[Tall BMX'r]

This past month I've really been settling into how my bike handles after dialing my geo / fit in more. On a particular single track I ride a lot, I've been beating my previous times every time I ride it. It's a techie sidehill trail w/ quick 10ft to 15' ups and downs. Too quick to really shift or use my dropper. In the 2 miles of the trail I'd probably be shifting and dropping every few seconds. It's really fun. I found the perfect gear to ride it single speed, and just leave my seat dropped halfway. I've gotten comfortable enough to just stand and pedal like my old BMX days, tossing my bike side to side. My speed on this trail has almost doubled because of this pedaling technique. I've even been using it more on climbs. But, my old injured left knee has been swelling up because it. Just to confirm this was the case, I went for a ride just sitting as I pedal and used my dropper as needed. Even rode some steep downhills. No swelling. Kind a sucks. I was really feeling loose and fast with that stand up pedaling technique.
Anyone experience this issue or have preference of pedaling styles? Standing vs sitting?

Here's what the trail looks like.

 

[noosa2]

I like to mix it up. I’ll stand on short punchy climbs and stay seated for the majority of long steady climbs. If I stand a lot (e.g. single speed) I end up with tennis elbow.

 

[paramount3]

If it hurts don't do it. Let the affected body parts rest. Then cautiously reintroduce the offending activity (vigorous out-of-the-saddle riding) but don't overdo it. At the moment, I am balancing occasional pain in my right knee, left foot, right Achilles tendon, left wrist, and left shoulder. And lower back. When one of those pains becomes limiting, I switch to a different bike, different style of riding, or different activity altogether (e.g. walk or hike instead of MTB). Remember when you were younger? You could just power through the pain? Well, you can still do that now--and then you'll be recovering and managing that pain for the next three months. Better to acknowledge the pain and back off before you're really f***ed.

 

[Tall BMX'r]

If it hurts don't do it. Let the affected body parts rest. Then cautiously reintroduce the offending activity (vigorous out-of-the-saddle riding) but don't overdo it. At the moment, I am balancing occasional pain in my right knee, left foot, right Achilles tendon, left wrist, and left shoulder. And lower back. When one of those pains becomes limiting, I switch to a different bike, different style of riding, or different activity altogether (e.g. walk or hike instead of MTB). Remember when you were younger? You could just power through the pain? Well, you can still do that now--and then you'll be recovering and managing that pain for the next three months. Better to acknowledge the pain and back off before you're really f***ed.

I've been distance stand up paddling in the harbor in the evenings. Great core workout and zero impact. I surf too. Walking long walks or hiking aggravates my knee, and I do not belong to a gym.

 

[kosmo]

I stand less with every passing year, due to aging, arthritic knees. I'd rather sit and spin than ice my knees after a ride.

But I hear you on the speed. Some trails really reward a Savage Standing Approach!

 

[VThuckster]

I used to have knee pain and my MD recommended strengthening core and other leg muscles. I think the surfing and paddle boarding has your core covered. I would suggest some straight leg deadlifts, sumo squats and cross leg lunges a few times a week. Biking tends to overdevelop outer quads, so you have do something to strengthen hamstrings, inner quads and stabilizing muscles. My guess is the swaying involved with standing and hammering has aggravated something because of some lateral movement or pressure. If that doesn’t work, your old injury may just necessitate limiting that type of movement.

 

[drdre]

You might try stretching. Focus on hamstring, glutes, hips, and quads. Lots of videos out there. You never know what will help till you try it. Free! Also, consider flat pedals.

 

[Nosdeho]

Tight cornering, tech climbs and descents, plus punchy climbs and descents I am standing. Over 40 so I stretch and do morning exercises and that has helped my core considerably. A stronger core helps not put all pressure on the knees and wrists.

 

[FJSnoozer]

This past month I've really been settling into how my bike handles after dialing my geo / fit in more. On a particular single track I ride a lot, I've been beating my previous times every time I ride it. It's a techie sidehill trail w/ quick 10ft to 15' ups and downs. Too quick to really shift or use my dropper. In the 2 miles of the trail I'd probably be shifting and dropping every few seconds. It's really fun. I found the perfect gear to ride it single speed, and just leave my seat dropped halfway. I've gotten comfortable enough to just stand and pedal like my old BMX days, tossing my bike side to side. My speed on this trail has almost doubled because of this pedaling technique. I've even been using it more on climbs. But, my old injured left knee has been swelling up because it. Just to confirm this was the case, I went for a ride just sitting as I pedal and used my dropper as needed. Even rode some steep downhills. No swelling. Kind a sucks. I was really feeling loose and fast with that stand up pedaling technique.
Anyone experience this issue or have preference of pedaling styles? Standing vs sitting?

Here's what the trail looks like.
View attachment 1954142

View attachment 1954143

Pedaling with your post half mast can cause significant strain and issues.

My advice is to learn to ride the entire trail high posted. And stand when the trail demands. You don’t need a dropper dropped to ride those trails. And what you are trying to mitigate is the distraction and time lost in putting a dropper up and down over and over on those roller.

I like you spend a significant amount of my time standing. The dropper only goes down in significant drops or situations where the post will ejevlct me from the bike Sustained downhills with no sustained pedaling I will throw it down as well.

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[mlloyd007]

100% same experience as you. When the pandemic started I deciced to get savagely fit, so I started riding my spin bike out of the saddle with relatively high resistance around a 60 cadence. After a few months my knees started to get irritated, and when I backed off standing and hammering so much the knee issue went away. All that constant pressure on my knees was clearly causal.

 

[r-rocket]

Too much change too soon for your body to adjust to. Back everything off and work into it slower.

Ease up one gear, don't power through as hard, swing the bike less, only drop the seat half as much, and do half the trail sitting. Then build from there.

Don't wait for the swelling to manifest after the ride. Use your choice of compression as soon as the ride is over.

Strengthen the knee with small muscle stability exercises, like a balance ball.

 

[DennisT]

I was getting some knee pain if I SUP'd too much. Sitting pedalling never a problem. However, it wasn't an injury for me, just old age I think. In any case, I applied a cold pack after every ride and very gradually increased my SUP frequency. Eventually my knee adapted, and I no longer have the problem unless I way overdo it. I can tell if it's the last thing because everything hurts.

 

[Tall BMX'r]

You might try stretching. Focus on hamstring, glutes, hips, and quads. Lots of videos out there. You never know what will help till you try it. Free! Also, consider flat pedals.

I stretch every day religiously. But I need to any some lateral stretching to my routine. I'm 6'7 and I can bend over an put my palms on the ground. I couldn't do that in my 20's:.
I'm already a flat pedal dude. The clipless pedals caused my knee to swell. I ditched them probably 8 years or so ago.

 

[Tall BMX'r]

Pedaling with your post half mast can cause significant strain and issues.

My advice is to learn to ride the entire trail high posted. And stand when the trail demands. You don’t need a dropper dropped to ride those trails. And what you are trying to mitigate is the distraction and time lost in putting a dropper up and down over and over on those roller.

I like you spend a significant amount of my time standing. The dropper only goes down in significant drops or situations where the post will ejevlct me from the bike Sustained downhills with no sustained pedaling I will throw it down as well.

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I agree. It definitely boils down to me just pushing my aging body to hard.

 

[Sanchofula]

Sit and spin, I only stand for leverage or balance, using your weight to crank is not good for your joints and it's not as efficient.

 

[jay_paradox]

Sit and spin, I only stand for leverage or balance, using your weight to crank is not good for your joints and it's not as efficient.

This ^


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[J.B. Weld]

Sit and spin, I only stand for leverage or balance, using your weight to crank is not good for your joints and it's not as efficient.

I know standing isn't usually quite as efficient but I hadn't heard about it being hard on your joints, I thought if anything maybe the opposite. Anyway I do it a lot and it's never bothered me but I realize that's anecdotal.

 

[TylerVernon]

It sounds like you have knee stability issues. Do the knees over toes guy program and it will fix that.

 

[ladljon]

I don't like standing, except just to stretch the legs for a second....sit and spin....of course I went from 170's to 135 mm crank arms, after riding for 30yrs smaller circle, less impact. NOT LESS LEVERAGE.

 

[cvs]

if your going to stand and ride for extended periods you need an enormous amount of core/back strength and your legs need to be strong in the right way, they aren't the same muscles as your sitting spinning muscles. Plus you usually run much harder gears standing to maintain speed and are just mashing if your whole body isn't strong enough. I only single speed-ed for more then a decade(still do) and unless your strong enough you just come out killing yourself on those uphill runs. you need to be able to spin even when standing in harder gears for extended periods. otherwise you either feel it in your back or your knees(didn't matter what age i was,i'm 45 for reference.). but after conditioning for that i wouldn't feel the pain anymore. in the last couple years i switched to running a 11-28 or 11-25 ultegra cassette(which ever is in stock) on my mtb vs single speeding because i like to downhill, but my up hills are still similar to what you describe stand up and pedal get to the top; but you need core strength to feel light and able to spin, not mashing and heavy on your pedals/joints.