savarin

Greetings, does anyone else have this problem?
Having just finished reading Sheldons glossarie I read about a manufacturer of orthopedic pedals for just this problem.
When riding a "wedgie" (new term gained from the gloss ) it didnt cause any problems but on a bent it may.
I set up originally using the longer leg as a guide having forgotton about the short leg (1.25" shorter) so I had to move the seat to allow the short leg to reach the far stroke.
Any thoughts as to the best solution here?
a) allow the short leg to extend to correct stroke and the long leg to never fully extend.
b) a shorter crank on the short leg side thus evening out the extension
c) blocks on the short leg pedal (I remember these as a kid so you could ride a bike where you couldnt reach the pedals)
d) anything else?
I have not finished the bent yet so cannot suck it and see.

allgoo19

Fortunately I don't have the same problem(at least not realized yet) as you do, but my left hand fingers(all of them) seem to be little longer than the right hand fingers.

It seems to me the scond choice is the most promising one, different crank arm length.

late

You can also get custom shoes. Take a plastic gallon milk jug and cut a panel (or two) from it that is the shape of your foot. Doesn't need to be the whole foot, the front half will do.Tape it to the bottom
of your innersole. It's not much, but every little bit helps.

PanPanX

what about two different size crank arms/legs?

J-McKech

how much longer in your leg? My right leg is longer than my left one enough to were I'm suppose to get surgery to shorten the right one but I don't want to because I dont feel like its going to kill me and I dont feel like being laid up for a few months. I have stacked my cleats on my left foot so its even with my right foot. You riding clipless?
I also have a heel lift in my left shoe that seems to help.

savarin

It seems to me the scond choice is the most promising one, different crank arm length.[/QUOTE]

Thats the method I'm currently thinking of following.
Having lived with this for so long with no special needs I'm totally suprised at the problem its now throwing up.

Michel Gagnon

I can't remember exactly where, but Bill Boston Cycles has an article on how to fit such a rider.

Bontrager

It might be beneficial to find out if your "leg" is shorter on one side because of your back, hip, thigh (femur), leg (tibia/fibula), or foot (maybe talus/calcaneus).

I know you stated "leg" but technically it might not be your leg.

flythebike

There is a product called Lemond Lewedge that I use to correct a 3/4 inch leg length difference. It is a shim that goes between your cleat and the sole of your shoe. They make it for 2,3, and 4 bolt patterns. I had it set for my longer leg, and it was hyperextending my shorter leg and giving me chronic hip/low back pain on the shorter side. Now the problem is totally solved for $25. Trek dealers have them.

Dusk

Not a proper solution it will cause problems.


Not a solution it will cause problems.


A block or lift at the cleat/pedal is the best and only solution that will not cause damage to your legs/knees the long leg must fit then adapt a lift to the short leg.

LeMond Fitness and the LeMond LeWedge may help. Paul Swift is the R&D guy on this and can make it work for you.

Cheers,
Dusk

Portis

My middle one is a little shorter than the other two.

Cycler

I am 59 Year old amputee with the left front of my foot missing. That unbalances my pedalling motion quite drastically, so I put 170 Cm on crank arm on the right hand side, 165 on the left. Works well enough to consider a three day tour of over 100Ks per day this year.
Hope this helps.
Tailwind and down hills everywhere!!
Cycler

savarin

Yup! its the leg.
A 9" spiral compound of the left tib and fib in 1972. Lost 1½ inches approx. (Downhill speed run on a skateboard before the advent of wide grippy wheels )
It took 18 months to walk properly after being told I never would again. I refused to believe them and worked like hell. Was back on the ice 4 weeks out of plaster. Damn near killed me from the pain but you get over it
Looks like the best solution is to set up for the long leg and use blocks/wedges to get the short leg correct.
Thanks

Garfield Cat

I had pain in the lower back so I went to a physical therapist. I was told that one leg is longer than the other and I need to get it checked out. I went to a chiropractor and he adjusted me and the legs are equal in length. Initially I went to the chiropractor for other problems but he told me that I had other muscular issues and the length thing was not the main thing. That's why after a couple of adjustments, the leg length difference went away.

Djinn4

[QUOTE=Dusk;802987]Not a proper solution it will cause problems.




Not a solution it will cause problems.




A block or lift at the cleat/pedal is the best and only solution that will not cause damage to your legs/knees the long leg must fit then adapt a lift to the short leg.

LeMond Fitness and the LeMond LeWedge may help. Paul Swift is the R&D guy on this and can make it work for you.


hello, I know this is a VERY old thread but I am having the same issue. I was in an accident in 2006 and it left my right femur 1.5" shorter. I have been thinking about having surgery to lengthen my leg back to its normal length. In the mean time, I was thinking about having a shorter crank put on combined with a block so I can ride for the rest of this season. I read your response about this causing problems, could you please explain what problems this would cause so I can be a little more educated on the subject.

Thank You

bokes

Using different sized cranks is not a good idea, because the pedal circumference will be smaller with the shorter crank. (the reach will be the same on both sides, but one foot will come up higher than the other on the upstroke)

I have a 1cm discrepancy and I had a machinist weld a spacer to a spd cleat. I also had a 1cm lift built into the shoe's sole, so the cleat is still recessed and I can walk around normally without the cleat hitting the ground. Works great, sorry for the fuzzy pic

late

https://www.bikefit.com/c-3-leg-length-shims.aspx

Djinn4

Thank you so muchfor your speedy responses. I talked to the bike specialist at my local shop and he informed me that I will be able to adjust the always position, combined with te space that the cleat consumes itself and fill the gap. Any small space left over I can fill with a wedge or other spacer.