I'm like you, prefer to ride earlier in the evening (assuming I can get away from work on time). 7 is the absolute latest I will ride, but prefer a 6 o'clock kick off. I do the cooking at home so HID doesn't get to eat until I've cooked it so not really fair for her to wait until gone 9 o'clock until she gets to eat.
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<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
You mean the 130 plus km today?
Real test for me today because my effort earlier in week messed my knee up and I had 3 days off the bike for it to settle. Raising saddle has helped with power and less quad muscle soreness but kne doesn’t like it. May look to a ride and then a short race tomorrow to make up for not doing the cg.
Bob did you raise your saddle or raise your saddle and move your saddle forward? If you didn’t I’d try moving it forward a little too. With all the problems you’ve had with your knee you probably know this already, but you probably want to maintain the same position regarding where your knee is positioned relative to the peddle, when the peddle is in the 3 o’clock position.
If you haven’t moved your saddle forward slightly after you raised it, then your knee will be slightly further back than it was before.
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
No I didn’t. I had been set up with a slightly toe down on the downward stroke which I don’t like and that raising saddle height has “corrected “. I will try moving it forward 2-3mm and see what happens.
Soarerv8
Über Member
Wait, is Bob's knee still a thing?You mean the 130 plus km today?
Real test for me today because my effort earlier in week messed my knee up and I had 3 days off the bike for it to settle. Raising saddle has helped with power and less quad muscle soreness but kne doesn’t like it. May look to a ride and then a short race tomorrow to make up for not doing the cg.
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
Wow, I didn't realise the turnout was so huge, pace the fastest they had ever gone!
Maybe it was some big lad at the front
Seriously, it was very fast, in fact I don't think I've ever recorded a speed that quick even on short flat races 28.7mph
Good news was, I was never on the rivet, so with a big turnout, a few determined riders then 29+mph should be attainable.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=38198
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bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
Wow, I didn't realise the turnout was so huge, pace the fastest they had ever gone!
Maybe it was some big lad at the front
Seriously, it was very fast, in fact I don't think I've ever recorded a speed that quick even on short flat races 28.7mph
Good news was, I was never on the rivet, so with a big turnout, a few determined riders then 29+mph should be attainable.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=38198
I can normally stay with a fair number of those riders but the speed bump Darren talks about will be a challenge for me for sure. I am in next Saturday.
The numbers suggest that everyone needs to riding at their FTP or damned close to keep in the pack, no easing back either. I got dropped on the last bump 1.5 minutes from home, by being in the wrong part of the group. I and a few others went near maximum to catch back up the pack but several seconds just grew as we chased them to the 60 mins.
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<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
Something you said the other day had some truth to it Bob. Lots of the stuff you read in the internet is basically just regurgitated from another source (or words to that effect...). So I don’t want to go against anything you’ve been told by a professional bike fitter. Ecspecially as A you have a specific issue. And B, I’ve never had a bike fit. But, I’ve done a little reading on bike fits and my understanding is they always start with saddle position. So whenever I set up a bike i do the same. And I try to stick somewhere close to this image I stole from interwebz. Just regarding the theory of knee position over saddle. But like I say your fitter has probably taken your specific issue into account if he’s deviated from this model.
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
Thanks Tommy. Moved saddle forward 2mm this morning with no adverse outcome.
Fitter has certainly tried too. I over pronate which doesn’t help so resolved with custom footbeds. But the leg/knee then tracks in toward toptube as comes up and then out as it goes down. Or is it the other way around?!? So correcting for one exacerbates the other. Both inflame the soft linings/ miniscus apparently but knee going out more so. I do pedal drills to keep knee straight but that form goes to feck in a race or fast ride! Swapped shoes so cleats further back to bring knee over pedal. Interesting that Shimano does allow more fore and aft movement of cleats than Specialized. That certainly helped. Basically I need to get my gp to accept physio and my own efforts have resolved the ITB and now is time to refer to a consultant and for a scan.
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
I think my knees do the same thing in my peddle stroke sometimes. I wonder if it’s because my hips are wider than the distance between the two pedals. So my knees have to move inwards slightly as I push down. So that they are over the pedals. I’ve thought about putting a thin nut between the crank arm and the pedal to make the peddles further apart.
That’s an extreme example I think. Maybe in my case a smaller washer or nut would be better. But the point is it puts your leg and therefore knee into a wider position relative to your hips and the pedal. Have you seen these before?
Also I know what you mean about the cleats on spesh shoes. I have different pairs of spesh shoes with different positioning on them. Odd... but that shouldn’t effect your knee over pedal position though mate. Just where the pedal sits relative to your foot. That still obv important, but your knee over pedal position will mostly be effected by the for and aft of your saddle and it’s height.
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
Are you suggesting I also, not just you, have child bearing hips?!?
I did have a shin fitted but have just gone and checked both bikes and it’s not there! LBS left it off after I had the groupsets changed
Thanks for reminding me. Seems I do have child bearing hips...https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/20mm-kneesavers-pedal-extenders/
There are companies that make extenders and some people swear they have resolved knee issues.
Fwiw my fitter has said repeatedly that I should get rid of the speedplays which is counterintuitive to everything I have read about knees and pedals.
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<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
Are you suggesting I also, not just you, have child bearing hips?!?
I did have a shin fitted but have just gone and checked both bikes and it’s not there! LBS left it off after I had the groupsets changed
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-cleats/20mm-kneesavers-pedal-extenders/
There are companies that make extenders and some people swear they have resolved knee issues.
Fwiw my fitter has said repeatedly that I should get rid of the speedplays which is counterintuitive to everything I have read about knees and pedals.
It might be worth getting a second opinion. The only issue I’ve got with bike fitters is that it’s not very well regulated. I mean the guy’s in a position where giving you bad advice could have a seriously negative effect! I’d only go to one that was very well recommended. After that though maybe once your committed maybe you should go all the way with it? If the guys says change the pedals why not change the pedals?
