ooh me knees!

souter

My predilection for mashing the gears finally took it's toll -
did a challenging (for me) hilly 160km yesterday and my main pain this morning is both knees. Both knees, at the tops, worst going down stairs.
I managed to cycle in ok, in fact they hurt less at afterwards.
Would I be ok for a few climbs up Howth (same gears = more mashing) tomorrow, or should I leave it for a couple days at least (please please someone choose this).

btw, the compact is on order.

Lumen

If you want medical advice best see a professional.

In my experience the more enjoyable course of action would be to take a few days off the bike and invest the savings in beer.

Those hills aren't going anywhere.

souter

Lumen wrote: »

In my experience the more enjoyable course of action would be to take a few days off the bike and invest the savings in beer.

Thanks Doc.

tunney

Patella tendon issues can get serious, get yourself to someone decent for a massage.

souter

tunney wrote: »

Patella tendon issues can get serious, get yourself to someone decent for a massage.

Oh man, not the answer a hypochondriac needs.
I'm definitely going to lay off the hills for a bit, somehow limp up to then through the Wicklow 200.

As for massages, considering the amount of time and money I'm already spending on bikes and lycra, selling the concept of my own soigneur to my wife may be tricky
I'm probably going to end up searching for videos then trying to do it myself. For Knee caps that is.

tunney

souter wrote: »

Oh man, not the answer a hypochondriac needs.
I'm definitely going to lay off the hills for a bit, somehow limp up to then through the Wicklow 200.

As for massages, considering the amount of time and money I'm already spending on bikes and lycra, selling the concept of my own soigneur to my wife may be tricky
I'm probably going to end up searching for videos then trying to do it myself. For Knee caps that is.

All wasted if you can't ride.

get a quad ball roller and use that at the least.

empirix

i feel for ya, my knees are buggered from football, had to give up MTB, worst day ever!!

brianthebard

souter wrote: »

Oh man, not the answer a hypochondriac needs.
I'm definitely going to lay off the hills for a bit, somehow limp up to then through the Wicklow 200.

As for massages, considering the amount of time and money I'm already spending on bikes and lycra, selling the concept of my own soigneur to my wife may be tricky

Foam roller might do the same job, although I've never had the exact problem that you're talking about so couldn't say for sure if its suitable.

cdaly_

souter wrote: »

btw, the compact is on order.

Get a triple... http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055898221

ednwireland

triple FTW

lyders

souter wrote: »

My predilection for mashing the gears finally took it's toll -
did a challenging (for me) hilly 160km yesterday and my main pain this morning is both knees. Both knees, at the tops, worst going down stairs.
I managed to cycle in ok, in fact they hurt less at afterwards.
Would I be ok for a few climbs up Howth (same gears = more mashing) tomorrow, or should I leave it for a couple days at least (please please someone choose this).

btw, the compact is on order.

Did you stretch out after the ride? If you don't stretch your thighs, all those muscles tighten up and can cause knee pain.

blorg

A compact is generally substantially easier to change to than a triple and provides low enough ratios for many people. Going triple you often would have to change the shifters (although some do both 2/3) and both derailleurs. Compact all you have to change is the crankset.

Having said that I will have a Bontrager Race 175mm Triple crankset (52-39-30) for sale shortly, complete with GXP bottom bracket. These are basically Truvativ/SRAM cranksets rebranded for use on Treks.

souter

lyders wrote: »

Did you stretch out after the ride? If you don't stretch your thighs, all those muscles tighten up and can cause knee pain.

Erm, not as much as I should have - walked about a bit down to shops etc, but definitely could have done more, and will do next time.

Was about to wonder if there was any value in a post-ride ice bath, but I'll leave that to the GAA loons - there's enough pain in cycling already.

ednwireland

souter wrote: »

Erm, not as much as I should have - walked about a bit down to shops etc, but definitely could have done more, and will do next time.

Was about to wonder if there was any value in a post-ride ice bath, but I'll leave that to the GAA loons - there's enough pain in cycling already.

you know you want to really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXSYz0REH4



back of one knee is sore after yesterday but driving for an hour after riding isnt good for the legs

struggled to stretch as well kept getting cramp

ROK ON

Non medical advice.

1. Spend say the first and last 10-15mins of every ride warming up and warming down. Nice easy gear and spin the lactic acid out of your kegs.
2. Spin, don't mash. You did have a thread asking advice. You got advice.
3. Hydrate. It does help tired muscles.
4. If tired then take it easy. Sometimes the body just don't want to hammer out 160k in the hills.
5. Use some embrocation and massage into calfs knees etc before the cycle. I find that it helps.
6. Spin.

souter

hey ROK good advice along with the others. My current situation is:
a) bike in the shop getting a compact (re)fitted - yay, they didn't smirk too much.
b) knees much better albeit bit twingy
c) no cycling till the M3 100km on sunday bar commute, and I've dropped my gearing to 48/17 for that.
d) week off to be spent stretching. A bit horse and cart, but have still seem to have reasonable flexibility from doing karate many moons ago - did the standard stretches without an "ooh me back" moment, so that counts as a plus. Should have done it sooner though.
e) Going to pace myself on the W200

The soigneur is on hold for now and the ice baths are cancelled.

mickstupp

Pardon my ignorance, and the slight off-topicness, but could someone explain what the following bits mean?

ROK ON wrote: »

... spin the lactic acid out of your kegs.
2. Spin, don't mash.

I've only had the benefit of a cheap exercise bike for the last while, not up on the terminology, or fitness, quite yet.

goldencleric

mashing is using too high a gear and using a lot of power, climbing hideously and sloppy and generally going slowly whereas spinning is the opposite; using an unsuitably high gear and having a high rpm ... that is my understanding, i ride a singlespeed so both terms are quite apt when I go out for a spin

# apologies if this wasn't what you were asking, its late and i'm quite tired

**Timbuk2**

mickstupp wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance, and the slight off-topicness, but could someone explain what the following bits mean?

I've only had the benefit of a cheap exercise bike for the last while, not up on the terminology, or fitness, quite yet.

He wasn't talking about spinning bikes (as in the indoor stationary bikes) but rather referring to using a lower gear and pedalling at a higher cadence, instead of a high gear with low cadence.