Clifton CC

Also make sure the position on the two bikes is *identical*. Seat-crank distance, reach to the bars, bar width, crank length everything. If you only ever use the Genisis for pottering round town, then it's not so critical. But mostly, rest.

From what you are saying, I'd look very closely at your saddle height and setback.

Going from one extreme of 'usual' crank lengths (170) to another (175) does sound a bit much. Of course cranks can be changed easliy so it's a bit of a side-issue.

Having seen you on the bike Will I'm pretty sure that the Genesis wasn't too big.

I'm going to have to put the chainset from my Genesis on my CAAD9, then when I want to use my Genesis I'm going to have to have to swap the chainset around like I used to do with seats, I cant afford another chainset they are between £80 and £100

I guess I could try see what I can get for the R700 off the CAAD9.


Michael, I'm in Manchester at the moment.

Thanks though.

I have a 170mm crankset on its way.

I ahve been to the doctors, he is arranging for an MR scan.

He said it seems like I have wear behind the knee cap, as when I laid down, he sort of bent my leg, and then rotated it left to right in a circular movement, and there was clicking each rotation.

Anyway he also says it seems like I might have tendonitis or something aswel, he said it's fine to cycle on just consider taking Anti-Inflams before and after a ride and dont push as hard.

He said I should also cut down from 100+ mile rides but I dont know about that....

I'm going to have to push ALOT less harder from traffic lights, but to do that it's either big big or go into the little ring, is it ok to switch down to the little ring then back up every traffic light? There is alot in Manchester and I dont want to damage the bike.

willhub wrote: is it ok to switch down to the little ring then back up every traffic light?

Woah-you can't do that! That's not what your shifter is designed for Will.

What are you doing stopping at lights for anyway? You're showing your inexperience again.

What? You got through red lights?

I know that's what the gears are designed for, put pushing that chain up every 2 mins dont seem like its going to do the mech and all that any good...

Hi

I would recommend buying from a smaller independed shop. Get to know the staff and build up a rappor with them. In the long run, this is worth more than any cheap deal you can get from the larger outlets.

Make sure you test ride the bike

I was being sarcastic. Why do you want to ride everywhere in the big ring? No wonder your knees are knackered.

Will - just pretend the big doesn't have a big ring. Leave it in the little ring all the time. You have to give your body a chance to get better

I pretty much only use the big ring when racing! What are you doing to those poor knees of yours, Will??

(This thread has a touch of deja vu about it - hasn't this all been said before...?)

Arthur wrote:Will - just pretend the big doesn't have a big ring. Leave it in the little ring all the time. You have to give your body a chance to get better

The 34 ring makes it too hard to stay in the little, you start spinning so fast you loose control, well I do anyway and in turn I just speed up untill I'm high above 20. Seems a 39 ring would be better for the flat.

I'm sure people do way more mileage than me and dont get bad knees.

nickb wrote:I was being sarcastic. Why do you want to ride everywhere in the big ring? No wonder your knees are knackered.

Why? Because I dont feel the need to go into the smaller ring when I get going I can keep a fairly good cadence, it's when I'm setting off.

I use the little ring when it gets to up hill and all that, I hope you did not assume I tried to use big ring up the hills.... now that is silly....

YorkCycleworks wrote:Hi

I would recommend buying from a smaller independed shop. Get to know the staff and build up a rappor with them. In the long run, this is worth more than any cheap deal you can get from the larger outlets.

Make sure you test ride the bike

Build up a what?

I bought from a small shop, I bought from Haxby Cycles, I'm going there at the weekend see if he can help me out with the bike positioning.

Look, I know I’ve has allot of advice given to me here, I appreciate that and it has been a great help, I have taken some of the advice. Admittedly I’ve not read it all and not taken it in, but I think most people do that, especially when you have pages of it and lots of post.

My knees are a bit screwed.... Well tough luck..... What’s done is done, I can’t turn back time so I’ve got to learn to deal with it, no point posting to me “well we all warned you...” the past is past, I don’t have any means of initiating time travel when I hit 87mph so no point thinking of the past.

What I want to do now is focus on getting my training back up.

• I do wish to do the uber long and fast H runs on a Saturday
• I do wish to do the mega long Sunday runs.
• I do wish to do certain routes on my own from time to time.. fast

I don’t think I should be denied some of the things I like doing.

Since I’ve been in Manchester, I have developed the habit of bombing it away from traffic lights full throttle, I’ve moved away from that, but it’s still a grind when on the big ring and the 3rd chain ring down on the back.

My main problems I see are...

• I do think using the little ring at traffic lights will stop the grind.
• I worry what sort of strain constantly switching from big to little ring in the space of a couple of minutes will put on the drive train.

o I don’t want to damage the chain
o I don’t want to destroy the chain rings
o I don’t want to have front derailleur problems.

• Its all well and good people saying keep in the little ring, I have tried that, the cadence is just too fast, I can comfortably cycle around at 16-20mph without pushing hard, this can be close to 30mph if I have a very powerful tailwind. Between 16-20mph on the little ring I find it uncomfortable and to keep a nice steady but high cadence I am kind of on the limit as far as the chain goes when on the smaller rings on the cassette. When I am set off and doing 16+ I can keep a happy knee friendly cadence on the big ring.

And to set the record straight... I DO NOT go around everywhere on the big ring, I switch to the little ring when it starts going uphill. I admit even going up hills I’ve not been using my lowest gears properly, Dave C knows about that how I never wanted to go higher than 23 up something moss from Loft house. Well on my CAAD9 I’ve got an extra tooth on the cassette, it’s a 12-27, and I will use it.

I have thought about the problem of the crank size, 175mm, all my bikes have always had 170mm, so I have purchased another R700 crank set which is 170mm, I will be selling for current one so the cost of this one will be around £30.

I am planning on having a tinker with my seat positioning and removing another spacer from the handlebars. I am also unsure as to how high my seat post should really be so I’ll consult Nigel at Haxby Cycles about that at the weekend or Monday or Tuesday.

I am trying my best to solve any bike fit problems and am taking care to make sure my knee problems don’t arrive again.





I wrote this in word, this post contains everything I am thinking about at the moment about the situation.

Ah. A 34 little ring is a bit small. Just pull away steadly at the lights. Changing up and down at the front won't do anything any harm so just do that.

I think what gets people fustrated is that you say you knees are bad, say the doctor has told you to rest and then say "What I want to do now is focus on getting my training back up. "

• I do wish to do the uber long and fast H runs on a Saturday
• I do wish to do the mega long Sunday runs.
• I do wish to do certain routes on my own from time to time.. fast

I don’t think I should be denied some of the things I like doing.

You can do all these things. But NOT YET. If you try and do too much, too soon, you will bugger yourself again. WAIT. GET BETTER. Then BUILD UP SLOWLY.

Patience is not a young man's virtue, but it's what you need here.

I'm sorry if it sounds like we are / I am saying "told you so" but some of the problem here is that you're going in circles, Will. Way back in this and other threads of advice, people have said:-

-Get proper medical advice and don't rely on suggestions and opinions on what your knee problem may be
-If told to rest, then REST - as Arthur says, you're not going to achieve your long-term aims of big, fast, fun rides if your knees are perpetually injured and needing proper recovery. You'd spend less money on the occasional train fare than you do on glucosamine and new cranks.
-Keep out of the big ring in town - spin the pedals. If you don't go quite as quick, then so what? And if you do end up in the big ring and stopping at lights then change down to the little ring - it'll do less wear and damage than using your favourite big ring / inside cog combo which is a guaranteed recipe for knackering everything.
-Choose a small bike shop who you trust and stick to their advice - don't listen to every instant expert who tells you your frame is too big / too small. You've already been put through BikeFit so you should have set-up measurements from that, but Nigel's advice will probably do as well. But you need to stop changing everything all the time. The slightly longer cranks may or may not contribute to your knee problem but you'll never know unless you get the riding position right and the way you ride the bike right.

And again as Arthur says, be patient. "I don't think I should be denied some of the things I like doing"? What?? Who's the boss in the discussion between your head and your knees, Will? My money's on the knees. We, none of us, have the "right" to do anything if our bodies aren't up to it - and it's a lesson worth learning early if you still want to be doing "the things you like doing" for many years to come.