Bike Fit Question - Leg Length Discrepancy

[KnottedYet]

I was talking about her regular shoes. (the platform Tevas and Birkenstocks, etc.)

I completely agree with you about the crank adjustment. Those are groovy!

[Triskeliongirl]

Absolutely Knotted! I wear a lift in my shoes that is essential to walk comfortably. Its funny the shoe lift isn't as large as my bike correction, but I think that is cuz my LLD is different standing than when on the bike, due to the specific nature of my fractures. Also, it may be that my body had partially adjusted before I started wearing lifts, so correcting the full amount was too much. I buy these very inexpensive lifts: Actually, I started with these cuz they are adjustable
http://clearlyadjustable.com/
but once I realized I needed the full correction prefer these: http://gwheellift.com/plastic-heel-lifts.html
I use the 12 mm in the shoe of my short leg side, sticking them in with the tape you can order from the same company. Not all shoes can accomodate such a large lift, but I find they are great under the insole of a Nike Air Pegasus running shoe. I bring them with me when shoe shopping to be sure the shoe is deep enough. I find if I try a larger lift, I run into other problems, like either the shoe can't hold it, or I start to feel unbalanced, like one foot is walking on high heels and one on flats, perhaps another reason I settle for an incomplete correction.

Actually, if you are interested my on the bike correction is 2.2 cm. While the first bike fitter measured me at 3 cm (distance from top of femur to ground while standing), Tom's on the bike measurements came out to 2.2 cm (he raises plates under your feet that meet your feet while you are seated on your bike to get the on the bike measurement).

[KnottedYet]

Oooh, thanks for the links for the heel lifts! I've got a patient who could use those websites.

[Triskeliongirl]

Oooh, thanks for the links for the heel lifts! I've got a patient who could use those websites.

The first system is cool cuz it consists of a stacked system in 1 mm layers, if you aren't sure how much of a lift is needed, or want to work your way up, and they are quite long making for a very gradual transition that is very comfortable. But, I found they don't last as long, since the layers start to come apart over time. But, they do look good in sandals, etc. since they are not very visible. The company in the second link is where I buy both. They are very fast and good (think TE, priority mail package arrives within days of placing an order). Both are firm which is also very important, but comfortable. If shoes allow it, sometimes I also replace insole with a superfeet insole, and place lift under insole on short leg side, but not all shoes have room for both the superfeet and lift.

[Mr. SR500]

The first system is cool cuz it consists of a stacked system in 1 mm layers, if you aren't sure how much of a lift is needed, or want to work your way up, and they are quite long making for a very gradual transition that is very comfortable. But, I found they don't last as long, since the layers start to come apart over time. But, they do look good in sandals, etc. since they are not very visible. The company in the second link is where I buy both. They are very fast and good (think TE, priority mail package arrives within days of placing an order). Both are firm which is also very important, but comfortable. If shoes allow it, sometimes I also replace insole with a superfeet insole, and place lift under insole on short leg side, but not all shoes have room for both the superfeet and lift.

Any pics of your setup, sounds very interesting.

[Triskeliongirl]

Any pics of your setup, sounds very interesting.

I did take some pictures once, for my son to show his engineering buddies at MIT, but I can't find them now. I'll try to take some again when I have time. If you click on the link I posted you can see the dropped pedal. Whats harder to see in that pic, is the idea that the dropped part can rotate throughout the pedal stroke. Then my chain rings are offset and elliptical, but the ellipses are not like the old biopace rings, but in the direction of the modern ones favored by the CSC time trialists. The idea is they put you in effectively an easier gear at the top of the pedal stroke to get you through it faster with less stress on your knees.

[Triskeliongirl]

Ok, I just managed to blow up two pictures. They are taken from two diff. bikes but the crankset is identical. On the view marked right side, you see my normal length 165mm crank arm (fit to my short leg) and on the left side you see a 165mm crank arm to which Tom's dropped pedal is built in (fit to my long leg). Again, its hard to see how the dropped pedal can rotate throughout the pedal stroke, but imagine that it is attached by a flexible joint the permits rotation. He can build it with any pedal system, I happened to choose frogs. Likewise, he can use whatever chain rings you want, I specified a 50/34 set-up.

[Triskeliongirl]

Melisa, if you are hesitant about the custom crankset due to the cost, perhaps you could ask him about just starting with the dropped pedal, if it could be attached to your regular crankset. It wouldn't balance the leverage so wouldn't be as effecient (and mine also has elliptical rings which helps with my knee issues), but it seems to me that it would do a better job than shims. I tried shims, fore and aft cleat positioning, and shoe inserts (in various combinations). The biggest problem I had was persistant pain that wouldn't quit, to the point where I could barely walk.

After a lot of very painful PT to get my SI joint in order, I started on Tom's system, and have been pain free since the spring of 2005 when I got my first system. I have two now, which also serves to limit how many bikes I can have at any one time (which in some ways is a good thing...........). I have done multi day tours, centuries, etc. with no pain at all (from someone that was in tears when I tried to ride a century before). If cycling is important to you, with a 1 inch LLD, I think investing in Tom's system is worthwhile. I also paniced before I did it, even almost cancelled my trip to see him. The whole thing was quite expensive for me, as I had to fly to california to be fit, stay in a hotel, etc., on top of the cost of the sytem, but it was worth every penny as an investment in my long term health and well being (and no, Tom doesn't pay me a comission to say these things ). In fact, I have now bought 3 systems since my first was on a bike that was stolen. Talk about a drag, on top of the cost, I couldn't ride for 2 months while he remade it, which is why I had him make me 2 at once (cheaper also to make 2 at once than 2 separately).