how to adjust for a shorter leg

[Xrayted]

So, my left leg is shorter than the right by 1.5cm due to an accident. I normally wear an in-shoe custom insole but that only covers the height issue at the heel when I'm walking. And, it won't fit in my Sidis. :(

The breakdown... (yes, I had recent leg length xrays)
Left tib/fib is now 2cm shorter than right. Right femur is .5cm shorter than left, naturally. What should I be concerned with for fit on my road bike? Is it feasible to get a shorter crank arm on the left side to compensate for the overall length? What will that do to my knee over toe? Could this be just something I have to live with as is?

I have had a ton of surgery on the left side and overall I'm not experiencing any pain that I can attribute to the length discrepency. However, I do notice that I get a bit of left knee tweeking type of pain when I ride over 25miles or have a lot of hills to climb. I need to keep my leg useful as long as possible so I'm thinking of the wear and tear of my joints if I continue to ride with things out of balance. Is this a reasonable worry on my part? I dunno.

I do plan on getting a pro fit this winter but I haven't found the right place to go yet so I'm just thinking ahead so I have an idea what level of $$$ I'm looking at overall. If any of you have an idea of the general direction (part swaps, etc) this may lead me, please speak up. Any advice is welcome here.

Thanks.

~X.

[crazycanuck]

X dear, Triskeliongirl & a few others were discussing this a few months back. Give me a few minutes & shall see if i can find the thread.

[Xrayted]

hey CC! :D Thanks. I guess you've seen my leg in person so you get where I'm going with all of this. I just need to keep what I've got left, ya know.

[crazycanuck]

Happy to help dear :D

How about this thread http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19995&highlight=short+cranks

or this one? http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=21780&highlight=discrepancy

[Xrayted]

Thanks CC! I'm thinking the drop pedal setup that they are talking about may work for my longer leg but go with a shorter crank arm on that side to accomodate the slightly shorter femur, eh? I may have to email that guy too and discuss a few things. You are the coolest chickie, ya know... :cool::D

[crazycanuck]

X my dear, I just hope you can find a way to accommodate your leg! Happy information hunting!

(((X)))

[kermit]

I have a 1/4 inch leg difference due to a broken hip. My doctor gave me lifts for my running shoes and I have made homemade shims for my sidis. I took a few washers and attached them under the cleat (you might need longer cleat screws). It will raise your leg up and after my recent fit I am definitely leveled out. No more knee pain that I was having. It is crude but worked for me. The important thing is whatever your measured difference is, use half of that length for your correction. If you use the same amount you can overcompensate and create new problems. Gradual adjustments are the way to go.

[withm]

I think if it were me, I'd spring for a really good bike fitting, (and I'd travel to do it), before I started changing stuff on the bike. Did you see the article in the NYT on bike fit the other day? I'm thinking you need that calibre of fit rather than the 60 minute job at the local bike shop. Not to disparage the LBS, but this is a more uncommon problem and I would not expect the average shop bike fitter to be able to deal with it effectively.

Maybe it's worth contacting Andy Pruit's place in Colorado? You probably deserve a road trip anyway!

Just my 2 cents.
Martha

=======================
Yesterday's New York Times has an article about bike fitting. Here is
the beginning, for the rest go to the link at the bottom.

Martha

Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?

November 20, 2008
Ouch, My Knee! Is There a Bike Fitter in the House?

By CHRISTOPHER PERCY COLLIER

TAD JACOBS loved cycling. The 44-year-old arborist from northern
California used to ride two to three times a week to stay in shape.
But while pedaling, he suffered muscle soreness in his lower back and
joint stiffness in his shoulders. At home, the discomfort worsened.

Then he booked an appointment with Paul Kundrat, a specialist in
biodynamics at the Endurance Performance Training Center in Mill
Valley, Calif.

During a two-hour session, Mr. Jacobs saw computer-generated data
related to his problem. Lasers made precise three-dimensional
measurements of his body. Range-of-motion tests were performed.
Adjustments were made, and Mr. Jacobs?s pain dissipated.

Six months after the appointment, he was riding 200 miles a week, more
than twice his previous distance. ?It was amazing,? Mr. Jacobs said.
?I haven?t iced my knees since.?

==============================
For the rest of the article, click on the link below; it's long and
may become truncated by your email program, so you may have to copy
and paste it into your browser. It ends with "=res"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/health/nutrition/20fitness.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[sgtiger]

X, in your situation I'd avoid a regular fitting by a LBS and instead opt for someone who has a background in sports medicine/biomechanics. IIRC Knot received her bike fit training by Michael Sylvester (http://bicyclefittingservices.com/) in PDX. There's Eric Moen (http://www.bikept.com/) in Seattle, too. Both fitters have a solid reputation in the area.

ETA: Oops! How could I forget our own Knott and Wahine. PTA and PT, respectively, who do bike fittings. It might help to PM them directly.

[Trek420]

X my dear, I just hope you can find a way to accommodate your leg! Happy information hunting!

(((X)))

+1 to that! :D


X, in your situation I'd avoid a regular fitting by a LBS and instead opt for someone who has a background in sports medicine/biomechanics.

And that :cool: :p My fave LBS has no medical training but I've seen him do amazing things with bike fit.

Besides the above and afore mentioned helpful tips while I know some scoff at Brooks saddles and the women (and some men) who love them on road bikes but the springs finally made sense to me.

Knott who also has LLD pointed out that after she did all the other stuff you gotta do the springs allow her hip to rotate juuuust enough on each pedal stroke.

I'm not bike fit trained but I can imagine that your back, shoulders would tweak with each turn of the pedals. A Brooks alone would not do the trick. Yet it may be the final piece of the puzzle to give many happy pain free miles! :p :D

[Xrayted]

Yeah, my sentiments exactly on the fit. I've talked to few of the local LBS guys who do fittings and I'm not excited. They get a glazed over look when I let them know that my lower leg is short on one side and my femur is short on the other. It creates a challenge that I'm just not sure they (the standard guys) are up to. I don't race but I do love my current road bike and just want to get everything out of her (and myself) I can. I've done a lot of fit for myself that has really added to my overall enjoyment.
Looking at my xrays, there is no arthritis in any joints and I'd like to keep it that way. Since the car that hit me and the surgeons have messed with so many of my nerves, the feedback I'm getting may not be indicative of what's really happening. So, I am at the point where I just want someone with a trained eye to watch me ride, check out the rotation path of each leg, measure me up (and down) and see what needs to be tweeked. I think I've done pretty well up to this point. I feel very balanced now, no saddle problems, alleviated the shoulder issues... just need to work on my core strength more for those long rides. I've really neglected my abs this year. :o

Thanks ladies for the feedback. :D