Mild Knee Pain

[Tim]

This is not a big issue, discomfort rather than pain and just a slight annoyance. I'm not even sure it is knee pain.
On the outer right hand side of my knee there is a bony protuberance. If I measure a point about 2-3 inches below the protrusion and then about another inch to the rear this is where I feel a dull ache. It only happens when I'm cycling. If I change my pedaling style and put more weight on the inside of the pedal or move my shoe within the float limit, in either direction, the pain disappears for a while, but ultimately comes back. I also sometimes get a bit of pain on the top of my foot at the ankle joint, I think it might be related. Tried all sorts of cleat adjustments, fore and aft, right and left but the ache always comes back. It doesn't seem to coincide with greater or lesser effort, though very high cadence does sometimes trigger it.
All the experts including Andy Pruitt in his very informative book the Medical Guide for Cyclists focus on knee pain directly in, near or above the joint. I can't seem to find any info on below the joint. I suspect calve, ligament or tendon problems, but I'm not sure. I'm just over 50 years old and wonder if it might just be another age related niggle.
Maybe orthotics or physio could help? Just wonder if anyone has any thoughts on the topic? Thanks.

[elStado]

Have you been professionally fitted to the bike? Might help. I'm thinking about getting a fit done before embarking on a longish tour, $150 for a full deluxe fit seems to be a bit at first glance, but I think a full fit will save you money and pain in the long run. Also consider seeing a sports physio who specialised/knowledgeable in bicycle related issues.

I’ve also been dealing with knee issues, but I have managed to get it to minimal levels through saddle height and position adjustments, as well as cleat adjustments. Still need to do some work before I resort to the professional fit or a physio to assist.

[Tim]

Thanks elStado. Other than a basic instore measure for frame size, saddle height, reach etc, no I've never had a professional fit. I've always thought it a bit over the top paying large sums for something that has never been a problem, in the past. It may well be a good idea. There is not much cycling specific, expert medical/physio advice available out here in the sticks. Avanti have an outlet in Sale, not too far from me. I'll give them a buzz tomorrow and hopefully they might have one of the computerised "dyno fit" machines.
By the way, your Blog is taking shape nicely. I like.

[elStado]

Thanks elStado. Other than a basic instore measure for frame size, saddle height, reach etc, no I've never had a professional fit. I've always thought it a bit over the top paying large sums for something that has never been a problem, in the past. It may well be a good idea. There is not much cycling specific, expert medical/physio advice available out here in the sticks. Avanti have an outlet in Sale, not too far from me. I'll give them a buzz tomorrow and hopefully they might have one of the computerised "dyno fit" machines.

Yeah being out of the city makes it hard, it's hard enough around here I'm just lucky to have stumbled across the Avanti store and noticed they had a dedicated fitting area complete with all the whiz-bang equipment.

There's nothing worse than being in pain, it really ruins your cycling enjoyment. I know that I had some small issues with my VWR seat post slipping down, which caused some painful but thankfully short term knee damage, however I've got that sorted now after giving the post and seat tube a thorough cleaning out with a few clean rags and turps. I've just recently started riding with cleated shoes, so I'm onto the next challenge to find out what cleat set up works best for me and stays comfortable. Thankfully my commute is only 10km each way, so it allows me to play around with different set ups without it being too big of a ride if it becomes uncomfortable.

By the way, your Blog is taking shape nicely. I like.

Thanks. I've been super busy recently and haven't had time to update it as much as I wanted. I've just got a bunch of cycling/touring/camping gear (including my Tarptent Scarp 2 which arrived this afternoon!) I am in the process of testing so I'll be bringing out some more reviews and other general articles soon once I've run everything through it's paces.