Clipless pain behind the knee tendon/ligament

[BatmanOnABike]

Hi guys I read countless topics about behind the knee issues but still can't find out the cause.

I rode clipless for about 2 month and started experiencing this burning/stinging like sensation on the outside part back of my right knee it feels as if though it's from the tendon that sticks out when your knee is bent I sometimes feel the sensation on the outer calf area too. Initially it hurts when riding after I'm warmed up it doesn't hurt as much but once I'm off the bike the sensation stays for a good while burning type it's not the same as muscle fatigue and takes about 4 days to a week to heal.

I am using Shimano SPDs standard ones which use a recessed cleat I have two bikes both have different pedals and two pairs of shoes I use my road bike more the issue is with both though I have lowered the seat the pain is only a little lighter but still there but at this point the seat is too low and I get fatigued way too fast with burning quads.

Note the float on the pedals is quite high I can toe in or stick my heel in to the point it's uncomfortable I can definitely position my feet where they would be on flats I compared.

As soon as I switched to flat/toe clips the pain was gone. It only occurs on the upstroke and only on my right leg, left leg is completely fine. I feel it the most when sprinting standing up or climbing.

I tried:
-Moved my saddle forward to get right knee alignment with pedal spindle
-I moved the cleats back as far as they can go (cleats mounted on front two holes so cleat wasn't all the way back)
-Lowering saddle height

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/336256-cycling-iliotibial-band-syndrome/

 

[BatmanOnABike]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/336256-cycling-iliotibial-band-syndrome/

Thanks for the reply I looked into ITB issues too but my pain seems to be more from the hamstring tendon you can see in this pic http://www.sportspodiatry.co.uk/images/ITBand10.jpg I do the same miles (22 round a day) on flats fine with no pain

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I'd assume it's hamstring tendonitis

How is the bike setup now? and do you have a record of the changes made

 

[BatmanOnABike]

Yes basically after the issue I rode flats for about a month till all was healed I set my road bike up with the saddle height I'm most comfortable at which is when the cranks are parallel with the seat tube at the low position my foot is flat (parallel to the floor). I set the cleat position to be my natural foot angle plenty of float and after three days it started to come back same spot same symptoms only when riding clipless.

 

[marzjennings]

I'm guessing it's the angle of the cleat inline with how you naturally place your feet on the pedals. Hence why no pain on the flats. Even with float your foot will generally settle back into the middle of the float range, potentially a bad angle for your feet. If you set up the cleats like the image below...

...then you've made an assumption that's how your feet line up on the pedals.

Next time you ride on the flats take a look at your foot angle, are you more ankle in or ankle out. Imagine a straight through the pedals parallel to the frame and where your foot seems to line on that line. Then set the cleat position to follow that line. For me that means a line from my middle toe to the inside of the middle of my heal, slightly heal out on the pedals.

 

[BatmanOnABike]

I'm guessing it's the angle of the cleat inline with how you naturally place your feet on the pedals. Hence why no pain on the flats. Even with float your foot will generally settle back into the middle of the float range, potentially a bad angle for your feet. If you set up the cleats like the image below...

...then you've made an assumption that's how your feet line up on the pedals.

Next time you ride on the flats take a look at your foot angle, are you more ankle in or ankle out. Imagine a straight through the pedals parallel to the frame and where your foot seems to line on that line. Then set the cleat position to follow that line. For me that means a line from my middle toe to the inside of the middle of my heal, slightly heal out on the pedals.

I did exactly that I'm very slightly toed out it does seem like hamstring tendinitis

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Yes basically after the issue I rode flats for about a month till all was healed I set my road bike up with the saddle height I'm most comfortable at which is when the cranks are parallel with the seat tube at the low position my foot is flat (parallel to the floor). I set the cleat position to be my natural foot angle plenty of float and after three days it started to come back same spot same symptoms only when riding clipless.

How is the bike setup now, compared to when you swapped to clipless?

Example: I'm 99.9% done with a winter niggle which forced my setup to change completely. On 20/3 measured between two constant points I had 100mm seatpost showing, I now have 137.5mm.

Not truly knowing what the changed amounted to, makes it really hard to advise.

 

[BatmanOnABike]

How is the bike setup now, compared to when you swapped to clipless?

It's saddle was around 4-5mm lower(seat post has markings for height) when using flats that's all the differences, I had to raise it as spd system made it feel too low.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

It's saddle was around 4-5mm lower(seat post has markings for height) when using flats that's all the differences, I had to raise it as spd system made it feel too low.

It could be that your height was fine, but the saddle fore/aft position was the required change (back) Or indeed a variation of both.

 

[BatmanOnABike]

It could be that your height was fine, but the saddle fore/aft position was the required change (back) Or indeed a variation of both.

Initially when I just started getting the issue I checked this out and the saddle was a little far back my knee was slightly behind the spindle I corrected this the second time I tried clipless after healing and got it aligned to be over the spindle but it seemed like it didn't fix the issue.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

The KOPS thing, isn't a one size fits all.

 

[BatmanOnABike]

The KOPS thing, isn't a one size fits all.

I know what you mean I read a bit about it. It's a good starting guideline however I moved the saddle more forward and back and it wasn't resolved think it could be Q-factor? I have the cleats set to be in the middle.

 

[HLaB]

It's saddle was around 4-5mm lower(seat post has markings for height) when using flats that's all the differences, I had to raise it as spd system made it feel too low.

Id try putting it back. I had slight problems (perhaps similar) when cycling two bikes I thought were set up identically but I lowered the saddle on one and moved it forward by about 2.5mm and it went away. A wild stab but perhaps your foot stretch from the saddle is different (and its not fixed anyway) to your spd foot position which is fixed.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I know what you mean I read a bit about it. It's a good starting guideline however I moved the saddle more forward and back and it wasn't resolved think it could be Q-factor? I have the cleats set to be in the middle.

Honestly. I had to google Q factor so no idea lol