Rob_K

Yeah, I've got artifical knees. My left is okay but my right knee just sticks out and causes my foot to sit out about 20mm. I'll be getting a pair for sure.

Soil_Sampler

Speedplay fitting kit.

ambro

I know this is an old thread but I thought I'd add my 2 cents for future readers looking into these items. I just completed my first ride with 20mm pedal extenders and I am impressed but still need more data. I put these on because I tried everything else to alleviate my chronic knee pain. After reading a book about bike fit - the author mentioned that the Q factor (essentially the angle created by your femur and knee - which is the result of stance width) was one of the most under-utilized aspects of a bike fit and a contributor to knee pain. We are all born with different pelvic widths and having too wide or too narrow a foot stance when pedaling can cause issues. In my case - I'm a 6'1 190lb middle aged cyclist with a 36 inch inseam and size 13 shoes. It didn't take me long to figure out that my long legs and big feet and 36 inch hip circumference means that I'm probably going to need a wider stance than the average cyclist who's 165lbs and 5'10.

First ride with pedal savers gave me no pain at all. Also, they seemed to engage my glutes, hamstrings and inner thighs much more than riding normal pedals- which made my ITB less tight. Since I've had massive ITB issues, I suspect that this might be why my knees didn't hurt when I was hammering along with the pedal extenders.

I still need to do a longer ride and see how things go - but I'm going to keep them on based on what I've experienced after this first ride.

I would say that if you are a larger rider (either very tall or very stocky) and have knee or hip pain, you should probably give them a try.

JohnDThompson 

My wife has arthritis in her hips and couldn't tolerate low Q-factor cranks well. She finds the extended quite helpful:

fietsbob

I bought a Pair , I was planning a cycle tour starting early in the year , in Ireland , so to make room for my Insulated shoe covers
as the cranks rotated , I got the Stainless steel ones (& brought a 6" adjustable wrench so they stay tight )

One Thing to remember, no pedals that fit only with a hex wrench in the end can be used, just those which fit with a open end wrench.

flatlander_48

Yes and No. Originally I asked one of the companies that makes the extenders (can't remember which one) if they could make me a set that was drilled out large enough to pass the appropriate hex wrench. They were going to, but at the last minute they declined. They got concerned that there wouldn't be enough material in the area between the internal and external threads. I decided to order a normal pair and then had them drilled out by a guy I know that owns a machine shop. Anyway, that was maybe 5 years ago and no problems.

BUT, I'm not a big guy and I don't jump on the pedals and accelerate real hard.

Retro Grouch 

I have only a passing interest in what "most people" want.

"Most people" who I know don't even ride bikes.

flatlander_48

I would think that any riding position where you legs and feet are noticably different arrangement from normal activity off the bike would be a potential problem. This would include attempting to make the feet parallel when that is not their natural position (which is my particular issue) or attempting to bring the feet closer together than they would normally be.

02Giant 

You are responding to a (almost) 13 year old comment.

That isn't a reference to the age of the poster, it is the age of the post.

CliffordK

I built a long tail fat tire bike, and one of the things I dislike about it is the wider than normal crank spacing. If I was making it again, I'd probably us a standard bottom bracket and idler pulley configuration.

However, I could imagine many differences among users.

A heavy, wide person might consider a fat tire bike as an alternative, although undoubtedly the rolling resistance will be increased.

fietsbob

The Hanebrink big bike used ATV wheels . then a Jackshaft took the primary drive at a Normal width , then the Mid shaft extended outboard to clear the Tire..

But it is a Frame builders Project with a well equipped Machine shop to Work in. its a bit more than swapping parts ..

Hanebrink003.jpg Photo by 12gaugesage | Photobucket
like adding a 2nd BB

flatlander_48

No, the product isn't silly and I explained why on the previous page.

Murray Missile 

Wow over a decade later and the debate goes on.


I have kneesavers on 3 of my bikes, if not for the kneesavers I would not be using clipless pedals today. I have a wide stance, bad knees and big feet and no amount of adjustment to my cleats and pedals would alleviate the knee pain I was experiencing after only a short ride with clipless pedals. Even with the cleats adjusted so my feet were all the way out it was putting side strain on my knees by pulling my feet in. If I unclipped and rode on the outer edge of the pedals the pain went away but that kind of defeats the purpose of clipless. I gave up and went back to platform pedals with toe clips and even some of those caused me some issues. After reading another thread here about kneesavers I bought a pair, put my SPD pedals back on and dug out my cycling shoes. Knee pain gone! I have since put them on 2 more bikes with the same results and plan to add them to at least 2 more.

jaxgtr

No kidding....the thread that wont die.

fotogreg

I'll say the thread that will not die. For good reason.

I confess I have not read every comment in this thread. But I read a lot, about Q factor and knees, etc. etc. etc.

I am coming at this from a different perspective. I never knew these pedal extenders existed. But I have been at this "trying to make a stock bike fit me or buy a full custom" thing for a long time. I am 6'4". I just bought a bike from a 6'6" guy who has been at this "trying to make a stock bike fit or buy a full custom" thing for a long time. He bought a full custom, and his "almost" looks like it is going to fit me perfectly. And it has pedal extenders.

So my thinking is "why should I be squeezing my feet together to the same width as a 4'10" person?" Even before consideration of my actual shoe width (13 EEEE) or cleat position (crammed all the way over to try to get clearance), it just seems like a no-brainer that at a certain point a bigger person needs their feet further apart, irrespective of knee, hip, arthritis, Q factor, etc.

Without even using them, it seems clear as day that I should have them on all my bikes. They are $15 on eBay and there have been a lot of them sold.

FBOATSB

I'll beat this dead horse too! I have horrible knee pain-- whenever I'm not riding my bike!---riding is a dream for me. Any type of pedal or extension or stance or technique if it alleviates pain - how can that be bad?

avidone1

sorry, xxx, that wasn't one of the questions.


I feel you on this. It happens all the time on bikeforums. One asks a very straight forward question directed at a specific target group e.g. those using or have used a particular product and people who decided that you are wrong for asking will proceed to stroke their egos by telling what SHOULD matter to you.
Thanks for speaking up, I sorta just resigned myself to it.

bakes1

On the advice of the LBS shop owner where I recently purchased my first
road bike in 35 years I had them installed and believe they have made a noticeable difference.
Prior to buying that bike I had been riding a Trek Hybrid for about 6 weeks without them and my knees were getting pretty sore.
In the eight weeks I have been riding the new bike my knee soreness has almost completely disappeared.
Not sure ofc if the new bike style alone made the difference as it was properly fitted as opposed to the old Trek but I am a believer in them so far.
FYI, I am 6' 2" and was approx 240 lbs when I started riding again.
Thats my .02 for whatever it's worth

McBTC

Speedplay clipins now come in 5 different axle lengths. For non-clipin pedals, Tioga's Zero-axle design may be of interest to anyone that is interested in having the pedals a little further apart.