Knee Pain

[VpMonty]

Morning all, I'm new to cycling and also to this forum.
I am an overweight 41 yo and have been cycling to college twice a week, which is a 6km round trip, for 4 weeks now.
This weekend the knee pain started.
While walking downstairs the front of my knee on right leg is painful.
I also have a clicking in the lower part of that leg. I'm not sure if it's the knee or the ankle.

Anyway, I'm guessing the knee pain is because my front thigh muscles are stronger (and tighter) than the back thigh muscles.

What exercise can I do to strengthen the back thigh muscles?
Any advice much appreciated.

[Paulatic]

Is your saddle rammed forward?
Moving it back will engage the hamstrings.
Change down push big gears n
Check out your position with @Colin531 https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/up ... -2017a.pdf

[Gearoidmuar]

What helps to strengthen the muscles around the knee is to stand while climbing.

[simonhill]

Search the Web for leg stretching exercises, particularly the hamstrings.

There is also a strengthening exercise where you slide down a wall with feet out about a foot and hold. It is commonly used by skiers so search for that. It redresses some of the imbalance caused by pure cycling.

I had bad knee pain caused by too much cycling. I could cycle OK, but painful going up and down stairs. Had x-rays, knees OK. So I asked my physio friend who recommended the above. All is well now.

Regardless of knee pain, regular stretching of leg muscles is definitely recommended to keep you flexible.

[531colin]

So that's about 7 miles a week for 4 weeks, in 4 journeys a week?
I don't think enough to do any damage, unless you have (for example) your saddle so low that you can get both feet flat on the ground. The knee business could be nothing to do with your cycling, but its worth checking out your riding position anyway......its free and it can't do any harm.

[531colin]

Is your saddle rammed forward?
Moving it back will engage the hamstrings. …….

Where does this come from, please?
Here https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=131678 I have come to the conclusion that moving the saddle back will un-load my quads, which must be just about the same as your "engaging the hamstrings", but I would be interested in any authoritative writings which you might have seen?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
You are new to cycling.
Are you new to any exercise.
Have you done any two hour exercise in your past.
Buy some stiff walking shoes, not trainers.
Take up walking everywhere, including hills but slowly, so when you get to the top you can still carry on walking.
Walking will condition the legs with weight bearing, Especially the knee muscles.
If it's painful to walk or climb stairs, you need to see your GP.
As said saddle height is everything with cycling.
You don't say you have clipless pedals.
Start with a straight leg with Heel on pedal for saddle height.
Ideally start also with some cheap plastic in MTB pedals, You don't want to confuse matters with clipless pedals at the moment.

Weight loss – always change your diet for life, otherwise weight gain will be a regular thing.

[sizbut]

Just over a year ago I started having serious knee problems, couldn't walk more than 2 miles without ending up in pain from some kind of over-rotation. Any twisting would trigger pain and yes, very loud clicks on the first move after being static for any time. Cycling was the only thing unaffected.

A few months back, helping out on a cycling tour in a a hilly area I noticed that things felt a bit better. Checking the bike, I found that the newly fitted seatpost had slipped about a centimeter. So I adjusted my other bikes the same.

Then a week in Yorkshire going up 20% slopes improved things further. Whilst I don't know which one is the key or whether its a combination, but a slightly lower saddle and hard hill climbing have improved my walking. I suspect that whilst my knees are still probably less than perfect (they still click), strengthening the muscle around them is holding things in place a lot better.

For that cycling is perfect as the range of physical motion is actually pretty small, especially if you get clip-in pedals. Getting a smart trainer is a big expense but for the benefit you'll find me on one 3-times a week minimum since steep slopes don't abound where I live.

[peetee]

Years ago when cycling regularly I would always be held back by knee pain. I never had it properly diagnosed by analysing it myself I came to the conclusion that it was an inflammation of the tendon attaching a quad muscle to my knee. I used to finish some rides, sit in a chair and have to lift myself out of it with my arms. While my muscles were willing the tendon was screaming. Very frustrating.
I have recently returned to cycling after a long layoff. I have done about 20 rides of between 8 and 25 miles and today was the first time the pain has returned but I am pretty sure it is because I didn't do adequate quads, hamstrings and calves stretches before I started and again after a couple of miles of spinning the pedals when my muscles were nicely warmed up - and then again a couple of times after the ride.

[fastpedaller]

If it's painful to walk or climb stairs, you need to see your GP.

Not disagreeing with NA, but a physiotherapist may yield better/quicker results than going the GP route. (said from experience..... of my GP )

[Paulatic]

Is your saddle rammed forward?
Moving it back will engage the hamstrings. …….

Where does this come from, please?
Here https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=131678 I have come to the conclusion that moving the saddle back will un-load my quads, which must be just about the same as your "engaging the hamstrings", but I would be interested in any authoritative writings which you might have seen?

I’m sure I’d read it somewhere but then backed up that information with my own experience.
Here is a bike fitter saying the same https://neillsbikefit.com.au/?page_id=364 go to section 4

Edit to add:
Steve Hogg appears to be saying the same thing

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

If it's painful to walk or climb stairs, you need to see your GP.

Not disagreeing with NA, but a physiotherapist may yield better/quicker results than going the GP route. (said from experience..... of my GP )

Yes for sure you may well end up at physio, like I do.
GP is a place to start.

[Jamesh]

When you go to the surgery, care navigation (if it's been rolled out in your area) will enable you to be directed to a physio appointment at the reception desk without seeing the GP

Cheers James

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

When you go to the surgery, care navigation (if it's been rolled out in your area) will enable you to be directed to a physio appointment at the reception desk without seeing the GP

Cheers James

Yes I also self refer, but if the OP has not previously had a problem a GP might be best place to start.

I had a telephone consult with GP they directed me to physio, later it was diagnosed by a trip to GP as shingles.

[Polisman]

No need for doctors or soul searching. The best advice I ever got for knee pain is ditch your clip in pedals and ride on flats for 6 weeks. Has worked for me, twice. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.