Road Cycling - Legs not the same length! Help!

I'm not sure where to ask this question, I have searched the forums high and low and only found vague help.

I seem to have one leg longer than the other, not by much, but just enough that I have an uneven stroke. I set up the saddle higth to where the right leg is able to do a good smooth circle with the other foot unclipped. When I reverse to the left leg I can use the saddle a few mm higher to get a smooth stroke from the left side.

I have found a vague reference to moving one of the cleats, right or left? Do I need some spacers under the cleats on the right side?

Never been this far into the bike before, please help!:confused:

Its expensive but you could try a longer or shorter crank, or pack your shoe with a thicker inner sole?

The common solution is to shim one of your cleats so it is in effect thicker. The insole suggestion is good too. I wouldn't recommend the shorter crank thing though. There is likely other biomechanical problems when one leg is moving through a smaller circle than the other.

I've heard cases about one leg being longer than the other- I thought that in those cases, people would have medical conditions (back conditions) that were quite painful.

If you think you've got one leg longer than the other, I'd suggest first off seeing a doctor. The doctor could fit you with orthotics and solve your problem.

Koffee

In 1977 Wanda Smith took her brand new Ford Crown Vic and Hit my brand new Thunderbird (which was stopped) at 55MPH.

My right leg is 1/2" shorter than my left. After, uh, 26 years, I ride with 175 cranks cause they feel right......my BROOKS saddle revels the way my body actually moves......

So instead of buy wierd cranks, or worring about it, get a BROOKS saddle and let it compensate.

It's not much difference. If I adjust the saddle for the left leg it would be around 3-5mm higher to get a good smooth motion at the left crank. Of course this is too long for my right side and I start having knee problems on the right. Do I just live with it, and set the saddle higth for the short side?

Originally posted by uciflylow
Do I just live with it, and set the saddle higth for the short side?

No. You go to the bike store and they put a 3.5mm shim between your cleat and your shoe on the short leg side. Problem solved :)

peas,

Jester

Originally posted by jester69
No. You go to the bike store and they put a 3.5mm shim between your cleat and your shoe on the short leg side. Problem solved :)

peas,

Jester

Yep, thats what was done for one of my regular riding partners and she said it is making all the differance.:beer:

I thought that my legs were different lengths for a long time. I would always get a funny loose feeling on one side - like the cleat wasn't tight.

I ended up going to a chiropractor who manipulated my hip to release my left leg. I had always walked slightly swinging my left leg around rather than through as well.

I now walk better and with new cleats (looks do wear out even if you don't walk on them much) feel that my strokes are more even and I don't worry that me legs are different lengths. HTH

At least get a professional to measure you legs so that you can eliminate paranoia or hyperchondria from the list of afflictions :)

uciflylow- I can relate to your dilemna. 26 years ago I was hit on my motorcycle by a Ford station wagon at 55 mph, shattering my right femur. It healed 9mm (3/8") shorter causing hip and lower back problems. This is the medical advice I received for years after:

If one leg is 6mm (1/4") shorter, just let your body compensate for it (or like 1oldRoadie says, let a Brooks saddle help, yeah Brooks!!). If it is 12mm (1/2") shorter or more, have the shoes of the shorter leg built up with a full sole length insert that is the thickness of half the leg's shortness; then allow the body to compensate for the remaining half (for a leg that is 1/2'' shorter use a 1/4" insert). For a leg that is 3/8" shorter, like mine, it's just a matter of preference.

For a number of years I had all my athletic shoes built up by Athletic Shoe Service in Santa Ana, California. They do a great job. I stopped doing that, however, because even if you get somewhat leveled, your leg muscles start working in somewhat unnatural motions causing a whole different set of problems. I agree with F1_Fan, I don't think using different crank arm lengths is a good idea because the biomechanics would change even more than just being semi leveled. Jester69's suggestion sounds good but you really should have an orthopedic doctor measure you legs. Then, if you want to try shimming, I would first try a shim that's thickness is 1/2 the measurement of the leg's shortness, then let your body compensate for the rest. See how it feels after a fair trial period, then adjust as needed. Personally, through the years I've allowed my body to compensate the whole 3/8" and now I have no noticable problems from it. Good luck :-)!

Originally posted by VO2 MAX
Its expensive but you could try a longer or shorter crank, or pack your shoe with a thicker inner sole?
Thats what i was going to say so its a great idea.Just lower your seat a little.

I have been riding for about a year and never realy noticed too much of a difference untill I started concentrating on putting power to the pedals in a full circle. This is when I started rasing my saddle a little more so I could do a good full circle with the other foot unclipped and applying power to the full rotation of the cranks. My right side is working harder, more effecent, because the sadle is at the correct hight for the right leg. On the up, or back stroke, the extra presure is felt in my lower back right side.

I have been to the chiropractor and all looks well. I have found these LeWedge pedal shims that I think I'll give a try.

I'll let you know how it works out. :)

flylow...I have dealt with this prob. for 20 years. I have never found a perfect solution but have tried many and spent a few $ in the process...my legs differ by 12mm.
Currently use a set up that places a lift of 12mm under the shorter leg...this also creates problems as your leverage is now all out of wack. When pulling up you have less leverage based on the angle of foot and when pushing you have more...or something like that...hehe. I have specially designed chainrings that compensate for this discrepancy...see High Sierra Cycle, Tom Slocum. I am somewhat happy with the results but can't give a glowing report. Alexi Grewal seems to swear by it as having saved his riding and back. Some others don't, and I'm in between.
This is an expensive approach...and not sure if you could get the necessary analysis where you live. You get set up on your bike and video taped with individual leg power outputs measured etc...Good Luck and let me know if you have further questions...also look at Big Meat shims for adjustment and have lots and lots and lots of patience....this can be "most frustrating" for an avid cyclist.

UCI,

I've been using shims and orthotics for years as well as a shorter crank arm. "2.5mm"

I tihnk everyone has pretty much hit "all the points".

The only other points I would make are:

Your walking/running shoes should have "wear patterns" that verify the leg/gate length difference. The shorter leg will have a bigger wear pattern on the inside or center of the sole. The long leg always has more "heel strike" wear....

Actually these abnormalities do not have to be leg related, it's uusually a sacral/pelvic tilting causing effective gate discrepancy.

If you make a bicycle fit adjustment you should "forget" about it within an hour of riding, or else the fit adjustment is too severe.

I put 2mm fender washers "large washers with a small hole" under the look cleat at each of the 3 screws and moved the cleet forward about 2mm. I raised the saddle a few mm and took it on about a 20 mile ride this evening. WOW what a difference! It made all the difference in the world, my left leg objected a little because it was use to free loading off the right leg. I am going to find some nylon washers and add just a little to the stack hight and I think it will be perfect.
I'm going to do about 40 in the morning and I'll get back on this one also. Thanks for the suggestions all.:p

The answer to your problem is to see a chiropractor, preferably someone with cycling knowledge. I struggled with this problem for 2 years after getting a road bike and the chiro sorted me out in 20 minutes (no shims or wedges needed now). It could be that your pelvis is twisted forward on one side which then makes that leg longer (this was my problem). Maybe contact a cycling club to find a recommended chiropractor.

I'll also suggest the Chiro - when I joined the local chiropractic, they did a set of xrays that revealed that my neck was forward furhter than it should be, curvature of the spine and an uneven leg length (related to the spine curvature, as it twists the pelvis). This is all quite normal, and that is why all people should visit a chiro at least every now and then and get all fixed up.

Brendon

I'm not sure where to ask this question, I have searched the forums high and low and only found vague help.

I seem to have one leg longer than the other, not by much, but just enough that I have an uneven stroke. I set up the saddle higth to where the right leg is able to do a good smooth circle with the other foot unclipped. When I reverse to the left leg I can use the saddle a few mm higher to get a smooth stroke from the left side.

I have found a vague reference to moving one of the cleats, right or left? Do I need some spacers under the cleats on the right side?

Never been this far into the bike before, please help!:confused:

Is it a real leg length imbalance or are your hips rotated. I thought I had uneven leg length but a trip to the chiropractor said otherwise. Stand in the mirror and look at your hips. Put your fingers on your hips for a visual clue and see if one sits higher. Are your shoulders even? Take off your shirt and have your wife look at your spine from behind. Is your spine a straight line perpendicular to the floor or does it curve? If it curves time to see the doc and worry about spacers and cleats later.

Tim

Well, the ultimate way is to measure the length of the leg bones. Any PT or chiropractor can do that. And the ultimate solution is surgery that will short or length one leg or the other so they match...

I'm not sure where to ask this question, I have searched the forums high and low and only found vague help.

I seem to have one leg longer than the other, not by much, but just enough that I have an uneven stroke. I set up the saddle higth to where the right leg is able to do a good smooth circle with the other foot unclipped. When I reverse to the left leg I can use the saddle a few mm higher to get a smooth stroke from the left side.

I have found a vague reference to moving one of the cleats, right or left? Do I need some spacers under the cleats on the right side?

Never been this far into the bike before, please help!:confused:

A friend of mine, former racing partner/teammate has this problem due to a severely broken leg from a racing accident. He also happens to be a race mechanic and a custom fitter. He uses LeMond Lewedges under the cleat on the shorter leg. I think he needs six of them and has special screws to attach his cleats to the shoe.
My suggestion is to see a fitter, and look for someone who does custom frame fits...they might be able to use an approach like this to fix you up. Works for him.

I don't genrealy resurect threads (like a zombie in a horror movie), but I have something to add, SIX years later!

Over the years I have developed more problems in the right leg! I have decided a lot of it was caused by making that right leg work better, harder! I have averaged over 5000 miles a year almost every year.
I did the chrio, with the shims but it turns out that I was tightning up over the years! This winter I have focused on streaching and working the right leg back into place while letting my body adjust for the differences. So far I have been coming along quite well. I may have jumpped the gun, so to speak, on the length issue years ago. So a word of warning! Listen to your body, but be aware that when we make any change, over time it could be causing another problem. :o

I love riding! I commuted to work most of the summer, did my first week long self supported tour, and did some awsome rides last year. I would hate to think the bike wouldn't be part of my life style in the future!:(

ps, Brooks, Brooks, Brooks, I love'em!:thumb:

Sawzall?

Well, the ultimate way is to measure the length of the leg bones. Any PT or chiropractor can do that. And the ultimate solution is surgery that will short or length one leg or the other so they match...
+1 The problem is...sometimes they add length to the wrong leg.

I have one leg slightly shorter than another. When i got hurt last year (unrelated injury) i asked the sports med doc and he said not to worry because you learn to naturally compensate. You will too, ride more.

I, too have a leg length discrepancy. I tried a commercial product but found that the shims would get bent backwards and interfere with clipping in. They also slide apart easily. Thanks to my friend and riding companion, Tim from Monrovia, I found the solution. A $4.99 univeral muffler/tailpipe hanger kit from Pep Boys! (Part #TPH15) Take the rubber strap, and cut two pieces. For Shimano SPD-L triangular cleats:
1. take one end of the strap and cut off about 1 3/4 inches, such that the rounded end will stick out about 3/8 inch beyond the round part of the cleat.
2. From the remainder, cut a trapezoidal piece, such that the edges are parallel to the sides of the cleat. Line the bottom of the piece up with the bottom of the cleat. If lucky, the pre-drilled holes in the rubber may line up with the holes in your shoe.
3. Cut the length of the first piece so that when the second piece is in place, the first piece butts up against it. This is not crucial, but makes a neater installation.
4. Using longer screws, mount the cleat to the shoe, with the muffler strap pieces serving as a shim.

I tried this on Friday night, and on Saturday morning rode my first century. The extended nose of the strap made clipping in so sure-fire that I generally chose to unclip on the right (the modified shoe) every time we stopped.

I hope that this is helpful.

My right leg is 1/2" shorter than my left. After, uh, 26 years, I ride with 175 cranks cause they feel right......my BROOKS saddle revels the way my body actually moves......

So instead of buy wierd cranks, or worring about it, get a BROOKS saddle and let it compensate.[/QUOTE]


^^^^
I agree. I have a 1/2" shorter leg. XRay showed tht my pelvis is tilted. I have ended up with a Brooks saddle and 175mm cranks and Specialized BG insoles and I no longer have problems.