Knee Pain Bike Riding
Saddle position and cleat adjustment are the two primary areas of concern when treating knee pain from cycling.
Knee pain bike riding. From a bike fit point of view. Medial and lateral knee pain pain on the inner side and the outer side of the knee can be traced back to improper bike fit and anatomical problems. Raising the seat so that your leg is near full extension about 15 to 30 degrees of knee flexion is ideal at the bottom of your pedal stroke will relieve pressure on the patellar tendon. This could lead you to think that cycling is bad for your knees but that s not necessarily true.
For example if your seat is at a height that situates your foot too far forward on the pedal you may place unwanted tension on the muscles located just above the knee. Riding a bike is a low impact exercise but knee pain for cycling enthusiasts is common. The saying in bike fitting is pain at front of knee anterior saddle is too low pain at back of knee posterior saddle is too high. Anterior knee pain while bike riding is caused by a number of factors including improper seat height bike speed or tension on gears as well as overuse of the knee joint before your bike ride.
Lowering your saddle so that there is at least 27 to 37 degrees of knee flexion will prevent you from extending the. The most common cause of patellar tendonitis is a seat that is too low. Pain at the front of the knee on and around the knee cap patella is the most common presentation of cycling overuse injuries in part due to the anatomy of this area. Here s a guide to help you trace.
4 ways to fix anterior knee pain from cycling. A saddle that is too high will cause you to reach for the pedals placing more stress on the hamstring tendons behind the knee and the iliotibial band on the outside of the knee near its point of insertion. In cases of medial knee pain the height of the saddle and its fore aft position needs to be checked. But before you head to a bike fitter or medical professional try a little self diagnosis.
Cleat position and rotation is also important. Pain behind the knee or along the outside of the knee.