Clips on hybrid bike?

[curlieOne]

Hello ladies,

I have a 2009 Giant Seek 2 and have considered using clipless pedals. I have a leg length discrepancy and have read that using them can help me have a more comfortable ride. I have only seen them on road bikes. Have any of you used them on hybrid or mountain bikes? If so, any in particular I should look at?

[indysteel]

I have clipless pedals on all my bikes, including a hybrid and MTB. So, feel free to get them. That said, I'm not really sure how they'll help with a leg length discrepancy in and of themselves. You can, however, use shims either on the pedals, under your cleats or in the shoes. I would recommend seeing a reputable bike fitter to help you with that

[KnottedYet]

Clipless pedals alone will make the LLD effects worse on the bike, because you won't be able to compensate by shifting your forefoot on the pedal.

You can get a drop-pedal for the long leg. You can put whatever kind of pedal body you want on it.

Shims work, too, for a relatively minor LLD.

If you've already compensated at the pelvis for your LLD, you might find a leather (or better yet, leather and sprung) saddle works better than a drop-pedal. After you've broken it in a little...

How much full-length lift is built into the outsole of your short-leg shoe? If riding on flat pedals with your modified shoe is working well for you, I'd suggest simply continuing with the flat pedals. (It's a whole lot cheaper!) There are many great grippy flat pedals out there. Several of us use BMX style pedals, even on racy looking road bikes.

If your LLD is minor enough that you can get away with just a heel lift inside the shoe, well, obviously that isn't going to do you any good on the bike. You need lift at the contact, which is the forefoot, not the heel.

ETA: this is a popular drop pedal: http://www.hscycle.com/Pages/cantsandwedges.html

[soprano]

I had clipless pedals (Shimano M520s, to be specific) on my hybrid (which I sold last year). I don't see lots of hybrids or mountain bikes with clipless pedals, but at the end of the day, my feeling was that it was *my* bike and the only opinion that mattered was mine, so I should put whatever I want on it. I was extremely happy having my hybrid set up that way, and I put a ton of miles on that bike.

I love using clipless pedals. During a cold snap this winter, I switched over to platforms so I could wear heavy hiking boots for my commute. Although it was really nice to wear whatever shoes I liked, when warm weather returned I couldn't wait to wrench those suckers off and get back to clipless. My understanding is that not everyone feels the same way.

Can't comment on your personal ergonomics. I find that I have less knee pain with clipless, but I have no idea whether that's because I use a different set of muscles with clipless vs. platforms, or simply because I am less tempted to mash on the pedals.

[MyRubyE]

I have clipless pedals on my road bike and mountain bike. I have the Candy C's which have a slight platform for those ocassions when I need to unclip and rest my foot on the pedals. These pedals work well for me. With that said I also have a vintage upright bicycle and a rigid MTB (no suspension), which I prefer to have regular pedals for sunny afternoon rides and errands.

[Nessa]

I have clipless pedals on my hybrid. It is the best thing I ever did. It makes going up hills, etc so much easier!

[curlieOne]

My LLD is >1 inch (closer 1.5) and is in the femur bone. When I cycle longer distances, the hip of my shorter leg starts to hurt. I have tried heel lifts in shoes but I can only lift to I think half the distance without having to completely modify the shoes. I am thinking of getting cycling shoes then custom orthotics for them but again, i'm not sure if that is possible.

I read previous posts that spoke of custom crank sets. Is this method very expensive? Do they shorten the posts the pedal is connected to for the shorter leg or is it a complete rework of the crank set?

[KnottedYet]

Take a look at the website I gave a few posts back, it's got contact info, and from everything I've heard the folks are great to work with and very willing to answer questions.

The cranks are NOT modified for the short leg. Instead the pedal is "dropped" onto a second arm for the long leg. The length of the drop is approximately the same distance as the lift you have built into the midsole of your modified shoes for the short leg.

(So if you have a 3/4 inch full-length lift built into the midsole of your short-leg shoe, that is about what they will DROP the long leg crank. It's a whole lot more expensive than the $50-$75 you've been spending to modify all your shoes, but a lot of folks feel it's worth it.) (and don't worry about the taper, if you have your lift taper from 3/4 to 1/2 heel-to-mets, they really are more interested in the thickest measurement of your lift)

Obviously an orthotic or insert isn't gonna do it for a cycling shoe, but your cobbler will be able to tell you if he can lift the forefoot of a cycling shoe to the same measurements he's been lifting your other shoes. More than likely, he'll say "no." That's where shims come into play if you don't want to spend the money on cranks.

[curlieOne]

Thanks for the link to the drop pedal system. Does anyone have an idea of how much they cost?

Clipless pedals alone will make the LLD effects worse on the bike, because you won't be able to compensate by shifting your forefoot on the pedal.

You can get a drop-pedal for the long leg. You can put whatever kind of pedal body you want on it.

Shims work, too, for a relatively minor LLD.

If you've already compensated at the pelvis for your LLD, you might find a leather (or better yet, leather and sprung) saddle works better than a drop-pedal. After you've broken it in a little...

How much full-length lift is built into the outsole of your short-leg shoe? If riding on flat pedals with your modified shoe is working well for you, I'd suggest simply continuing with the flat pedals. (It's a whole lot cheaper!) There are many great grippy flat pedals out there. Several of us use BMX style pedals, even on racy looking road bikes.

If your LLD is minor enough that you can get away with just a heel lift inside the shoe, well, obviously that isn't going to do you any good on the bike. You need lift at the contact, which is the forefoot, not the heel.

ETA: this is a popular drop pedal: http://www.hscycle.com/Pages/cantsandwedges.html