Doing IM France two weeks today and a knee injury has plagued me for the last month … and persists despite rest, RICE and ART. Although I was professionally fit in my current setup, seems like the current seat height - the same i’ve had it at for the last 2yrs - might be one culprit. Exerting any real force on the knee when it is at its most acute angle appears to bring on the sharp pain quite reliably. So, unless the organizers plan to change the bike course to a steady 180k decline, I might be in for some trouble.
i’m desperate and wouldn’t otherwise contemplate tinkering this late in the game … but how much / to what extent could i raise the seat to obviate the pain without throwing off all the other good things about the position?
Sorry … no digicam to help illustrate this, so abstract responses will have to do. Many many thanks for input.
Well, if I’m reading you right, you sound on the verge of a DNF as things stand now, so how much worse can it get. An “earlier” DNF? Are you sure it’s the height you want to change, or the fore/aft? I got rid of some knee pain many moons ago by sliding my seat 2 cm back on my road bike.
The human body can do amazing things including adjusting to changes in bicycle fit. Try anyting to get to the start line pain free. Don’t get wrapped up in other people’s ideas about proper fit or conventions, just try to make it work. Good luck!
Try changing cleat angle. If your cleats point straight forward, try angling them about 10-15º to the outside (towards the little toe) so that your toes point in - I say IN - ever so slightly when you pedal. That can alter pressure points within the knee. It will either provide instant relief or not.
Also Le Wedge or orthotics, to bring more pressure on the arch and instep, reducing stress on the lateral parts of the knee.
How can you do IM France? Don’t you know Record isn’t going? They may just cancel the whole thing.
Kevin
With Record’s withdrawl from the race, I’m counting on about 800 or so of the other participants to back out … making a Hawaii spot much more attainable and the completing the race much more important to me. I’m going to ballpark the expected field at about 60 to 75 after the “Record factor.”