My knees are currently caning, presumably due to the large amount of single speeding that I do. Beyong the obvious bullet behind the ear, or use gears responses anyone got any answers to it?

Cheers

G

Spin not mash, draw circles with your feet. Enjoy or pretend to enjoy.

Flat pedals, and a bit more walking.

Why struggle up the hill on a bike at walking speed?

Cut your knees off and fit some brass hinges.

I had similar problems. I have a history of knee problems so thought the potential long term damage/pain wasn’t worth it and gave the bike away (it wasn’t worth much).

Ditto cptnjon. Your knees are giving you a hint,time for the bike to go.

It’s not the singlespeed that’s the problem. I always used to have dodgy knees, but they’re fine now after being singlespeed only for a couple of years.

im with mike i used to get loads of jip from my knees after a couple of years of singlespeeding daily they are a lot stronger.

The ss-knee thing is unproven AFAIK – in fact this is the first thread I have seen from someone who has blamed ss for their knee pain.

im with mike also …

singlespeed more like running – but without the actual running and thus to an extent balances out those muscles nicely

depends whats causing the knee pain mind ! Go see someone who knows what they are doing (a physio)

Pretty sure it is SS. Been riding geared for a couple of weeks, no issues, did the Dunwich Dynamo last night singel speed, kneews caning now.

Good advice from Hairychested, but don’t honsestly think its that, although I will make a conscious effort to work on technique.

Quitting: not ready to do that yet

Physio: Muscle building. Maybe worth a try.

Any other thoughts? So far all very helpful.

There are two aspect IMO to the singlespeding and knee pain.

When climbing hills you must put more stress on your knees as you put the same amount of energy in but at a lower cadence so the pressure on the knees will be higher. If you have degenerative knee problems this could make it worse.

If you are singlespeeding you might well build up your quad strength for exactly the same reasons and if you have unstable knee joints this will help support your knee cap and stabilise the joint leading to less pain.

are you using the same types of pedals, same shoes/cleats, setup all the way through?
is the saddle height right?

And just how much is a large amount? Is it hilly? What ratio are you running? What size are your wheels?

If you can’t hack it, use gears.

change your gearing, if your using 32:16 try 32:18 ect!

Large amount = Pretty much all on and off road riding that I do. I live in Suffolk so not especially hilly, and tend not to ride SS in proper hills.

Current scenario is from riding a ratio of 42:16 for the Dunwich Dynamo not excessive IMHO.

Gearing doesn’t seem to make much differenc niloC

As an old git with worn out joints I find that riding s/s actually helps alleviate knee pains – honest

Check setup is equal between geared and SS. If you are sitting in a different position relative to the pedals it could be causing problems.

I assume you are clipping in, have you tried moving your cleats to the very back of the slots on your shoes??

Second what Inzane says – I’m not sure but I think my own knee probs have something to do with horizontal saddle vs. pedal position – basically the further back the saddle is relative to a vertical line through the pedal axle, the more likely to get knee pain

its got naff all to do with your gearing, and everything to do with bike setup – its just being demonstrated more greatly on that bike.

see a physio.

ive currently got SS knee from riding a freeride bike up and down hills with the angles a bit too slack for my knees liking.

change pedals (but don’t go to flats) – something with lots of float ?

slack angles did not hurt your knee soobalias!

Oh and just so everyone knows, despite various multi-page arguments about knees and ss, TJ does not ride SS.

If you had flat feet I can advice (1st-hand experience). Otherwise, maybe drop the ratio a bit?

do you strecth properly?

do some knee styengthening exercixes; lunges etc.

No knee problems here, knackered right knee appears to be getting stronger.

And my ass doesn’t hurt like it used to.

All this since single speeding, my style…….. out of the saddle mashing.

I was worried about the problem with my knees (always used to have virtually permanently painful knees after MTBing). Docs said I needed to do other exercise to sort it (lifting coke cans with feet and straight legs while lying down?!). Still get it on my MTB but the SS gives me no probs so I can honestly say mine has nothing to with my SS, however it could well be down to my cleat positioning – the SS felt uncomfy at first but gives me no probs.

The only knee pain I get from SSing is if my saddle is too low and I’m having to spin fast. My knee pain has its roots in an older injury. If anything, SSing has improved the knee strength and I get less problems overall.

Same as G, SSing can definitely do my knees in. Not this time of year, but come winter, incessent slow cadence whilst grinding through mud, definitley does for them in my case (or more accurate the tendon insertion point just below the knee). I use a hub gear for my daily commute also now, so that if the knees are feeling fragile I can give them a bit of a rest and save the SS for pleasure.

Practical things you could do – Maybe visit a sports masseur. SSing might have tightened the muscles and tendons, and this might be putting extra pressure on the knee cap. Get the muscles loosened may mean you can start mashing that gear again.

The only time I get knee trouble when SSing is if I stupidly try to pedal too hard while staying seated, get out of the saddle on the climbs.

I twisted my knee recently and a doc said it was a sprained ligament. Not the cruciate or medial, but one which would heal. She suggested a neoprene support till it got better.

I couldn’t find one of those so yesterday I took 3 aspirin before the ride and concentrated on “clenching” my knee muscles while riding (yes I know there are no such things). We were out about 4 1/2 hours and my knee feels great today. (56 y.o. 100kg SSer)

The only time my knee does’nt hurt is when I ride my ss.Got **** all cartledge left in my left knee (wakeboarding) and if I sit and spin on a geared bike it feels like its gonna explode.It is VERY important you stretch and warm up properly tho,have developed a cyst on the tendon and it hurts like hell.

I had a dodgy knee which was due to out of line cleats.. it caused a muscle imbalance in my right knee that was agony.. I was given strengthening exercises by a physio and the problem hasn’t bothered me since.. I now only SS and my knee feels stronger than ever

So its sounding a lot like the physio/strengthening exercises might bew the way forward then.

Cheers

so what is it then Al?

im going with the slacker seat tube and layback post and the saddle too far back meaning i was pedalling effectively infront of me rather than below me…..

but (very) happy to be corrected.

shoes/cleats/pedals are the same.

not read all the posts but

42:16 seems high for off road SS (is the Dunich Dynamo offroad)? Try 32:16

On the climbs do you sit and grind or stand and grind? I think sitting and pushing a high gear could be bad for your knees – but getting out of the saddle is less likely to cause problems

Am I the only one that thinks that 100+ miles last night might be the issue rather than ss-ing per se?