Ok, so you all know I have arthritis in both my knees. Running has been the primary trigger for issues, however, my first outdoor ride of the season a couple of weeks ago caused some bad knee pain for a couple of days. Riding in the past has never caused me any issues.
I understand that hills are hard on the knees but I live in NH so there is no avoiding hills. I did go out Friday for a 15 mile ride and yesterday my standard 22 mile ride. I am a masher, love to ride in a hard gear and most comfortable at a slower cadence (high 60's 70's).
I thought it might be a good idea to try to ride in a lighter gear higher cadence. I went out yesterday and my goal was to be 85. If I couldn't keep it at close to 85, I would drop down. I did this and it was an effort as I am not used to that. My pace for my ride was 14.5!!!! It is usually 15.5+ on that route as it is very hilly.
So, please chime in. Is it a good idea to work on being able to spin at a faster cadence? If so, I assume there will be a learning curve and it would be expected that my overall pace would slow but I should expect to get faster again?
Do you have any other tips on riding without causing knee issues? If so, please spill!
I have to figure out how to still ride, it's my favorite thing to do this time of year!
ps.........knees were ok this morning!
I understand that hills are hard on the knees but I live in NH so there is no avoiding hills. I did go out Friday for a 15 mile ride and yesterday my standard 22 mile ride. I am a masher, love to ride in a hard gear and most comfortable at a slower cadence (high 60's 70's).
I thought it might be a good idea to try to ride in a lighter gear higher cadence. I went out yesterday and my goal was to be 85. If I couldn't keep it at close to 85, I would drop down. I did this and it was an effort as I am not used to that. My pace for my ride was 14.5!!!! It is usually 15.5+ on that route as it is very hilly.
So, please chime in. Is it a good idea to work on being able to spin at a faster cadence? If so, I assume there will be a learning curve and it would be expected that my overall pace would slow but I should expect to get faster again?
Do you have any other tips on riding without causing knee issues? If so, please spill!
I have to figure out how to still ride, it's my favorite thing to do this time of year!
ps.........knees were ok this morning!
