Help With Hip and Knee Pain

[Gloria]

I alternate running with riding about 5 mornings a week. I ride a pretty mainstream Mountain Bike with front shocks. The ride I ussually do is between 8-12 miles ( I've never clocked it, our roads are cut into 1/4 sections, and a good 1/4 or so of this ride is off "the grid" so I can only guess, at least 8 by the sections I can count ) It is gradually uphill for the first half and then rolls across a ridgeline, mostly dirt roads, with deep sand like texture. When I get to this ridgeline, my hips and the back of one knee ache like hell. I can aleviate most of the hip pain by scooting back in the saddle, but the knee continues to ache. I am painless when I run, so I think I may have wrong saddle, wrong saddle height or am sitting on the wrong part of the saddle for the first part of the ride.....Anyone ever experience this before? Any suggestions? Obviously the pain is getting worse as the weather gets colder. Help!!

 

[abc]

Strong possibility of improper fit on the bike.

My first guess is the saddle is too low. Second guess saddle too far back. But it could be more than that, such as stem too short/long or too high/low...

Best approach is go to a GOOD bike shop and have them prop your bike on the trainer and have the fitter take a look on your on-bike positioning.

Whether a shop is willing to do it for free or not is beyond me though. (if I run the shop, I'll do the fitting for free, chances are good you'll need new stem/saddle I can sell anyway )

 

[Gloria]

The bike fit when I bought it, went through that rigomoral, that is why I think it has something to do with the seat height or my form.

 

[abc]

The bike fit when I bought it, went through that rigomoral, that is why I think it has something to do with the seat height or my form.

Did you change shoes?

 

[Little Lightning]

How old is your saddle? The gel in mine tend to break down after 4,000 miles. The breakdown can lower your saddle height. You can check this by measuring your saddle height from the center of your crankarm to the top of your saddle. Compare that measurement with the orginal saddle measurement from the fitting.

BTW, I'm having knee pain when I ride too. Mine is from Patellar femoral pain syndrome. I didn't continue my exercises to strengthen the vastus medialis muscle, I didn't get it back completely from my acl surgery, and now I'm paying for my neglience. I also need to stretch more.

 

[Little Lightning]

Do you use pedals with cleats? If yes, are they adjusted properly?

 

[IntheClouds]

Just a thought for after you have your fit to bike as well as form checked. I occasionally have joint problems. Fortunately a dear friend of mine is a talented chiropractor. I discovered a good chiropractor can determine alignment issues in parts of the body having little to do with the spine. She corrected a knee problem where one of my lower long bones(don't remember which one) was a little out of place, corrected the placement & I've been good. I also have a stability problem w/my pelvis which she corrected & gave me strengthening excersizes for. As well as a problem w/my wrist navicular bone/ulner nerve which occurred after losing grip of a heavy bulletproof door. If you have friends who highly recommend a gentle & talented chiro-you might consider an eval. I wouldn't head to just anyone cause I personally have great fear of anyone messing with my spine or neck.

 

[volklgirl]

Have you changed anything on your bike or in your clothing/equipment since the bike was fitted to you? Has anyone else ridden it? Are the seat clamp bolt and seat post clamp still tight? Knee pain in any form on the bike is usually caused by either seat position or shoe cleat position.

Are you using your gears or standing up when heading up the hill? Are you sitting level on the seat and pedalling with both legs equally? Are you allowing you head and neck to hunch into your shoulders?

 

[Katherine Smith]

biek fit

I moved my seat up 1/8" - and have been paying since. I have been to my bike shop - who said - it hurts where? To which he replied you moved your seat up. My friend responsible for getting me into cycling said the same thing. She is a massage therapist, and between her and my chiro friend, and most importantly, some time off, it has come around. Chiro also did some ultrasound therapy which was incredible in how it worked.

Another chiro friend suggested this.... (before the cycling dilemma)... back against wall, "sit" - and hold knees at 90 degree ankle over ankles. Huge differnece for me this summer when skiing. I hold it as I dry my hair in the morning...

a few other excercises as well, but a good chiro or massage therapist can often solve without drugs....