure and record your current saddle height and try lowering it 1/16" or so. If your tendon pain persists, have your doctor consult with you about seeing a sport specific orthopedic specialist.

Lastly, I've seen some positions of riders that went thru supposed professional fitting sessions that were obviously off. You may want to get a second opinion on your position. A pain-free trumps aero and power every time, not that they are mutually exclusive. Good luck and let us know how it all works out for you.
 
Damosneeze, funny one. Lots of issues there. Over achiever too fast I would say. Pretty much you've got to pace yourself until you build up. Pain is a sign of doing too much too fast. A bike is very low impact compared to jogging or running. The right gear is pretty much there other than the seat being comfortable. The knee giving trouble is over achieving too fast as I said. It also could be some vitamin deficiencies or just not eating right. GMO's cause aches and pains in the body. Eat real food.