Medial side of right knee hurts.

Hi, I'm a brand new beginner in cycling, only 2 weeks into it, and new to the forum. I have not rode this past week due to my right knee hurting. I bought my bike on November 10th and road it through that week getting used to everything, especially clipping in. During that week, the most miles I put on the bike at one time was 10 and until that Saturday, November 17, I had probably a total of 25. On the 17th, I rode with a local group for 35 miles which is 3x as much as I had done in one ride. Towards the end of my ride I noticed my knee starting to hurt. For a few days it was actually painful when I walked. But as of today, November 26, it doesn't hurt walking or just sitting there like it did for a few days after the ride; it just hurts when I try to ride or start to becoming active. On a pain scale 1 to 10 the first few days was maybe a 7 now its down to I'd say a 3.5 to 4 but only when I'm active. I have been fitted to the bike for the most part, I understand the more I ride the more smaller tweeks will be made. I was just wondering what could possible be the problem. Thank you.

 

Retto, A good rule of thumb in any endurance sport is not to increase your volume more than 5-10% per week. This range can be applied to either your overall ride time per week, or your overall mileage per week. As you pointed out you increased your weekly volume by 30% in ONE ride. I am not a doctor, but that kind sudden increase in physical stress will more than likely result in an overuse injury.

That being said, I don't believe the duration of the group ride you were a part of is enough to keep you sidelined for ten days and still feeling pain today. Common culprits of medial knee pain are generally poor cleat placement, wrong cleat type, and incorrect Q-angle. At a minimum, when someone is fitting you to a bike they should spend some time watching you pedal. This will give them insight on the necessary setup's to accommodate your natural pedaling style.

If you really enjoy cycling and want to be a part of bigger rides in the future then it's a great idea to get a professional bike fit done.