 i recently tried changing from flatties to spd's and have experienced a great deal of knee pain in my right knee. i already have cartilage degeneration in this knee and am assuming that the knee position is aggravating this. Have tried altering the angle of the cleats etc and pain is still there although not so excruciating.
Has anyone else with knee problems experienced this. I don't want to exacerbate already existing problems. Should I persevere, hoping my knee will 'adjust' or change back to flatties? Anyone?
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 Glad to hear you have tried SPDs but sorry to hear that it's causing you grief.
Sounds like that you need to do a little adjustments to your cleat position - did you just put your cleats on and ride?
It's very hard to say what's causing the pain without seeing you ride - it could be something obvious. You might just need a different type of pedal with extra 'float' - float gives you extra movement so your knee if not fixed in one position. There are quite a few on the market and some are better than others.
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cheers bikescooby - basically got a really old pair of cleats and a fairly old pair of spd's - it was just to try.
thought about getting some of those hybrid pedals so i could clip in going down hill, and use the flatties goin up. it's definitely the climbs that are causing me the pain.
i did have a feeling though that i might have problems becuase of my existing knee condition :( Feel like i've got to take real care here of my mtb career could be short!
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You've just answered your own question TH. Old cleats and worn SPD = bad knees.
The hybrid pedals are certainly popular and probably a good option for you. I think Time do some which a lot of people recommend if they have dodgy knees.
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Sit on the edge of a table and hang your feet off the edge, flex your ankles to 90 degrees and lean forward into a cycling position. The ankle your feet hang at naturally is a good starting point for correct cleat set up. Make sure that the cleat is positioned under the ball of your foot. You can do that by putting your shoes on, sticking a bit of masking tape on the outside edge of your shoe and feeling where the ball of your foot - middle of the knucle of your big toe - is and marking it on. Some really good bike shops will be able to help you. If you still get knee pain may be get your physio if you have one to watch how you pedal and make sure there are no other muscle imbalances that need checking out and that your knee is tracking right. You may also need to look at your shoes as your foot position will affect the path your knee takes as you pedal.
Personally I'd steer clear of extra float. Its a common misconception that they are better but knees prefer something with a firm end to the float otherwise your muscles are working hard to stabilise the knee unneccessarily. Having a lot of float means your feet can find their natural position but if you set you cleats up properly you don't need them moving around because they'll be in the right place.
I know it all sounds a bit complicated but get it right and you'll be sorted. Its worth the hassle to keep your knees running sweet.
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That was just what I was going to post...
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 I’m afraid I can’t offer any physiological insights but my hubby has a really dodgy knee due to rugby injury years ago. He can’t bend his knee more than 90 degrees and it’s basically bone against bone. He uses Time pedals and says they are better for his knee than Shimano and quite likes having a bit more float. (I can ask for a more detailed desciption of his pedal experience if you are interested)
I’ve used both Time and Shimano and I must say I prefer Time as well. I find they are much easier to get in and out of in muddy conditions.
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 i also have bone on bone and find that if you get the float right it will help your knees a lot....
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thanks guys
very encouraging as i had thought that once my osteo had progressed so far, that i wouldn't be able to mtb any more.
may try the hybrid pedals as asort of intermediary step.
article was really informative - and its good to know its not just me that has cranky knees!
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tree- i have osteo of my right knee i cant walk down the stairs properly, but i can still cycle, the consultant has said to me that the cycling is what keeps it mobile....
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that's excellent news - I keep going and on the whole my knee has been stronger since taking up mtb - think it's just the spd's have knocked me back a bit.
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I think it depends on the type of pain as to whether float helps or not. i can see what Spannah is saying and it makes ssense, yet when I moved from SPDs to egg beaters thus increasing float, my knee pain pretty much vanished. I also had knee trouble due to lack of stetching quads and hams sufficiently after rides. I have naturally very stretchy hams and tight quads so have to make sure that both get the same attention from stretches.
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 Did you see the review of the Speedplay Zero Stainless Steel pedals? They have loads of float!
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