Just finished a fondo, and going through the photos I see how much my left knee flares out. I was thinking of it during the ride when I was digging in the most. I imagine that this isn’t good, as I see pro cyclists with their knees close to the top tube.
Is this due to a tightness in my hip? Bad form? Suggestions on correcting this?
Maybe Varus. Shims/Orthotics could help. Consult a professional fitter.
A couple of possible causes:
Saddle too low (knee tracks out for clearance)
Leg length discrepancy (saddle too low for the longer leg)
Saddle nose too wide (knee flaring out for thigh clearance)
A great way to see knee tracking is to use a stationary trainer is to place a magic marker dot just below your kneecap, and use a laser level as a reference for straight up and down. You can then watch your knee as you pedal, and see at what point it starts to track off. You can also video it with your camera or phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxnbiSSsAss
Thanks for the tip. There were moments when I thought my heels were coming down at the bottom of hard efforts. Will try raising the seat up a bit and see how that helps.
Cool tip with the laser.
Had/Have the same problem with my left leg. Turned out I have a 3° twist in my tibia.
Forcing it back with shims caused knee problems.
I add a 20mm extension to my pedal. You’d think that’d make it worse but the opposite happened. Was able to bring my knee in.
sometimes riders using aero bars who have a bit of a belly seem to have that problem, i suspect it could be cured in that case with less bar drop
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I have always had problems with this and had more or less adapted to it. Switched shoes earlier this year and it threw everything all wonky (pain came back). Ended up switching to the Shimano PD-9000E1 pedals which have a 4mm longer spindle on each side. Was magic.
I recommend care if you self-fit your seat post. If you set it too high, your butt may see-saw on the saddle and cause serious lower back pain. Fifty bucks at the bike shop with a trainer and certified coach is worth it.
I had a bike fitting done and it was mentioned that my tight IT band may well have been a factor in my knees flaring out at the top somewhat. They do seem to have gotten better when I have been keeping on eye on stretching/rolling more.
YMMV
sometimes riders using aero bars who have a bit of a belly seem to have that problem, i suspect it could be cured in that case with less bar drop
Or less belly!!!
Get a pro bike fit. The knees flaring out could be a factor of many different variables and it’s best to pay the $100-200 vs. getting an injury down the road that takes you off the bike for a while.
If you go and put shims in your shoes without knowing what you’re correcting for you’ll make your form and issues worse.
Had/Have the same problem with my left leg. Turned out I have a 3° twist in my tibia.
Forcing it back with shims caused knee problems.
I add a 20mm extension to my pedal. You’d think that’d make it worse but the opposite happened. Was able to bring my knee in.
You beat me to it. To the OP, There can be a number of genetic reasons why that happens.
I had a bike fitting done and it was mentioned that my tight IT band may well have been a factor in my knees flaring out at the top somewhat…
I bet it’s this, probably in combination with tight hips/glutes. If so you need some tenderizin’ - pick your favorite torture device(s) - and stretching. Don’t expect instant results. Good luck.