Stance/bottom bracket issues

[fidlfreek]

Hi gals!

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem: the bottom bracket+crankset+pedals are too wide for me!

Even though my cleats are set in their most narrow position my feet are still wider apart than they should be. I'm riding a 105 triple, using Sidi road shoes with look pedals/cleats, on my dama Bianchi aluminum road bike.

I think this is causing some of my knee pain and at least can't possibly be good for optimal power transfer! Does anyone have any suggestions? Look already claims to be "low profile" aka feet are closer to crankarm.

I am shopping for a new CF bike (Look 585, Orbea Diva, Scott Addict) etc and was wondering if anyone had any idea what to do! The guys at my LBS are so NOT helpful, I'm not sure they've ever seen this before...

[VeloVT]

A double or compact double would probably have lower q-factor than your triple. Are you very small (i.e., very narrow hips)?

[VeloVT]

Also, why do you think that the tread is too wide for you? Has a fitter assessed it? Does it feel awkward? Is there a tread formula floating out there somewhere that indicates you'd be better with a narrower tread?

I'm not questioning that it's true, I'm just curious because it's an uncommon complaint and something that I would imagine is fairly subtle.

[Cataboo]

I find that on my bike with a triple, my calf does bang into the derailleur sometimes when I'm pedaling - I guess that means it's too wide, but I like having a triple.

[SadieKate]

Q-factor affects foot, ankle, knee and hip alignment, in other words: the joints. It seems that women are more prone to noticing it than others. I can feel it on our tandem since I've got both the triple crank and the timing chain crank to deal with. Q-factor has nothing to do with calf size (though some people may be jealous of nice calves ).

The crank and the pedal can affect the q-factor. Not all cranks have the same width whether they are double, triple or whatever. Each crank must be measured individually and the same for pedals.

One idea is to look for pedals with a narrow q-factor or a replaceable spindle upgrade like a Crank Bros. They have a shorter spindle available, but I also know some of their pedals have a narrower q-factor to begin with than others.

[SadieKate]

This is an old, old article so the measurements quoted for cranks are far out of date, but the info about q-factor is good. Since the crank/frame compatibility may be an issue, looking at spindle length in the pedal is good. But you have to make sure your feet are small enough not to wear on the crank arm.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1991-13.htm