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This is an old, old article so the measurements quoted for cranks are far out of date, but the info about q-factor is good.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

[fidlfreek]

Awesome article!

Hey! I know that the triple is/was making the q factor worse (159mm fyi). It was causing me knee pain. Or at least I think it was. It is still a problem on the FC-6600 crankset i tried last month (Ultegra SL compact) which has the same 147 or 146 q factor as all the higher end dual chainring shimano cranksets. It seems like the only way this gets better is with either 1) an older school Shimano crankset aka older than 7700 where the q factors go down to 140 or lower. Any other ideas ladies? My beautiful Look 585 optimum is sitting here all built and ready to go except that I can't decide on which crankset/bb to order. Agh! I do not want to order an older crankset and compromise on stiffness, power transfer, weight etc! Help!

I am a very small (5'2 100 lbs) woman and I use a 140mm measurement saddle (which is very narrow as far as women are concerned)....so I'm thinking that my whole setup is just narrow. My feets are quite small as well and since I have a decent pedal stroke and no weird ankle things I have tons of clearance with my crank arms/chain stays etc.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Something I heard from my LBS owner regarding triples: She always recommends a triple on any bike 50cm and under. The reason is that the shorter distance from the front chainrings to the cassette on a double will not provide enough clearance for the chain as it passes from the smaller chain ring to the smallest gears on the cassette. The chain ends up rubbing on the big chainring and causes shifting issues. Just something to think about since you are a short gal. I wonder if anyone here has had an issue with that.

[lunacycles]

What causes chainrub on extreme crossover gears has nothing to do with frame size. Very short chainstays (like under 405mm) do in fact often create chain rub issues, but smaller bikes tend to have the same chainstay length as larger bikes, assuming 700c wheels are being used. There is generally no need nor value in utilizing shorter chainstays on smaller bikes (unless you are using smaller wheels), and afaik no big manufacturer does this on their smaller frames to any significant degree.

You are actually less likely to have chainrub on the extreme gears (small/small or large/large) running a double rather than a triple.

Chainstay length has no effect on q factor.

The problem with trying to manipulate q factor by using older cranks and bottom brackets is that it can adversely affect your overall shifting, as manufacturers need to have their chainrings (and therefore q factor) in a certain position relative to the cogs for optimum shifting. Manufacturers design whole groups to work with each other, and there can be issues mixing and matching components from one model year with an older model year. Just the proverbial "heads up."

Because we generally have slightly wider hips, I have not found that a lot of women, even small women, have q factor issues, not to say that you aren't.

I might recommend you 1) get measured. your hip width/lateral distance between your femurs will largely determine your ideal q factor. Without measuring this, it is hard to know if q factor is really the problem, 2) re-adjust your cleats, or try a pedal with full float (like speedplays) so your knee is not locked in at any predetermined angle. That might make a bigger difference than you realize.

Just some thoughts.

[fidlfreek]

lunacycles you're awesome I am going in for a measuring on Friday.

[Bluetree]

I have had similar issues with narrow hips. (Def not a baby-maker!!!)

I switched from Speedplay Xeros to the free-float X-1s and am much happier.

[fidlfreek]

See, I'm not the only one! Its good to hear about the speedplay. I used them when I first started riding and then moved to Keo but am still using the 9 degree red cleats. Maybe not the brightest plan....on second thought.