Added Cleat shims... What a difference!

hopper1

As discussed in BR before, my right leg is approx. 10mm shorter than the left. Initially, I had assumed (bad idea) that this was due to an accident with multiple fractures...
Anyway, once I'd decided to address this issue, I gleaned info from here and then Steve Hogg (www.cyclefitcentre.com), too. As a result of some info Steve sent me, I realised that the length difference wasn't caused by the accident as the damage was all in the lower leg, and my measurements identified the Femur as being shorter... :oops:
I sourced a 3mm spacer and some shims. The shims to be used to:
A) Be stacked together to create another spacer.
Be used to address pronation/ supination in my feet.
Finally managed to bolt them all together today, made some compensatory adjustments to the bike and jumped on the turbo for a bit of a controlled shakedown...
Brilliant. With the right leg effeectively longer (not perfect, yet), I raised the saddle height. Obviously, the left leg had been compromised, because the seat height had been set for the shorter leg.
The first ride (turbo) today resulted in an increase of av. power by 20 watts :shock: And, I wasn't even pushing it, because I didn't notice that until the end of the session.
There's still some adjustments to make, but, I'm very encouraged by this improvement.
At the risk of becoming anal about it all, I will rig up a DVD camcorder on a tripod and check my technique while pedalling, to see if I can enhance any more.
A bit long winded, but may spur someone else into looking into their leg length issues...

dennisn

You'll have to excuse me because it's Friday and I'm trying to have fun. So here goes.
Do they call you "hopper" because of you're slightly shorter leg???? :oops: :oops:
Feel free to post back and call me every name in the book if you wish.

hopper1

No, Dennis.
'Hopper' is a shortened version of 'Grasshopper', a nickname given because of my passion for Kung Fu and Karate.

Now, where is it you live, again.......

dennisn

hopper1 wrote:

No, Dennis.
'Hopper' is a shortened version of 'Grasshopper', a nickname given because of my passion for Kung Fu and Karate.

Now, where is it you live, again.......

Ahhhhhhh, I see Grass.... No, I won't go there. In any case, glad you've gotten your leg thing figured out.

Infamous

I don't think this type of research is of any merit, if you start making one leg shorter than the other, you'll just end up going in circles.

ravey1981

What about using a longer crank arm for the shorter leg? would that work? Although your fix would achieve the same thing for a fraction of the cost i suppose....

hopper1

ravey1981 wrote:

What about using a longer crank arm for the shorter leg? would that work? Although your fix would achieve the same thing for a fraction of the cost i suppose....

Surely a longer crank would make it even more obvious!
Using different crank lengths may be possible, but only of use if your leg difference is 2.5mm, or multiples thereof, and yes, expensive, too.

ravey1981

:oops:

I only considered the top of the stroke.... I'll get my coat

hopper1

Bit more to it than just that, anyway...
As my femur is shorter, there would be an effect at the 3 o'clock - 9 o'clock positions, too.
Just getting it closer is good for me.

alfablue

No, Dennis.
'Hopper'

Dennis Hopper - Blue Velvet! :shock:

hopper1

Very good, mate...