Anyone out there with aching knees ?

[David Morrow]

I've done my share of IB rides including 5 extreme rides. I usually recover pretty quickly. My last ride was the end of July and the last day was a bit long. We rode from Winnipeg to Vancouver; I'm on an FJR. We hit some traffic which stretched the day out- it was just short of 24 hours. My left knee is still sore. Not a constant ache but walking and kneeling can make me really take notice. It doesn't bother me all the time but, doing a little shopping today, I kneeled down to check something on a lower shelf and it was pretty painful to stand up. I'm 52 years young and never felt that before.

Anyone else with long term effects in their joints from riding ?

[Specter]

My knees were shot long before I started LD riding, which doesn't help the matter. The things that can help most are varying your knee position occasionally. Options include some sort of highway pegs, standing up, and doing some stretching at gas and comfort stops. Standing on the pegs for a few minutes now and then is good too.

[Thor]

I skied competively for years and my knees are so shot that I can't ski anymore (and I'm not that old.)

Potassium Gluconate on top of eating well and vitamins really helps.  Most knee pain that I have had that has been caused by riding will diminish quickly unless I haven't been working my legs.  Then it can take a real long time.  Of course, you have to drink a lot of water.  Since most people are always mildly dehydrated at any given time, that alone can cause the recovery period to be long.

There are a lot of muscles that connect at the knee.  If you don't work them, the oxygen deprivation and waste chemicals that build up do to the lack of movement from riding will poison the muscles that are already atrified from lack of use.

Go see a doctor that is actually invested in you being able to use your knees (sports medicine) and get some exercises that will show you how to strengthen your knees.

Don't waste your time seeing a GP.  They don't give a flying fuck if your knees work or not.  They just want to dope you up so you can get in and out of your La-z-boy.

[David Morrow]

I already tend to do most of the above - stand on the pegs, stretch my legs out into thin air while riding, drink lots of water, Ibuprofin, a few laps of the gas pumps and a lot of walking when I'm back home. I hadn't thought of sports medicine doc or heard of Potassium Gluconate. I'll Google that last one and see what comes up. Thanks.

[JBSmith]

I've done my share of IB rides including 5 extreme rides. I usually recover pretty quickly. My last ride was the end of July and the last day was a bit long. We rode from Winnipeg to Vancouver; I'm on an FJR. We hit some traffic which stretched the day out- it was just short of 24 hours. My left knee is still sore. Not a constant ache but walking and kneeling can make me really take notice. It doesn't bother me all the time but, doing a little shopping today, I kneeled down to check something on a lower shelf and it was pretty painful to stand up. I'm 52 years young and never felt that before.

Anyone else with long term effects in their joints from riding ?

Both of my knees are pretty much shot, but I've learned that long rides wearing certain brands of riding pants make them hurt more. The reason, I discovered, is the knee pads. Some pants don't have enough curve in the knee to keep the pads from pressing hard on your kneecaps when you bend your leg into the riding position. For years I wore Aerostich Darien pants with rigid kneepads and got sore knees after every long ride. Then I got a pair of Firstgeat pants that fit looser around the leg and have softer pads. Problem pretty much solved, although not entirely--we're talking about 55-year-old knees, after all.

Try that, and if it doesn't work, see a good orthopedic doc. At age 52 a lot of the stuff inside your knee is probably already degenerating. /"I'm not a doctor" disclaimer on/ The fact that it hurts when you stand up after kneeling could mean you have a torn meniscus, not uncommon in folks our age. If you're lucky a simple arthroscopic operation can clear that up.

[David Morrow]

I also wear the First Gear pants.

Sounds more and more like a trip to the doc is in order.

[Huron52]

 Standing on the pegs for a few minutes now and then is good too.

 Just a heads up for trying this in Ontario. That falls under the new Law that includes "the racing law" The rider/driver must be in their seat to ride/drive. In other words you can not stand on the pegs to ride.

[blackbeltrider]

The pain might not be from riding, riding might be what aggravates a possible underlying cause. In my case that is osteoarthritis.

Look at your finger joints - do you have a slightly raised nodule on either or both sides of your finger joints, on the backs of your fingers? These nodes are a sign of osteo.

Glucosamine sulfate works for me, to control the impact of osteo, especially in the knees. I am able to participate in Tae Kwon Do class & tournaments at 3rd Dan level, as it keeps my knees pain free. TKD is an art that involves a lot of flexibility and strong, whiplash movement in the legs. When I stop taking GS, my knees will get painful enough that I cannot take a fully active part of class, and bending them in normal living (such as riding) is painful as well. Once I start taking it again, the pain gradually goes away, completely.

We're talking 52 years old, here.  

[Lawn Dart]

Yes, and the solution for me has actually been easy:

Get a gym membership and start working out.  Get a trainer (at least for a short while) and get busy working out your legs.  Those who have said that blood flow to the knees gets restricted are dead on.  Working out improves your bloodflow not only to regions worked, but to all parts of your body.

The other option is to change the bikes.  My old K100RS was good for maybe 1 hour in the saddle before my knees started screaming.  My ZX11 was good for 45 minutes.  My RSL was good for 90 minutes.  

My GS + Excercise is good for back to back 2 hour non-stop stints on the stock saddle.  Perhaps not true long distance noteworthy numbers, but it does show improvements.

[bob12312357]

I dope up b4 i ride extreme distances, usually take naproxen and flexirol. If it's under like 500 miles i take Ibuprofen. I'm young,but my body is fubared from a list of injuries longer then most NFL teams injury list for the last decade.

[arkansawyer]

Definitely see an orthopedic surgeon.  I had outpatient scope surgery on both my knees this year.  I walked out of the office after both.  I didn't take any pain pills after one surgery.
I rode a street bike briefly two days after one surgery, the next day after the other.
The physical therapist I saw was great.  I can tell if I slack off on his exercises for a week.
I'm 41, but I used to run and ride off road competitively a lot.  

[RickC1957]

Having ruined both my knees from skiing and still running or cycling at least 5 days a week to keep in shape, I finally gave gave glucosamine a shot....I use the triple strength stuff...the pill is HUGE I gag down two a day....but man the stuff works The pain (more like dull ache) is gone! But for additional insurance, 2 aleve cures just about any ill for me. Staying hydrated helps too...that means drinking about a gallon of water a day, for a couple of weeks before you make an attempt. I choke down a 16 ounce bottle of water at gas stops...I'm not carrying water or wearing a camel back...does little or no good, if you are already dehydrated before leaving.

[bob12312357]

Forgot 2 add, walk. When ur gassin up top off,walk around the gas station several times. That glucoasmine stuff does work wonders,but it must be taken daily and takes a while to build up in your system and on bad days or long distances just isn't enough,even with OTC pills.

[zzr pilot]

I dope up b4 i ride extreme distances, usually take naproxen and flexirol. If it's under like 500 miles i take Ibuprofen. I'm young,but my body is fubared from a list of injuries longer then most NFL teams injury list for the last decade.

Isn't flexirol a narcotic muscle relaxant?  You ride while taking that stuff??!?!?!?

[bob12312357]

Yes and do a damn good job,fully aware of its effects. Fly as PIC 2,as long as its  not gonna be a real late nighter i'm good. i know my limits and its effects and when not i'm 2 tired 2 ride.

[squeezer]

I also wear the First Gear pants.

Sounds more and more like a trip to the doc is in order.

Yeah, Dave, if it's been chronic pain for almost six months, a look-see from the doc is not a bad idea.  The supplements, stretching, nicer pants, etc., are all good ideas and things to pick up anyway, but if you tore something none of that will help.

[bob12312357]

Yeah, Dave, if it's been chronic pain for almost six months, a look-see from the doc is not a bad idea.  The supplements, stretching, nicer pants, etc., are all good ideas and things to pick up anyway, but if you tore something none of that will help.

Good point it's important if you have arthritis to keep your legs warm,or it's gonna exacerbate the pain of the arthritis.

[sahtt]

I'm half your age but have seen the insides of my left knee twice, neither time anywhere near a doctor's office or hospital.  I'm almost at triple digits on the stitch count there.  My cartlidge is out of place and cracks all the time, if I sit still for more than 30 minutes as soon as I get up I have this 'urge' to pull my foot up and there is a loud 'crack' right after, without fail.  Not good when it's only on one leg.

I still ride supersports for all my trips though because I'm in good shape and lift a lot of weights.
My advice is to figure out some way to do resistance training with your legs without damaging them.  Resistance training is absolutely critical, especially at your age.  You can still build muscle and you will be surprised with the results if you haven't been working out previously in a while.  I'd say do squats, but at 5x years old that's going to be too hard on your shoulders.  At worst, you can use the leg press.  Build it up to 3 times a week, say with 350lbs with high reps [sounds like a lot, but I'm 175lbs 5'10 and can do about double that weight] and your joints and bones will get stronger.  

Besides that, I've found aleve to be far, far more powerful than any substitute.  My doctor also recommends it and says that if two aleve don't irradicate the pain you need to take action or stop doing what you are doing.  I never have to take more than 1 unless I'm skiing an entire day.

[David Morrow]

I was just thinking of posting a followup this morning...

I talked to the doctor and he thought it may perhaps be a bit of arthritis. But, when talking to my S.O., who's really knowledgeable in many things medical, she had a possible solution. I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen, 3 times per day ( total 2400 mg) and do this for one week. Also, minimize the use of the knee if possible. This is bordering on a prescription dosage. I mentioned this to the doc and he gave me his blessing to try. I'm happy to report that the long walks that used to really aggravate my knee are an absolute breeze now.

[Gaolee]

I had painful knees a while ago, and the GP pretty much told me it was fine and I could live with it.  Then I changed insurance companies and went to see an orthopedic surgeon who was recommended to me.  He said I could obviously live with the pain since it had been many years, but if I didn't get the ripped up meniscus cleaned up, he didn't want to hear from me when the serious arthritis kicked in.  I got it scraped out and my knees are great.  They are not like they were when I was 20, but the are a whole lot better than they were ten years ago.  Too bad they can't do similar arthroscopic surgery on brains.  I highly recommend finding a good surgeon and getting an MRI.  Lots of water makes a huge difference, too.

[burnergold2B]

I was just thinking of posting a followup this morning...

I talked to the doctor and he thought it may perhaps be a bit of arthritis. But, when talking to my S.O., who's really knowledgeable in many things medical, she had a possible solution. I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen, 3 times per day ( total 2400 mg) and do this for one week. Also, minimize the use of the knee if possible. This is bordering on a prescription dosage. I mentioned this to the doc and he gave me his blessing to try. I'm happy to report that the long walks that used to really aggravate my knee are an absolute breeze now.

  Careful with the Ibuprofen-you may end up with a hole in your stomach as many have.

I do some tough work outs in the gym that are low impact; stretch out, do 45 minutes on a stationary bike for a good warm up, and very light work with weights on quads and glutes and whatever else you want to work. Track your progress in miles ridden, weights and reps done, and your weight. Not only will your knee pain decrease but your saddle time will be much more comfortable and enjoyable for longer stretches. 3X a week to start for first 3 weeks can be decreased to 2X a week...good luck!

[Cal24Master]

  Careful with the Ibuprofen-you may end up with a hole in your stomach as many have.

I do some tough work outs in the gym that are low impact; stretch out, do 45 minutes on a stationary bike for a good warm up, and very light work with weights on quads and glutes and whatever else you want to work. Track your progress in miles ridden, weights and reps done, and your weight. Not only will your knee pain decrease but your saddle time will be much more comfortable and enjoyable for longer stretches. 3X a week to start for first 3 weeks can be decreased to 2X a week...good luck!

Complications from Ibuprofen is extremely rare, much rarer than complications from tylenol.  I have used it in high doses for years with no ill effects.

The other thing you should think about is your riding style.  I have to concentrate on relaxing my leg and shoulder muscles while riding.  If you ride with your leg and arm muscles constantly tense it will cause the inflamation and pain David described.  By riding in a relaxed state it will solve alot of these problems.

Tom

[Guzzipat]

Sorry, I ain't got any good news for you, the older you get the worse the aches get.
I did some damge to my knees playing soccer over 30 years ago, they hurt more now than they did then.

[hardluk1]

 I am 52 with blood clots in both legs and right lung,( lung is fine now)from a doctor 11 years ago and the knee that he was just cleaning up is now ready for a knee replacement. Can't do it because of the clots, not a good risk. The other leg has 2 torn tendons in the knee with a snaped tendon and broken bone in the foot ,from a year and a half back. Never did heal well. I use to ride harleys and now a fjr. The type of bike won't help but getting your feet out of your but cheek would help on the knees. Better have that doc check for clots too, these long rides can cause clots on older well worn bodies. Remember, even long airline trips can cause clots.   I can ride out my first tank of gas ,the second tank starts to cause me problems and at that point the longer i ride the shorter the seat time till i'm ready to burn the seat after about 4 hrs.And no it has nothing to do with the seat, tried some of the so call gret seat builders. Check and watch your legs. Have the doc to tell you what to watch for. I get a kick out of the no trailer crowd, one day most of them will under stand..Put that bike ithe trailer, go set up in one of the wilder than you can believe camp grounds and injoy rideing regionally. The girls still get naked in the camp grounds but not much on the street anymore, they might go to jail.

[GoneRacin]

The USMC tore up my knees. I cant ride long distance on a full on sport bike anymore. I find myself leaning more towards a touring bike  at this point in my life. 5 years ago I told everyone I wasnt ready for the gold wing yet.But lately i find them more and more appealing.  I guess I am getting old. My old connie 100 i could usually eat up 2 tanks of gas before I really started felling it. I would drop in a motrin and go again. I finally got more conditioned to riding it, so I didnt use anything unless absolutely necessary. I fond at the age of 35 that my knees just arent as flexible as they used to be.