Hi all

To set the scene I normally commute 4 to 5 days a week 20 miles a day, with the return leg uphill and 40% of the time into a headwind.Ive done this for the last 14 years on a regular hybrid bike. However as will all of us I feel my age (40 now) and if I wanted to go and play on the bike or do a mtb ride I just dont feel like it. This is exacerbated more recently as ive noticed increased knee pain and fatigue. I have taken time off the bike to get a break periodically but the time it takes for this to return is noticeably shorter now.
I’d like to prolong the length of time I can continue to cycle over my lifetime and to enjoy it so considering ways I can lessen the impact of the daily grind on the body to save it for more enjoyable riding.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and how did they tweak their riding mix to suit?

Ps job wont be changing for the next 5 to 10 years and I’m not anti e bikes…

Buy an ebike, sorted

Tackle the cause of your knee pain?

Just resting won’t address it’s cause.

It can be real tricky to identify what’s causing yours.

For me, a new shoe & pedals system has worked.

Out of interest, how old are your commuting shoes? If you think of them like running shoes, would you still want to be running in them? Just a thought.

You could commit to riding set days: M/W/F or M/T/W/T to allow for more rest.

I currently cycle M-F commuting, and TBH with this winter of rain, I’m struggling to get out on a weekend.

I commute 4 days a week, minimum 12 miles each day (round trip) but often extended one or both ways. I still get out for 2-3hrs on a Friday, sometimes for an hour or so at the weekend, and a couple of night rides a month. I’m 52, and whilst I sometimes feel tired or the legs feel a bit dead, don’t usually have any specific injuries/niggles to deal with.

For me, commuting by bike is both about getting to/from work, but also some ‘me’ time. I’m also fortunate to be able to choose a variety of semi-rural roads/trails to make the commute more enjoyable.

I’d get your knees looked at because if there is us an underlying problem, none of the potential solutions (ebike, or drop some of the commutes in favour of more play-time) are going to work out in the long-term. 40 isn’t so old really; you potentially have another 30-40 years riding ahead of you, but if there is a problem with your knees, that will become limited.

So, maybe see your GP, but probably also supplement this with seeing a sorts physio for some assessment / knee strength & stability exercises, and suitable stretching regime.

You want one of these 😀

CrossCurrent X Commuter Electric Bike

I’ve had the same (minus the knee problems). My last job I was quite lucky for cycling as there were various route options jnc a nearly 100% towpath one. It meant I’d often be riding 4 or 5 times a week approx 14 miles each way certainly throughout summer. Much less in winter when the towpath would be so muddy it was unusable.

But then I’d get to the weekend and not want to go out on a bike at all.

Mixing it up helped – after a week of roadie / CX commuting, go out on the MTB.

Oh – just to complicate things – knee pain isn’t always from a knee issue, think feet, arches, ankles, knees, hips, pevis, back etc…. apparently it’s all connected!

sore knees from cycling suggests to me something wrong with your position on the bike

So, maybe see your GP, but probably also supplement this with seeing a sorts physio for some assessment

If you can still work the GP will likely be uninterested, Google “NHS physio self referral” at your local hospital, if they offer it, it’s free, and maybe turn up on your bike!

Echo everything about getting the root cause of the knee pain sorted, be it physio, bike fit whatever. Look after your knees, you’ll miss them when they’ve gone.

I have a similar 24 mile a day commute, with uphill, headwind finish. I found twice a week was the ideal for me if I was riding midweek and at the weekend for fun, three times if the midweek ride wasn’t on. Any more than that and my legs were too heavy to enjoy the weekend rides. I ride for fun, I’ve not got time to go out out of my way to ensure optimal recovery to ride more, and it’s still 100+ miles a week

I was suffering from a similar malaise.

I’ve a 14 mile commute each way, 15-16 if I go via the park. I would often not feel like riding at the weekend.

It’s mostly been solved by:

Working from home a bit more (might not be an option). I average about 1.6 days a week over the month.
Buying a Brompton, I can do the full commute in the morning and get the train most of the way home.

My week is usually:
Monday – ride there and back, on the gravel bike
Tuesday – wfh
Wed- wfh or ride there train back
Thurs – ride there and back
Fri – day off if going out boozing or ride there train back

If I didn’t have the train or day off options I’d have gone for an e-bike.

So many lithe things might sort the knee

Position on your bike. Cleats and shoes. Core strength. Hamstring length. Lower back flexibility