Standing + Big Gears Always = Knee Problems?



On 6 Apr 2006 09:34:03 -0700, "Jay Beattie" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>Tim McNamara wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> [email protected] wrote:

>
><snip>
>
>> I agree. Check for a real knee problem. I spent a lot of time chasing
>> last year down why my left knee had occasional stabbing pains when
>> riding and altered all kinds of aspects of my position and bike fit,
>> only to find I had a torn meniscus- probably from aikido or a fall when
>> cross-country skiing- and needed surgery.

>
>Knees are peculiar, and there is even a study in the New England
>Journal of Medicine where placebo arthroscopic surgeries had the same
>success rates as the real thing. See http://tinyurl.com/ld8hh . An
>orthopedist I know is also adamant that much knee pain is referred pain
>from the hip. So, the moral of the story is go to a good orthopedist.
>
>> > All of this assumes enough rest for the current problem to subside,
>> > and enough rest between rides to allow adequate recovery. This may
>> > mean resting for more than a day after a hard ride. In your late 40s
>> > there's no guarantee that you can adequately recover after a single
>> > rest day- it will vary by fitness and ride intensity. If you go out
>> > and your legs feel tired from the previous ride, you haven't rested
>> > enough. Park the bike and go for a quick walk if you can't control
>> > the intensity of your ride.

>
>I wish I could rest that much -- I don't think my legs have felt fresh
>in ten years. I just take a lot of ibuprophen and try to get my knee
>pain to be equal to or less than my back pain. Balance is important. --
>Jay Beattie.


I seem to find that riding seems to help my back pain which is one
reason why I am continuing to bicycle. I think that the bent over
position tends to stretch out my lower back and it takes a couple of
days before everything tightens back up again. I do notice a distinct
increase in my lower back pain if I am off the bike for a week due to
bad weather or injury.

Steve
 
Bill Baka wrote:
> David L. Johnson wrote:
> > On Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:23:31 -0700, jonisaacs wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Disclaimer: I think cycling should be fun and enjoyable at every
> >>moment. Never let training ruin a good ride...

> >
> >
> > Amen.
> >

> I tried something today in regards to this thread, riding in top gear
> only and sprinting from a stop until out of leg power, then coasting
> down again, numerous times. These were all standing sprints to see if I
> could duplicate the sore knee problem since I am also in the over the
> hill group at 57. All I managed to do was get winded a little more each
> time and now I have a residual bit of sore leg muscles but no knee
> aches. It might be of some note that I don't clip in and ride with
> sneakers so I can hike when I want, so could it be a matter of pedal
> choices and foot angles? This was the first day without rain in 'Sunny'
> California for about a week, hence this test ride. The stand and sprint
> still just reminds me of running uphill, even when pulling up on the bars.
> ?????
> Is it just me?
> Bill


Over use injuries usually take some to get to that overuse status. If
you've been cycling for a while and thus in cycling condition a few
hard sprints don't constitute overuse.

I do wonder about your trying to replicate a serious problem. Why would
you want to have knee pain?
 
On 7 Apr 2006 09:13:46 -0700, "gds" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Bill Baka wrote:
>
>> >

>> I tried something today in regards to this thread, riding in top gear
>> only and sprinting from a stop until out of leg power, then coasting
>> down again, numerous times. These were all standing sprints to see if I
>> could duplicate the sore knee problem since I am also in the over the
>> hill group at 57. All I managed to do was get winded a little more each
>> time and now I have a residual bit of sore leg muscles but no knee
>> aches. It might be of some note that I don't clip in and ride with
>> sneakers so I can hike when I want, so could it be a matter of pedal
>> choices and foot angles? This was the first day without rain in 'Sunny'
>> California for about a week, hence this test ride. The stand and sprint
>> still just reminds me of running uphill, even when pulling up on the bars.
>> ?????
>> Is it just me?
>> Bill

>
>Over use injuries usually take some to get to that overuse status. If
>you've been cycling for a while and thus in cycling condition a few
>hard sprints don't constitute overuse.
>
>I do wonder about your trying to replicate a serious problem. Why would
>you want to have knee pain?


Because it's little bill, and he is most likely leaving something out.
Remember, he isn't on a road bike, so who knows what his top gear
really is. Maybe a 42-12?


Life is Good!
Jeff
 
gds wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>>David L. Johnson wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:23:31 -0700, jonisaacs wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Disclaimer: I think cycling should be fun and enjoyable at every
>>>>moment. Never let training ruin a good ride...
>>>
>>>
>>>Amen.
>>>

>>
>>I tried something today in regards to this thread, riding in top gear
>>only and sprinting from a stop until out of leg power, then coasting
>>down again, numerous times. These were all standing sprints to see if I
>>could duplicate the sore knee problem since I am also in the over the
>>hill group at 57. All I managed to do was get winded a little more each
>>time and now I have a residual bit of sore leg muscles but no knee
>>aches. It might be of some note that I don't clip in and ride with
>>sneakers so I can hike when I want, so could it be a matter of pedal
>>choices and foot angles? This was the first day without rain in 'Sunny'
>>California for about a week, hence this test ride. The stand and sprint
>>still just reminds me of running uphill, even when pulling up on the bars.
>>?????
>>Is it just me?
>>Bill

>
>
> Over use injuries usually take some to get to that overuse status. If
> you've been cycling for a while and thus in cycling condition a few
> hard sprints don't constitute overuse.
>
> I do wonder about your trying to replicate a serious problem. Why would
> you want to have knee pain?
>

The straight answer is that I shattered my right femur into the knee
joint when I was 21 and was curious to see if there were things that
should be avoided. I haven't been cycling that much over the winter
season due to California's rainy weather. There was also the thought
that I might find out something to help the OP, but it might just be a
personal knee problem and not one I have (yet).
Bill
 
Jeff Starr wrote:
> On 7 Apr 2006 09:13:46 -0700, "gds" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Bill Baka wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I tried something today in regards to this thread, riding in top gear
>>>only and sprinting from a stop until out of leg power, then coasting
>>>down again, numerous times. These were all standing sprints to see if I
>>>could duplicate the sore knee problem since I am also in the over the
>>>hill group at 57. All I managed to do was get winded a little more each
>>>time and now I have a residual bit of sore leg muscles but no knee
>>>aches. It might be of some note that I don't clip in and ride with
>>>sneakers so I can hike when I want, so could it be a matter of pedal
>>>choices and foot angles? This was the first day without rain in 'Sunny'
>>>California for about a week, hence this test ride. The stand and sprint
>>>still just reminds me of running uphill, even when pulling up on the bars.
>>>?????
>>>Is it just me?
>>>Bill

>>
>>Over use injuries usually take some to get to that overuse status. If
>>you've been cycling for a while and thus in cycling condition a few
>>hard sprints don't constitute overuse.
>>
>>I do wonder about your trying to replicate a serious problem. Why would
>>you want to have knee pain?

>
>
> Because it's little bill, and he is most likely leaving something out.
> Remember, he isn't on a road bike, so who knows what his top gear
> really is. Maybe a 42-12?
>
>
> Life is Good!
> Jeff


46/11!
Bill
 
oh geeez - you can painlessly dislocate the entire stucture foolin
with "big gears"
try weight lifting a gallon jug or whatever tied to your toes -
elevating just the lower leg a few inches up to more or less straight
-slowly
lubes the structure before riding - aligns surfaces - and gets the
patellar in shape
 
"Steve Sr." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> Before I get to the details let me start by saying that I am in my
> late 40's. Before anyone suggests bike fit as a cause let me say that
> the bike fit is good as evidenced by no knee problems until starting
> the above. I have also been riding about 100 miles a week through the
> winter so this isn't a spring over doers thing either.
>
> I have recently been trying to increase my strength by pushing hills
> while standing and slightly bigger gears sometimes while riding. I
> have noticed an increase in strength but unfortunately my knees don't
> seem able to take the added stress.
>
> So here I am sitting by the computer with my knee wrapped in an ice
> pack. This is probably patellar tendinitis as the pain seems to come
> from tendons on the top inside and bottom outside of the kneecap. The
> best I can tell is that the knee gets inflamed which then causes
> tendons and such to move out of place causing even more problems.
>
> So, am I doing something wrong? Other folks I ride with, some younger,
> some older, don't seem to have a problem standing or pushing bigger
> gears. Is there anything I can do to solve this or have I been
> genetically unlucky and born with bad knees? If not I have probably
> reached my cycling limit.


The saddle is most likely. I had similar pains to what you described. A
small adjustment in saddle height/angle/position and it disappeared.