Think I may have to give up commuting.
02-24-19, 07:06 PM
#51
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If the MRI doesn't find anything, find another doctor, maybe another kind. Something's not right.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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02-24-19, 08:11 PM
#52
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I have patellafemoral too.
What works for me is:
-stretching with near religious zeal
-tight cassettes, small steps between gears
-short cranks
-keeping the cadence up and pedal pressure down
-oh, and knee warmers as weather dictates
Knees generally don’t mind bending as such. It’s The bending-under-load they object to.
You can reduce that by using a lower gear and a higher cadence.
What works for me is:
-stretching with near religious zeal
-tight cassettes, small steps between gears
-short cranks
-keeping the cadence up and pedal pressure down
-oh, and knee warmers as weather dictates
Knees generally don’t mind bending as such. It’s The bending-under-load they object to.
You can reduce that by using a lower gear and a higher cadence.
02-24-19, 09:39 PM
#53
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Thanks for the encouragement. Some good thoughts here that I will take into consideration. I'm not completely giving up yet. Just discouraged as I had thought the knee issues were behind me.
Just to touch in some points quickly.
I'm not opposed to electric, if all else fails then I will certainly be looking that direction.
I'm pretty confident my bike fit is not too far off.
I've paid attention to my cadence and try to keep from grinding too much.
I'm using flat pedals.
The bike is heavy probably closer to 50# than 40# when commuting. But even my lighter bike caused the same issues which is what led to getting the Cortisone shots.
Bikes are not going away. Just the idea of being able to commute daily at the moment.
Just to touch in some points quickly.
I'm not opposed to electric, if all else fails then I will certainly be looking that direction.
I'm pretty confident my bike fit is not too far off.
I've paid attention to my cadence and try to keep from grinding too much.
I'm using flat pedals.
The bike is heavy probably closer to 50# than 40# when commuting. But even my lighter bike caused the same issues which is what led to getting the Cortisone shots.
Bikes are not going away. Just the idea of being able to commute daily at the moment.
02-28-19, 10:44 AM
#54
Junior Member
I was confident my saddle height was good too and it was something else causing my sore back. I had a bike fit by a physical therapist and the first thing she noticed was the seat was way too high.
Pedal assist e-bike can be a good solution and you can dial back the assist level to keep the effort up.
Pedal assist e-bike can be a good solution and you can dial back the assist level to keep the effort up.
02-28-19, 12:09 PM
#55
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@NiGoCo, @allan6344's story is a good one. It may feel right, but getting someone else to look at your fit might help. I've helped a lot of people with their bikes. Some had their saddles too high, some too low. And either of these can be very hard on knees.
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New York City and High Falls, NY
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
02-28-19, 06:50 PM
#56
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The knee issues are not bicycle related. Bicycling just aggravates the already bad knees. But so does any kind of movement that involves bending my knees. Based on the X-ray the Ortho said it's likely the patella is bone on bone. But he wants to see what the MRI looks like. I got that this morning and will have a follow up visit next week.
Once whatever needs to happen is done and I'm back on the bike I will see about getting a fitting.
Once whatever needs to happen is done and I'm back on the bike I will see about getting a fitting.
02-28-19, 07:17 PM
#57
Senior Member
So my yearly checkup is next month. That's when I'm going to bring this up to my doctor. But what I'm wondering is what would be a reasonable expectation?
Should I expect to be able to ride 8 miles twice a day without knee pain? Or is that just to much to ask for?
I haven't ridden since I posted this. My knees are still hurting even worse. Now my right knee has pain with normal walking.
I am willing to do whatever I need to do to get my knees back. I'm just not sure if that's even a reasonable expectation.
Should I expect to be able to ride 8 miles twice a day without knee pain? Or is that just to much to ask for?
I haven't ridden since I posted this. My knees are still hurting even worse. Now my right knee has pain with normal walking.
I am willing to do whatever I need to do to get my knees back. I'm just not sure if that's even a reasonable expectation.
2. see a specialist. Get an MRI if your plan allows for it.
3. Depending on results, you are likely a candidate for physical therapy, which can be very beneficial.
4. once you are feeling better, after some rest, after evaluation, after physical therapy, then and only then, should you consider an e-bike. Your health comes first.
5. go get a bike fit. Make sure you get a bike with the geo and measurements that fit you to a t. This includes customizing stem length, crank length, saddle size, etc.
6. go with a reputable manufacturer of e-bikes, not some fly by night. The bigger companies have multiple sizes so you can get a good fit which is crucial in your case. There are too many generic china bikes with a one size fits all that fits no one well mentality. Avoid them. Study geo charts and sizing studiously.
7. suspension bits such as a fork, stem and/or seat post will be beneficial in your case given your history of joint pain.
But yeah for the time being, stay off the bike until you get a clear evaluation and plan of treatment for your current pain.
03-01-19, 11:42 AM
#58
Virgo
Maybe worth mention that bike fit is dynamic, especially when starting with a body with limitations. Say you have some tight hamstrings, they're going to limit your flexibility and leg rotation - if you commit to improving your flexibility, as your hamstrings loosen up and strengthen the fit that you were using/accustomed to may very well need to change to accommodate the new level of flexibility. Sort of vague, general advice, I know, and consider that it's coming from someone who hasn't had a bike fit. I'm glad to hear @NiGoCo getting an MRI.
03-01-19, 01:49 PM
#59
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I think electric(/-assist) is definitely worth looking into. Try and see if you can find a local shop that has a loaner program, or maybe rent by the day, with your rental applied to a purchase if you pull the trigger.
A more unconventional suggestion: pop over to the Adaptive subforum, and ask there about handcycles. Normally for amputees, but if you can't use your legs, maybe this is an option. Also recumbent fans might be able to advise whether that could be expected to provide knee relief.
A more unconventional suggestion: pop over to the Adaptive subforum, and ask there about handcycles. Normally for amputees, but if you can't use your legs, maybe this is an option. Also recumbent fans might be able to advise whether that could be expected to provide knee relief.
03-05-19, 06:54 PM
#60
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Had the follow up on the MRI today. The doc is kicking me down the road to a surgeon and explained very little during our extremely brief visit today. Can't say I'm too thrilled with that.
He basically said I'm missing cartilage and mumbled something about arthritis. I do have a cyst in my knee which looked impressively nasty on the MRI. However he said it was nothing to worry about. The next consult isn't until the 26th of March, two days after my 40th birthday.
Since he didn't really explain anything and I haven't had time to look up what this stuff means yet I'll post the findings here for your enjoyment.
He basically said I'm missing cartilage and mumbled something about arthritis. I do have a cyst in my knee which looked impressively nasty on the MRI. However he said it was nothing to worry about. The next consult isn't until the 26th of March, two days after my 40th birthday.
Since he didn't really explain anything and I haven't had time to look up what this stuff means yet I'll post the findings here for your enjoyment.
03-14-19, 12:33 PM
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Knee issues too. What works for me.
Too bad about your knee pain. I've been there and still go back every once-in-a-while...
As someone else mentioned, a pedal-assist bike might be a solution for you.
What could work for you, is what I currently do when my knees start to hurt and what I did in the past as well.
1) Adjust the seat height - My seat was a little too low and it was causing me pain. Raising the seat up a bit solved the problem. This happened a few years ago and I've since always made sure my seat was well adjusted.
2) Stretch before and after each ride
3) Workout the legs with these exercises: Straight leg raises, Step-ups, Leg presses, Squats - it's important to do the exercises properly
Well, that's what works for me when my knees begin to hurt.
Good luck!
As someone else mentioned, a pedal-assist bike might be a solution for you.
What could work for you, is what I currently do when my knees start to hurt and what I did in the past as well.
1) Adjust the seat height - My seat was a little too low and it was causing me pain. Raising the seat up a bit solved the problem. This happened a few years ago and I've since always made sure my seat was well adjusted.
2) Stretch before and after each ride
3) Workout the legs with these exercises: Straight leg raises, Step-ups, Leg presses, Squats - it's important to do the exercises properly
Well, that's what works for me when my knees begin to hurt.
Good luck!
