Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David P. on February 12, 2013 at 4:04pm

Thanks, milkbar. Where do you work?

milkbar said:

Yes, Velosmith is in Wilmette. And while shops might focus on specific types of customers and bikes, good fitters work with basic principles of bicycle geometry, human physiology, and their interaction. We are not talking about physical therapy or coaching here, disciplines that these days are related and sometimes overlap, and are usually a bit more specialized.

This is a hugely complicated and ever changing industry... Like many other local shops, I use fit primarily to troubleshoot minor setup issues/pain, post injury recovery, and new equipment setup and geometry choice. I do not work with riders on topics such as power optimization, aerodynamic positioning, or the like. It's not rocket science, but sadly it's also not really a science, thus the wildly diverging fits you can receive from one fitter to the next.

So again, I would recommend Tony as the premiere local domain expert.

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Permalink Reply by milkbar on February 12, 2013 at 4:06pm

By day http://www.milkbar.cc/, by night TATI Cycles.

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Permalink Reply by Brian K. Mark on February 13, 2013 at 9:30am

Wheel Werks in Crystal Lake is a heck of a shop, and the fit whiz/owner out there, Bob Olsen, comes highly recommended. 

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Permalink Reply by John C. Wilson on February 15, 2013 at 7:30am

I don't think there's anything wrong with your fit or your fitter.

It's only possible to glean so much from a few words on a blog post. So I could easily be wrong. What I get from the original post is that you ride hard and ride a lot and you've been riding a long time with chronically sore knees. That's what I'll base my remarks on.

I'm amazed you're not injured yet. Sounds like you have the toughest knees I've ever heard of. If your knees are sore the day after a ride take the day off. Maybe two days. First ride should be done cautiously on tiny baby gears. A simple overuse injury to your knees, no medical complications, would mean no riding for a month to six weeks followed by weeks of rebuild starting on small small gears.

Try warming up at the start of each hard ride. First 30 minutes you should just fan the pedals above 100rpm. Last 10 minutes of warmup 120rpm would be better.

Use lower gears. I don't know what gears you use now. For all I know you use lower gears than I do. Doesn't matter. If your knees are hurting use lower gears.

Work on a smooth fluid pedal stroke. Lift the pedal on the backstroke. There's not much power available that way but it will keep your legs loose. Try pedalling a deadstroke every tenth stroke. Let the right leg go limp, pedal, let the left leg go limp. Spend what's left of winter on a fixed gear trainer. Geared low. 39x20 or 42x19 are good gears for February.

The simple rule for fitting is pain distinctly local to the front of the knee means the saddle is too forward, move the saddle back. If the pain is distinctly local to the back of the knee the saddle is too far back, move the saddle forward. If the pain is just generally in the knee, or through a large part of the knee, the problem can be all sorts of things and fit is on the list but not high on the list. Most all knee injuries are simply overuse injuries.

Everybody hurts their knees sometimes. Pros with all the backup staff in the world hurt their knees. Once the knee hurts you have to wait for it to heal.

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Permalink Reply by Christian on February 16, 2013 at 5:58am

I have never experienced knee pain in the past, after a fitting session and cleat adjustment at Cronometro in Madison, WI my knees were pain free in 2012. I have been cycling for many years, but took several years off and I think most of the issue was improper cleat alignment. I stand by their work and was a happy cyclist last year and so far this year.

Early in the season I ride in small gears and I actually prefer spinning at a high cadence versus slowly churning in the 52. To me knee pain is not a normal part of cycling. :)

Cronometro

Cronometro 338 W Lakeside St Madison, WI 53715. Phone: 608-243-7760.

John C. Wilson said:

I don't think there's anything wrong with your fit or your fitter.

It's only possible to glean so much from a few words on a blog post. So I could easily be wrong. What I get from the original post is that you ride hard and ride a lot and you've been riding a long time with chronically sore knees. That's what I'll base my remarks on.

I'm amazed you're not injured yet. Sounds like you have the toughest knees I've ever heard of. If your knees are sore the day after a ride take the day off. Maybe two days. First ride should be done cautiously on tiny baby gears. A simple overuse injury to your knees, no medical complications, would mean no riding for a month to six weeks followed by weeks of rebuild starting on small small gears.

Try warming up at the start of each hard ride. First 30 minutes you should just fan the pedals above 100rpm. Last 10 minutes of warmup 120rpm would be better.

Use lower gears. I don't know what gears you use now. For all I know you use lower gears than I do. Doesn't matter. If your knees are hurting use lower gears.

Work on a smooth fluid pedal stroke. Lift the pedal on the backstroke. There's not much power available that way but it will keep your legs loose. Try pedalling a deadstroke every tenth stroke. Let the right leg go limp, pedal, let the left leg go limp. Spend what's left of winter on a fixed gear trainer. Geared low. 39x20 or 42x19 are good gears for February.

The simple rule for fitting is pain distinctly local to the front of the knee means the saddle is too forward, move the saddle back. If the pain is distinctly local to the back of the knee the saddle is too far back, move the saddle forward. If the pain is just generally in the knee, or through a large part of the knee, the problem can be all sorts of things and fit is on the list but not high on the list. Most all knee injuries are simply overuse injuries.

Everybody hurts their knees sometimes. Pros with all the backup staff in the world hurt their knees. Once the knee hurts you have to wait for it to heal.

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