To bike or not to bike . . .

[Guest guest]

Happy New Year (almost)!<br><br>From reading a

few of the posts lately, I gather there's some

question as to the advisability of cycling as an exercise.

Specifically, the possibility of flexing the knee greater than

90 degrees appears to be an issue. For what it's

worth, here's a few ways to avoid this issue while

biking:<br><br>1. Raise the seat height just a bit. At the bottom

of the stroke, your toes are pointed just a bit, but

your knee bends less at the top of the stroke. Any

changes to your seat height must be made in very small

increments--any sudden changes can make your knees

hurt.<br><br>2. Try a shorter crank length. This may be more of

an issue on a mountain bike, since mountain bikes

sometimes come with a longer crank to allow for greater

torque and lower pedal cadences. However, shorter

individuals might benefit from a shorter-than-common crank

length (perhaps 165 mm instead of 170 mm) even on a road

cycle. The shorter crank length decreases the knee

flexion at the top of the stroke.<br><br>3. Use pedals

and shoes that allow the sole of your foot to be as

close to the pedal axle as possible. Extra thickness

between the pedal axle and your sole increases knee

flexion at the top of the stroke.<br><br>4. Try to use a

cadence of 80-90 revolutions per minute. Slower cadences

(with increased torque) put more force through the

patella per revolution; higher cadences may decrease

force per revolution, but exceptionally high cadences

increase the number of flexion-extension cycles the knee

must endure.<br><br>Of course, your knees will tell

you what works best for you. Above all, make any

changes to your level of activity and to how you do it

(seat height, cadence, etc.) gradually to minimize

stresses.<br><br>Best wishes,<br><br>Joe B.