Anyone else sit sorta 'crooked' on the saddle?

[Hi Ho Silver]

I sit somewhat twisted on the bike - I have to slightly point the nose of the saddle to the right or else my "girly parts" are in agony. I attribute this to the fact that I had polio as a child, my right leg is shorter than the left, and heaven knows what else is going on with the rest of my skeleton as a result of the polio.

[KnottedYet]

I remember reading a thread in here, maybe a year or two ago, where you can get custom crank arm adjustment thingies made. They study your leg measurements and how you pedal and make something that attaches between the pedal and crank arm, or something like that. It can account for one leg being overall longer but the other side having a shorter femur, or any combination... It's hard to describe with out the pics.

Any of you who've been on here for years remember that?

Drop pedal systems.

http://www.hscycle.com/Pages/cantsandwedges.html

[zoom-zoom]

Interesting input, ladies. Thank you. I found an article that points to a lot of the things I have noticed about my own cycling oddities.

I had no idea I was even shifted over on my saddle until my hubby said something. I figured maybe my rear seam on my shorts was just off, but it felt like it was centered. When I moved myself over just a hair to the right it put me too far right over the nose/cut-out, which was not comfortable. Very odd. Almost makes me wonder if my left butt cheek is just noticeably larger than my right.

[zoom-zoom]

Drop pedal systems.

http://www.hscycle.com/Pages/cantsandwedges.html

Huh...so it's just that bottom piece?

[kermit]

I have pretty much the same thing going on with my rides. I do have a BG fit scheduled for this saturday and am interested to see what he suggests. I have a 1/4 inch leg length difference from a broken hip and back and I know I sit crooked on the saddle. I am not sure what exactly makes me crooked, my hip or just my back from my injury but when I measured on the ***-o-meter one side was at 70 and one side was at 80, making one hip wider. The last saddle I got rid of, my SI max flite actually got twisted on the left side (my shorter side) from pushing down more on that side. The weirdest thing ever, it was a great saddle and one day it just bit me. I took it to my LBS looking for something else and it was twisted front to back towards the left. This fit I am getting is $300 bucks but I am really hoping I can finally get even on the bike.

[zoom-zoom]

This fit I am getting is $300 bucks but I am really hoping I can finally get even on the bike.

Oh, I hope it works! $300 is a lot of cash to drop if you don't have marked improvement! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

One other factor I totally forgot to include in my original post: DH discovered that my saddle on my current bike was somehow set almost a half inch higher than on my previous bike. He thinks when the shop set it up that they took my original fit measurements and we all forgot that we'd lowered my saddle on bike #1 a hair, but never applied that measurement to new bike.

Hubby hasn't ridden behind me since he made this tweak...so perhaps this is no longer an issue. My outer right foot crampy/irritation is still there, but I'm suspicious that this is more a too-narrow shoe issue than anything else.

[kermit]

Yeah $300 is a lot but this guy is REALLY good, fits racers and top tri folks. I have never really have a complete fit other than a new saddle "tweak" so I am hoping a revelation will happen. That BG fit system is pretty in depth so...and yeah it's Miami prices, another reason we are retiring to Georgia. This fit is my retirement present.

Hope you find happiness...

[nscrbug]

Yeah $300 is a lot but this guy is REALLY good, fits racers and top tri folks. I have never really have a complete fit other than a new saddle "tweak" so I am hoping a revelation will happen. That BG fit system is pretty in depth so...and yeah it's Miami prices, another reason we are retiring to Georgia. This fit is my retirement present.

Hope you find happiness...

I totally feel your pain (no pun intended...lol) regarding the $300 price tag of your fit. I just had a PT (physical therapy) bike fitting 2 weeks ago. It was very extensive (I was there for 2 1/2 hours)..it was a RETUL fit done by a licensed physical therapist with 25 years of cycling experience (has worked with many pros, including the Garmin-Cervelo team) and certification in Retul & FIST fittings. If it is any consolation, I paid $330 for mine. BUT...I have a lot of physical issues as well as pain issues that needed to be addressed. I'm happy with the fitting, as I think most of my pain issues have been resolved (too soon to tell yet)...except for this nagging hand issue (see my other thread on handelbars) that is better, but not completely pain-free. Good luck with your BG fit...I'm very anxious to hear about it!

Linda

[Kathi]

Yes, for years I had this problem and my fitters couldn't figure out why, no leg length discrepency. Turns out I had a locked SI joint. A very good PT found the problem.

[emily_in_nc]

Interesting input, ladies. Thank you. I found an article that points to a lot of the things I have noticed about my own cycling oddities.

I fit a lot of these symptoms as well -- very interesting article. I've been to several doctors and PTs and have not had a lot of success. I now have a TENS unit I am going to try for the pain in my lower back/buttock (right side) that I primarily get when cycling, but sometimes after hiking with a heavy backpack, sitting for a really long time, or prolonged crouching.

In my case, my problems all originated with my bike accident in 2005 when I fractured my pelvis in three places. I usually blame the fracture I had repaired in my ilium for my pain, but I also had two fractures in the ischial tuberosities that may actually be the root of the continuing problems, since I'm likely not sitting on the saddle "level". I recently had xrays done by a pain specialist, and he said that my SI joint, which I always blame for the pain, actually looked good, with no evidence of arthritis, so perhaps it's really a pelvic tilt or rotation issue and not my SI joint at all. Hmmm....

In my case, I always get saddle sores on the left side, I feel like I'm working much harder with the right leg, I have "knee wobble" on the right, and all my pain is on the right in my lower back and buttock (which is the side my fractures were on).

Too bad I don't live in SoCal -- I'd go see this guy in a heartbeat!

[zoom-zoom]

This is what's weird about this...I have no issues that stick out, aside from the crotch ones. And those are a LOT better since DH lowered my saddle a bit and moved it a touch forward.

I don't think the foot issues are related, but I decided to pull the trigger on a pair of $75 Northwave shoes, since I think I may need additional varus wedging (my knees seem to dive towards my top tube--especially my right one, which goes along with the sore right foot). I have 1º wedged cleats, but I suspect I need forefoot wedges inside my shoes. No way I have room for those in my Sidis. I can't even fit blue Superfeet in my Sidis, not even with my thinnest socks. It will be nice to have shoes that I can possibly wear with warmer socks next Fall/Winter, too.

[Kitsune06]

I sit crooked, but I sit crooked in chairs and on my motorcycle, too. One of these days, someday, I maybe should have a scoli series/lls to figure my geometry out better, but until then, the plan of attack is just to do what's most comfortable and not too far 'out there'.

[zoom-zoom]

I sit crooked, but I sit crooked in chairs and on my motorcycle, too. One of these days, someday, I maybe should have a scoli series/lls to figure my geometry out better, but until then, the plan of attack is just to do what's most comfortable and not too far 'out there'.

I'm seriously swaybacked with a bootie like JLo or Shakira...I wonder if that has any bearing on things...? I told my hubby that maybe I have one butt cheek that is freaky stronger and larger than the other.

[Kitsune06]

I have a little bit of a scoli curve to my back so on one side the muscles are super developed and defined and on the other, not so much. I think that sometimes influences which side I 'list' to. Unfortunately the only real xray I have of this is from a 1v thoracolumbar xray, so while it says 'yeah it's there', it doesn't say what degree it's at or whether or not my acetabulums are even when I'm standing. Then again, I could have a decent degree of acquired paranoia after being in OP and doing 3-4 scoli series on kids a day on peds day.

[hulagirl]

I don't have room for Superfeet in my Sidis (I'm considering a wider shoe, for this very reason).

I have SuperFeet Yellow's in my Sidi's and they fit fine. I LOVE THEM in my Sidi's.

Have you tried pointing the nose of your saddle a HAIR in the direction you don't lean towards? I was getting more issues on my left side, pointed nose a mm or 2 to the right and felt better.

I also got a bigger saddle as mine was too narrow. Your's may be too wide?

ETA:

I had outer foot pain that was cured with a wider saddle. My foot pain was not hot foot. It was a sharp pain that started on the outer edge of the foot, just near that little bone that sticks out on the bottom. Then it would begin to go numb. This happened in slippers, gym shoes, Keen's, everything. It was not a shoe issue. It was 100% solved by me finding a saddle that fit me. And then I stopped pinching those nerves that led down to the foot.

Perhaps your sitting over the edge is pinching something?