The solution is quite simple really (maybe not for everyone, but for a lot of people. You might still need Physio though). I've been cycling seriously since I was 16, but as soon as I hit the big 40 last year, I started developing the same hip pains you're talking about. Shorter cranks were the answer. I reduced all my crank lengths (road and MTB to 170mm) and the change was very noticeable. Most riders over-extend the hip unnecessarily at the top of the pedal stroke, due to cranks which are too long. Do this, even just 1 degree too much, 80x per minute for 4 hours, and the cumulative effect is massive. With the wide range cassettes we have nowadays, there's no need for the leverage offered by the longer cranks. Because I'm rather short (168cm) and so convinced about the results already experienced, I'm now going a step further and changing all my cranks to 165mm.
