It's cartilage damage, I think, rather than ligaments - MRI appointment early next month to find out...
I have learned a lot about protein over the last couple of months as part of the diet change, though. I'm sure it would have been quite useful to have been taught this stuff at school!
In addition to the shorter cranks, ISTR a thread quite some time ago where you were asking about a shorter stem or bars with less reach. Putting the two together (assuming it was the same bike) might suggest the whole bike is too large for you. Could be that stretching to fit an oversized bike exacerbates pre-existing muscular-skeletal issues? Though of course in that case the underlying problem would still be there whatever bike you rode.
That was Project Handlebar on the Galaxy, and I mentioned feeling a bit achey on the Wiltshire tour, too. It's not hugely different in size or relative placement of end of stem or saddle etc compared to the hybrid, which is to say, yes, it's not outside the realms of possibility that they're both too big.
The Galaxy is a 43cm frame. Maybe Eldest Cub can swap me for his Islabike when he's done with it...
I'm not sure how far off my feet are from the wheel, but certainly I'd be worried about shorter-top-tube-induced thigh and bar end lever interactions. Too many bruises already!
I think it was the extra few inches of stretch to get to the hoods/levers that I was feeling in Wiltshire, what proportion of that was because I'm no longer used to long days in the saddle, I don't know.
Today was a double physio day: the 3rd session with the 3rd physio for the knee, and the first you've-been-refered-to-us-let's-have-a-look session about last year's torn ankle ligaments on t'other leg.
Knee physio coped well with my list of questions. Might get to try taping at some point as a fall-back for when I know I'll be working the knee hard. He did pick up a leg length difference of a few mm (I stressed to him that this was the sort of accuracy I needed), and he says it'd be silly to try and avoid hills. They've just had their staff development training session on patellar femoral pain, though and he's urged me to go back to doing the knee dips and squats type exercises: open chain / closed chain controversy, apparently. Pain has gone up in the last week (since stopping them), as has knee popping and having to encourage kneecap back into position, so will do so cautiously.
Ankle physio said that cycling is a Good Thing and that I should be looking to increase the loading and push harder with the exercise.
Love a bit of contradictory instructions from medical professionals.
Sorry, did I say "love"? I meant it's horrible.
*grump*
