TiHabanero

I have been riding lots of miles since 1971. Today I had to give in to my left knee. Just too much pain to do the hills anymore. I can push into headwinds just fine, but the steep grade hills are too much now. Will be going to a lower gear ratio on my beloved Habanero Classic Road. I hate to do it, but it now seems to be necessary. Going to put a dent into the looks of the Nuovo Record group on the bike. Vintage Suntour long cage with a 52/39 600 Ex crank and 13-32 7 speed freewheel if I can find one.

OldTryGuy

Sorry to read about the knee issue. Good luck with your search. Could always go for a triple up front????

TiHabanero

I have a serious dislike for triples. A wide range freewheel should do it. Just need a way to reduce the strain on the knee.

RonH

Sorry to hear this. Why give in rather than seeing an orthopedic sports medicine doc? I had similar problems in 2007 and 2011. He did arthroscopic surgery (torn meniscus) and my therapy was to ride the bike. He said my knees were good till I was 100. I'm 72 and haven't had any problems since.

canklecat

Yeah, one reason I've avoided going clipless is so I can move my feet around freely to minimize knee pain. I can use the balls of my feet over the pedal axle for flats and downhills, and switch to centering the arch of the foot over the pedal for climbing hills, especially climbing out of the saddle. Much easier on my knees. Especially with my road bike's current gearing -- the "low" gear is 42/24, not great for climbing even our mostly modest hills with a few short climbs of 8%-11% for 100-400 yards.

I should have done that years ago when I wore cleated shoes with toe clips. Hills often caused knee pain. But I was in my 20s then and the conventional wisdom was a fixed foot position for all scenarios.

FBinNY 

You could move to Kansas instead.

qcpmsame 

If the gearing and component changes will allow your cycling to continue I don't see a negative to them. Appearances would be minor compared to either further damaging the knee, or having to stop riding completely. It would be an easy decision for me, I think you are doing the best thing in a bad situation.

One thing, have you had a thorough examination of the knees? It could uncover any serious abnormalities you aren't aware of now. Best wishes on your continued cycling.

Bill

eatontkd

+1 on this suggestion. I had right knee pain last summer and went to my doc to have it checked. After some minimal work, I'm back at it. Hopefully, your's will be an easy fix too.

Ride well.

berner

I have a cranky right knee that acts up now and then. Your troubled knee may be totally different from mine. Mine responds to exercise that is different from pedaling. This may be why athletes now engage in cross training, which my understanding is that it results in balanced strength. It seems obvious to me but with pedaling being so repetitious, all the muscles that move legs front to back get very strong but those that move legs laterally get no exercise at all.

I use 10 pounds of ankle weights, each side, and some exercises that move legs laterally while lying on my back or on my side. It seems too simple to work but 5 minutes in the morning keeps knee flareups to a minimum.

linberl

I switched from mashing to spinning at high revs and it made all the difference in the world to my knees. I had to "learn" how to ride this way, using a cadence meter, but now I prefer it. No stress on the knees, calves, ankles, and my speed is the same as it was when I mashed. Probably better for cardio, as well.

Cougrrcj

I try to maintain a 75-85 cadence in a 75-85-inch-gear, which is good for ~17-19mph. Fast enough for me on flat ground with negligible wind...

With the tiny hills (as they are mostly <100' river valleys in Northern Ohio) and 10-15mph headwinds, I rarely have to gear down to less than 60 G.I. to maintain my 75-85 cadence.

TiHabanero

I am going to arrange a meeting with the doc and get an appointment with a specialist. Normally my choice is to avoid docs, but this is an obstruction to an addiction I don't want cured.
Ythe trouble started two years ago when I took up hiking, which for an ex-runner is a refreshing addiction.

70sSanO

After you see your doctor, look for a Sachs Aris LY9x freewheel. I've picked up a couple if them on eBay. They are Shimano index compatible, which probably doesn't matter to you, and are well made. Should last for years.

John

qcpmsame 

Smart choice in deciding to see a doctor, not too many people are enthusiastic about visiting one, but in cases like yours it is probably best to just go ahead and get things started. If the pain started when you began hiking, and nothing else happened or changed, maybe the doctors can use this time frame to narrow down the issues. No ideas or even thoughts as to what causes your problems, not any kind of doctor, and I sure didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Good luck on finding the source of the pain and on getting past it as well.

Bill

locolobo13 

Sometimes you have to bend a little. Don't give up entirely. Maybe the Docs will have an answer. Just give it time. At least your still riding.

Several years ago I pushed my knee too far. I picked up this book. https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Ow...your+own+knees

It wasn't the total answer. Found myself googling knee exercises and trying all kinds of exercises. It took a couple of years but the knee got better. Still doing some of the exercises. It's not as good as before but I can hike, climb stairs and ride without pain, for the most part.

fietsbob

The 2 foot gear is always an option.






you can build a hybrid rear hub wheel , the triple is internal gears*, with a cassette driver too .

* shift at any speed, even stopped with just a moment's power input hesitation, to let the gear change happen.




....

79pmooney

This doesn't work for all of us. To keep the ortho and his 3rd party knees away, I have to use no-float pedals with the cleats set for toe-in, a little for the left, a lot for the right. My shoes MUST force toe-in. Riding un-cleated doesn't work and using my muscles to get the toe-in is exactly the wrong thing to do for my knees.

I used traditional slotted cleats, toeclips and straps until the early 2000s when (finally) a salesman told me about the LOOK clack cleats with no-float (after hearing salesmen say for 15 years I had to have float for my knees every time I asked if there was an alternative to the ancient technology that my knees liked so much).

I am not telling the OP he should do as I do. But keep an open mind. The human body varies incredibly. There may well be a solution that will allow you to ride.

Ben

Carbonfiberboy 

Exercise and spin the hills. But it all depends on what's wrong with the knee. Could be chrondo - definitely fixable - thread on that here: https://www.bikeforums.net/training-n...l#post16081392

The other thing I do to help my knees is to lift weights at the gym, to failure. If it's a tendon issue, that's how one fixes it.

Whatever it is, most of us need to spin more as we age. Minimum climbing cadence should be ~80. I've been riding triples for over 20 years and they're fine. I just keep lowering the gears as I get weaker with age. So many people get hung up on equipment, which is nothing more than a means to an end, a tool. Equipment is not the end itself. My current lowest gear is 26 X 27. I vastly prefer having smaller gaps between my low climbing gears, which is what a triple with a smaller cassette gives me. My triples shift very easily, add almost no weight, and make me faster on the bike.

JohnDThompson 

Lower gears can help. Also, shorter crank arms put knees through less flex. Something like the Velo-Orange Grand Cru crank with 165mm arms and 110mm BCD can give you both at once, and retain some of that vintage styling of your Nuovo Record crank.



Velo Orange Grand Cru Drillium Crankset

ModeratedUser150120149

Why do you have such a dislike for triples?

Boondocksaints

HI Habanero - Have you looked into stem cell shots?

There is a 55 yr old man at my gym who had knee issues and a stem cell shot did wonders for him.