moth54

Friend wants to come with me on the occasional light cycling ride, but knee is very bothersome. We were at one point going at 6, and I do mean 6, km per hour on an uphill grade that, being a railroad trail, wasn't much of an uphill.

Any suggestions?

Myosmith

Make sure the bike is fit well to the rider. The knees should extend well but never lock out when the rider is seated. Too low a saddle position is hard on the knees and robs you of power.

Make sure they are spinning, not mashing. Cadence should be at least 80+ rpm.

There are exercises to strengthen the knees and leg muscles, but if your friend's knees are truly "bad" you will want to have them see an ortho or sports medicine doctor before you get too serious about cycling.

70sSanO

My brother has some knee problems, not close to the same level, but spinning causes his problems on some hills. What he has done is lowered the gearing to where he can go at a smooth and steady cadence. It seems to work for him. He is still slower than I am, but I just accept it.

If your friend can only go less than 4mph, lower gearing might help, but you may just have to accept that even if he improves he will always be slow.

John

Stormsedge

60 yo. I have a knee that reminds me when I am trying to push too big a gear...the smaller gear (smaller chain ring, larger cassette cog) slows me down a little, but worth it to get the distance. Seat position can aggravate my knees as well...specifically too low or too far forward.

Your friend may find an easy warm up helps too...if I try to go too hard in the first 10 miles, it substantially shortens my distance for the day.

indyfabz

Just a guess here, but see an ortho?

Threads like this never cease to amaze me.

BobbyG

Could he rent an e-assit bike?

1989Pre 

I use a knee brace while running. I use the hinged Mueller 3333. It's very nice, but I had to put some foam rubber behind the knee to stop abrasion. A very supportive but light brace. Check out the Amazon customer reviews to decide on the sizing.

70sSanO

This is obviously the most sound advice and one I would follow if I had chronic pain. But for someone who can function at everything else in life without pain, it may not be a direction he/she wants to go just for an occasional ride. Also, a lot of cyclists will get some knee discomfort that is manageable. Bike fit and gearing can help.

John

Mack3601

I started cycling a year and a half ago because my Physical Therapist recommended it. At first I could only ride short distances. I could not stand and pedal at all. Hills were an impossibility.
At this point I can still tell there is a problem in my knee but my legs are strong enough to overcome it. I still don't do well going up hills, but I can do it now.
I think its a matter of a correct fit, and a gradual, consistent effort.

1989Pre 

Many knee problems are not knee problems at all.., but an issue of tight quads, calves or hamstrings. Just like a bike wheel, there has to be even tension.

2ering

Try a tandem?

CliffordK

I assume each person's issues are different. I was having knee problems that bothered me when walking. Losing about 20 pounds helped, as well as the more cycling, the better the knees. I probably average 20+ miles, 4 or 5 days a week, and it helps. The knees never bother me on the bike, but have been sore afterwards.

I'm not a spinner, and believe that a little stress is good for the body. However, I do think that cadence has been naturally increasing slightly over the last couple of years.

linberl

I've a bad knee (shredded MCL). Spinning has really helped a lot, but bottom line is I cannot go up big grades or hills anymore. It just creates too much bone on bone pressure, even with low gearing. Looking to purchase a share roller friction drive I can just pop on in those instances and then remove once over the hill (don't want or need a permanently fixed assist).
Depending on the cause and nature of your friend's issue, it may just be a no-go without some assist.
But - as mentioned, he needs to see a doc and get an MRI and find out the cause to determine if it can be alleviated, healed, or tolerated. Just pushing through can make it worse.

canklecat

Depends on the type of knee pain. Some can be relieved with those elastic doodads from Mueller and other makers. I used a Mueller jumper's knee strap for a couple of weeks in June when I resumed riding a road bike. The ergonomics were just enough different from my hybrids that I had some minor knee pain while getting the bike dialed in to suit myself.

Just needed a little help with the strap while gradually strengthening the knee to the slightly different riding position. No problems since July even though I'm tackling more hills and sprints with interval training.



During a group ride a few weeks ago I met a fellow who rode with full knee supports on both legs, those hinged metal and elastic padded doodads. His legs looked pretty frail. But he kept chugging away on the 16 mile group ride at about a 12 mph pace, including some gravel and modest hills.

TCR Rider

My knee is pretty much shot. Significant arthritis with quite a bit of instability. In fact I'm scheduled for a Total Knee Replacement on Sept 7th. The thing is I can still ride my bike without much difficulty. The only concession I make at this point is to avoid out of the saddle climbing but I still do intervals and ride a lot of rollers. I rode 52 miles yesterday at 16.2 mph and 35 today at a similar pace for 186 miles for the week. That's the good news the bad news is that walking more than a few blocks are a problem and forget about stairs.
As others have mentioned a proper fit and gearing go a long way to minimizing pain. I also do a lot of stretching and use a foam roller on the IT band, abductors and quads twice a day. Once when I get up in the morning and again after I ride. My doc gave me anti inflammatories that really knocked down the pain, that and Tramadols.
I tried KT Tape which helped but I can't get it to stay on so I found a knee support that incorporates the principle of taping. Vanteline Knee Support which is not bulky or restrictive but actually does afford a good amount of support.
If the issues are with tendons and ligaments than an MRI or CT Scan will show that. If the issue is arthritis, however, an accurate diagnosis can be made with an x ray.
I would tell your friend to see an ortho and find out what he's dealing with and then looking into a bike fit if riding is important to him. Personally riding my bike is what is keeping me sane at this point while I wait for the surgery.

davester

At 63, I've had plenty of knee problems and my right knee is far from perfect. (meniscus tear among other things was diagnosed by my orthopedist. I would suggest going to an orthopedist (preferably an osteopath rather than a surgeon) and checking for actual damage, then having him/her refer you to a physical therapist with sports medicine experience. Assuming nothing seriously damaged requiring surgery, a good physical therapist will prescribe exercises to strengthen and stabilize the joint that can vastly improve knee function and reduce pain. If you belong to Kaiser, they even have "knee classes" that concentrate on knee rehabilitation.

OldTryGuy

I use these.... https://www.zamst.us/product/jk-band.48.html ....straps for support. The have helped me with my bicycling.

My knee issues have been since childhood due to rickets after birth. Result was bowed legs and excessive wear on inside of knees. Bone on bone so need TKRs that must first be preceded by Tibial Osteotomy for realignment otherwise the new knees will not work properly.

moth54

Thank you all for your responses. I'm glad to hear that even when over 50, indyfabz, that your sense of wonder is still fresh. We should all keep our amazement intact as we age, along with our ability to clarify our assumptions.

The assumption is that I am going to a forum in lieu of recommending he see a doctor. This is not an accurate assumption as this is not the case.

It was more along the lines of getting feedback about others' experiences with such exercise therapy as they have sought.

70sSano, he indeed doesn't find it bothers him in most situations. He's not a candidate for surgery.

A few gentle exercises for quads, etc as was suggested can't hurt. BobbyG, I hadn't thought about the rental of an e-assist - I had thought of the e assist but other than the up grades, he enjoys the ride. But a rental for longer rides might be an idea, thank you.

Canklecat, I've seen people with any number of brace designs and that is a new one. Thank you for the suggestion.

We may have to live with it. If that's the case, there are worse things.

Thank you all again.