Re: Question about Cokering and Knee pain.

Some people just get knee pain. Like harper says it might just be that
you're one of the damned (so to speak). Hopefully not though.

If you sit on your saddle whilst holding onto something, and have a
look at what your leg looks like - does it look like the leg is bending
inwards or outwards or what?

I know some people have more knee pain with the wide hub than the
narrow hub, or with cranks that go out away from the wheel as opposed
to straight cranks (q-factor). Presumably they are less cowboy legged
than your average person. Maybe you are more cowboy legged. Do you have
cranks with q-factor? If not it'd be worth trying them. If you do,
maybe worth trying some straight cranks just in case you're
misdiagnosing the direction things need to move in.

Also, this is really stupid and I'm sure you've checked, but the seat
is on straight and as high as you can comfortably ride it? I know
either a very slightly too low seat, or a slightly off straight seat
can cause something that sounds a bit like what you're describing.

Again a silly thing, but you do have a decent pressure in the tyre? I
find that really makes a difference to road crown, every so often on my
commuter I spend a week thinking that I've completely lost the ability
to ride before realising that the pressure has got back down far enough
to need pumping up again. It's the way it gradually goes down over
about 3 months that catches me out.

Joe

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joemarshall said:

Again a silly thing, but you do have a decent pressure in the tyre? I
find that really makes a difference to road crown, every so often on my
commuter I spend a week thinking that I've completely lost the ability
to ride before realising that the pressure has got back down far enough
to need pumping up again. It's the way it gradually goes down over
about 3 months that catches me out.

That's what most people seem to say, but I actually find the opposite.
If I run my 36" tyre (TA) at more than about 30psi it feels like it's
trying to throw me into the ditch on cambered roads. With lower
pressure it's much more stable. Weird.

For knee pain in general, I don't tend to get too much trouble on
unicycles, but from my bicyclist's point of view it's often because
people are trying to push too high a gear. Spinning a slightly lower
gear is both more efficient and easier on the knees. So on a unicycle
the equivalent would be to use a smaller wheel or longer cranks, to
take strain off the knees. Longer cranks would also have the
side-effect of making spinning harder, unfortunately.

Rob

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In all seriousness, find a decent sports physio and get him to check you
and your muscle development over. One of the best things I've ever
done, we worked out a decent cross-training and weight regime which has
helped!

Respect you knees, you will miss them when they are gone 🙂

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bmerry said:

I wonder if your trouble might be related to the side-slope of the road?
In my Coker riding over the last 6 months I've noticed that I need to
compensate for side-cambered roads in my riding. It results in me at
times riding with one knee a bit out of the plane of rotation. I don't
have knee pain from this, but i thought i'd bring it up for you to
consider. I've found that since I've started using a handlebar I can
steer upslope with the bar and it has made things easier.

I'll try riding on the yellow line. That may help. I did just switch
to the Niterider tire. It rides nice, but it seems to have a bigger
contact patch than the Coker tire. I wonder if that could be causing
some of this. I upped the tire pressure to 60lbs after initially
riding with it at 45lbs. Seemed better, I may go up another 5lbs and
see if that helps. I have my GB4 handle, but unfortunately it is
attached to my air saddle, which I have never gotten used to. I like a
more solid platform to plant my butt on, and push my legs into. So
back to the gel saddle it is. I may look into the Niterider bars since
I don't have to dissect the seat to install it.

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rob.northcott said:

That's what most people seem to say, but I actually find the opposite.
If I run my 36" tyre (TA) at more than about 30psi it feels like it's
trying to throw me into the ditch on cambered roads. With lower
pressure it's much more stable. Weird.

True for me as well. I think a tyre with lower pressure accommodates
the sideways adjustment you make while riding on cambered roads.

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Last year I also had knee problems. I also have the world's Strongest
Coker Wheel built by Dave Stockton. Nothing wrong about the wheel. For
mee it was that I was going harder than my knees could takle. The World
strongest Coker wheel feel for me so responsible, stiff and strong that
it sometimes feels like a 29" unicycle in tecnically sections. It was
the fast descenting who destroyed my knees. This is what helped mee to
get rid of the knee pain.

* only riding with 150mm cranks for a long time
* eating much fat fish (Omega 3 is luberication for your body)
* training in the gym with weights (strengten the legs)
* lowering the seat, and try to cycle with your legs a little out for a
while

This year I have no knee pain. I think when you get rid of the pain
your knees have been stronger.

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