I have listened to all the podcasts and read the blog post on knee pain before thinking of posting this. I have had tweaked my ride position on the bike from bike fit tips, stretch most mornings focussing on releasing my Hamstring which is tight on my ITB but i still get niggles when I train on a stages spin bike in the gym at work.
Has anyone else found similar? I have MTB shoes with shimano MTB cleats for work and use shimano SPD yellow cleats at home where all is fine. I’m thinking it’s more shoe than position at the moment, any suggestions on movements or cleat alternatives that can still clip in on a spin bike?
Check the Q-Factor on the spin bike…could very well be wider than a standard road bike and could be part of the problem.
As for your IT band, look into strengthening your glutes. Weak glutes are very, very often the source of IT issues. Single leg squats, “monster” walks with resistance bands and other exercises can help address that issue. Cyclists tend to have weak glutes due to the straight-ahead movements required to pedal a bike.
Last year, I self-inflicted a knee injury. I put my saddle to high and too much backward or forward (can’t remember). Then, my knee made this minor “popping” sound and I literally had to keep my foot still, really didn’t feel well. Luckily, nothing damaged.
I got myself a professional bike fit. After I was adjusted to my new fit, the knee issues indeed went away. Saddle indeed had to be lowered, but there were many more issues spotted: saddle more to front, different stem depth + height for my hips. Turns out that partly some of my knee issues were also because my hips were too “closed”.
Long story short, get a bike fit. Only then you will know for sure. Yes, it is expensive. But for me it was worth it. I ride 5 times a week at least, and I often do endurance rides. So on average 10h per week on bike.