IT band syndrome

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Seems like everytime I get out in a bike my left thigh gets a nagging pain. Not like a sharp cramp but dull and deep in the thigh. I used to only get it on the road after 30-40 miles but this year I'm also getting it during short MTB rides. Bike fit hasn't really changed so saddle height should be fine. Lower back and hip hasn't been great either and I already know I should be doing core workouts every day. Anyone have IT band problems before? I can still ride fine, so I haven't made a appointment to the doc yet
 
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I have self diagnosed IT band issues when I try to run, but it hasn't ever bothered me yet on the bike. It's a dull pain on the outside of my knee though, not my thigh. And it immediately stops hurting when I stop running. So guess what I did? 🤣🤣🤣

Sorry that's probably not helpful.
 
I had an IT Band overuse injury in like 2015? For a while I just wore a Compression sleeve on my knee to stop the painful part but ultimately spent 3ish months off the bike. Mine was caused by riding the Fat Bike too much as the wider q factor essentially makes your IT Band shorter and hopping back onto a road bike will stretch it.
 
Alternate theory… Cuz I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.


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I think it’s a combination of several different things. You’ve been forced to take breaks from riding and when you come back, you gravitate to your local spot (Chimney Rock). Fantastic park for sure, but not exactly easing back into it. Whichever muscle is the weakest in the system is always gonna flare up. I’ve also seen you ride. You don’t hinge at the hip as much as bend at the lower back and your seat is just a little too low to enable full utilization of all the available muscles recruited during the pedaling motion. Since the LaMere is set up more aggressively than say your old Pivot, I’d venture to say that the riding position is in a way, more similar to your road bike position. A position that you acknowledge has caused similar discomfort in that area. Quick question, what length cranks are you running these days? I ask because since we are similar height I know from my own experience that if I’m running 175’s and if my seat is not high enough to let my pelvis rotate forward enough, I literally cut off some of the blood flow at the top of the stroke. That’s all I got. It was a short stay at the Holiday Inn Express. 😇
 
Seems like everytime I get out in a bike my left thigh gets a nagging pain. Not like a sharp cramp but dull and deep in the thigh. I used to only get it on the road after 30-40 miles but this year I'm also getting it during short MTB rides. Bike fit hasn't really changed so saddle height should be fine. Lower back and hip hasn't been great either and I already know I should be doing core workouts every day. Anyone have IT band problems before? I can still ride fine, so I haven't made a appointment to the doc yet
Assuming your fit/saddle height is correct and it isn't too high....

It may be aggravated by tight hip flexors, which is a common issue with cyclist due to the relatively static position and overbuilt quads compared to everything else. In general, if I have what seems like IT band issues, it is always the hip flexors and it shows when the weather gets cool and your muscles and ligaments are naturally tighter.

The stretches' for them are odd, but one of them is hanging one leg off the side of a bed til you find the spot where it pulls and holding that for a period. The most effective one for me looks ridiculous but provides instant relief. Stand with your feet pedal width or maybe a tad wider, squat your butt back like you are starting to sit down, knees slightly bend, back straight and push your pelvis forward and hold. If the "IT band" issue feels better immediately, it is your hips.
 
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I was able to fight this off with a combo of pigeon pose both standing(using a standing desk to get the height right) and on the floor and releasing my glute with a lacrosse ball to get the knots out that may not have been the cause but were contributing factor to the problem. Keeping your whole lower part of your body flexible seems to key in my case to avoiding this and I have rarely had a flare up since. That said, I seem to have shifted the problem to my SI joint which I cannot seem to find the right combo of streches/mobility to prevent it from being more or less constantly sore ranging from mild pain that I can ride with to flare ups that make sitting very painful.
 
I had IT band syndrome when i tried running for a while. Very similar to Jim, pain on outside of the knee. Doc said my body was too used to cycling and running was causing the IT band to rub back and forth against something. He gave me a bunch of stretches to try but stopped running definitely cured it. Best stretch was standing, cross legs, bend over and touch your toes and hold (i can't actually touch my toes but you know, as far as you can go). Cross legs the other way and repeat. Stretches the outside of each leg where IT band is.
 
I used to get it because my left foot pointed inward. That triggered overuse of the IT band from the outer part of the thigh being used more. The position of the foot will influence what muscles are used up the chain. I haven't had an IT band issue since correcting the positioning of my foot through specific exercises.
 
Assuming your fit/saddle height is correct and it isn't too high....

It may be aggravated by tight hip flexors, which is a common issue with cyclist due to the relatively static position and overbuilt quads compared to everything else. In general, if I have what seems like IT band issues, it is always the hip flexors and it shows when the weather gets cool and your muscles and ligaments are naturally tighter.

The stretches' for them are odd, but one of them is hanging one leg off the side of a bed til you find the spot where it pulls and holding that for a period. The most effective one for me looks ridiculous but provides instant relief. Stand with your feet pedal width or maybe a tad wider, squat your butt back like you are starting to sit down, knees slightly bend, back straight and push your pelvis forward and hold. If the "IT band" issue feels better immediately, it is your hips.
I'm in the tight hip flexor camp, and as a result I have a lot of down stream issues. If I let off with my multitude of crazy stretches, for only a few days, I'll feel it. Go longer than a week and I'll pay for it.
 
Alternate theory… Cuz I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.


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I think it’s a combination of several different things. You’ve been forced to take breaks from riding and when you come back, you gravitate to your local spot (Chimney Rock). Fantastic park for sure, but not exactly easing back into it. Whichever muscle is the weakest in the system is always gonna flare up. I’ve also seen you ride. You don’t hinge at the hip as much as bend at the lower back and your seat is just a little too low to enable full utilization of all the available muscles recruited during the pedaling motion. Since the LaMere is set up more aggressively than say your old Pivot, I’d venture to say that the riding position is in a way, more similar to your road bike position. A position that you acknowledge has caused similar discomfort in that area. Quick question, what length cranks are you running these days? I ask because since we are similar height I know from my own experience that if I’m running 175’s and if my seat is not high enough to let my pelvis rotate forward enough, I literally cut off some of the blood flow at the top of the stroke. That’s all I got. It was a short stay at the Holiday Inn Express. 😇
Interesting observation on low saddle height. I do tend to run a bit lower, about an inch, on the MTB bikes than road. For road bikes, saddle height is determined by having my heal on the pedals with my legs straight and knees almost locked. This is what I've been using for about 20 years to determine saddle height. As for crank arms most are either 170 or 175, but the Evil has a 165. Going to be a little more vigilant on checking the bike set ups for each bike.
 
Assuming your fit/saddle height is correct and it isn't too high....

It may be aggravated by tight hip flexors, which is a common issue with cyclist due to the relatively static position and overbuilt quads compared to everything else. In general, if I have what seems like IT band issues, it is always the hip flexors and it shows when the weather gets cool and your muscles and ligaments are naturally tighter.

The stretches' for them are odd, but one of them is hanging one leg off the side of a bed til you find the spot where it pulls and holding that for a period. The most effective one for me looks ridiculous but provides instant relief. Stand with your feet pedal width or maybe a tad wider, squat your butt back like you are starting to sit down, knees slightly bend, back straight and push your pelvis forward and hold. If the "IT band" issue feels better immediately, it is your hips.
I'm pretty sure the saddles are not too high and my pain is never at the knees. The cooler weather is what got me think more about this. I've already been riding with knee warmers in the Fall as you recommended years ago, so thanks for that. Wonder if a low seat would cause a different area of rubbing and inflammation.
 
I was able to fight this off with a combo of pigeon pose both standing(using a standing desk to get the height right) and on the floor and releasing my glute with a lacrosse ball to get the knots out that may not have been the cause but were contributing factor to the problem. Keeping your whole lower part of your body flexible seems to key in my case to avoiding this and I have rarely had a flare up since. That said, I seem to have shifted the problem to my SI joint which I cannot seem to find the right combo of streches/mobility to prevent it from being more or less constantly sore ranging from mild pain that I can ride with to flare ups that make sitting very painful.
Good point on flexibility and I should restart yoga and core exercises.
 
I used to get it because my left foot pointed inward. That triggered overuse of the IT band from the outer part of the thigh being used more. The position of the foot will influence what muscles are used up the chain. I haven't had an IT band issue since correcting the positioning of my foot through specific exercises.
That's a good point, I use SPDs on the road and that's the setup where I used to get pain. Come to think of it when. I was using Speedplay pedals, I never had the pain. I'll try playing with the cleat position on the left foot. However, for MTBs I'm currently on flats but plan to get back on eggbeaters which have no float...
 
While everyone is different (as evidence from the posts above) it's worth getting the various scenarios to see what applies best.

I have a hip imbalance (hips are not equal height) due to mild scoliosis so I get IT band issues only on my right quad along the outside. This also leads to piriformis issues (also known as butt/wallet muscle) which is deep inside the glute.

I learned about IT band stretches and relief from one of the free massage therapists after my many years of charity rides for Bike MS probably 10 years ago. I got a soft foam roller and started working on it regularly and then eventually graduated to the more firm density roller. This is the roller that will definitely put a few tears in the corner of your eyes if youre doing it right, but you can control the intensity with your bodyweight (Youtube is your friend)

These days I am admittedly less diligent about post ride stretching, but my go to is always foam roller for the IT bands, quads, calves and glutes. Then at a minimum I use the pigeon pose for piriformis as I find this provides the most relief. I did a big week of riding last week (225 miles) and have been making sure to spend 10-15 minutes each day since Sunday on these stretches, along with doing a few easy rides and some walking and it makes a world of difference.

I would also agree with the hip flexor comments above since its all connected, so try to find some stretches for that as well. Hope that helps.
 
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