| Cycling is regarded as one of the safest sports for | | | | the knee over the foot and not wobbling around or |
| avoiding injury. However is the world of cycling knee | | | | turning in. |
| pain is fairly common. | | | | 3) Bike set up |
| As with most sports, the more mileage you do, the | | | | Even if you are training correctly and have perfect |
| more close to perfect biomechanics you need to be in | | | | cycling technique, knee injuries whilst cycling can still be |
| order to avoid injury. As cycling is a non contact sport | | | | caused by poor bike set up. If you have not had your |
| knee pain from cycling stems from poor biomechanics, | | | | bike fitted to you and are doing high mileage this is a |
| muscle imbalance, poor flexibility or poor bicycle set up. | | | | good investment. |
| The top three areas to examine when trying to fix | | | | Check the crank is not too long, check the cleat |
| your knee pain is training errors, technique errors or | | | | alignment, check the distance of cross bar from seat |
| bike set up errors. | | | | to handlebars. |
| 1) Training errors. | | | | The seat height is important as well. The easiest way |
| It is very easy to develop muscle imbalances around | | | | to check is to allow one pedal to drop to the 6 o'clock |
| the knee. For example you may overdevelop the | | | | position and observe the angle of the knee joint. There |
| quadriceps compared to the hamstrings.Hamstrings | | | | should be a 25-30 degree flexion in the knee when the |
| and calves commonly get tight and can adversely | | | | pedal is at the bottom most point. Another is to |
| affect knee alignment. Some cyclists also develop | | | | measure your inseam (in centimetres) and multiply this |
| imbalances within the quadriceps muscle resulting in a | | | | measurement by 0.883. This should be your distance |
| stronger lateral side versus medial side. It is essential | | | | from the top of the seat to the centre of the bottom |
| you talk to your physiotherapist or coach about your | | | | bracket. If you place your heels on the pedals, have |
| training protocol and address any underlying | | | | someone else hold the bike, and pedal backwards, |
| imbalances. Further training will simply exacerbate the | | | | your hips should not rock back and forth. Likewise if |
| problem. | | | | your hips rock when you are riding, then lower your |
| 2) Technical errors | | | | saddle until you achieve a smooth pedal stroke. |
| Pushing excessively high gears with slow cadence can | | | | The majority of people suffering knee pain whist |
| place more stress on the knee cap. If this heavy | | | | cycling will need the seat position adjusting. Once this |
| power work is implemented too early in the season | | | | contributing factor has been corrected then treatment |
| you will risk wearing out the back of the knee cap. | | | | will be effective. |
| The other common error is cycling with the knee | | | | Physio treatment may be required to loosen off tight |
| turned in which causes massive lateral force on the | | | | structures, knots or scar tissue within the muscles. A |
| knee cap aggravating the knee pain. Get someone to | | | | good sports physio will also advise you on specific |
| cycle behind you to check your alignment as you ride | | | | strengthening exercises to address any muscle |
| along. Make sure the knee is moving up and down with | | | | imbalances. |