I hope you all don't mind if I pick the collective knowledge of the board to help me solve a rather aggravating problem that has come up as a byproduct of riding after orthoscopic knee surgery.

 I got cleared to start riding again in November after finishing my physical therapy despite having been told I'm bone on bone in one spot on the knee I got scoped years ago, and have been riding a few times a month with a soft knee brace on the left leg. (the kind that's like a compression tube with the stays on the sides and the patelar donut on the kneecap) I started experiencing pain hours after my ride as well as stiffness in cold weather when coming to rest at a stopsign that I was blaming on the cold and arthritis in the knee. I recently bought a pair of bicyclist's knee warmers that fit tight from mid-thigh to mid-calf that I can fit the knee brace over that keep my knees wonderfully warm even in very cold weather. Keeping my rides short and having reasonably warm December weather, I thought I'd solved my problem.
 Having a week off between Christmas and New Years and feeling rather smug about my discovery I gave myself a congratulatory long ride last Friday, feeling great the entire time I was out...until I was off the bike for several hours and what started out as a minor ache turned into a "toothache" in the joint that had me hobbling for several days. No real medical explanation has come up and staying off the bike seems to help. The only thing I can figure, and my therapist finds plausible is that the vibration transmitted through the act of squeezing the tank with my knees through curves etc. is pressing right on the nerve where the lack of cartillige can't protect it. I've tried every knee brace I own, and repositioning the stays, and am currently considering an althletic style knee pad to cushion the spot but really hate the bulk of that while riding. I'm also considering adding hiway bars to extend my legs hoping to contact the tank at a different angle if I thought that might help.
 I know Ive heard a few folks off this site mention past knee and back problems and thought I'd pick your brains as to what you all were doing, what works or hasn't worked for you or if I've missed an obvious answer. Any input would be appreciated. I've really enjoyed my time riding and it has always been some of my best personal "therapy" but the nagging pain of this when it flares up is kind of taking all the joy out of things! Any ideas?

I've had both knees replaced and have figured out that I need to change leg position now and then. I think keeping any joint in one place to long can cause stress on that joint. It took me about a year to get comfortable and figure out how to position myself on the bike for long rides with minimal discomfort.

I got arthritis, nothing really serious usually, but I change leg position every so often... and exercise care on stoplights.

I have arthritis and fibromyalgia, I put 4" forward controls on my bike and switch between resting my feet on the pegs and resting my ankles on the pegs. I still get stiff and sore and take time to move/stretch at fuel stops. The arthritis and fibromyalgia effects both my knees and hips. look into floor boards or highway pegs, main thing is the ability to change positions safely while riding to stay comfortable.

Thanks guys. Excellent suggestions! I hadn't thought about the 4" extensions AND the highway bars. That might be the way to go. (I almost did the extensions when I painted the bike last year.) I got to ride MMRanch's bike with the floorboards when we were coming back from the tail of the dragon run a couple of years ago but just couldn't get used to them. Maybe time to revisit that also. I knew I could count on you all for some good insight and I've certainly got some things to consider. I'll let you know and maybe post some pics when I get it figured out!

Ride safe

Dan

There's another possibility
durring WWII, the ppl sleeping in the underground all night were having leg pains, it turned out that the folding cots they were sleeping in was cutting off the circulation to the legs by compressing the arteries behind the knees.

So it may be that the brace is cutting off the circulation enough to be an issue.

Yeah, I got a looser knee after a scopy.
they don't tell you what they do get at the cartilage to do a little trimming.

What I've heard from a fellow knee sufferer, is that if they remove all of the cartilage, it will grow back good as new after a few years.

Mine developed a second tear after the 1st trim.  if I new then how to set the tear straight like I do now, I wouldn't of had the surgery.

I'm pretty well busted up all over. Comfort is a personal, subjective ideal. I'm 6' 1" and I am getting 6" forward controls for comfort.
How about floorboards with a heel-toe shifter? Sometimes the upward pull of shifting can bring on fatigue and pain coupled with the cramped ergonomics of stock peg locations. Good luck in finding your  two-wheeled nirvana.