legs question

jameverywhere

hey all, I have a random question.

if you cycle with one leg clipped in and the other unattached, is your clipped in leg gonna end up a lot stronger than the other one?

I ask because I always unclip the left leg to stop, and since my commute thru the city centre has so many dang lights, I end up with the left leg unclipped for most of it.

Also, I'm going to a physio for bad knees, caused by a muscle imbalance from walking duck-footed all my life. Any tips on how to keep the knees straight up-and-down when pedalling? went to a bike fit guy and he gave me insoles for my fallen arches, adjusted my cleats, and told me to use them (I was afraid they were causing the pain in my knees so I'd given them up for a while). The clip on the right leg, the worst knee, does seem to keep my leg straighter. but any other tips are welcome so.

Physio says my feet need to be parallel.

Lumen

jameverywhere wrote: »

if you cycle with one leg clipped in and the other unattached, is your clipped in leg gonna end up a lot stronger than the other one?

No.

Morgan

jameverywhere wrote: »

I ask because I always unclip the left leg to stop, and since my commute thru the city centre has so many dang lights, I end up with the left leg unclipped for most of it.

Learn to trackstand. Or go completely wild and unclip your right leg now and again to mix things up.

jameverywhere

can you trackstand on any bike?

I think I may be too balance-challenged for that.

I trained myself to unclip the left 1) for safety and 2) because I'm clumsy as heck and predicability helps keep me from fallin.

Altho I will unclip the right if I'm in the right turning lane

DirkVoodoo

If you're struggling with cleats in the city, a double sided pedal might be the best solution. You still get to ride clipless but no more mucking about with post-light-pedal-flipping.

billy.fish

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Lusk Doyle

Doesn't a track stand require a track in order to be performed?

Hungrycol

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Doesn't a track stand require a track in order to be performed?

No wonder my track pump isn't working :pac:

Spokes of Glory

jameverywhere wrote: »

Physio says my feet need to be parallel.

Not sure I'd agree with that. It very much depends on the natural alignment of your sub-talar joint (foot) and the biomechanics of your leg, and an argument could be made that "forcing" your feet parallel is actually contributing to your knee pain. However doctors differ and patients die as they say, and the same thing can be said in the physio world (except with less fatal consequences). If you're happy that your physio has assessed you correctly and you're getting some improvement, stick with it.

Spokes

triggermortis

You might have found that the pain caused using clips was really your joints getting used to a new (correct) position instead of flapping about wherever they want. That's what I found after a bike fit and new insoles in my shoes, although the bike fit guy did show me before and after, with a laser, what my knees were doing.

jameverywhere

there is improvement in some areas, and some areas are getting worse. my kneecaps need to be rotated a bit because they aren't fitting properly with the rest of the muscles and bones, he said. so he's got tape and stuff on there. all I want is to be out on the bike again... *whine*