Random shoe, foot and pedal questions

[Clydesdale]

Long story involving reattached ligaments and a broken foot but I'll keep it short and just ask...

1 - Is there a simple way to tell if you have vargus/valus?
2 - Can anyone compare Sidi genius and DMT Flash?
3- Anyone use specialized footbed and wedges? Did they help?
4- Any easy way to figure out the best "Q factor?"

Answers to any are appreciated. Thanks

[Louis]

C,

I have no answers to your questions, just the following comments:

In the last month or so I have been discovering (the saga is still in progress) that wedges and/or insoles can have a dramatic effect on my knees (and not all good).

My suggestion is to consider making any changes very gradually. Also, the fitter may not get thing right. One recommended two wedges under each cleat. The result was to lessen one pain I had (patellar tendinitis) but cause a brand new and severe pain in another location. That pain has been slowly decreasing as I have been removing wedges. Just tonight I remove the one last remaining wedge of the four I started with.

So far I have had more success with the insoles (mine happen to be Superfeet Gray) but that too is an ongoing experiment.

Good Luck
Louis

[navclbiker]

I cannot compare my Sidi Geniuses to any shoe but the old specialized that I owned before, but they are the finest fitting shoes my feet have had the pleasure of wearing. I also use the Specialized inserts. They are a vast improvement on the stock insoles in the Sidis. The Specialized insoles alone include a small cant built in, so you may not even need the additional shims that are included with them.

[seanw]

yes, there is a tool to measure varus/valgus. there are better foot beds out there than the specialized, but the specialized are better than a stock insole.
a good fitter should be able to help you with q-factor.
how flexible are you feet? what shoes and pedals are you using now?

sean

[Too Tall]

Long story involving reattached ligaments and a broken foot but I'll keep it short and just ask...

1 - Is there a simple way to tell if you have vargus/valus?
2 - Can anyone compare Sidi genius and DMT Flash?
3- Anyone use specialized footbed and wedges? Did they help?
4- Any easy way to figure out the best "Q factor?"

Answers to any are appreciated. Thanks

1. Yes, Paul Swift makes a forefoot measuring device and is used by some fit pros. No there is no simple way to tell.

[Ti Designs]

In the last month or so I have been discovering (the saga is still in progress) that wedges and/or insoles can have a dramatic effect on my knees (and not all good).

Yup, I call this chasing problems around. You really can't look at knees hips ankles and feet independently of the whole.

My suggestion is to consider making any changes very gradually. Also, the fitter may not get things right. One recommended two wedges under each cleat. The result was to lessen one pain I had (patellar tendinitis) but cause a brand new and severe pain in another location. That pain has been slowly decreasing as I have been removing wedges. Just tonight I remove the one last remaining wedge of the four I started with.

After the thread about "gets it" I'll just say that Louis could teach a thing or two to most fitters out there. My first comment is about the fitter not getting things right - you mean the first time, or did your fitter imply that they always get things right, so don't come back. I think of fitting as trial and error (lots of error). The human body is way to complex for me to think that I'm going to have the right answer every time. My version of a fitting is more like "there's a problem, we need to go in this direction, I'm going to do half the correction that I can measure and I want feedback." Given enough feedback and making small, individual changes, I can zero in on a good working solution to most fitting problems. Making large changes is a mistake, as is changing a half dozen things. Large changes create large reactions, often with very bad results (the name Bill pops to mind...). Making lots of changes means you have no idea what the results were due to.

Bottom line: Fitting isn't a one time and you're done sorta thing.

[regularguy412]

Bottom line: Fitting isn't a one time and you're done sorta thing.
<snipped>

This is very true. The only thing I would add is that after your first *good* fitting, you shoudl ride for a while (maybe 6 months to a year). It's likely that you'll need to move your position again _SLIGHTLY_. Your body adapts to changes slowly. For that reason you might need a minor adjustment down the road. And for the same reason, you should only make small adjustments, one at a time, and ride each one for a few hundred miles before making a final decision.

Disclaimer: I'm no fitter, and I didn't even sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last nite. :)

Mike in AR

[Clydesdale]

I have ridden off and on for years and never really had many problems other than the occassional sore knee, which as much a football leftover as anything. But last year I had some foot stuff happen and this summer I have chased little things like a numb foot, a sore hip and wrist, etc. Intuitively, something seems different, but I haven't been able to dial it in yet. I'm wondering if the damage I did to my ankle had some lingering effect that is causing trouble.

I'm getting some movement in my left knee and I have not been able to get my left shoe exactly right (It was the left ankle I injured). So, I've been thinking about getting some of the inserts to try and balance things out. Just curious about others experience with them.

I ride Sid genius shoes and Look pedals - which have an adjustable Q factor - but I have not messed with it much. I saw some nice DMT's recently and just wondered how they compared. Not as a solution to anything, I just liked the looks of them, but my sidi's fit great and I wouldn't want a major change in how the shoes feel.

Thanks for your input and rest assured, I'll try one thing at a time and take some time to feel it's affect.

[benb]

Honestly with the problems you're talking about regarding broken feet and repaired ligaments you need to try and go see a doctor, podiatrist, etc.. to get some of this stuff worked out as opposed to someone who is just a bike fitter.

Coming back from an injury like that might require something more serious then bike fitting alone.

[Clydesdale]

ok short version - had ligaments repaired in right ankle and then broke the left one but thought it was sprained and did not have it treated. Xray later confirmed that it had been fractured and seemed to have healed pretty well, but the Podiatrist who did my ligament repair is going to check those xrays again. He is concered because I have lost much of the flexion and may either have a bone chip or some other issue creating instability. He is not a cyclist, but seems to understand the issues involved.

I'm not sure I'll do another surgery, so in the mean time I am just trying to make things the best posible. I'm not far off, but it just feels like something could be better. So I'm thinking of trying some inserts to see what happens.

Thanks

[benb]

If you're already going to a podiatrist talk to him about real orthotics for your cycling shoes as opposed to off the shelf inserts. He will know better then anyone else.. if you need real support the off the shelf stuff isn't going to do anything.