Asking for a friend.....

[mudsticks]

It is significant and definitely due to bone length. If I stand up straight in front of a full length mirror I can see my pelvis tilting down from right to left and my shoulders sloping the other way.

I haven't had it measured but I'm sure that it well over 1 cm. I just tried an experiment with a couple of diaries. I stood with the foot of my shorter leg standing on one diary. That felt more comfortable than with the foot directly on the floor. (My usual lower back and shoulder/neck discomfort was lessened.) I tried a thickness of two diaries and that was definitely an overcompensation. The best thickness was ~1.4 diaries worth (I opened the second to about 40% of its pages.) That total thickness was 1.3 - 1.4 cm.

I've noticed in lots of photos that I often raise the heel of my left foot to try and stand more upright. That is done entirely unconsciously...

I've tries an extra insole and that didn't make much difference. I then put 2 extra insoles in but my foot was then too tight in the shoe so I gave up on that idea.

When I used to use Look pedals, I shimmed the left cleat by about 1 cm. That definitely helped. I now use mountain bike style SPD pedals and shimming that type of cleat isn't good because the cleat ends up sticking out from the protective tread on the sole of the shoe.

On one of my bikes I broke the left crank. I replaced it with a spare one from my junk box and noticed that I was slightly more comfortable on the bike. The replacement crank turned out to be 170 mm in length, as opposed to 175 mm for the original. It would be good to try putting a shorter crank on my best bike.

I often tend to point the toes down on my left foot a little when pedalling. I have the saddle height set for my longer leg but can't change it to experiment because the post is seized in the frame!

Sounds like you might be onto a solution with the different crank lengths there.

It's a good plan as a tilted pelvis can lead to a scoliosis in the spine, or general back, shoulder, or neck pain.

If you lie down with your bum against the wall and your legs extended up it you could get someone to mark where your heels reach to, then you'll know the discrepancy in leg length more accurately.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Pointing a saddle down is a massive telltale that something else isn't right, and it's not necessarily the saddle

 

[Profpointy]

Public appology:

I tried to helpful above, but it seems I've offended everyone. I'll try and resist trying to be helpful o future

 

[mudsticks]

Erm excuse me, there is nothing optimistic about me, I much prefer my pessimistic ignorance I'll thank you!

Oh OK.

You can be an Eeyore..

I'll be a Tigger

And we can both be h'ignorant as each other..

 

[mudsticks]

Public appology:

I tried to helpful above, but it seems I've offended everyone. I'll try and resist trying to be helpful o future

Oh hardly.. It's just a bit of gentle joshing around the word "serious"

Chin up now

 

[Scotty55]

Thanks all.

We’ll try padded shorts in the first instance and look at the saddle if she keeps going with it and still has problems. Also give the real cycle shop a chance to re-open.

 

[ColinJ]

It's a good plan as a tilted pelvis can lead to a scoliosis in the spine, or general back, shoulder, or neck pain.

I get out of bed in the morning in discomfort and from then until I go back to bed it only gets worse. Hard bike rides make it a LOT worse. My lower back and neck give up long before my legs do!

I have 172.5 mm cranks on my best bike so that would make it even harder to find a short enough left crank. Hang on... the chainset in question is a Stronglight Impact triple from Spa Cycles. They do 160 mm and 165 mm versions at the bargain price of £58. I could keep the rings as spares, use the left crank, and perhaps offer the right crank to anybody with a shorter right leg who would like a triple chainset for a Shimano square taper BB?

 

[Reynard]

Pointing a saddle down is a massive telltale that something else isn't right, and it's not necessarily the saddle

Not strictly true.

For us ladies it's helpful for the nose to be down just a smidgin as it takes the pressure off some rather tender places. Unlike blokes, we can't just conveniently move stuff out of the way.

Having said that, the nose on the saddle of my road bike points down a bit, while the one on my hybrid is more level. I've done many miles on both without discomfort, so I'd hazard to say that bike geometry is a factor as well.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Not strictly true.

For us ladies it's helpful for the nose to be down just a smidgin as it takes the pressure off some rather tender places. Unlike blokes, we can't just conveniently move stuff out of the way.

Having said that, the nose on the saddle of my road bike points down a bit, while the one on my hybrid is more level. I've done many miles on both without discomfort, so I'd hazard to say that bike geometry is a factor as well.

Nosing down a saddle addresses the symptom but not the cause. The same genital discomfort could easily be foot/shoe related, saddle height related, the bars being too far away, too much relief, none or not enough.

A particular brand and model of saddle may on paper be an absolute match made in genital caressing heaven - until it's mounted on the seatpost in the wrong place and all hell breaks loose.

General fit and geometry play a massive part for men and women the answer always seems to be slam, lower, tilt and put some cream on

 

[mudsticks]

Thanks all.

We’ll try padded shorts in the first instance and look at the saddle if she keeps going with it and still has problems. Also give the real cycle shop a chance to re-open.

Well fingers crossed.

It feels as if, we're all quite invested in the long term comfort of Mrs Scottys botty now.

Here's hoping for a positive outcome

 

[Reynard]

Just one last thought with my engineer's hat on.

Don't change too many things at once. One thing at the time and see how it goes.

 

[mudsticks]

I get out of bed in the morning in discomfort and from then until I go back to bed it only gets worse. Hard bike rides make it a LOT worse. My lower back and neck give up long before my legs do!

I have 172.5 mm cranks on my best bike so that would make it even harder to find a short enough left crank. Hang on... the chainset in question is a Stronglight Impact triple from Spa Cycles. They do 160 mm and 165 mm versions at the bargain price of £58. I could keep the rings as spares, use the left crank, and perhaps offer the right crank to anybody with a shorter right leg who would like a triple chainset for a Shimano square taper BB?

It doesn't sound great, and of course its impossible to say with any certainty but it wouldn't surprise me if much of the trouble originates from that uneveness.

It all travels upwards, and throws things out of alignment

If you can compensate for that you might be onto something.

 

[Profpointy]

Oh hardly.. It's just a bit of gentle joshing around the word "serious"

Chin up now

Fair enough - :-)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Fair enough - :-)

If I offended you with my flippance then I also offer an apology, but the OP did mention his wife was struggling past 6K which is nothing to be ashamed of & 6K more than I've ridden in the last 5 weeks, but then you mentioned "serious" cyclists & I'm sorry I just thought it funny.

 

[Scotty55]

She’s keen to keep going, partly to keep me company, partly to keep fit. I’m happy to encourage her - but hope her performance ramps up soon - yesterday, my fitness app reported that I’d covered a greater distance than the day before but, as some of it was done with her, I burned fewer calories :-)