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It's true that knee problems are the most common injury during any extended cycling activity. While there are a variety of causes and personal physiology does come into play, there are a number of steps that all cyclists can take to avoid and alleviate knee pain.
Keep Your Cadence High!
The most important factor under your control is riding with a high
cadence - I cannot stress this point enough! You should be using easy
gears and spinning your legs at about 85-95rpms.
You can check your cadence by
counting how many times a single pedal rotates over a period of 15
seconds, then multiply that by 4 to get your rpms (or just buy a
cyclocomputer with a cadence feature). If you are "powering" along on
big gears and therefore pushing hard and slow on the pedals, you are
putting a LOT of strain on your knees. Shift down and let your legs
spin - it may feel inefficient at first, but once you get used to it
you will actually go faster with less effort. You'll also be less tired
at the end of rides because you will be engaging your cardio system
rather than your muscles, which have limited amount of glycogen, no
matter how fit you are.
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Efficient Pedal Stroke
Another knee-saving technique you
can employ is an efficient pedal stroke. It's essential to pedal in
smooth circles, applying pressure evenly throughout the pedal stroke.
A simple mental exercise is to
think about scraping mud off the soles of your shoes when your feet are
at the 5 o'clock position (pedal still forward, but after you've pushed
down). Here, you are trying to pull back on the pedal in between
pushing down and pulling up. Then pull up by "kicking" your feet over
the top of the stroke from 9-1 o'clock - think about standing on a log
and trying to roll it forward using your feet.
Keep your feet mostly flat and
heels down throughout the rotation, but with some flex in the ankles.
For more details on form and technique, check out our better cycling
tips - all riders should read this!
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Use an Easy Gear Going Up Hills
Using high cadence and efficient
pedal stroke is DOUBLY important when going up hills - aim for at least
70-85rpms while climbing. Yes, it's not always possible depending on
the hill and your gear configuration, but at least try. Even at a low
cadence, remembering to pull up on the pedals will spare a lot of
stress on your joints - try to to think of yourself as turing the
pedals rather than pushing on them. Another mental exercise to prevent
yourself from pushing too hard on the pedals is to pretend that the
pedals are made of feathers or glass. And don't forget to breathe to
take in lots of energy-giving oxygen.
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Cleat Position and Clipless Pedals
Of course, proper technique
requires that you be attached to the pedals through cleats or at least
with cages. And that brings up another knee-affecting factor: cleat
position.
The ball of your foot should be
directly over the centre of the pedal axle. The cleat angle should
allow your ankle to sit at a natural position. To find this position,
kneel on a chair or bed so that your feet dangle off the edge. Look in
a mirror or have a friend note the angle at which your feet hang, then
adjust the cleat to ensure that your feet maintain the same angle when
clipped into the pedal. Stepping in water and making footprints is also
a good way to see your natural foot position.
I recommend clipless pedals over
cages because they allow some "float", which allows your foot to rotate
and thereby relieves stress on your knees. Speedplay make a very
knee-friendly model that allows full rotation of the feet while clipped
in. If you're not used to clipless pedals, they are not as scary as
might think - get the salesperson to give you a lesson and practice
clipping in and out while riding in an empty parking lot till you get
the hang of it. Before long, it becomes second nature and you won't
even have to think about it.
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Saddle position
Saddle position could be a factor.
If the front of your knee hurts, your seat may be too low, or too far
forward. With the pedal at its farthest point from the saddle, there
should be a slight bend (25-35º) in the knee. With your shoes on, your
heel should just be able to touch the pedal at full extension. To check
fore/aft position - when you are on the bike with the pedals in the
horizontal position, a plumb line from the bony point just below your
kneecap should bisect the pedal axle. Tie a weighted object to the end
of a peice of string to test this.
If the back of your knee hurts,
your seat may be too high, which overextends the knee. Your hips should
be steady while you are riding - not rocking side to side inorder to
reach the pedals. To test this, ask a friend to check you out while you
are riding, or put some spare change or keys in your jersey back
pocket. If you hear it clinking while you ride, lower your saddle.
When making adjustments, only move
your seat a few millimetres at a time, and mark the position with a
piece of tape in case you need to move it back. There are more tips for
bike fit in the training section of our website. We recommend investing
in a professional fitting - you can get this done at Cycle Therapy, the
official mechanics of the 2006 Bike Rally, or at Duke's.Stretching
Work on stretches that focus on
the quads, hamstrings and the "IT band", a muscle which runs along the
outside of your legs up to your butt. Don't ever stretch cold - warm up
first with light spinning or jogging on the spot. If this means you
don't stretch before cycling, don't worry - the most important thing is
to not ride hard at the start of your ride. Spend the first 10-20
minutes of a ride just warming up your legs at an easy pace using high
cadence. Always stretch for at least 5-10 minutes after you ride to aid
recovery and avoid injury. Here is more info on stretching.
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