How To Prevent And Recover From Knee Pain

We’ve all been there: you head out for a long ride stacked with elevation.

- Uncle B.

Things seem to be going great, until the road tilts up, you start climbing, and boom – a sharp twinge in your knee fires as you press through the pedals, and forces you to slow down. Know that you’re not alone. Knee pain’s one of the most common lower-body issues among cyclists, and it often stems from overuse, according to a 2010 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Riding longer or harder than your body is conditioned for strains your connective tissues and causes inflammation and pain. Often, these crank-stopping aches that seem to come out of nowhere are actually the first noticeable symptom of a long-brewing problem.

But no matter how long you’ve been riding, there are some simple steps you can take to prevent, identify, and treat that pesky knee pain. We’ve pulled together the following tips based on the advice of top experts and our own experiences to get you back to riding more ache-free kays.