Apart from bio-mechanical problems, are there any obvious set-up problems that could result in severe knee-pain?
I recall seeing somewhere that the centre of your knee joint should not be behind the centre of the pedal axle when the cranks are level, is this true or is it just some advice that may work for some but not for others?
I've never been able to achieve this on my other bikes but never had a problem.
Just wondering whether buying an inline post for touring would be a worthwhile investment.
hammer on the knee is quite painful
Hammertime!
number one cause is crap cleat set up, followed pedalling like you have king kongs balls between your legs.
I read somewhere about pain on one side being relieved by moving the cleat in a particular direction. Can never remember which one though
Is this a typical problem that Time pedal users encounter?
i.e - they have more float so you don't need to get the cleat position set up so precisely?
I would suggest that it is pretty important to always set the cleat up precisely.
Try sticking the show in the pedal without your foot in it and see what kind of range of movement you have.
Range of movement left to right?
Do I need to move the cleat forwards / backwards to try and make sure my knee is always in front of the axle?
As I've only ever ridden a few days consecutively its never been a problem.
The only time I've had knee pain on a bike is from lazy cleat setup. This caused an ache on the outside of my left knee and was solved by turning the cleat a few degrees so that it brought my heel in a bit.
No problems since.
Saddle height is a common cause in my experience. Too high ruins your knees and too low ruins your knees.
I used to get knee pain and I went to Cyclefit in Covent garden that specialise in the cleats' position and adding wedges to your shoes to get your foot hence leg hence knee at the right angle and they found my saddle 2-3 cm too low. Once set up correctly I felt I was on a rack it was so stretched but 3 months later my knees were better than for years and four years later I get no knee pain at all, even on holidays and doing 9 hour sportives etc. I know for alot of people it is not as simple as rectifying a schoolboy error. Cleats have never given me gip.
Cyclefit have a good website but are not cheap - expect £150 for a session plus cleats and probably more.
Left to right range of movement. Try setting it up so that it is around 5mm off hitting the crank when its on the inner limit of the pedal and try it from there. Also have the cleat below the ball of your foot.
age
and over doing it
together - not so clever
Fastening your feet to your pedals sounds like a good way to start a process that will lead to knee pain.
A bit obvious maybe but try sitting on your bike with your heel on the pedal raising or lowering the seat until your leg is extended. That is the sweet spot where saddle height caused knee pain will be a thing of the past.
Fastening your feet to your pedals sounds like a good way to start a process that will lead to knee pain.
I get knee pain after even a short ride with spikey flat pedals due to the fact that there is zero float.