Need cycling coach expertise!!!!!!

[lweave2]

Hello-
Need some input!!!!I've been riding bicycles for just over 20 years & never had an injury. 3 years ago, finished a 70 mile bike ride and my right IT band was so inflammed I could barely clip out of my right pedal. For the last 3 years I have seen Orthopedic sports medicine doctor. My MRI showed condromaylasia ( thinning of the cartlidge behind the patella ). Went out to see a PT out in Colorado, who fitted me and said that I have a leg length discrepency. My right leg is 5 mm shorter than my left leg. He shimmed my Look pedal and flaired the cleat out a little to take the pressure off my IT band. My porforis(sp?) butt muscle quit hurting but my right leg was still hurting laterally.

Finally found a doctorate level PT here in Atlanta, he is the PT for our olympic rifle team and he has 20 years of experience. He took one look at my body mechanics and said he knew what it was. He said that my right foot over-pronates which then causes my tibia to rotate which tightens my IT band which pulls my patella over to the lateral side whic then moves up and puts strain on my porforis muscle(my butt muscle). He said that this is a coomon pattern type overuse injury for someone with an over-pronation problem. So, he is now making me a custom walking orthodic and a cycling custom orthodic. My question is are we on the right track? What do yall think about his solution? I ran for 15 years before I got into cycling and I had custom orthodics for really bad shin-splints. Please write me back with your insight!!!!
Thanks-A-million!!!!!!!!
lisa.......

 

[Dabeej]

Lisa

Contact Craig Upton in NY. He is a coach and professional bike fitter. He has found that many riders know how to ride a bike, but are never really taught how to pedal correctly. There is so much more to it than just spinning the cranks. The Wobble Naught laser precision fitting system will get you in the right position, and Craig can help you to learn to pedal correctly to avoid overuse injuries that result from small misallignments.

Just do a google search for Craig Upton Coach.

On the subject of orthotics, I have what seems to be a over pronation issue with my left leg. I talked to Steve Neal who is a coach in Canada, and he told me about how the Canadians have a PT who helps riders and other atheletes to work on possible weaknesses in their feet that have developed due to overly supportive shoes. The muscles in the feet need to be able to support your weight while walking and riding. Orthotics may treat the symptom, but the cause is still there. Talk to a podiatrist who works with athletes about proper walking dynamics. I have been working on a few drills and can already feel the difference a bit.

By the way, I am also a USAC licensed coach and Certified Personal Trainer.

hope this helps.

 

[lweave2]

Lisa

Contact Craig Upton in NY. He is a coach and professional bike fitter. He has found that many riders know how to ride a bike, but are never really taught how to pedal correctly. There is so much more to it than just spinning the cranks. The Wobble Naught laser precision fitting system will get you in the right position, and Craig can help you to learn to pedal correctly to avoid overuse injuries that result from small misallignments.

Just do a google search for Craig Upton Coach.

On the subject of orthotics, I have what seems to be a over pronation issue with my left leg. I talked to Steve Neal who is a coach in Canada, and he told me about how the Canadians have a PT who helps riders and other atheletes to work on possible weaknesses in their feet that have developed due to overly supportive shoes. The muscles in the feet need to be able to support your weight while walking and riding. Orthotics may treat the symptom, but the cause is still there. Talk to a podiatrist who works with athletes about proper walking dynamics. I have been working on a few drills and can already feel the difference a bit.

By the way, I am also a USAC licensed coach and Certified Personal Trainer.

hope this helps.

Dabeej-
Thanks for writing me back. Sounds like you are thinking My PT might not be on the right track. I also have a leg length discrepency on the right leg, its about 5mm shorter than my left leg. The over-pronation problem combined with the leg length discrepency might me the mechanism causing my IT Band getting tight. My pedaling technique might have something to do with it, but how would that be straining the IT Band? What about going to see Andy Pruitt in Boulder, Colorado? I thought he was suppose to be the bicycle guru? What have you heard about his sports facility out in Boulder?
Thanks!!!!!!!!

 

[Dabeej]

Lisa

Unfortunately, in my experience, if your PT or doctor are not experienced in working with cyclists, it is hard to be sure of what you are getting. A PT who knows alot about running may not be able to use what he knows to help a cyclist. That is why I suggested Craig Uption ([email protected]). He is a coach who has experience in teach cyclist how to pedal to avoid overuse injuries. He is also the most experienced Wobble-Naught bike fitter in the East. The Wobble-naught system is based around keeping your joints and bones in line so that there are no uneven or off center loads.

As for your leg length discrepancy, 5mm is not that much, (depending on how long your legs are in the first place). Most fitters will not worry about anything less than 8mm, and then the use of spacers is only done if the discrepancy is in the lower leg bones. If the difference is due to the lengh of your femurs or crooked hip bones, then the difference can usually be addressed with fore/aft adjustments to your cleats.

Andy Pruitt is a guru in bike fit and, if you pay for it, he has a 2 day process that includes full body x-rays to measure your bones. I thought about going out to see him, but airfair plus $250+ for the fit was hard to justify. Andy will be talking at the USAC Summit at the OTC in Colorado Springs next week so I hope to learn a bit more from him about bike fitting and the way he does it. From what I have read, he is a big proponent of Specialized Body Geometry shoes and insoles.

My advice remains to contact Craig and see what he can do for you. He is closer and has a great reputation for knowing what he is doing. Here is a link to info about Craig on the web.
http://www.nyvelocity.com/content.php?id=104

Also look into the Wobble-naught fit system at www.wobblenaught.com.