Okay, I bought an ASR5 late last year and much as its great fun, every time I’ve ridden it I’ve had varying degrees of knee pain, usually left knee, sometimes both. It’s been at the front, back and side of the knee, but not necessarily all at the same time.

I’ve read everything on the web about cycling related knee problems, tried all sorts of seat heights, angles, front/back seat positions, rested it, regular ice pack, anti-inflammatories, stretches, quad strengthening, shorter cranks etc but to no avail. I ride flats so cleat position not an issue.

Previously I had an Anthem and El Guapo and could ride either until my legs gave up, now with the ASR5 I can do an hour before the knee pain kicks in bad.

Could it be that the bike simply does not suit me? Anyone had anything similar? Was wondering if the slightly wider back end (142) meant I can’t get my feet in the right position coz the chain stays are in the way? Feel like I’m clutching at straws though

How long did you rest for ? I’d say first stop physio

If it really is that bad, go see a physio, and maybe get a bike fit done.

I’d be really surprised if that much knee pain was coming from just the bike, but you could take a look at the fit figures of the yeti compared to your old bikes and see if there is a big difference between them.

I had similar problem I spent a good year or so playing with cleats and bike set up etc, in the end I went to pedal precision at Manchester velodrome and it turned out to be a problem with my left it band being tight and a incorrect cleat set up its getting better now with just some simple exercises, it Just how’s though even when you think everything is set up spot on it can still be wrong

I had about 4 weeks off over Christmas, whilst performing the standard rehab ice ibuprofen stretches etc

I also find it hard to believe that it’s the bike, surely you should be able to get any bike to fit poviding it’s the right size frame which mine definitely is. It’s just that pre-Yeti I was fine and the problems started from the first proper ride on the ASR5. It’s got a slacker seat angle and the chainstays are definitely wider at the heel region than my old bikes and I ride heels in so that’s why I was thinking along those lines

May have to try physio, but all theyll do is help fix the symptoms, I need to know why the problem started when I started riding my Yeti 🙁

Going through this myself just now.

Doing a lot of stretching which helps and have adjusted saddle height / cleat position.

This has all helped, but the biggest cause is such a simple one I don’t know why I didn’t notice it. I do the majority of my mileage on a Specialized Tricross. The standard cranks are 175mm.

By most measures, this is far too big for me. I am 5’10 with average (relative to height) length of legs. Going by the Obree method, I should be on 170mm cranks and that is just what I will be fitting this week.

I need a new bottom bracket anyway and Merlin are doing great deals on cranksets+BB so I ordered a set of Sora cranks in 170mm.

Here’s hoping!

As a fellow Yeti owner, I feel obliged to help… It’s probably a combination of most things you have covered off, but i prattled on about similar stuff here: http://www.monkeymafia.co.uk/ajsmonkey/havingabikefit
For me the solution turned out to be saddle height and q-factor – and a shed load of stretching/flexibility work. No reason for it, it appeared out of nowhere, so might not be bike related?

If you can find a copy of Andy Pruitt’s medical guide for cyclists, its excellent at bike fitting and problem solving..

I get knee pain if the saddle is positioned too far back in relation to the crank. If I drop a plumb line down from the centre of the saddle and it lands a good way back on the stays then I’d be expecting bad knees in the morning. My remedy is to use straight posts with no layback and push the saddle forward if nescessary. You can compensate with a wider bar to stop the cockpit becoming cramped or just fit a longer stem.

Thanks guys, few more ideas there for me to look into, just getting really frustrated at the moment 😥

Outside of the physio and bike-fit, i’d maybe consider switching to something like Speedplay pedals if you think it’s due to not being able to go toe out. I ride with my heels in a lot, and the float lets me swing the heels to clear the stays easily. They’ve worked wonders for my previous knee problems, and I wouldn’t even consider riding flats as being able to lift and reposition is definitely not a substitute for proper rotational float (can feel the knee joint being stressed within a hundred yards, and gets worse with distance).Good luck with it, knee pain isn’t fun.

Simple answer is go get a bike fit to solve the problem and physio to sort the symptoms

NO amount of ‘bikefit’ is gonna fix an underlying health problem.

You need to see a medical professional, not a bike mechanic who will sell you expensive new parts and adjust your seat angle.

I would put good money on it being your IT band. Go and see a good physio and get a foam roller. It’s easy to sort once you’re doing the right things.

I had a similar problem when I got a Commencal Meta 55. Found this was saddle position. I went from almost all the way back to all the way forward, took a bit of time to work it out though.

Could also be a muscle imbalance problem that the Yeti has highlighted. (I’m not a physio though!) I think squats are the answer, knees inline, but see a physio, ideally a private sports one.

Cheers all

Yeah I definitely think the Yeti has highlighted a problem I already have, just want to figure out what it was about the bike that caused it to surface. The more I think about it the more I reckon its that I changed my foot position as I didn’t want my heels to rub on my fancy new carbon chain/seatstays (all my previous bikes have ended up badly rubbed in these points) My natural foot position is toes pointing out but I’m riding with my feet dead straight now. Maybe this is straining my ITB and pulling my kneecap out of position

Anyway, I can’t afford private sports physio or a bike fit at the moment (‘proper’ ones seem to be bl88dy expensive), and in my experience NHS physios are a little ‘hit and miss’ if you can get a referral so not sure what to do right now

Maybe I sell the ASR5, buy something much cheaper and spend the change on private physio / bike fit!

Why don’t you just helitape up the stays? I’d be pretty doubtful that they are really wide enough that they force you to ride constantly in an uncomfortable position.

Last time I had knee problems I thought it was to do with my cleats and position on the bike, but it was actually caused by not being flexible enough. Once I saw a physio and started stretching regularly it went away within a few weeks, and I didn’t have to change a thing about the bike.

The angle of your foot is imperative to the way you cycle. I have feet that point out though my right is particularly bad and I get bad back/knee/quads pain if I don’t cycle with my feet also pointing out. The whole leg is one long series of moving parts and if any get out of line when putting force through it, you’re going to have a bad time. You’ve already identified your problem I think, but maybe you need to find cranks with a larger Q factor or get a good chainstay protector? You cannot force angles like that on bikes as you are putting great amounts of force through your knees. You ITB is usually the first thing to go and it’s quite probably what’s happened here, but if you persist you are in danger of long-term damage.

I have helitaped them. The day I bought the frame I also got one of those custom tape kits and fitted it that night before building the bike up. I thought I’d wear through that though after only a few rides judging by the state of the paint on my previous bikes.

Maybe I’ve been my own worst enemy here. I have definitely developed a different pedalling technique, and this has probably highlighted/exaggerated lack of flexibility and muscular imbalance. I think I’m going to have to lay off it for a while, concentrate religously on stretching and strengthening and ease myself back into rides a little at a time.

I’ve been trying to keep going though as I’m registered for the FoD Wild Boar Chase 42-miler in May but there’s absolutely no way I’ll be able to manage it. Just going to have take it on the chin I think, bite the bullet and get myself sorted.

Edit : Thanks for the input, it has helped me see sense in the situation!

I got an acute pain in the back of one of my knees when I did the C2C last year with 2 days of solid riding of about 9hrs a day. I hadn’t had a problem before doing 2-3 hour rides & put it down to something slightly out magnified by the repetition.

I too read all the articles on bike fit & the various different methods & made several small adjustments. It took a while for the injury to go – but it did. As it happens I have been riding a hard tail over the winter with mud tyres etc – but took my FSR out a couple of weeks ago as it was bit drier – and guess what? The pain came back.

So back to the measuring of the various distances etc of the 2 bikes. Although pretty much the same – I have a Titus FTM (similar to the ASR5) and was not allowing for the riding position of the compressed rear suspension. I raised the saddle up about 1cm /0.5″ and made sure the shock pressure was OK- & so far after a 2 hour ride last Sunday the knee seems OK.

So worth thinking about the riding set up measurements when the shock is compressed……

Out of interest, what length are your cranks and what is your height / inside leg measurement?

I N R A T S but the only difference the frame can really make (bar position/angles, which you can adjust) is if it’s out of alignment in some way…have you checked?

Foam roller all the way.
If you cant stretch to one of the try a rolling pin. Might wanna wrap it in a towel. Roll your it band. If its excruciating then you it band is tight/has some adhesion. It will play havoc on your knee

Fore aft saddle position was my knee problem. That and a saddle that was too high. This exacerbated ITB rubbing and an hr later, pain. You can’t go on position of the saddle clamp on the rails, as seat tube angle affects position more than you would think. One degree change is about 1″ of saddle rail. Drop a plumb line down from under your knee. Then move it, say 0.5 cm as a starter.

That and a foam roller to stretch the ITB. I’ve been pain free for two years with just these adjustments. Rarely roll now, and not for that reason.