For a few weeks now, I have suffered from acute knee pain every time I have gone out for a ride – so much so that when I get home from work I haven’t felt like riding anywhere else. The thought of getting on the bike in the morning was even making me feel dread, not excitement or happiness. I tried a few different things including making a minor adjustment to my seat, replacing the Lepper of Holland saddle for a Brooks B67 saddle (which helped a bit just by itself), and adjusting my cadence, but nothing really seemed to help.
Sometimes the most basic of adjustments can make a huge difference, though, so I checked the late Sheldon Brown’s pages on bicycle seat adjustment and followed his recommendations, making seat height adjustments over a few days. I ended up raising the seat far higher than I would have considered without looking at his advice, but it worked. I’m incredibly happy to say that this morning my commute to work was (almost) a breeze, and my knees don’t hurt! If you have never consulted his bicycle encyclopedia, I highly recommend it.
on Aug 13th, 2008 at 12:49 am
marcus,
Not sure if you’re aware, but Sheldon Brown passed away back in early February. Glad that his legacy lives on, helping others with their bikes.
on Aug 13th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Yep I did see that, although I didn’t know until recently. Very saddening- I don’t know if there will ever be another resource like his out there.
on Aug 19th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
It amazes me how many people have saddles WAY too low on their bikes: some from ignorance and some from not being able to safely get on and off the bike when the saddle is at a proper height. It saddens me that people go around ruining their cycling experience and their bodies because of they can’t be bothered to learn to operate their vehicle and to make basic adjustments to it. Good on you for getting it right. Enjoy riding!