Knee trouble

[Garlick]

I've been riding a lot more recently and have covered around 325 miles over the past month. Recently my right knee clicks loudly with every revolution, reducing a little when I stand on the pedals. It's starting to ache a touch at the beginning of a ride too, reducing as i warm up over distance. When I get home it clicks up the stairs to my flat.

I don't want to stop riding, so I'm thinking a normal sports knee brace might help? If it persists I'll pop to the doc, but has anyone suffered similar?

Of course, I could just be like Bliarout at go on about it every five minutes.....

[SteveS Cup]

How old are ya Garlick???

I choose my words carefully as I'm relatively new round here but could this just be a sign of old age??!!

[ewenm]

Any float in your cleats?

[Garlick]

I'm 37, decent health, not overweight.

Cleats.....hmm, no they don't. I run with Keo classics in a fixed position. Been riding with them for a couple of years now.

[pacman1]

Unless its something serious, Glucosamine is your friend. Great stuff for your joints, just bought some more last week. Takes three months to kick in though.

[anonymous-user]

My ankle does this - I just twist it about for a bit until it "pops" loudly, then I'm on my way

Probably not recommended by doctors though....

[ewenm]

Garlick said:

I'm 37, decent health, not overweight.

Cleats.....hmm, no they don't. I run with Keo classics in a fixed position. Been riding with them for a couple of years now.

I found upping mileage gave me sore knees which went away with more float in the pedals. I'm not sure you can do this with road cleats though.

My advice would be to see a sports physio rather than your GP - they are more likely to be able to diagnose any issue and fix it. The GP will just refer you. If you need a recommendation, get in touch with Thames Hare and Hounds (running club based at the playing fields opposite Robin Hood Gate, Richmond Park), they'll know some good physios.

[IroningMan]

Cleats without float are a bit scary - lots of ex-riders in their 50's and 60's with powdered knees to show that it took a while to get the technology right: you won't loose anything by switching to some with float.

Ramping-up the miles will show-up issues that you might otherwise never suspect.

If it's not down to position or the lack of float then it could be to do with a muscular imbalance - either you're not recruiting the right muscles to keep the joint bending in perfect alignment or something is unduly tight, like your ITB. Proper sports massage can help, but it bloody hurts...

If it's not muscular then it could be an injury or wear-and-tear damage to the joint that the mileage is now highlighting.

In any event, as Ewen says, get thee to a sports physio: it'll cost you £30-£50 for a consultation/diagnosis and it's well worth it in my experience. I use the guys at 'Team Bath' up at the University, but I can't imagine it will be hard to find someone in Lunnun.

[ewenm]

IroningMan said:

In any event, as Ewen says, get thee to a sports physio: it'll cost you £30-£50 for a consultation/diagnosis and it's well worth it in my experience. I use the guys at 'Team Bath' up at the University, but I can't imagine it will be hard to find someone in Lunnun.

If the guys at the Uni ever can't fit you in, I can't recommend Claire Wheller highly enough - she works out of a room above the Running:Bath shop opposite the Guildhall/on the Corridor. She can perform witchcraft!

[Flippin' Kipper]

Would it be worth spending £100 on a trip to cycle fit or a similar shop who would ensure your bike fits you perfectly?
1
I had some problems with my knees recently, and thought it was because my saddle was too far forward, and was looking for a post with more lay back, when in actual fact the saddle was too far back placing my knees too far behind the pedal axle!!

[Mars]

I empathise... having something similar, although the reason for my trouble is because I'm bloody heavy. My right knee creaks when I walk upstairs and I need to wear my winter cycling trousers when I go out on the bike even in this weather to stop it from aching.

I'm 42 and fat. You're younger and about half my weight no doubt. I'm going to try a knee support and I'm hoping to find enough time to cycle more to reduce the fatosityness (I'm sure that's right ).

[Garlick]

Thanks everyone. Physio sound good.

It's clicking bottom of the knee, central position. Loud enough to hear when climbing the stairs, seems to be 'inside' if that makes sense? I had a motorbike accident in 1991 where I ended up on crutches due to an injury to my right leg, it's the same leg today. Never been an issue before.

Cycle fit seems sensible too as I want to increase my riding, not decrease.

[outnumbered]

Definitely get it looked at ASAP by a physio or sports doc. It's very easy to do long term damage to bits that don't heal.

[IroningMan]

ewenm said:

IroningMan said:

In any event, as Ewen says, get thee to a sports physio: it'll cost you £30-£50 for a consultation/diagnosis and it's well worth it in my experience. I use the guys at 'Team Bath' up at the University, but I can't imagine it will be hard to find someone in Lunnun.

If the guys at the Uni ever can't fit you in, I can't recommend Claire Wheller highly enough - she works out of a room above the Running:Bath shop opposite the Guildhall/on the Corridor. She can perform witchcraft!

Cheers - I'm hatching a plan to do another IM event next year, so that may turn out to be a handy tip...

[Garlick]

pacman1 said:

Unless its something serious, Glucosamine is your friend. Great stuff for your joints, just bought some more last week. Takes three months to kick in though.

I meant to say thanks for this link earlier, apologies

Looks interesting, worth a go in addition to the other suggestions

[BMWBen]

Garlick said:

Thanks everyone. Physio sound good.

It's clicking bottom of the knee, central position. Loud enough to hear when climbing the stairs, seems to be 'inside' if that makes sense? I had a motorbike accident in 1991 where I ended up on crutches due to an injury to my right leg, it's the same leg today. Never been an issue before.

Cycle fit seems sensible too as I want to increase my riding, not decrease.

Yup would definitely recommend. I ignored growing pain in my knee when I changed to different SPD's and it led to 4 months of physio and a good 6 months to get somewhere near normal again.

I'm still not completely recovered almost a year on.

I did have a health insurance policy with unlimited physio cover and the physio at work *was* rather lovely though, so not all bad :

[The Beaver King]

Garlick said:

Thanks everyone. Physio sound good.

It's clicking bottom of the knee, central position. Loud enough to hear when climbing the stairs, seems to be 'inside' if that makes sense? I had a motorbike accident in 1991 where I ended up on crutches due to an injury to my right leg, it's the same leg today. Never been an issue before.

Cycle fit seems sensible too as I want to increase my riding, not decrease.

Worse case it could be a bit of floating cartilage in the knee?

My missus does some serious impact sport and at 24 years old has been in to have the inside of the kneecap scrapped and smoothed. She experienced the same problem with clicking for a few months before, then it fully locked one day and she couldn't move it. Luckily she's a physio, so diagnosed herself pretty quickly.

I could be wrong, but definitely get yourself to a physiotherapist.

[okgo]

There's a good physio on Richmond road that comes reccomended from bikeradar, I'll find the details.

And sigma do a bikefit too which is meant to be good.

I need all of the above as my knee is exactly the same on longer rides, I just haven't got round to it, I really need a kick up the arse as the last thing I want or need is a fked knee.

What was said by others I ride with is that the VMU muscle probably wasn't as developed as some of the others so it was case of doing some excersises to build the VMO.

Edited by okgo on Friday 3rd June 12:40

[Mutley]

Garlick said:

Thanks everyone. Physio sound good.

It's clicking bottom of the knee, central position. Loud enough to hear when climbing the stairs, seems to be 'inside' if that makes sense? I had a motorbike accident in 1991 where I ended up on crutches due to an injury to my right leg, it's the same leg today. Never been an issue before.

Cycle fit seems sensible too as I want to increase my riding, not decrease.

Garlick, as suggested, go to a sports physio and also get yourself fitted properly. Although with the bike accident you may have a more serious issue. Does your knee ever lock?

I would cycle 30-40 miles on a weekend morning, then switched over to cleats and thats when my knee would ache after a while and upon seeing a doctor/getting a scan, it appears that an accident I had years ago has had my knee wearing away to such an extent that the extra milage and clipping in accelerated the problem, and at 40 I need new knees, I'm not eligible till I'm 60+.
This is an Extreme scenarion, but it all started with a clicking knee, so would stress getting it looked at as soon as you can.

Try riding without clipping in for a while and see if that affects you.

[anonymous-user]

Garlick, would definately advise a session setting up the bike, plenty of places in and around the City to do this. For the extra power transmission you get I dont think zero float is worth it on the road. Have you looked into the cleat position as without the buffer of float you are at the mercy of your angles, another reason to go to bike fit.

These guys here although out in the sticks are one of the best sports medicine places (not general physio's) I have found. They are involved with all manner of sportsmen/women and support Team GB.... and me

HTH