1999-11-13 I had written Brown with a more detailed description of my knee pain. He wrote back: ---------- Sounds like you have a very common problem among athletes. When your patella (knee cap) slides down on top of your fibia (I think that is the upper leg bone) you have pain. No other signs. Usually this is caused by a bruises on the inside of the lower patella, the upper bone, or the tendon. They make a strap that you place directly under the knee cap and it prevents the petal from going all the way down (thus stopping the grinding) you may have seen them. Tylenol will mask the pain, but Advil (ibuprofen) is actually an anti-inflammatory and will help both with the pain and with any inflammation (even the stuff you can't see or feel). I suggest Advil, a lot of it, and at least 4 times a day. I was serious about the icing. But, you are young... Perhaps a lighter load for a few days and you will be all the better. Let us know how it goes. Brown ---------- I had just taken some more Tylenol before getting Brown's letter, so I'll wait a bit before taking Advil. The strap was a great idea. Of course, I don't have a real strap right now, but I rigged up a bungie cord around my knee. It made an immediate difference. My grandpa was also concerned about the type of shoes I was wearing. I am wearing regular biking shoes, so they have very stiff soles.