Looking for some advice.. Left leg IT band irritates, been pushing a bit hard lately so I have overused and overgeared, the pain goes away in a few days I feel fine again when I ride after 1 week, but after 50 miles it usually comes on again.

The pain felt like when I sprung a joint but on the outside of the knee and can feel like it include the thigh and a little down the calf.
I can hear the popping when I articulate the knee which I think is the tight IT band snapping around.

I think if I keep the rides short like 25 miles instead of 100, cadence high then I won't irritate it.. it seems it is pushing a big gear that triggers it.

I had some IT band issues that went away after I made foam rolling a priority in my stretching sessions. It took about a month of constant foam rolling before I noticed any positive consistent changes with any IT band issues I had, however you might also want to consider getting your fit checked as well.

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Cervélo S2 2012 Red
Great minds think alike... sadly, so do the mediocre ones.

I had the same problems for 2 months. I got a fit, had my handlebars raised 30mm, hardly used my drops anymore. The problem went away almost instanteously.

Do you naturally pedal slightly knees-in? That, and right hip drop, is a sure-fire road to left itb problems.

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blo ... side-bias/

Do you ride with orthotics?

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Snacking on carrot sticks - Where did it all go so wrong?
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Finsbury Park CC

As one who lost an entire season to a bad case of IT band injury and subsequent physical therapy I can say:

IT band injuries happen because of misalignment which causes rubbing.

That can happen for these reasons:
- fatigue (increasing your mileage/effort too quickly
- fit

Mild cases are inflammation. Get on an advil/ice regiment for a few weeks

Bad cases actually involve some fraying of the band which take a LONG time to heal. You're looking at 6 weeks minimum, followed by running to get started again, then low mileage with low effort, then very (very) gradual reintroduction of distance and effort.

Presuming the best case scenario:

Take it easy for a while. No hard rides for a few weeks.

I second the foam roller. Get one. Use it regularly. Once your IT band toughens up to that go for a harder one like the TriggerPoint: http://www.amazon.com/The-Grid-Revoluti ... 539&sr=1-3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stretch your hamstrings and quads regularly.

Get your bike fit

Support muscles are critical. Sometimes you have an imbalance that you are overcompensating for which just makes it worse. It wasn't until I was in PT that I realized how wobbly my right leg was compared to the left. It was crazy, I could barely balance on it at all.

To build those support muscles add some cross training to the mix:
- jogging to promote bone density
- lunges and one legged squats to build stability
- on one leg: hop back and forth over a line on the floor/road (20 hops per leg, 3x repeats)

While riding: pay attention to your form especially when you get tired--this is when your legs may lose their alignment and start the IT band rubbing.

Best of luck.

Thanks I think I need a varus shim on this left leg maybe that is the problem, I have only used it on the right (using specialized test)

but I think from the feel of my knee it could use one on the other side also.

And yes my left leg is weaker so I must be overcompensating putting strain on the IT band.

I ordered that exact trigger point roller..

But you're so poor - How did you afford such a roller?

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Cervélo S2 2012 Red
Great minds think alike... sadly, so do the mediocre ones.

I just tell my wife order it for her running issues so it's not cycling related

Foam roller. Foam roller. Foam roller.

I've struggled with ITB issues for 3 years. Bike fit, stretching etc. did next to nothing for me, but with regular use of a foam roller and lately some pilates there have been major improvements.

A foam roller will work but its a slow process and doesn't correct the underlying problem. I had an IT problem last week that was so bad that I had to call my wife to come pick me up an hour away from home. The next day, I went to see a Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) specialist the next day out on the bike without any issues. Many of the top pro teams have a MAT person on staff now.

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2 Serotta's, 1 Spectrum, 1 Van Dessel, 1 Parlee & 1 Carl Strong, & 1 Titus.

I have had IT band issues for the past 2 years. I am really bow legged and my IT band started to be a major problem when I started to run high mileage consistently on a treadmill.
I didn't know what it was for a couple months but when I really irritated it I could barely bend my knee. I was thinking I might have to stop riding.

I tried several foam rollers and knee straps that sort of worked initially but then became ineffective.
I then started to roll on a pvc pipe and do specific IT band stretches. I also found www.fabrifoam.com (patt strap) that sell fabric/foam straps for a variety of injuries.


I am now able to run on a treadmill and bike 100 miles with no issues.

As above... Fix yr fit as a priority...
Foam roller is good to help treat symptoms of a bad fit, and subsequent itb issues, but doesn't fix the problem...

Fit issues surrounding itb can be vast and complex, so get an expert to help u fix it, not just the cheapest or most accessible fitter u can find...

It's probably due to a mal adjustment of the cleat or need a varus wedge on my part. I am not too bad at setting up the fit myself and I couldn't afford to pro fit all of my bikes!

But I am doing OK with the trigger point roller and light riding avoiding too long of ride, the mild riding actually seem to help the tightness / healing than not riding at all. Strange

I had ITB issues a few years ago that were a combination of just about everything that's been covered in this thread to date. Bike fit, form and muscle activation were the root cause of the problem, and it took a professional fit, rest, ice, massage and muscle activation exercises to overcome it. Foam rollers and trigger point devices are a good way to administer massage by yourself, but if your problem is as complex as mine, you're best to seek professional help

Well just pro fit one of them and then transfer the measurements!

The cleat fit is far and away the most important part of a bike fit... If u don't have this right then having everything else right won't matter, as it will still be wrong...

I agree, having the tilt of your cleats is very important, but so is stance width, when it comes to loading your ITBs up. Having said that, the tilt of your cleats is dependent on getting the stance width right first.... If your too narrow u will end up using more varus wedges to compensate... Too wide and u may not need any, so vitally important, and money well spent (even when your poor!)