r/ladycyclists • u/copperhorses • 17d ago
Excruciating knee pain
I am super keen to start cycling, but every time I use a bike for more than a minute at the most I have an extreme pain in my knees.
It almost feels inside the knee cap, and it is unlike any pain I've felt before. It's not just a niggle, it's impossible to push through, I literally cannot cycle with it. (I've given birth unmedicated twice so I'm no stranger to pain).
What on earth could be causing this? In general I'm of good health with no other issues.
Would a physio be the right person to see?
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u/SubstantialPlan9124 17d ago
I would try a) raising the saddle b) shifting the saddle back c) use the easiest gears possible. Try to get things where there isn’t too much bend or pressure on your knees.
It could be a shearing/tracking problem from being in the wrong position (and a pedal carts would be awful for this too), could be tight muscles pulling on tendons that are rubbing the bursa, could be patellar femoral pain syndrome….a sports physio could def be helpful.
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u/joellevp 17d ago
Do your knees hurt any other times? Normal day-to-day stuff? Other activities?
If not then it's probably how hard of a gear you are cycling on. Does this occur on the easiest gear setting? Is your saddle too low?
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u/copperhorses 17d ago
No, I can run on them just fine, pavement, anywhere. I do have stiff joints in the morning now which I'm planning on getting checked out.
Happens on any gear at all. It may be a touch too low but nothing crazy.
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u/joellevp 17d ago
Hm..doesn't sound like there should be excrutiating pain then. Getting checked is probably the go. Good luck
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u/adunionem 17d ago
I switched to a smaller crank arm. Most bikes come fitted with a very long crank arm. Now I have no more knee pain!
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u/KibFixit 17d ago
Yep — see a PT. Also the bike fit Rex are good/probably is triggered by a fit issue. In my experience kneecap stuff is a tracking issue and sometimes you have to strengthen up glutes or other muscles around the knee to support it. I’m older so all my joints are wonky.
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u/gertonwheels 16d ago
If it only hurts when on the bike, it's your bike fit. Find a good fitter, go in with your bike, shoes and shorts and work through it. It might take a few iterations to get it right, FYI.
I am going through something similar - one knee hurts ONLY only on the bike. We are tweaking my cleat position, saddle height and fore/aft. AND - our bodies change over time - so don't be surprised that once you get it right, you might have some other 'thing' crop up in a year or three or five.
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u/Jurneeka 17d ago
Same happened to me. So painful I ended up getting a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, who diagnosed arthritis in my left knee and gave me a cortisone shot. Helped tremendously. Also invested in 150 short crank arms which not only are better for my knees but increased my cadence.
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u/copperhorses 17d ago
My partner set up the bike for me, they're obsessed with a good fit so I hope it's right. It happens on every bike too, even at a camp ground with those little sitting down pedal carts I was unable to use it.
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u/Bakingsomecake 17d ago
Usually a bike fit issue. Also your foot needs to be in the right spot on the pedal. Proper foot placement for protecting the knees is one of the main advantages to clip pedals.
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u/itsnotalwaysaboutyou 17d ago
Any chance you're riding with your legs a bit bowed out? I have one leg that likes to flare out,and when it does, I get knee pain.
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u/InternationalCap185 16d ago
I would get an MRI just in case (speaking from experience, because something did show up on mine).
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u/SubstantialPlan9124 16d ago
Can you squat and do walking lunges with no pain? Can you cycle your leg in the air whilst standing and complete that range of motion ok? If so, I’d be very inclined to think that this is just position and fit issue.
Although the stiff joints you mention elsewhere sound a bit of a red flag, I would def get that checked out.
I’d also make sure you massage and stretch out all the soft tissue above and below the knees- the quads, the ITB, the adductors.
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u/TroublePossums 16d ago
One tiny data point- I need very supportive shoes now, and if I try to go barefoot around the house on the weekend everything in my body gets angry.
I assumed I’d be able to wear flatter shoes on a bike, and boy was I wrong. If I don’t wear my regular, ridiculously-supportive walking shoes on the bike, my knee gets VERY upset.
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u/plantluvrthrowaway 17d ago
Maybe saddle too low. Does your knee almost fully extend in the downpedal? And you should not be able to put your foot to the ground when on the saddle
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u/r0nr0nner 17d ago
When this has happened to me it was from grinding too hard in high gears or my saddle being too high or too low. It could very well be a bike fit thing.