Sore Knees

[Elbo]

On my old XC bike i had no trouble with my knees, but now i've got an avanti manic and my knees have been buckling up ever since, i've put the seat up a bit and that's stopped it a bit, but with the seat up (nearly level with the stem) its harder to get over the back wheel. The seat clamp is not quick release and its annoying putting the seat up and down all the time.
Does anyone else have knee pain from riding? and how did you fix it, if you have? thanks

[John U]

Get a quick release clamp. it is so inefficient pedalling with seat low when you are sitting down and probably bad for your knees. if you are starting to have problems now do something about it now before they are rooted. better to deal with the cause of the problem.

[Elbo]

Get a quick release clamp.
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea mate. I'll head up the LBS in the next few days!

[rocky j]

O.K. I have a niggly knee problem. The thing that causes most pain is if I ride with a low seat. This causes the knee to bend a lot, which puts pressure on the knee joint. It actually causes my kneecap (patella) to rub against the bottom of my femur-the bone between your hip and knee. This is what causes my pain. Riding in a big (hard) gear also puts more pressure on joint causing more pain.
The only way I get around it is
1. put the seat at a height where you are getting good leg extension.
2. ride in an easy gear
3. stretch heaps.
The pain I get is on the outside of the knee, which may be nothing like yours. But low seat height is a bad thing if you have dodgy knees.

[jonjon86]

I have the same problem.
I use to ride a XC bike and now ride a mongoose ritual.
My knee's bugger up if i sit down and pedal.
cruising downhill and on the flat i sit down but i pedal standing up.
Its inefficent but my seat post isn't high enough when extended to stop the problem. I am 6 foot.

[Elbo]

The pain I get is on the outside of the knee, which may be nothing like yours. But low seat height is a bad thing if you have dodgy knees.
the pain that i'm getting is around the knee cap and just above my knee which feels like about where the quads join onto the femur, patella etc
What type of stretches do you recommend, just hammy and quad stretches? etc. I'm pretty sure putting the seat up is going to help a lot.

[Cuthbert]

I also had this same problem - as has been mentioned above low seat height + seated pedalling in high gears is a common cause. Apart from this puting pressure on the knee joint, after a while you get a muscle imbalance where your outer quads build up relative to those on your inner thigh (sorry, can't remember the exact names for these muscle groups). This causes your patella to move in an angular motion rather than straight up & down in a groove as it should. This causes pain/inflammation.

There are a range of exercises you can do to build up your inner quads & set things right... such as squats against a wall with legs confortably apart & toes points out. However, I would suggest seeing a sports doctor for the correct diagnosis before starting any specialist exercises.

Cuthbert

[DirtFix]

Agreed! Cuthbert got it right. You should see a physio or sports doctor before doing anything. I have knee problems but of a different kind. My feet are so flat that all my bones are out of place, and over the years have worn away the cartilidge in both my knees. Very painfull in cold weather. :( However i have found the RIGHT TYPE of streches and exercise will rectify the problem. Maybe not entirely but it definately combats the pain. And yes i ride a jump/street bike with a low seat, minimal pain.

[rocky j]

Also strongly agree about seeing a specialist. I have been given some exercises to strengthen the vastis medialis (muscle on the inside of knee) and stretch the opposite muscle on the outside of the knee. This is supposed to help the knee cap track correctly. There's no point doing these exercises though if it's not the same problem, and could make it worse. After seeing many people about my knees, I have found a myotherapist who has been an incredible help.

[miko]

Definitely pay more attention to bike setup. Learn to push smaller gears so you're putting less load on your knees. Seat height is crucial, as is the way you pedal! Make sure you aren't pointing your feat in or out, this will put more load on wrong parts of the knees as well. I've also learnt this one the hard way, but riding long distances with the seat to low, and poor positioning on the pedals. Stretching is also a good start. If you aren't sure about bike setup, find someone who is!

It's 7 months since I buggered my knee, I'm riding again, but the knee still isn't 100%