Uneven backside wear

[Brianjeff50]

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older but symptoms of uneven pedalling seem to be more obvious.
I’m not quite sure what to make of them (if anything) My left leg is significantly bigger and stronger than my right. After a long ride, any redness or soreness is on the left of my backside. And, maybe most significantly, my right leg seems to be feeling the strain with niggling knee aches and twinges round my achilles. I have a general feeling that my pelvis is slumped slightly left - but maybe that’s imaginary.
All of which I can live with - I just don’t want them to get any worse. And given my level of riding I don’t really want to fork out for an expensive bike fit.
I don’t think my saddle (an SMP Well) is too high. Any thoughts welcome.

[Jdsk]

Many of us are asymmetric.

Try small adjustments and see if they help. Including twisting the saddle sideways.

Ask someone else to see if you're tilting the bike.

And what have you tried to avoid that redness and soreness?

Jonathan

[Mike Sales]

I am considerably asymmetric because of hip damage.
If you examine my Brooks leather saddle it too has become lopsided to suit my shape.
Maybe a leather saddle would adapt to accommodate your bum.

[Brianjeff50]

Many of us are asymmetric.

Try small adjustments and see if they help. Including twisting the saddle sideways.

Ask someone else to see if you're tilting the bike.

And what have you tried to avoid that redness and soreness?

Jonathan

I’m assuming - rightly or wrongly - that I’m pressured on my left side because that leg is a little shorter so I’ve moved the cleat a bit forward to compensate which seems to help.
Not sure why I’ve become more prone to redness and a couple of small saddle sores. I did ten days of 80 mile rides just a couple of weeks ago (albeit with chamois cream) and was fine. Maybe it’s just the sudden hot weather.
Anyway I’ll give the saddle a wee tweak with the nose to the left and see if that helps.

[Audax67]

Perfectly possible that your right leg is shorter than the left - my left one is. As others have said, try twisting the saddle nose a couple of mm to the right. Re the Achilles, you may need a varus or valgus wedge under your insole to tilt the foot left or right.

https://www.specializedconceptstore.co. ... es-2-pack/ (no connection).

I had pain up beside my left Achilles after riding for years before discovering those things. They're not a panacea, though: while a varus wedge of just 1.5 mm helped enormously my knee wasn't too happy about it for a while - it had got used to the old set-up and was bellyaching about the new management.

I also use a supple leather saddle that allows my sit-bones to find their own level, like independent suspension. I did try an SMP saddle years ago but under the supple plastic it was rigid plastic and utter misery to ride on.

[Gearoidmuar]

Until about a year ago, I was miserable with increasing soreness on the left side of my backside. Someone here suggested turning my saddle nose to the sore side. END OF PROBLEM. Amazing result. How much. About 1cm.

[pwa]

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older but symptoms of uneven pedalling seem to be more obvious.
I’m not quite sure what to make of them (if anything) My left leg is significantly bigger and stronger than my right. After a long ride, any redness or soreness is on the left of my backside. And, maybe most significantly, my right leg seems to be feeling the strain with niggling knee aches and twinges round my achilles. I have a general feeling that my pelvis is slumped slightly left - but maybe that’s imaginary.
All of which I can live with - I just don’t want them to get any worse. And given my level of riding I don’t really want to fork out for an expensive bike fit.
I don’t think my saddle (an SMP Well) is too high. Any thoughts welcome.

As you probably appreciate, everyone is lopsided to some extent. And to avoid aches and pains you have to go with it, not work against it. For some of us that might mean having the nose of the saddle pointing slightly to one side. For me it means having a Brooks-style leather saddle (actually G Berthoud) that develops soft spots and moulds to my body shape, rather than having a symmetrical surface. That way, if one of my sit bones is slightly lower or further forward than the other, the saddle eventually adapts to accommodate that, exactly. The leather saddle solution does require a bit of initial patience, of course, because it will only adapt to your shape after a few hundred miles, during which it will probably be sub-optimal comfort-wise.

Another asymmetry in my set-up is to have the cleats on my shoes angled slightly differently, one from the other. One of my feet (can't remember which) wants to point slightly more outward than the other. If I set the cleats up the same on both shoes, one foot will feel as though it is touching the limit of free rotation, which is bound to lead to discomfort over time. So I adjust the cleat on that side so that the foot feels like it rests in the middle of the rotation arc, free to move a little either way with no resistance.

[Cowsham]

One leg shorter than the other ? -- you'll be wearing one side of the tyres more than the other -- better get it sorted or it'll cost you a fortune in Marathon Pluses.

[briansnail]

I have old bikes.The bottom bracket often goes.Small chance this may be the problem.Your bike shop will probably check for free and charge
approx £60 to fix.(which compared to car repairs is nothing).
***************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

[Gearoidmuar]

I had soreness on one side and it was killing me after years of cycling. I was advised by a genius on this board to move the nose of my saddle to the sore side.
This cured the problem, immediately and that was a few months ago. How much to turn? Well try 5mm at the nose and maybe more.
Try it, it works!

[mattheus]

Any thoughts welcome.

See a physio. They will ID things with physical examination that no-one on this thread can diagnose over the internet.
(and quite likely things that almost no-one on this thread actually understands!)

It's the best way you can spend your money, if you want to be healthy.

[Tricyclebell]

Hi, I had similar problems. Have ridden the bike for over 40 years, ridden horses all of my life (I am 65 years old) and about 5 years ago started developing saddle sores on my right buttock. To cut a long storey short I had also developed generalised osteoarthritis so quite a few joint pains. Whilst going through a bike fit (getting a new made to measure bike... I am only 4ft 10 inch so a nightmare) it was noticed that when my left knee came up at the top of the stroke I was thrust quite sharply onto my right buttock. There was obviously some restriction in my left hip and the only way for my pelvis to react was to shift the load to the opposite side, hence the pressure sore. The answer was easy....shorter cranks, so now when my knee is at the top of the stroke I do not hit the point of resistance in my left hip and I am not thrown over to the opposite side, everyone happy including my right butt! With progressive arthritis I think we have to be one step ahead and be aware of what's on the market to help us continue our sport for as long as possible. There is a formula available for achieving the best crank length for our own dimensions, many people ride too long, it was a game changer for me. Good luck.