sore knees

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

I'll betcha dollars to donuts her saddle is much too low. There are probably
other problems with the way her bike fits her. A lot of people aren't even
aware that such a process as "bike fitting" even exists, let alone that it
can make or break a person's ability to comfortably ride a bike.

The bike shop that sold the bike should be the place to go for a fitting. If
that's not feasible, or if there's no actual bike shop in the picture, start
here for some excellent information: http://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html.

Adjustments may not be possible if the frame is much too large or small for
the rider.

RichC

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

We need some more information on her. How was the bike fit to her? Is she
using clipless pedals, and if so, how was the cleat placement arrived at? I
often find knee problems miraculously "cured" by simply moving the cleats
back on the shoes. There's also the issue of whether she's simply doing too
much too quickly which, at 46, could be a definite problem... you're dealing
with a body that's just not quite as flexible and self-repairing as it used
to be.

Also, if she's spending two weeks off the bike and then doing another
significant ride, that's probably not doing her any good at all. Better that
she goes out on pretty easy rides, on a frequent basis.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

c

one possibility is that the IT band is tight causing a patellar tracking
issue. i have found great personal relief by doing some stretches that focus
on the IT band...
-alan

ch said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

I'm 49 and I've also been having some knee pain lately. Mine is medial
(I think that's the opposite of lateral).

I've been doing very easy spinning to warm-up, then stretch my quads,
and then do a real ride. After a ride I ice my knees. Seems to help.

can you explain what the IT band is?

chaim

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for
two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

c

one possibility is that the IT band is tight causing a patellar tracking
issue. i have found great personal relief by doing some stretches that
focus
on the IT band...
-alan

ch said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long ride
she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for two
weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

First, have the bike setup checked, a saddle too high or low can cause
knee problems, as can a saddle that is too far forward or back. Pedal
position through the stroke should also be checked especially with
clipless pedals. If the bike fits properly and is setup properly. Then
have the knees checked by a doctor, it could be a joint problem.
Fortunately this can often be fixed.

If the bike checks out, and the knees are okay, she also may need to
know more about gearing, because she may be using too low a gear, which
is also hard on the knees.

Beyond that, it's better to ride 2-3Km a day, then 40km every other
week, muscles need to get used to the action of the stroke, like any
other excersize. It's like when you go to the gym after not being there
for a couple of months, you need an easy workout, or a couple of days of
pain management. Best is to start out riding 1km, every day, for say a
week, then 2km for the next week, then 3km for the next week, then 5km,
then maybe, add a longer ride on occasion, because the muscles get
worked in. Maybe add a 25 to 30km weekend ride at this point. You
can, make these longer and longer, until your looking at that century
ride....

W

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

can you explain what the IT band is?

chaim

ya sorry, i dont have internet access from here. i know it's strange that i
can usenet...it's a work thing so i cant give a link anyway it's a long
muscle that runs from the ilial crest (hip) all the way to the patellar
area. mine got really tight from cycling. it's hard to decribe the stretches
without a picture (you can probably google "iliotibial tract" or "iliotibial
band"😉 anyway my stretches are:
1. lay on my back with both feet on pilates ball or chair, cross one leg
over so the foot rests on the opposite knee, grab ankle but dont pull too
hard. very gentle stretch.
2. stand in doorway, cross right foot just behind left, right arm in air
lean to the left. repeat opposite side.
3. kneel on one knee, other leg on foot knee bent, lean forward. helps to
have foot of kneeling side pushed laterally.
there's another good one but i cant decribe it...

can somebody please repost this thread? it didnt come back after i made a
response...thanks!

"greggery peccary" <.@.> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

" ch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

my girl friend 46, just started riding and towards the end of a long

ride

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

she started having pain in her lateral knee cap. After not riding for

two

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

weeks , on the next bike ride she started to feel the pain again
immediately. Is there anything she can do or is she just not cut out for
cycling

c

one possibility is that the IT band is tight causing a patellar tracking
issue. i have found great personal relief by doing some stretches that

focus

Quoted message said:

on the IT band...
-alan