What causes a slight rhythmic knock in the pedal?
It can be many kinds of stuff. The obvious to look for are the pedal bearings, the bottom bracket bearings or the interface between the crankarms and the bottom bracket (for 3-piece cranks) or the interface between the crank spindle and the left crank (2-piece crank), but many other things could do it.
It is useful to test the pieces in isolation. Disconnect the chain and try to turn the crank. Try to turn the pedal on the pedal spindle. Do you feel any grinding or clicking? That would point to the right spot. Try to tighten the cranks to the required torque (depends on the exact type, 2-piece vs. 3-piece, the brand...).