Bents and Sore Knees

[arallsopp]

Never got on with toe clips, as there was no definite 'engaged' or 'disengaged'.
One bad experience with the detailing at the end of a trainer, and I swore off them for life.

At least with cleats you know you're out.

All imho, of course. Horses, courses, cans and worms.

 

[itself]

I've most recently been trying some different pedals, SPD and Eggbeaters, but I always seem to gravitate back to the Frog pedals. Great float, and they click in and out very easily. They do have a new redesign for 2010.

Lisa

 

[trickletreat]

All recumbents are equal, but some are more equal than others...that will be a trike then.
OP I have a sore knee at the moment, but can't remember if it started on my mtb while towing daughter. Shortly after bought the trike, and just above right knee hurts. Hoping that as legs get used to pedalling the trike the legs will strengthen and pain will go away...will not leave it too long though.

 

[windmiller]

Never had knee pain in my life until I rode a two wheel bent any distance. Though I had to really push it 60 hard miles with gut wrenching hills to induce this. Of course I put this down to using power grips on my two wheeled bents. They worked fine on my DF's and trike.

Apart from using a more suitable method of fixing the foot to the peddle such as SPd's etc, you can spin more, use shorter cranks which help with spinning or as a last resort drastically cut your mileage till the day arrives when your leg muscles catch up with your enthusiasm.

 

[ACW]

just passed 1000 miles on my bent and i still get sore knees, no where near as bad, but at least i know that as soon as they start to niggle to ease off, still haven't got used to spinning, just cant do it. feels like my legs are thrashing around to little effect. my question is what defines spinning -100rpm and higher? 120rpm and higher?

Andy

 

[byegad]

No ACW the real trick is to ease off the pressure and spin before your knees ache.

 

[ACW]

Hi worked that one out fairly early, but just cant help myself from racing the traffic. must try to behave

 

[byegad]

It took me a couple of months to relax enough to let the bike find the speed. By that I mean to work as hard as I want to on any particular day and instinctively change gear to keep that cadence and effort steady as the road goes up and down. It probably didn't help that my first bent, an AZUB-4, had 81 gears!

Strangely my third bent (A Kettwiesel which is slower than my QNT, bent number 2.) found me pushing on all of the time, I think in order to try and match my relaxed times on the QNT. I has taken me over a year to accept that the Kettwiesel will take just over 10% longer to get anywhere compared to the QNT. I now ride the Kett' in that steady paced way but it took so long for me to relax on it.