.RichardKaufmann said:

Before I replace this pair, has anyone had a similar issue/is there a general deadline for when speedplay cleats should be replaced? 

There isn't a general deadline.  And I tend to doubt that worn cleats is the issue here.  If there is advice, it's just if the slop seems to be too great.  But I'd guess I switch them every 5,000-6,000 miles.  I also use a steel wear plate between the pedal and cleat, which helps extend the life of the cleats.

Which Speedplay pedals do you have?  For some reason, I think you might have Speedplay Comp pedals, which don't have float adjustment screws.  If you do have these, perhaps it's the position, or as Greg pointed out, it could just be ramping up cycling too much too soon.

If you have the Zero pedals and cleats, you can adjust the heel in/out pretty easily on your own--As Jules pointed out, position can change as your body changes/ages.  My recommendation for these cleats, which I've been using since they came out, is to start by making sure your heel isn't hitting the cranks or chain stays, then get a feel for where your foot is comfortable, then dial in further.  I've pretty much taken out the float from my Zero cleats.  

Thanks, all! I’m on the zero pedals, so I’ll play around a bit with the float. Hopefully it’s a quick fix. 

GregHoge said:

While knee pain can be from a worn cleat, from my understand of how speed play cleats work, they would be less prone to this issue vs a look or SPD-SL cleat.

Depends on the reason for the pain.

In addition to what's been mentioned, I would highly recommend a good Physical Therapist to diagnose/treat symptoms which might be just as important as a new bike fit. I have found knee pain issues act up during Build phases. The pain can be alleviated by proper foam rolling of quads thoroughly (everday, especially on hard days), and focusing on strengthening hamstrings and glutes (learn to love your deadlifts and hip thrusters). A ramp up in intensity or volume will tend to create an imbalance where your ever growing quads are not balanced by equally powerful hamstrings and glutes, and the knee is the locus of this imbalance. My understanding is that this is the most typical cause of intermittent/seasonal bike knee pain, assuming the fit is in the ballpark.

JPs suggestion of eliminating the float is a good place to start. If that doesn't help then I would go the PT route and start working on your posterior chain, even if you are in need of a bike fit. It's just good practice and will help unleash the full extent of Pogacar power.

For knee diagnostics, an easy first step is to take some video while pedaling, and check out "pedal smoothness" on your power meter.

Since I saw @LennartZandbergen 's road rash this morning, I want to remind folks that having some first aid supplies at home in anticipation of crashes is a decent idea.

1. Triple antibiotic ointment.  What makes it triple is that the petroleum jelly base has  neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin, mixed in to stop bacteria growth.  Cover a wound with this stuff.

2. Non Stick sterile pads.  This protects the skin and helps, along with the ointment, limit how much teh wound dries--the more damp/wet the wound stays, the faster it heals.

3.  Tubular Stretch Bandage.  This is the mesh netting that you see racers have on their arms and legs after a crash. It holds the non stick pads in place without having to use tape.  They're also washable and reusable.  So you can switch the pad and re-use the netting.  A brand name is Curad and their product is Hold Tite.  


The cheap way to do the above is vaseline covered with plastic wrap, held in place with tape.  Not good for moving around, but works in a pinch and the you're sleeping--though the leakage coming out the bottom can be pretty gross.  

The old-school solution was to clean out the wound with hydrogen peroxide and let it air dry.  This is generally discouraged these days.  The hydrogen peroxide might take out dirt, but it doesn't seem to kill bacteria.  Air drying might create a protective layer, but it slows down the process, and the dried ooze ends up cracking.  

I've found Tegaderm to be great for road rash once it's gently cleaned out with soap and water.  It's the same stuff used for tattoo heal for those that are familiar.  Just cut to size and slap that puppy on.  Since it's meant to be apply immediately after cleaning and drying, there's no need for antibiotic ointment (petroleum jelly is a good idea though to prevent the Tegaderm from sticking to the wound).

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Tegaderm-Transparent-Dressing-16002/dp/B01EO0ANDU/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_2_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7:amzn1.sym.3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&cv_ct_cx=tegaderm&keywords=tegaderm&pd_rd_i=B01EO0ANDU&pd_rd_r=91fb841b-b630-4dc4-ace0-c7cc56ea2658&pd_rd_w=UcIu1&pd_rd_wg=Rpg2o&pf_rd_p=3432eb1a-1558-4445-9430-9bb3e7f7b9b7&pf_rd_r=SZ2BW7HDQJXTCKZH6BZZ&qid=1686412631&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sprefix=tegaderm,aps,82&sr=1-2-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e

Also, anecdotally, eating extra protein seems to help speed up the wound healing in my experience.  

tegaderm forever

Keep it moist.

I was indeed still living under the assumption that air drying is the best idea for road rash. But wow, the Tegaderm is indeed super effective. Things are healing so much quicker now. Thanks for all the advice!

Hope to be able to go for the first post-crash ride tomorrow

The wetter the better. There is a whole thread on this, and some basic instructions in the "how to race & ride" doc.

@LennartZandbergen

It's at least two things that makes covered and clammy better.  One is that it appears to help speed healing along more effectively than drying out the wound.  Another is that by keeping it covered, dirt and other possible sources of infection have a harder time getting in.  

Tegaderm, for better and worse, seals the wound.  Better for the above, worse if there's dirt sealed in.  Mixed is that some wounds you want to check regularly, and Tegaderm is expensive.  

@LennartZandbergen I was def in the air dry camp for a while as well but Tegraderm is sooo much better. I find it also causes a lot less pain while healing. The skin remains pliable and when the injury is near a joint, it allows the skin to flex more easily through healing process. 

I asked some friends back in Holland on how they treat road rash and they all advised me the air dry way - happy to know now that there's a better way.

Did my first post-crash ride just now, apart from a little bit of pain on my rib due during fast efforts all is well.

I don't think the tegaderm option is so expensive by the way, at least not compared to using and replacing non stick pads and bandages daily

I've heard conflicting things about the air dry vs keep it moist from virtually every medical professional I've spoken to about this. The most recent being: keep wounds moist for the first two days, air dry after that. (That was from a PA who'd worked a lot with plastic surgeons). My father who was a family practice doctor always advised air drying... Either way, my abraisions are pretty well healed, but I have a large, (though slowly reducing in size), hematoma on my lower back and another on my elbow. I was taking a muscle relaxant and Alleve for the pain. 2 weeks after the crash the hematoma on my back hadn't reduced in size at all. My primary care physician suggested the muscle relaxant might be the cause. When I went off the medication the swelling went down by 1/2. Pain is managable. Doctor said to "take it easy" for a few more  weeks. I'm not sure how much, if any, riding/training is advisable. Does anyone have any experience with recovery from crash related hematoma? 

@Joe Matunis

When I fractured my 5th metacarpal last year, there was definitely swelling in my hand for long after the bone healed.  For this, it seemed to result in numbness that was unusual for me when holding the bars in one place for too long.

In the past, I've had swelling on my hips from crashes that didn't impede my riding.  

FWIW, I've still got tenderness/minor bump on the right hip bone from one of my spring crashes.  My doc (specializes in sports medicine) said as long as it doesn't hurt when riding or riding doesn't cause it to hurt off the bike, have at it.

On the subject of moist...

https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injured-skin/burns/wound-care-minimize-scars

I developed bursitis on my right elbow from the crash impact. Everything else is healing up, but this seems to be sticking around.  It's a weird looking blob the size and shape of a smallish tangerine. All the medical folks have so far said that it will deflate with time, but after 1month with no change for the better, I decided to see an orthopedic guy this week. I tried riding some laps, but the pressure on the elbow really made it swell.  Sob. I'm missing the riding and the racing.

Probably best to not aggravate it any more and stay off the bike. Hope the orthopedist can give you proactive solutions, good luck Joe.

I had bursitis once. Even though it looks disturbing, it does go away by itself. You don’t want to aggravate it, but perhaps you can either ride indoors or find a position on the bike that works for you

Caught Covid for the first time and it is kicking my ass. Like the flu, bad head cold and a migraine rolled up in one. Any thoughts or experiences on long Covid?

Stay safe out there friends.

David Yang said:

Caught Covid for the first time and it is kicking my ass. Like the flu, bad head cold and a migraine rolled up in one. Any thoughts or experiences on long Covid?

Stay safe out there friends.

If you just got COVID it's a little early to be worried about "long covid" which is a very specific metabolic/mitochondrial disease.

Definitely get paxlovid if you're within the window.

Tim Cusick has a very well thought out written piece about coming back to exercise after covid — the goal being to avoid any long term concerns, I’m sure it’s in the forum somewhere, let me find it

Meanwhile, take good care and hope you feel better soon! 

Feel better Dave!  Rest is the name of the game when you're sick, and even more so with COVID.  It's 100% better to come back slower than push and end up worse.

IME from both bouts of COVID, it was a minimum of 1 week off the bike - and I only had minor headaches and loss of taste/smell.

Feel better Dave. Focus on resting and recovering. You’ll get back on the bike once you feel better. The “long covid” stories have not been as prevalent with the current strain so the odds are in your favor. Take it one day at a time

@David Yang I totally forgot "get well soon!"
Also, what Patrick said.

Did not think of paxlovid as a thing I could take. Thanks Jules.

On the bad side, GCN+ is no longer around.  I found Covid a great time to watch races and their 'content.'

Paxlovid can make a brutal flu into a mild cold. Highly recommend.