Lateral leg/knee movement
 

Hi. I use Look clipless pedals; red clip, designed to allow for float. I've used them for years with no issues, but recently began increasing mileage, frequency, intensity, and I'm developing some pain/injuries.

I notice that my left leg moves up and down in more or less a straight line. The right leg (the one in which I'm experiencing pain; more on "pain" later), however, seems to not track straight, moving laterally (inward) on the down stroke. In addition, I also have the sense that the ball of my foot isn't on the same plane as the outside of my foot, which I think is exacerbating the lateral movement (i.e., the outer part of the foot takes the initial force on the downstroke, and the inner/ball of the foot takes a beat to "catch up").

Some questions:
1. Is what I'm seeing in my right leg attributable to float?
2. Will switching to black clips, which don't allow float, eliminate this?
3. Will wedges help alleviate the sensation that my foot isn't hitting the pedal flat?

The "pain" I allude to is everywhere on the right leg, starting way up in the glute, in the quad, and in the knee itself.

Any help, advice (including what type of doctor to seek out) greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
David

You might want to look into the Lemond LeWedge.

http://www.lemondfitness.com/product...dge/index.html

I had some patellofemoral (?) knee pain this winter when I started riding again after a month layoff, and I also noticed some lateral movement in my right leg when biking. Last fall I had changed my SPD pedals to newer shimano that had more float, and I could see they were allowing my knee to flex inward, possibly exacerbating the problem.

I raised my seat almost 1/2 inch, to reduce knee flex, and went back to the older Wellgo pedals with less float. The pain is just about gone now and I can see that the leg is not flexing in like before. Also seeing an orthopedist tomorrow to have both knees checked for possible degradation and possible leg length discrepancy, since I seem to be getting more susceptible to injuries/pain lately. Used to run a lot.

I had some patellofemoral (?) knee pain this winter when I started riding again after a month layoff, and I also noticed some lateral movement in my right leg when biking. Last fall I had changed my SPD pedals to newer shimano that had more float, and I could see they were allowing my knee to flex inward, possibly exacerbating the problem.

I raised my seat almost 1/2 inch, to reduce knee flex, and went back to the older Wellgo pedals with less float. The pain is just about gone now and I can see that the leg is not flexing in like before. Also seeing an orthopedist tomorrow to have both knees checked for possible degradation and possible leg length discrepancy, since I seem to be getting more susceptible to injuries/pain lately. Used to run a lot.

see a D.O. specializing in sports medicine