Can 'honking' cause knee damage?

[GrasB]

No it doesn't.

It does actually... well under the proviso if you've not developed your legs for being put under that load.

Sitting down at high output & low cadence is when the knee joint is under them most stress. If you do this without any consideration to your physical condition you can knacker you knee joints. The fact that people developed the soft tissue strength to deal with it is neither here nor there.

 

[tyred]

There are a lot of hills in my area and I remember when I was a nipper, the vast majority of cyclists walked up these hills.

Now the vast majority ride up them thanks to lower gearing. I'm perfectly sure it is possible to develop the strength necessary to handle the steep bits on 42/21 but it's much easier and surely less stressful on the joints to climb them in lower gears.

I have many old bikes and the first thing I do is modify the gearing to something lower. I often ride both fixed and singlespeed (63" ratio) but if I'm going to the hassle and expense of having gears, I want them low enough to make it easy.

 

[balin5954]

Can't comment on other peoples opinions other than to say that I have long standing knee problems and lately my left knee has become sensitive to overuse. Being accustomed to years of pain with my right knee which cycling helped to increase mobility I expected the left one when it happened would work in the same way but it has not. However after a day or so resting the injury I had an easy transition. It is still painful after a fortnight resting in the Spanish sun and no cycling, but climbing steps hurt like stink. I did a couple of tough rides before I went away which involved some steep climbs and out of the saddle riding. My knee became painful and when I look back at the previous relapses its always been after tough hilly rides. For me its definitely contributed to my sore knees but the next step will be to find out if my bike set up is contributing.

 

[Chris S]

Since I made the original post I've found out that you should never stand on the pedals if you have a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub like mine. Even a slight misadjustment can cause them to slip into neutral and send you over the handlebars.

 

[Crackle]

Since I made the original post I've found out that you should never stand on the pedals if you have a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub like mine. Even a slight misadjustment can cause them to slip into neutral and send you over the handlebars.

Could be worse, you could come down heavily on the top tube.

 

[NorthernSky]

never knew there was a name for it. i've been standing up to go up hills for years. i've recently developed pain behind my right knee, but not sure its because of this, could more likely be general bike setup or just my biomechanics.
plan on getting a bike fit to see if it helps at all.

 

[KneesUp]

It definitely puts more strain on the knees, in my opinion - and what is more I have anecdotal evidence to support my opinion.

My knees creak. The medical term for this is 'some muscle or other is in too much tension and it makes your knee-cap grind on the other bones itis' I can hear my knees if I run up stairs, or come down stairs carrying some shoot out of the loft something heavy.

I do not hear my knees if I go uphill in a low gear and stay sat down. I do hear my knees if I stand up and go up in a higher gear.

As I typed that it occurred to me that I only stand if I'm in a gear too high to sit - so perhaps that's why I get the the breathless Symphony for Two Patella as accompaniment.

Ignore me. As you were.

 

[NorthernSky]

i always justy thought of standing up being akin to walking up stairs or a mountain, like those hill walk machines in the gym

 

[Drago]

As I decay into old age I find it does my hips more than my knees.

 

[Levo-Lon]

When MTBing, I spend a lot more time out of the saddle, and tend to honk up the hills. Although its a bigger workout, which I feel by that 'ache' the next day, it doesn't hurt my knees.

When road cycling, I used to grind a big gear whilst sitting, and found my knees hurt a lot the day after a long ride. I now have learnt the importance of cadence and spin while seated instead, and no knee pain.

thats how i see it too..

 

[HLaB]

I honk less these days and have less knee niggles on that basis, yes honking does cause more knee probs but I guess there's much more to it :-/