Thread: Biking and your knees

Biking can be easy or hard on your kness it depends how you do it. If you spin in a smaller gear it is easier on your knees. If you always push a big gear (like a track gear) and don't warm up properly then you are asking for trouble. Also, if you are biking early in the morning (when it is cooler) you need to go slow at first until you start to warm up. In general, biking is easy on your knees. Swimming is also another good option.

what exactly is wrong with your knees?

Likely, bad tracking on the low end. Not much cushioning. Lots of friction/grinding/popping and dull pain. I'd like to improve the integrity of the ligaments and supportive tissues. Swimming simply isn't convenient for me on a regular basis.

well, bad tracking and lots of friction might not get better with biking. while it is non-impact, if you track laterally, you might end up biking in the same manner, pushing with greater effort from the IT band etc.....and just continuing the problem. You need to (a) figure out what is wrong and then (b) enter into some corrective exercise program to get back to normal.

I have shitty knees too. I can only cycle squats for 6-8 weeks until the major pain of my inner joints starts to flare up. After that, I know its time to roll over to leg presses. I have good form, and have been checked by my trainer for my form. I even had my squat form videotaped so I that I can see where and what I was doing wrong, but it just didnt seem to help. So, I have bad knees and I have to alternate. Perhaps you should try this.

I saw the doc about my left knee last year and he said he thought it was a tracking problem and advised me to use a very limited ROM on squats, presses etc. I did that, and it got better in time. Now my right knee feels the same. I really think I have to drop the leg extensions and stick with the more compound stuff. Presses never give me problems. My whole family has bad knees. I think I'll just have to stick with the elliptical and swimming. Just thinking about doing sprints causes pain. I prefer althetic performance over size, so I may have to seriously reevaluate heavy lifting with my legs, even if it gives me bird legs. Thanks for the input.

Biking obviously has less impact directly than jogging, especially if you have issues with your knees tracking incorrectly. However, you would have to make sure that your seat position was set up properly as to minmize any problems that might exist and put your legs in the best biomechanical position possible based on your flexibility and alignment.

IMO if you have bad knees I think leg extensions are one of the worst exercises you can do if you lift heavy. Maybe as a therapy ROM exercise but otherwise forget it.

Originally Posted by ponyboy

Biking obviously has less impact directly than jogging, especially if you have issues with your knees tracking incorrectly. However, you would have to make sure that your seat position was set up properly as to minmize any problems that might exist and put your legs in the best biomechanical position possible based on your flexibility and alignment.

IMO if you have bad knees I think leg extensions are one of the worst exercises you can do if you lift heavy. Maybe as a therapy ROM exercise but otherwise forget it.

actually I disagree. When I warm up with light weight leg extensions before squats, my knees dont bother me as much or at all.

I would have to agree that swimming would be great for your knees. If you simply want to jog try and get a good smooth and soft surface.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

actually I disagree. When I warm up with light weight leg extensions before squats, my knees dont bother me as much or at all.

That's what I meant. Warming up light with it is fine but people I see on that machine cranking out 8 reps with high weight are just looking for knee problems.

Originally Posted by Double D

I would have to agree that swimming would be great for your knees. If you simply want to jog try and get a good smooth and soft surface.

true. Go to a high school. Thy have great tracks for running.

In my teens and twenties I was a avid bicyclist. I heavily geared my bikes. No problems. I weight train now. No problem.

When I bowl a game or play basketball for 20 minutes... I can't walk for two weeks? Always my left knee. Possibly - bad form?

Originally Posted by JimSnow

In my teens and twenties I was a avid bicyclist. I heavily geared my bikes. No problems. I weight train now. No problem.

When I bowl a game or play basketball for 20 minutes... I can't walk for two weeks? Always my left knee. Possibly - bad form?

Well I know from experience (alot of it) that bowling is very hard on the knees, especially on your slide leg. That being said if you plant, without sliding (like I do) it's even worse on your knees. Are you right handed?? That would explain the pain in your left knee from bowling.

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

Well I know from experience (alot of it) that bowling is very hard on the knees, especially on your slide leg. That being said if you plant, without sliding (like I do) it's even worse on your knees. Are you right handed?? That would explain the pain in your left knee from bowling.

Yes. Interesting.

Bowling = plant and slide, putting pressure on the side of the knee

Basketball = lots of lateral movement, doing the same

Likely it is the side to side movement that is causing you problems.

come on!!! its bowling for christs sakes!

Thanks, Ponyboy. That was pretty much what I was thinking regarding leg extensions. Just needed someone to remind me. Just one more thing I need to tell my trainer to nix from the list.

Originally Posted by ponyboy

That's what I meant. Warming up light with it is fine but people I see on that machine cranking out 8 reps with high weight are just looking for knee problems.

If I go heavy, I will return from warming up with leg exts and use that same exercise after I have done all of my other leg work and demolish whats left of my quads at the end.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

come on!!! its bowling for christs sakes!

You'd be suprised. Try throwing a 16 lbs. ball 12 games a day for 3 days straight (tournament bowling). That's like doing in upward of 240 lunges (144 minimum) a day on that left leg!! Not to mention the idiots like me who don't slide, put alot of extra pressure on that knee. My right forearm is litterally an inch + bigger than my left from all the bowling I've done over the years. My calf on my right leg is larger too from my pushoff step. Bowling is kinda hard!!

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

You'd be suprised. Try throwing a 16 lbs. ball 12 games a day for 3 days straight (tournament bowling). That's like doing in upward of 240 lunges (144 minimum) a day on that left leg!! Not to mention the idiots like me who don't slide, put alot of extra pressure on that knee. My right forearm is litterally an inch + bigger than my left from all the bowling I've done over the years. My calf on my right leg is larger too from my pushoff step. Bowling is kinda hard!!

damn, whenI think of bowling I think of bad clothing, smelly air, watery drinks and a lot of cursing and grunting...kind of like the gym...oh well.

anyway, didnt think of it that way. I wasnt trying to insult anyone. I would never insult anyone...really..

Originally Posted by juggernaut

damn, whenI think of bowling I think of bad clothing, smelly air, watery drinks and a lot of cursing and grunting...kind of like the gym...oh well.

anyway, didnt think of it that way. I wasnt trying to insult anyone. I would never insult anyone...really..

No insult taken. I just think most people think the same way about bowling that you do. They don't realize what it involves to be a pro.
Plus I know you would never insult anyone.

me?? NOOOOOOO.....never.

I bowl quite a bit as well. I've never had any issues with my knees and I have relatively bad knees. Now the amount of injuries to my arm/shoulder is very high. It also took about a year of training to get my proportions the same on both arms.

Originally Posted by largepkg

I bowl quite a bit as well. I've never had any issues with my knees and I have relatively bad knees. Now the amount of injuries to my arm/shoulder is very high. It also took about a year of training to get my proportions the same on both arms.

At one point I had decided to get my pro card. I was bowling close to 100 games a week of practice. Seems like I'm a few years away from getting my proportions back in line.

i bowl on my palm pilot and pc...does that count?

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

At one point I had decided to get my pro card. I was bowling close to 100 games a week of practice. Seems like I'm a few years away from getting my proportions back in line.

Yea, I hear ya. I thought my proportions caught up fairly quick. My right BI was 11/2'' larger than my left and my forearm was 1'' larger. My legs were fairly close though.

I still bowl (recreationally) and my fingers on my right hand are terribly arthritic because of past abuse.

Where in SO FLO are ya? Maybe we're neighbors.

Originally Posted by largepkg

Where in SO FLO are ya? Maybe we're neighbors.

Stuart. Elderly capitol of the world. At one time it was coined the "Sailfish Capitol of the World". Those days are long gone.