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Does she suffer from cycling knee pain?

During the third day of my Rhine River tour, almost at the end of a long bicycle riding day in which we rode 70 miles, I started to feel severe pain in my right knee. This pain did not stop until the end of our trip and disappeared only three months later!

After I returned from the bike trip, I decided to learn more about cycling knee pain. I found out that there are many articles, forums, and websites about cycling and pain. Still, in most cases, I needed help finding a source of information that was complete, informative, and especially easy to read and understand. In this webpage, I will try to produce just that.

Content

• Background
• The Structure of the Knee
• What Causes Cycling Knee Pain?
• How To Prevent or Minimize the Risk of Cycling Knee Pain
• Products for Cycling Knee Pain Treatment on eBay
• Summary

Background

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Bicycle riding is a relatively safe sport for the knees. While jogging, our knee joints are under tremendous loads since the foot lands on the ground periodically. During cycling, the leg moves smoothly and continuously. Note: You can read more information about the subject in the article about running vs. cycling. Considering this fact, it is quite surprising that cycling knee pain is so common among cyclists. Whether competitive or amateur, most bicycle riders have suffered from cycling knee pain during their careers. The good news is that cycling knee pain is usually a temporary phenomenon, and it can disappear after a while, with or without treatment. In some rare cases, though, the problem of cycling knee pain may worsen and even prevent you from continuing cycling!

The knee joint is in the middle between the foot and the pelvis and is thus affected by both. When using cycling shoes with cleats, the foot is connected directly to the pedal, and the way the shoe is attached to the pedal, the length and the width of the crank and other parameters are affecting the actual knee movement. Riding techniques, such as using “power pedaling,” can also affect knee movement.

The Structure of the Knee

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The knee joint connects the thigh with the shin and is a "single-axis" joint, as it can move in one plane only by flexing and bending (as opposed to the hip, for example, which is a "three-axis" joint). In addition, knee joint surfaces are flat (unlike other joints built with concave and convex surfaces), and therefore, the knee's stability depends only on the strength of its muscles and ligaments.

There are pads called the meniscus cartilage located between the femur and tibia. They also contribute to the stability of the knee joints and allow smooth movement. Meniscus ligaments are usually not affected during a routine bicycle ride. Still, they can be damaged when you fall off your bike or as a result of an accident. In simple terms, the role of the front muscles of the knee (the hamstring muscles) is to straighten the knee. The opposing muscles (the antagonists' muscles) are to bend the knee. Read here more about the knee structure.

What Causes Cycling Knee Pain?

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Inappropriate gear selection

A major factor that can cause strain in the knee is the overload of the knee muscles caused by using gears that are too low or too high. Use a gear that allows you to pedal quickly, from 70 to 100 strokes per minute.

Incorrect Seat Position

A seat that is too high, too low, too far forward, or too far back can cause cycling knee pain. A saddle that is too high will cause the knee of the down leg to extend beyond the optimal 170-186 angle, potentially causing pain in the back of the knee. A seat that is too low or too far forward might reduce the ability of the knee muscles to produce the required force for the ride. It may, therefore, divert the knee outward, causing pain in the front of the knee.

Improper Foot Position on the Pedal

Improper foot position on the pedal (or improper cleat alignment) can cause pain on the inside or outside of your knees. After learning about cycling knee pain, I discovered that this was the reason for my bicycle knee pain.

If you have "duck feet" (your feet point to the outside when you pedal) and you use shoes with straight cleats, your legs twist inward, forcing the knees to twist in the same direction. As a result, the knee movement will not be in a straight line but in the form of figure eight. During long rides (such as bicycle tours), this might become a real problem, as it causes knee erosion.

Wrong Crank Length

A crank that is too long causes excessive knee flex beyond the knee's ability to bend. This causes the down leg's knee to twist outwards, causing unwanted lateral knee movement. On the other hand, a crank that is too short can cause excessive load on the knee muscles.

Difference between the Width of the Pelvis and the Pedal Axis Width

For most of us, especially women, the pelvis is wider than the width of the pedal axis. As a result, the hips tend to twist inward while riding. While the hip joint can adapt to this change, the knee joint suffers from unwanted lateral loads.

Leg Length Discrepancy

Differences in individual anatomy may also result in cyclist knee pain. Cyclists with slight differences in leg length may have bicycle knee pain because the seat height is only adjusted for one side. Shoe inserts or orthotics can help correct this problem.

How To Prevent or Minimize the Risk of Cycling Knee Pain

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Select the Right Seat Height

The bicycle seat's height affects the knee's functioning. Adjust the saddle height so that your down leg will extend to an angle of 170º.

Changing Forward/Back Seat Position

The optimal seat position is such that when your front foot is in its most forward position, the knee is just above the crank axis. You can adjust the seat forward or backward.

Select the Proper Crank Length

Most adult bikes have 165 and 175 mm cranks. Make sure that the crank fits to your leg length. Consult the experts in your local bicycle shop or read some material about bicycle sizing.

Choosing the right gear ratio

For many cyclists (including myself), a low gear/low resistance/fast spin is more comfortable than the opposite. Due to their still-undeveloped knee muscles, children should avoid "power riding" completely and not use cleats.

Use Shoes with Cleats

Using shoes with cleats allows the leg that is moving upward to participate in the pedaling, thus contributing to balanced knee movement.

Align the Cleat

If you are pigeon-toed (if your feet point inward), your feet will be forced by the pedals and the cleats to move in a parallel plane. There will be a slight twist in your leg, causing lateral forces on the knee.

To allow your legs to move in their "natural" plane, you should take one of these preventive actions:

• Align your cleats.
• Use cleats that allow foot rotation (some of the more advanced cleats are like that).
• Ride without cleats.

Products for Cycling Knee Pain Treatment

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	[Pain Relief Patch] K-BeOne Bio Healing Muscle Joint Patch 1000 kits Wholesale (New - 4200 USD)
	[Pain Relief Patch] K-BeOne Bio Healing Muscle Joint Patch 180 kits Rapid Effect (New - 2111.11 USD)
	PainBuster Laser Device German 905nm GaAs Animal Human For Pain Relief Home Use (New - 1999.95 USD)
	[Pain Relief Patch] K-BeOne Bio Healing Muscle Joint Patch 100 kits Rapid Effect (New - 1308.32 USD)

Books About Knee Pain

More information about knee and other cycling-related pain can be found in several informative books. Take a look:

Last Word On Cycling Knee Pain

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Cycling knee pain during and after cycling is one of the most significant cycling-related pains. The good news is that this type of pain appears only during long rides and tends to disappear afterward. As in all other cases of cycling pain and injuries, you should consult with a sports doctor and get professional advice. You are invited to read some of my other related articles about

• cycling pain
• Cycling leg pain
• Cycling neck pain
• Cycling back pain
• Cycling knee pain
• Cycling shoulder pain
• bicycle saddle sores

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