ultraman6970

That's the shop is certified doesn't mean the guy who is doing the job knows what he is doing either... a simple question, how many of you guys are engineers, doctors , bus drivers or whatever profession... have seen colleagues that really have no idea w t f they are doing professionally??? I know a few PHD guys that have no idea how to fix a bicycle but they can decode genetic codes so pretty much that's a red flag to me.

That being said I agree with the previous posters in a matter of fact the 1st thing to address are the legs and feet then go to the frame, many guys just go to the frame and that's it. It is incredible but looks like there is a consensus in the forums related to many things and advice about fitting is one of them.

John_V 

When I got my Retul fitting, it took my fitter almost half an hour of trying different sized and angled shims before he was able to get the feet in a flat position while pedaling. I have one shim in one shoe and two in the other. I have Specialized BG shoes and have never had an issue with foot or knee pain.

I have been to two different shops that offer Retul fittings and both fitters have told me that Retul will not allow the shop to advertise or use the Retul name if the shop does not have a certified Retul fitter. Many Retul fitters own the equipment and take it with them when they end their employment with the shop. That is what happened with my original fitter.

bostongarden

You might consider a PT that is quite familiar with cycling. I saw one in Austin and he is nothing less than amazing. Helped me understand the issues I was having and gave me exercises to work on it. I'd rather have a PT help me mend properly than have a fitter try and help me with body aches.

Biscayne05

This is what I'm planning to do.

There are some Physios that are cyclists as well and does fitting at the same time.

bostongarden

+1

CaptainHaddock

And that's the shame of it. Oh sure, they can get you into the basic correct fitment, but for anything that isn't solved there, you really do need to see someone who is bio-medically trained. In Portland, one of the better fitters is a full time chiropractor who also is a trainer, and fitter.

Ice41000

I use those wedges they help a lot. On all my shoes, road and MTB.
AND Specialized insoles in my Sidis. Also all of them.

pepsi4all

Actually I live in California and my brother who is Pennsylvania is a PT. He is the one that introduce me to road cycling. I didn't need his help right now, maybe I will ask him in the future. My bike fits great right now. I did 10 mins of dvd Yoga and help me stretch out. I can say that my bike rides like a Mercedes right now.

I have seen some good exercise by an M.D. that also is a cyclist in youtube.

I also experience to get info. from a professional cyclist. They will tell you the fitting starts with the feet. then knee, body and reach. Then recommends a size of bikes.

It is always great to know what and how the fitter does it, and how the body works, in case it is a need to make an adjustment.

dpeters11

I know we have one fitter in town that is a SICI Advanced fitter, and she does seem to know quite a bit in this area, but also knows when a podiatrist or Orthopedic specialist needs to be involved, and knows several that are cyclists themselves. But most shops in this area don't seem to take the individual time, several just have their fitting station in the corner. It doesn't look like an important aspect for them.

mazdaspeed

what does it mean if the inside (big toe side) arch of your foot starts to hurt (not too bad, intermittent)? I think I need wedges but I have no idea what I'm doing.

woodcraft

I've been having intermittent pain in outer side of knee- road bike only, look-type pedals.

Doesn't show up on mtn bike w/ eggbeaters.

I'm thinking of shimming the cleats to allow shoe and foot to rest at slight sideways angle, since the pedals hold the shoe without any pronation.

Thoughts?

ColinL

I think you have two possible scenarios. it could be one or the other, or actually both.

one is a matter of float. eggbeaters have more float than look and no spring tension so you can put your foot in whatever angle is comfortable for your knee without even thinking about it.

second possibility is a valrus or valgus condition with your knee. I assume you have two pairs of shoes and if they're the same this is less likely to be an issue. but if you have two different shoes, one of them may provide the angle you need.

grolby

Hilarious. There's nothing bio-medical about chiropractic, it's its own breed of charlatanry. Maybe she got some physio training along with the spine-cracking woo nonsense, because I promise you that the latter has nothing to do with skill as a fitter.

pepsi4all

I had the same situation... just add cleat wedges until the pain is gone... see if that works.

Ultraslide

I had an issue with my IT band on the right leg. Always super tight. I also noticed I had a hot spot under my right big toe but never felt pressure on the outside of that foot. It was like all my pedaling force was coming down on the inside of the right foot. The left foot and leg both felt fine. I bought the Specialized BG insoles w/inserts after a quick check at the dealer for my arches, which are normal to high on both feet. I used a 1.5 mm valgus wedge insert to solve my issue with supination in the right foot and now no more hot spot on the toe and no more IT band issues. Both knees seem to track along the same vertical line an inch or so from the top tube. If you have pain I'd say see a medical professional first then get to a recommended and experienced fitter. If you have minor issues, like mine, a simple adjustment can make all the difference.

halfspeed

And hope it doesn't screw something else up.

CaptainHaddock

I should clarify, I meant to write "bio-mechanical". But that aside, you make a very strong claim. do you wish you back that up with facts, documentation and other forms of verifiable documentation?

p2templin

From the looks of it, your hips are wider than your pedals. Consider pedal extenders instead of LeWedges to fix the problem, rather than bandaiding the solution.

grolby

No, it's chiropractors that need to back up their claims for the benefits of spine-cracking with medical evidence. So far, said evidence is lacking. Which is unsurprising, since there's no physiological mechanism by which chiropractic can produce the claimed benefits. There is evidence that spinal manipulation can cause serious injury, however. Something to keep in mind.

milnerpt

"Why is it that many bike fitters does not know...outer feet and knee problems. "

why is it that many orthopedists dont know about bike fitting?

Why is it that people with outer feet and knee problems dont address their flexibility and strength issues before trying to 'fix' the problem with wedges?

pepsi4all

Can you please tell me about your experience about kneesaver(extender pedals,Bicycle Qfactor OR Q-factor)

woodcraft

OK, some research (including reading the earlier parts of this thread more carefully) pointing to IT band syndrome.

Have built up temporary cardboard shims under ball side of feet- under insoles. Riding spin bike with mirror straight ahead to observe knee/ ankle tracking.

I'll make durable shims from cork gasket material when it's fine-tuned. So far, so good.

There's a highly regarded fitter in my area, so probably will end up there eventually.

Thanks for the feedback.

p2templin

My wife is short and, uh, wide, with short legs. Cushion aside, her legs had noticeable inward tilt when pedaling, and it required a tough twisting of the knee to cope (part of this was likely relatively too-long cranks). With 20mm extenders, she had a much more vertical pedal stroke, far less if any pain, and improved performance. Now with 150mm cranks on our tandem, she's still using extenders, but even happier.

adacas

My feet point almost outwards when standing casually. I'm kind of duck footed and had an IT band issue last month but constant stretching and massage took care of some of it and my boss got me some extended pedals from speedplay which help pick up the rest. So far so good. Also with wedges people often forget collapsed arches can play a role and good insoles can help where wedges just bandaid for short periods. Fittings suck in that you sometimes have to just do your best to narrow down the cause one expensive component at a time.

Ice41000

I know from my own personal experience that it helps. A lot.
I had it done a number of times, and felt better every time.