🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Oct29.171113.24849@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu> molinari@ccs.northeastern.edu (Bert Molinari) writes:

> I recently bought a cannondale road bike after my fisher mtb was stolen (while
> i was riding it no less).  Last week i started experiencing arthritic-like
> pain in my knees that i believe is due to cycling.  My fisher had biopace
> chain rings and my cannondale does not.  
> ...
> I also would like to know if anybody can suggest another 
> possible reason for my knee-aches (i.e. change in frame geometries from
> mtb to road bike).  I've been off the bike for about a week now and my
> knees are feeling better but i want back on.


YES!!  If you ride a lot, a small change in just about any parameter
on the bike can throw your knees off.  Parameters such as seat height,
biopace v. round chainrings, crank arm length, frame goemetry,
fore-aft seat position, shoe cleat orientation, pedals, etc, etc, can
all affect the knees.  Even tiny changes can confuse your knees.  This
is why in the pro-cycling books they suggest only changing your seat
height by a few millimeters at a time.

When you change bikes, you change all the parameters and have to be
very careful.  YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO EASE YOUR KNEES INTO THE CHANGE.
Being that you don't have your old bike, it's hard to "ease" into the
new one.  Just ride EASY for the first few weeks:

    Don't mash your gears.
    Don't spin any faster than you normally do.
    Keep a comfortable moderate cadence.
    Avoid long nasty climbs.
    Keep the rides short.

Basically pretend you are in horrible shape.

Hope this helps.

Alex
--
Alex Tomlinson       email:  alext@pine.ece.utexas.edu