new bike - 100 mile charity rides/tow paths

[1234567]

Hi everyone,

I'm new around here and was hoping to introduce myself, and ask for some buying advice....

Quite a complicated one so bear with me, and I'd really appreciate any advice you could offer...

Background
I own a 2013 Voodoo Hoodoo mountain bike from past times when I used to mountain bike. I no longer mountain bike, and am interested in building up to cycling ~100 mile road based charity rides. For the past 4 months or so, I have put 1.9 inch (48mm) tyres on the bike to reduce the RR and pumped them unto ~60psi (near to max.). The bike weighs approx. 14.5kg. I have been cycling approx. 40 km once a week on this set up on towpaths.

I feel relatively fit and this does not tax me significantly, with the exception of one key area...

I get terrible pain towards the end of the rides in my left knee (cannot cycle any further and can barely walk)- I suspect this is either ITB syndrome or patellar tendonitis. My intention is to have this investigated by a physio ASAP. I'm late 20's, male, pretty fit, 80kg.

I have tried everything to stop this pain, from saddle height, to saddle fore/aft, to cleat angle, to cleat position etc etc.

Nothing seems to help.

To that end I also intend to have a professional bike setup in parallel to the physic analysis to see if they can spot anything.

Furthermore, I am aware that the bike I am using is not designed for what I am using it for, and am considering purchasing a bike more suited to the 100 mile charity rides that I am aiming for. The new bike must be suitable for cycling on towpaths. Thinking something along these lines:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPAPEXFB/planet-x-pro-carbon-sram-apex-flat-bar-urban-bike
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXXLSAPEXFB/planet-x-xls-flat-bar-sram-apex-urban-bike
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes-and-classic-bikes/boardman-hybrid-bike-pro

If I can't get the knee problem sorted I think my cycling days will be over - my interest is now in long cycles ~100 miles, and if my knee can't take it I will move onto something else.

The Questions
1) Should I get a professional bike fit on my current (unsuitable) bike at approx £150 cost to see if it will resolve the problem?
2) Should I buy a new bike (at risk of not sorting the knee problem) and get a setup on that? Risk is that the bike will not get used due to the knee problem.
3) What do you think of the bikes that I have thought about? How much easier will a 100 mile cycle be on those bikes than my Voodoo? Are they OK to cycle on towpaths with? I'm keen on flat bars - will I lose much speed/effort over a dedicated road bike on those bikes?

Really appreciate any help and advice that you could offer.

Thanks!

 

[Garry A]

I'd get a serious opinion on the knee from someone with medical qualifications before even thinking about bikes.

 

[NorthernDave]

I'd get a serious opinion on the knee from someone with medical qualifications before even thinking about bikes.

^^^ What Garry said.
Get your knees checked and sorted before considering buying another bike.
Once you've done that, consider a full road bike rather than an urban or hybrid bike if your looking at doing 100 mile rides - it will make a big difference.

 

[ColinJ]

Did you never have any problems riding the bike offroad with knobbly tyres on?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Essentially, what @Garry A said ^^^^

Having said that, I pulled my knee earlier in the year due to bad set up and now that's corrected I'm back up to 100+ mile rides on "unsuitable" bikes:

 

[Pat "5mph"]

As @Garry A said
May I also say that, if your aim is to do 100 mile rides (good for you!) it would be better to leave the towpaths, get road riding: the surface is mostly better on the roads, the terrain varies according to the routes you choose, makes the 100 fly by compared to the relative monotony of towpaths.

 

[vickster]

When you get your professional bike fit, get it done if at all ossicle by a physiotherapist who specialises in cycling and is very knowledgeable about cycling biomechanics. And not a chap in a bi,e shop who's done a course for whatever system his employer has chosen. If riding clipped in, have you ever had the pronation of your feet looked at and orthotics fitted? Does your knee hurt off the bike too?

You can certainly do 100 miles on a flat bar bike, but it might be worth looking at a cyclocross type bike with drop bars for comfort over longer rides. Having ridden recently along a tow path on a carbon road bike, I wouldn't want to do it regularly, get something with more rugged tyres. Swap over to slicks for your long road rides. I'd say a tow path is a poor place to train for long roadrides, you can't get the speed up and have to keep slowing or stopping for other path users

There's a long thread running on bike fit in the general section which would be worth a read. Where are you in the country? I'm assuming the Sheffield area given your choice of PX. With your knee issues, I certainly wouldnt be buying a bike online and not before the knee is treated

 

[1234567]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, thanks to everyone for responding so quickly - really appreciate all of your advice.

I have a doctors appointment on Friday at which point I am hoping to be referred for physio. In parallel I will get a bike fitting, and have ordered a foam roller and cleat wedges to experiment with. The problem only arises with cycling (running and rowing I have no problems with), and was present during mountain biking as well.

I am planning to get this done at bike dynamics in Leamington Spa as I've read very good things about them. Vickster - do you have any recommendations for a physio who specialises in cycling biomechanics? Happy to travel to get this sorted.

I live in the midlands - I was considering planet x purely because they are the only ones that seem to offer (that I can find anyway!) a sub £1000 ~8kg carbon framed road bike with flat bars, that can have slightly wider tyres fitted should i wish to use in winter/on tow paths.

Understand what you are saying regarding tow paths - ideally I would cycle further and on the roads at the moment. I use them at the moment for 2 reasons - firstly if my knee can only take ~40km, I would like it to be as hard as possible for the 40km to get some sense of exercise in! Secondly, I cycle with my GF a lot who prefers cycling on tow paths, so they suit well in that respect too.

Many thanks again!

 

[vickster]

Well I see someone in SW London so that won't help you. You could try googling cycling physios or similar. That's how I found the lady I saw.

E.g. These guys presumably understand cycling https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bike-posture-health-with-midlands-physio-tickets-16331679493

Be aware, they will be private sports physios, you won't get the service on the NHS. I'd ask the bike fitting shop you mention, see who they can recommend. If you have patella tendonitis, you may find extended time off the bike is needed


@jarlrmai has been dealing with similar, he's in Birmingham, may be able to recommend a therapist

 

[1234567]

OK I will do - do you think it's best to attend some physio sessions before a bike fit or in parallel?

The injury has been going on for at least 5 years. In that time I have limited myself to 40km to minimise the damage caused. Also in that time I have had extended periods of rest, so I know that resting does not solve my problem.

Thanks again for all the help

 

[vickster]

If it's being going on for 5 years, have you seen a knee specialist? Or a physio previously? Your post reads like you've self diagnosed.

I'd get the knee sorted before spending money on a bike or bike fit. If you are looking for a new bike, is it worth spending £100+ on a fitting on your current bike? To have a bike fit, you'd need the bike. I'd see a cycling physio, get diagnose, get a exercise programme or whatever treatment is needed and get their advice on a bike

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I bought the bike fit (although just a shop trained one) as part of the bike purchase. You should be able to get in the ball park during the initial shopping part of it all and the bike fit will hopefully sort out the final touches. If your bike fit says the bike is wrong then you were sold the wrong bike and should feel justified in getting quite irate with them and getting them to fix It without cost to you.

I wouldn't bother getting the mountain bike fitted unless you are going to keep it and go back to mountain biking on it, and I'd be patient, get the medical side sorted before you start spending money on the bike side.

 

[1234567]

Thanks guys

It has been going on for a long period of time (~5 years), but I've never tried to go more than 40km so (foolishly) didn't investigate further...

The only thing I was thinking of in terms of a bike fit is that perhaps (here's hoping!) that the problem is one purely of bike positioning rather than anything wrong with my knee. Hence why I was wondering why it would be worth a fitment on my soon to be redundant mountain bike to see if this is the case. If the problem cannot be fixed through either medicals professionals or through bike positioning, I will simply give up on the goal of doing 100 mile + cycles...

 

[Venod]

I would agree with all the above about getting the knee sorted before another purchase, I also have dodgy knees from years of running more wear & tear than a specific injury, I note you have no problems running but I am wondering if you are pushing high gears on the bike, try using a higher cadence (less strain on the knees) if you have a running background this shouldn't be a problem, it calls for more cardiovascular fitness than a low cadence,

I would look for something like this for towpaths & distance
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-cx-team-bike
there are a couple of Facebook bike selling groups and I have seen 2 of these recently hardly used at a great price.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

If you're determined to look for other options, you can bike fit yourself (worth having a friend about) with a bit of research on the internet. Bike fit is a huge buzz phrase at the moment, but at its heart it's just being in the right position on the bike and a huge amount of it isn't rocket science. You move about on the bike a bit anyway (less with clipless I'd imagine) so it's not looking for that one spot that will make all your ills go away. Unless you are doing something peculiarly bad and compromising to make it work keeps you pain free for the first 40km and then working round it doesn't work any more you're unlikely to get better results from a £150 fit than a home grown one.

To be honest, it sounds like you've already tried all of that from your post and I think you're kidding yourself that a bike fit is going to fix things.