How do i fix knee pain from saddle position and cleat setup?

[Avery.P]

I’ve been trying to dial in my saddle position for months, but I just can’t seem to get rid of this nagging knee pain on longer rides. My bike fitter mentioned my cleats might be part of the problem, but adjusting them hasn’t really solved it.

[Jonathan.M]

Yeah, I’ve been there. I shuffled saddle height, tried a tweak in tilt, and even swapped to a shorter stem, but the knee nag came back on longer rides. Cleats seemed marginally better or worse depending on the day, but nothing stuck. I started tracking ride length and when the pain showed up, but the pattern never gave me a clean fix.

[Mia.J]

Cleat fiddling helped a little at first. I played with a few millimeters of medial offset and a touch of cant, then swapped brands to see if float was the issue. No real win, just less confidence in the setup. Pain persisted even after the fitter weighed in.

[Jack.H]

Sometimes it feels like the knee is only part of the problem. Hips and posture on long climbs shift the load and I’m not sure I’m solving the root. I tried chasing the knee, not the whole chain. Do you think it’s worth stepping back and testing one variable at a time rather than chasing every adjustment?

[David.T]

I did a quick trial with a different saddle and rode with a friend’s setup for a shorter ride, hoping for a breakthrough. Distance was fine, but as soon as I settled into a steady pace the knee warned again. It’s exhausting to keep chasing fixes that don’t land.