Knee pain can have many causes , from being overweight to overuse, which can lead to pain problems. If you have a history of arthritis, you could also suffer from this pain.
However, in cycling, mild knee pain may appear more often than desired, particularly when you are trying to get started in this activity. Often these discomforts disappear when you get used to riding a bicycle and learn the correct technique.
Here are some tips to avoid that annoying knee pain you get while riding a bike.
How to avoid knee pain while cycling
Knee pain while riding a bike can be due to a number of reasons, including:
- Inadequate seat height.
- Improper position of your feet.
- Use of inappropriate clothing.
- Increasing the mileage of the bike too fast.
- Pushing yourself too hard while riding.
3. Tips to help you avoid knee pain
1. Seat adjustment
The seat is very important in the cyclist’s position , when this point of support bothers, it is difficult to pedal comfortably and can cause pain in the knee and lower back. To correctly regulate your saddle, consider the following:
- Measurements are safely taken when the knees are slightly bent, ensuring maximum power and extension with little risk of injury . From there, you can adjust your chair as you go up, just about 2mm up or down, until you feel more comfortable.
- The way to adjust the seat is the starting point because it can be done on your own, you can assume that you have a correct position when the pedals are horizontal . You can also consider adjusting the seat according to the equation developed by Greg LeMond.
- The seat must be horizontal or tilted very slightly forward ; in addition, the seat must not be too wide and there must be no gap in the place of support.
2. Correct position of the pedals
Excessive wear on the inside and in particular the outside of the pedal, eventually causes rotation of the foot, which causes muscle-tendon discomfort at the level of the goose foot . To do this, keep the following in mind:
- The pedal must be perpendicular to the cranks and parallel to the bottom bracket.
- Position your shoes in such a way that each foot maintains its natural and comfortable alignment.
3. Aligning the angle of your position
When the foot is in the upper pedaling position, the knee is flexed 115 ° and when the foot is in the lower pedaling position, it is approximately 30 °, these are the normal degrees of adjustment for your pedals. Greater or lesser angles can cause an inappropriate and incorrect position. In addition, you must take into account the following:
- Your posture on the bike should mimic a natural state while you are riding the bike. that is why you should try to avoid tensions.
- The angle of your binding system should be oriented towards the inside of your shoe. Pay attention to the movement of both feet, usually some of us end up pedaling with each foot aligned differently.
Other recommendations to avoid suffering knee pain when you ride a bike
- Learn to ride with a faster cadence , for example it can be 90 or more revolutions per minute.
- Wear long leggings when the temperature is below 18 ° C.
- Increase your mileage and intensity by approximately 10% per week at the beginning of each season of your workouts.
- Good bicycle design helps good cyclists. Consult your doctor for advice on the bicycle that best suits your body shape and the objectives of your practice.
- Consider for your workouts a bicycle with a good damping system , good tires, silicone seat, helmet, clothing, footwear, and adequate protections.
- Perform muscle exercises to have good muscles and strengthened abdominal muscles.
- It seeks to maintain good flexibility and strong muscles as they have a protective effect against injuries. For this, do not forget to do a good warm-up, and stretching before and after finishing your session.
References
- Strickland, B. 4 Bike Fit Tips to Knock Out Knee Pain. For Bicycling. [Revised December 2015].
- Gómez, J. The importance of bicycle adjustments in the prevention of injuries in cycling: practical applications. For Elsevier. [Revised December 2015].
