Do your knees hurt

[aembleton]

I've been commuting daily now for 2 months at 10 miles a day. So, at least 800 miles done

Unfortunatelly, my knees are starting to ache during the day. The commute is fine, but just walking around the office hurts. Does anyone else get this, or had this?

 

[BrumJim]

You need to look at seat height and cadence. Knee is aching as it is telling you that something is wrong. Do something to stop it before they start to misbehave.

 

[twozeronine]

Nope, they shouldn't. Could you be grinding your gears, ie. using a high gear, thus over-working your knees? You shouldn't really be pedalling below 60 rpm. Also, make sure you have a slight bend in your leg when the pedal is at it's lowest position.

 

[Moodyman]

As above.

If you used clipped in pedals, then you'll need to ensure that the angle of the cleat is right for each of your feet.

 

[Jezston]

I used to have similar problems. Like others said it was a combination of my seat being too high as my bike is a bit big for me and me running low cadences in high gears, when I should be running high cadences in lower gears. My feet positioning was also potentially poor meaning I may have been riding a bit bow legged which is equally bad for the knees.

Worth going to the LBS you bought your bike from and getting them to check out your riding position. A good one will be able to do a couple of measurements with you sat on the bike and advise adjustments to seat height, saddle forward/backwards position, handlebar height etc.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

What they have said. So much good advice in this forum.

Most of us when we start out pedal at the same sort of cadence as we walk. If we try to go faster it feel like our heart and lungs will explode. Persevere and that sensation passes in just a few days. Ride in lower gears, spin your legs, and your body will adapt and, most likely, the ache with go away.

 

[Spartacus]

Yep, check saddle height. My knees have ached in the past when the saddle is too low (the seatpost dropped). My lower back feels it if my saddle is too high. As a rough guide you should have a straight leg at the bottom of stroke with your heel on the pedal. Then set your cleat so that the balls of your feet are nicely over the pedal axle. This is only a rough guide, since an individual has a unique pedalling action. Some people ride with their heel raised throughout the stroke, whereas others (like me) bring their heel down at the bottom of the stroke.

The other thing to check is anything you have replaced recently, such as shoes or if you have crash damaged anything. Bending a pedal spindle can result in this type of complaint. Well fitting shoes is really important, by the way. It takes me ages to find a suitable pair for my wide feet! I get backache and foot cramps if they are ill fitting. I also have orthotics fitted to correct my pronation.

The others have already mentioned cadence and I agree. Use your gears if not doing so already.

 

[aembleton]

This is a great community, thanks for all of the replies. I'm fairly sure that my saddle is at the correct height, although I did recently change the saddle but I doubt that could be the reason.

However, cadence (aka RPM - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_(cycling) ) is something I will change. I do tend to go for a high gear as it just feels right. I will also avoid powering out of junctions as soon as the light goes green as I tend to do at the moment and see if in a week my knees improve.

Thanks for all the great advice.

 

[gbs]

3 years ago, before I started cycling, I had frequent knee pain; osteo-arthritis because of loss of cartilage and no doubt aggravated by age and various sporting activities. After a year or so I noticed that pain was much reduced. I believe this is attributable to increased quad and leg muscle development generally protectng my knees against stress.

You have not mentioned previous injuries so I suppose that in some way yr condition is attributable to yr pedalling cadence ie grinding, position or perhaps pro-nation; in which case orthotic inserts should be considered. This forum is a v good source of advice on the specific issues arising in yr case - just poke around.

 

[jefmcg]

I'd be more concerned about your arithmetic rather than your knees. 2 months, one of them February is about 60 days. Times 10 is 600. Oh, and presuming you take weekend off, that brings it down to 44 or so days or 440 miles.

joan - 4th posting here and already being an arse

 

[cyberknight]

I only get sore knees when i grinding high gears or they get cold, tights have been on 1st thing as it is only about 4-5 degrees .

 

[KingstonBiker]

When I started cycling again around 2 years ago my knees would ache - then I discovered I didn't need to push the highest gear. Dropped to lower gears (and general better use of gears) and increased cadence and my problem was solved.

The next time my knees started to ache was when I switched to SPDs. It immediately became apparent to me that before being clipped in to the correct position my right foot was facing 1 or even 2 o'clock. About 2 weeks later with my feet used to pedalling in the correct position the aching in my knees passed.

A colleague in my office this week complained that her knees were aching now she's started commuting more frequently. We had a discussion about gears during which it became apparent she didn't change gear once during her 8 mile commute. She claimed the commute is pretty flat, however she is going to try using a lower gear (although I'm not convinced she'll change gear during the commute ).

 

[buggi]

Yes you need to look into this or your could cause yourself problems. it's bound to be down to the wrong position on the bike.

your saddle may be too low (a guy at my work raised his by 4cm and has cured his knee problem). but also it may be too far foward or back. when the pedal is in the forward position (3 or 9 o'clock depending on which side) your knee cap should be over where the base of your toes meet your foot when your foot is correctly placed on the pedal. Get a bike shop to fit your bike to you if you are unsure yourself.

check your cadence. don't grind your gears as said, but also a higher cadence caused me knee problems, not low cadence! so you need to find your own cadence, not what other people tell you.

maybe proper cycle shoes with cleats will help to position your foot and keep your knee in line.

 

[AhThisFeckinThing]

First post, take it easy. I have been commuting for the past 12 months and totted up over 2000 miles, morning, noon and night! I have had no trouble at all with my knees until very recently when I decided to invest in some Shimano SPD pedals and shoes. I have been to work, 20 miles each day, for 4 days now and my knees are in agony. Real burning sensation around the knee caps. I have had to rest up and about 7 days have passed and it is only just starting to ease. I obviously have my cleats badly positioned I am guessing. Is there any right or wrong on this. I did try moving them outwards at the front after day 2 but no joy, I have wandered the net but seem to get so many different opinions.

 

[BentMikey]

I sat straight ahead on my kitchen counter top with my feet dangling over the edge, and got my mrs to draw around both of my feet on a piece of paper. Then put a line through the middle of my feet, and aligned the cleats to that as a starting point. Then you can test this on your bike if you have a turbo by pedalling a few rpm, stopping your feet, and checking you have float to each side a few times.

My guess is either dodgy cleat positioning or increasing your cycling too much too soon.