Knee injury

[stewie911]

Did the 3 Towers this weekend and on day 3 I had bad knee problems(On the inside of my left knee). It hurt the whole of the last stage, much more on the steep inclines when there were more resistance from the pedals). I couldn't stand and pedal at all on the last day

 

What could be the cause of this?

 

 

Some info:

• Left cleat was a bit worn. (Replaced on the last day)
  
• Didn't do any back to back hard training before the event
  
• Did a lot of standing climbs on day 1 and 2
  
• Never trained on hills like those
  

[Minion]

I had the same problem earlier this year. Go and see a physio.

 

In my case it was due to an inflamed tendon as a result of setup problems. It can also be caused by a sudden increase in training/riding intensity or changes made to your setup.

 

If it's setup related, it can be damn hard to nail down the exact cause - especially if it only starts hurting after two or more hours of riding. Mine happened over four months ago and I'm still not 100% sure whether my setup is right (after numerous bike fittings).

 

The other problem is that, in Joburg at least, there are lots of people who know about bike setup and lots of people who know the details of how a knee works, but not so many (if any) who know about both and can link the two together.

Edited October 18, 2010 by Edman

[stewie911]

Thanks Edman, don't think mine is setup related. Been riding the same setup since April on the mtb and have done 70km+ rides without any knee problems

[The expat cyclist]

Dalk is dit ouderdom?

 

Ek weet jy stel dalk nie belang nie maar, ek het onder dieselle forum 'n topic gehad "Do you suffer from a chronic sporting injury?" bla, bla, bla.

 

Use it. Don't use it.

 

Bly om te sien jy en WW het oorleef!!!

[Minion]

Been riding the same setup since April on the mtb and have done 70km+ rides without any knee problems

It might still be related to setup, so don;t rule it out entirely. It could have been a little problem building over time. The race then just pushed it over the edge.

 

That's one of the reasons these things are so hard to solve. I think my problem is sorted, but I'll only really know for sure once I start hitting the training load I was doing in June.

 

I would still recommend a physio (there're a few around with cycling expertise). At least they know the right questions to ask and can properly assess your knee to determine the most likely cause.

[mach7-7]

Like everyone has mentioned, it is hard to hit the nail on the head...

 

I have also had knee problems within the last month and have also been riding a " Correctly Setup" bike for about 5 months now. Participated in the 3-day Oudtshoorn Marathon and also had knee niggles set in around day 2 which made completing the race a big challenge. I can contribute my pains to the following:

 

1. Only doing training rides of around 60km, while the stages were > 96km < 103km's...

2. Pushing too hard on Day1 as the pace was fast and was caught up with a lazy pack and led for about 20km as no one was keen to do the work! Managed to finish in the top40 that day

3. Pushing heavy gears and not spinning enough (cadence was under 80)

4. My core training and strength training fell by the way side before the event.

5. My saddle slipped backwards on the saddle rails, resulting in my knee not being directly over my pedal axle!! I think this happened slowly as I found slight little niggles prior to Oudtshoorn and thought I was maybe just training hard... I decided to eat my oats in the morning and tighten the two saddle bolts with gusto! Has not moved lately.

 

The human body is complex and if one thing changes on your bike or one muscle is not supple on the day and decides to remain tense, then other muscles will compensate for the stubborn one.. Your knee could be linked to weak abductor muscles or it could be that it is not tracking correctly or your ITB could be inflames... the list goes on.

 

 

I hope you find the source of the problem by trial and error or perhaps by physio. These issues have for a long time annoyed me as it effects my efficiency on my bike. Good luck!