Tried it. The fitter suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage leading to aseptic meningitis and is currently in the ICU. He said his lawyer will contact James.
Ha, had a bike fit a few weeks back with someone who uses said track tech and in the physical assessment he noted a leg length difference. I was favouring one side riding but interestingly he never added a shim, but resolved this with a narrower saddle (he spotted the wider saddle causing me to sit off centre) . Reassuring he wasn't reliant on the tech but actually observed me doing it!
Feel exactly the same as you do, I’m 44 and I’ve done several bike fits here in Spain, none have worked, I don’t know what’s not having a pain every time I ride my bikes.
James always seems to cover alot of ground in these videos. The fast pace and straight forward presentation of the information keeps me engaged. For those people who absorb info a bit slower, they can watch it again =)
I think it would be great to for you guys to leave a note on how to use heel wedges as some people will unavoidably try them. As James noted the normal foot movement starts with a supination and finishes with a pronation. Some people will have that unwanted strong forefoot movement as a result of being strong supinators. Supination is normally solved in walking shoes with heel wedges with the thicker side to the outside. People with flat foot will have a tendency to pronate as a result of the lacking arch’s. Should these last ones have heel wedges with the thicker side to the inside? Well bike fitting is a process not and end point. Also important to say that heel wedges should only be applied once proper/correct arch support for the respective foot is in place. Traditional heel wedges are spongy/gell based, some of the heel edges for cycling are straight hard some are gell based. I would say gell based edges will always be better at capturing your foot anatomy. Heel wedges can be tricky in some shoes. Some Lakes are know for too spacious heel area, in general lake shoes seem to push that contact/power area away from the heel (a whole different discussion if you need that intended design or not). In such shoe it can be really hard to have a heel wedge doing any effect on the foot stability. To finish the whole story, if your position on the bike is not correct heel wedges will probably damage you more than help you - therefor, don’t try them unless everything else is already perfect.
I broke my leg 10 years ago and have metal rods that go through my femur and tibia. I use a stack to correct a medical diagnosed leg length discrepancy. Before using it I noticed very bad hip pain in the “metal” leg. I used a heel wedge for a few months that caused foot pain. I got a stack and removed the heel wedge and everything turned out fine, no more pain!
Got a fit booked with James in two weeks. Can’t wait, I’ve been watching bike fit Tuesdays videos for years so mega excited to see if he can help resolve some of my issues!
The next series complimenting Bike Fit Tuesdays, is Lawyer Representation Wednesday for the assault charges filed against you from expressing your dissatisfaction against your incompetent bike fitter with said implement.
People are really good at compensating. If something hurts or is uncomfortable, we avoid it and adapt to it. However, this also means that it is hard to diagnose for yourself where the problem truly is. You only feel what's wrong, not how to fix it. To me, wedges seem to be the the easiest thing to screw up.
Plus when things are finally diagnosed, you have to let your body settle out of the old position and into the new one which isn't always a smooth process and you have to be patient.
I love this so much! I've had all of these shims/wedges applied to my bike fits in the past, and all they did was create more issues. Especially when I went to get checked for a leg length discrepancy and that came back as not being the case.
@bikefitjames was wondering if you could do a video on flat footedness and plantar faciitus. Been waking up with pain on random days after work and its been affecting my cycling on my off days. Could you please make a video on it and ways i can improve the pain and get me back riding again? thanks in advance!!!
As always, entertaining and educational. James taught me, inadvertently, that I’ve had my saddle height 2.5cm too high for the past 10 years. And I used to work in a bike shop! I can confirm that most people, including bike fitters, have a tendency to set the saddle too high.
Have a friend who had been through multiple fits - some of them leaving her like quasimodo... others just sawing off her stem height adjustment millimeter by millimeter. She has now been diagnosed with a discus in her neck and some nerve impingement and have other ailments too. With all those fits she could barely click into her speedplays and had massive sitbone issues. Only took 1.5-2cm or whatever it was and very minor adjustments to saddle angle and fore aft to make her stable, easy click in and no pain or discomfort apart from the discus for which she is due a surgery
@@yannickokpara4861 It’s amazing how powerful saddle height is and also sad how often it’s set so high that it creates a series of problems with back, neck, wrists, knees, feet and sit bones.
I thought I had a well fitting pair of Lake shoes.... until I had a fit by James and some heel wedges later... it was astounding the difference it made.
@@SpinShoeGuru the easiest way to explain it is the shoes now feels like a well fitting shoe. Before the foot felt a bit vacant in the shoe on the pedal stroke
I have wedges in my left shoe. One under the footbed, two on the cleat. Shady but it works. But I did shatter both heals and the left healed on the wonk so that foot rolls to the outside. I also had insoles in all my street shoes. Thanks NHS for not listening that I was sure I’d smashed both and by the time you agreed it was too late...
As far as the many and subtle leg length discrepancies go, I remember a Chiropracter treatment working on me and correcting this for good. So if you can find a good honest one that doesn't destroy people, that could be the best for you, far better tban shimming. It's amazing what a good chiropractor can do for even a guy like me with an extreme orthopedic case of slipped vertebrae.
Bike fit James, how to find a good bike fitter in my country. How would I know he is really competent? Opinions?probably not... Years in business?don't think so... equipment or prices?surely not... I live in Poland so this might be tricky...
Delightful video but one correction for 3:56: Something big and heavy and which is NOT I REPEAT IS NOT a precision instrument like a Topeak D-Torq DX torque wrench. (I have one too, brilliant tool if used correctly and not as a hammer) Finally booked a fit few days ago, see you in 9 weeks (9 weeks? crazy)
I am commenting before I even watch the end of this video. I have wedges in my shoes and I did not even know no that I would like them.. Come to find out I like a little wedge under the outside of my feet and and it just makes everything feel great it's great. Just an opinion
Guys. Can you a video covering how you would cater for excessive 'toe out'? For example, how would you deal with a +10° toe out? Are there any road/mtb pedals that could accommodate this? What about heal strike - longer axles or extenders? If you need a lab rat, let me know since I'm local:) In the meantime, thanks for the insight and gotchas.👍👍
The funniest thing is how specialized do a fit with these spacers. They put you on a flat floor then add spacers under your foot and ask you to squat on one foot until you get better balance and then put you in their shoes which are not flat, this is absurd! Regarding the length of the legs, the best option is to take a lower body X-ray in a standing position (this is important), so you can see the difference in the length of the legs. Otherwise you could be mistaken because the muscles compensate for the discrepancies in length. For example, if your leg length is checked on a table by pulling both legs to align your pelvis, that is not correct because your spine is still curved. p.s. Thank you for your video, I have long wanted to throw out these spacers because they were taking up space in the closet but I was unsure about it
Had my own bike fit Tuesday this week (pre purchase of bike). Got a medial sub tarsal coalition so big it causes my feet to collapse over time… pronate a crazy amount and splay outwards. Answer: buy mountain bike pedals for my road bike.
I'm starting to find that bike fit Tuesday videos will contain some sort of criticism from James towards bad bike fitters, which unfortunately has turned me off towards getting a bike fit. on that note, I am now riding more comfortably just by doing a self bike fit guided by James and bike fit Tuesday 🤷♂️ you guys rock.
But he also says don't try this by yourself, So now i'm turned off from bike fitters, and also told not to try any of the fixes myself so i guess I'll just take up running or something
Question for James: I have Giro Empires and they feel great when I start my ride. But usually after an hour I start to feel pain on the outside of my small toes. Usually starts with the right side. I KNOW you said something about that in one of the many amazing videos, BUT I am not sure in which one. Thank you so much and have a great day!
Woah I have this issue too. Actually more of a numbness on the outer toes on the right foot. I usually have to stop, remove shoes and walk on flat ground to get feeling back in them.
The Giro Empire is a fairly narrow shoe, as you ride your feet swell and the metatarsal bones push outwards resulting in your small toes pushing on the outside of the shoe. From my recollection, the laces on the Empire don't extend down far enough for you to relax the tip of the shoe much. However I would try to give yourself more room in the laces at the bottom and see if that makes a difference. A lot people think cycling shoes need to fit like ballet or rock climbing shoes, but you want the ankle locked in with enough room to wiggle your toes in the bottom. You could also try moving your cleat further back as the will reduce the the weight on your toes.
Honestly it can be anything that might not be even related to the shoe. I had similar issue and it turned out my saddle was too high and my bike fit was so bad that my piriformis muscle was cutting circulation of sciatica and it resulted in numbness in my feet from middle toe to the smallest one. I would say get propper fit before you dump couple of Gs on new shoes.
@@echtogammut Have a very similar issue with the Empires even though Sidis (which are narrower) work perfectly. Never managed to figure it out and went back to my Sidis.
I really enjoy these high energy sprints down bike fit lane. It is sometimes hard to concentrate on the biomechanics though, when all I can think about is shirts with logos on the boob and if it's possible to get clothing without said boob-logos
Wedge seems to fix differences between two feet. In other words, if both sides use the same wedge setup, I'd say start with increasing the Q-Factor length
James mentioned stacks can cause hip impingement. Can heel wedges also? I had a bike fit years ago, and was fitted with 2 heel wedges in the left shoe. Recently noticed left hip issues and tried removing the wedges and seems to be better now. (I also have 1 wedge in the right shoe, which I've left in, as that was worse when I removed it. My right foot pronates more which makes sense - and so the set up I had before was a bit odd perhaps).
Question for James : I am pretty sure that years ago I had James on the phone at sigma sport and he was recommending the G8 insoles. I’ve had incredible success with them preventing knee pain …. But… The G8 instructions say that every now and again you will need to incrementally increase the height of the support as your foot changes due to the support. This has been my experience, but what happens when you run out of changes you can make? Sometimes I think that perhaps the support shims on the G8 slightly collapse…. Is this the case?
I also have a problem with the G8 on long rides. They also don’t work in every shoe. For Lakes they are quite ok. The concept of keeping on increasing the support is a hard one that can lead to problems and actually contradicts G8 own instructions of picking the right insert while having your foot static on the floor.
I use G8 foot beds and I have two of those specialized internal wedges in my left shoe….They definitely help me but perhaps I’ll give the heel wedge a go….should probably just get a bike fit as I have a few issues I need sorting out
James, I had a fitter put a wedge in my shoes and, like you said, I hated it. I felt like it put pressure on my knees and lower quads, and my legs fatigued. I didn’t understand why he put them in as other fitters had pointed out how even my knees track and how smooth my pedal stroke is. I removed them and I went back to normal.
Might I suggest if you can to place a burr in the chamois of those bike fitters suggesting all these measures. What do you tell an older rider experiencing none of these issues who's knees track well? I also like your chrome vanadium idea if stealth fails!
James, have you ever thought of doing a world tour of bike fitting. Like for myself, I would love for you to come to Perth Australia and help me and a lot of other people with a bike fit. How many people do you need to fit to make that trip your worth while?
I have bunion issue on right foot. When ride long hour (more than 3) big toe tend to have pain not just on the joint. Hope I can get fitted by you soon.
Hi Great videos! I'd love to see one on fitting someone that has long legs for their height. Often they need a bike with higher stack but also shorter reach which becomes tricky. Any bike recommendations on this also? Would you go up a size to get a higher stack and then run a super short stem? Cheers
Be interested to know yours and James thoughts on using pedal extenders for those of of us who are slightly more comfortably proportioned cyclists, to reduce knee out at top of stroke
I just stumbled across your channel and it‘s so useful. Thanks a lot. Could you do a „long legs special“? I‘m really struggling to find a frame that works for me (183cm/91cm inseam). Modern frames tend to have a special dedicated seatpost that is only available in one length and if I select a small enough frame that is short enough, the seatpost can‘t be extended far enough.
Fantastically informative videos - thanks very much. My Garmin Rally power meter pedals tell me I’ve got +8mm platform centre offset on each foot (ie I think it means I’m putting pressure on the pedal toward the outside edge of my feet). I’ve no pain problems - but wonder if you can comment about my need for wedges, shims etc etc. Thanks again - brilliant vids
I recently fitted someone who also bought some Lake 238's off me because their current shoes were too small. Following the purchase of the new shoes, they told me that their podiatrist advised that, "you shouldn't need to apply any footbeds or cleat wedging to the new shoes because the shoe will sort all that for you"...........Can you ask James to authorise me to hit the podiatrist please!?!
James, what causes a heel-out tendency at the power portion / bottom of the pedal stroke? It only happens to my left leg and it causes outer - upper calf pain. It feels like throughout an entire ride, my left heel is pressed against the heel-out limit of my cleats? If I tilt my bike to the left (and sit with my left sitbone on the right portion of the seat), all of a sudden my left pedal stroke feels more normal (obviously this is an extreme position). This is post-bike fit by the way, albeit not a great one obviously. Thanks for your help!
I have orthotic insoles which I wear in my shoes. They have a solid heel section which raises the inside of my heels and provide arch support. Should I wear them in my carbon soled cycling shoes?
You're probably better off having a fitter make a suggestion. Orthotic insoles are made to provide arch support for walking and other things (of the primal nature referenced in the video) while cycling arch support isn't quite in the same location.
Doesn’t need to appear in court the judge will obviously know ` James and will know that these are going to be new laws so will rule in your favour. Job done
Morton’s neuroma in right foot, cleat has been pushed back all the way, helped a bit but still in pain. Any suggestions? Had a bike fit by a licensed fitter who is also a Physiotherapist.
I also have that issue in my right foot. Apart from moving the cleat back (30mm behind ball of foot for me) I’ve had some relief from a 1/4 inch thick metatarsal pad as well as making sure to use an insole with good arch support. The combination of those three things has enabled me to continue riding
Are you speaking about the built in one? I tried the green (high arch) with built in metatarsal pad which I felt like did nothing. I needed to buy a pack of 1/4” thick pads on Amazon. Felt funny at first but you get used to it. Having enough arch support is huge too
Yes built in one. I just ordered a set of foot beds from Solestar as well. I’ll order some individual pads as well. Thanks 🙏 I’ll let you know how I make out.
Should I look into a proper shoe fit/wedge? I'm not having any pain but have noticed recently most of the pressure is on the outside of my foot when pedaling. It takes a bit if effort and concentration to make it feel balanced and spread across the foot evenly. Do I need better form or potentially some type of shoe fit?
Hey James, should shoe wedges and pedal washers be taken into consideration in EVERY bike fitting? I don't think my local bike fitters offer that. Thanks.
Hi James, I was searching for spaces and came across your video above - I have recently visited a Physio re lower back pain and following a few sessions, he has said I should get 5mm spaces for my cleat on my right foot due to a short leg. Would have liked to have dropped around to you for a bike fit, but not so easy as I am based in Ireland.
Question for James, If someone has Specialized shoes and wants to correct the in-built forefoot cant of the shoe. What size wedge would be required to neutralize the shoe?
I use both SPD SL and SPD MTB shoes/cleats. Lately I have been getting a pain in one foot when using the MTB but not with the SL. The pain seems to be directly above where the cleat would be. Any ideas why this is? Thanks. Great content (thumbs up emoji)
So was Specialized truthfull when they claim most riders NEED the varus? Or was that hype? I remember removing a Big MEAT wedge years back from a SIDI shoe. BUt open to this for a shoe that's real flat with no arch. I guess you avoid the Varus accessories, and not in agreement with the Specialized claims?
I didn‘t really understand the thing where one side of the foot is „elevated“. Does this mean that that side is sticking out more? I use pre-made footbeds for arch support. When they are worn, the foam under the inside toe joint is completely compressed. Can this be one of the situations described?
Bike fit James what do you do if your city does not possess a fitter of your caliber, that uses all these techniques? Surely some self trial and error is ok? How would you go about it in a safe way?
Hello @bikefitjames. Thanks for the video. I’m experiencing pain in both of my toes (as if they were swollen with blood) when I do a very long ride with constant hard pedaling. What are my options? In another fitting video I saw that this is probably due to the fact that my archs are too deep and I’m putting all the load in the metatarsals - thus I would need arch supports underneath my soles. What do you think about this? Thanks!
Is there any recognised qualification one should look for in a bike fitter to give confidence in what they are doing. I've had couple of fits over the years and very different experiences
Wow you know it’s going to be a good video when James is in the lense Question: I ride both A touring bike and an Aero bike I find that I’m leaning to one side Of the saddle (ever so slightly and I know this because I generally get saddle sores on my left side) which I believe is compensation for the fact that I’m blind in my right eye no I do have knee pain sometimes which is normally inflamed when I’m not spinning on the pedals, is there anything I can do which might help with my seat position or is it a case of suck it up buttercup?
I had a similar problem. I would like to say "lateral foot sore" rather than pain cause I feel the fatigue in the lateral foot muscle.i have tried move cleats inside but it seems it doesn't work. then I try wedging cleats to elevate the outside and the symptom resolved. however, after 25km， the lateral knee started to "pain". how to fiexd it? i totoally have no idea ~~@_@
Please don’t hit people with a torque wrench. It could cause serious damage and you’d need to get it recalibrated before using it again.
That’s what the pedal wrench is for.
Exactly. Torque wrenches are sensitive tools.
Recalibrated before using it to do something up, or recalibrated between hits?
Tried it. The fitter suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage leading to aseptic meningitis and is currently in the ICU. He said his lawyer will contact James.
“I don’t want people playing with themselves…” Sound advice 😃. Your videos rock
Does this mean that bike Fit James will play with you, if you pay??
"If you do it wrong you have the potential to hurt yourself!!!"
they can go blind apparently…
haha, I was going to selectively quote that also, adding the part you may hurt yourself.
Ha, had a bike fit a few weeks back with someone who uses said track tech and in the physical assessment he noted a leg length difference. I was favouring one side riding but interestingly he never added a shim, but resolved this with a narrower saddle (he spotted the wider saddle causing me to sit off centre) . Reassuring he wasn't reliant on the tech but actually observed me doing it!
I wish I could hop on plane to London ASAP! At age 55, just about everything James says about dubious bike fitters has happened to me.
I feel the same!
James should do a world tour!
@@marc-andrecouture6556 yes PLEASE ! 👌
Feel exactly the same as you do, I’m 44 and I’ve done several bike fits here in Spain, none have worked, I don’t know what’s not having a pain every time I ride my bikes.
Was there on Tuesday, totally worth it
Love it, "Bike fit James told me I could !"
James always seems to cover alot of ground in these videos. The fast pace and straight forward presentation of the information keeps me engaged. For those people who absorb info a bit slower, they can watch it again =)
I think it would be great to for you guys to leave a note on how to use heel wedges as some people will unavoidably try them. As James noted the normal foot movement starts with a supination and finishes with a pronation. Some people will have that unwanted strong forefoot movement as a result of being strong supinators. Supination is normally solved in walking shoes with heel wedges with the thicker side to the outside. People with flat foot will have a tendency to pronate as a result of the lacking arch’s. Should these last ones have heel wedges with the thicker side to the inside? Well bike fitting is a process not and end point. Also important to say that heel wedges should only be applied once proper/correct arch support for the respective foot is in place. Traditional heel wedges are spongy/gell based, some of the heel edges for cycling are straight hard some are gell based. I would say gell based edges will always be better at capturing your foot anatomy. Heel wedges can be tricky in some shoes. Some Lakes are know for too spacious heel area, in general lake shoes seem to push that contact/power area away from the heel (a whole different discussion if you need that intended design or not). In such shoe it can be really hard to have a heel wedge doing any effect on the foot stability. To finish the whole story, if your position on the bike is not correct heel wedges will probably damage you more than help you - therefor, don’t try them unless everything else is already perfect.
I broke my leg 10 years ago and have metal rods that go through my femur and tibia. I use a stack to correct a medical diagnosed leg length discrepancy. Before using it I noticed very bad hip pain in the “metal” leg. I used a heel wedge for a few months that caused foot pain. I got a stack and removed the heel wedge and everything turned out fine, no more pain!
These bikefit Tuesday videos are some of the best videos on the Internet 😅👌
Great info… by the way, James choice of shoe wear today is impeccable… 😎🤜🏽🤛🏽
Got a fit booked with James in two weeks. Can’t wait, I’ve been watching bike fit Tuesdays videos for years so mega excited to see if he can help resolve some of my issues!
Please advise how you went!
The next series complimenting Bike Fit Tuesdays, is Lawyer Representation Wednesday for the assault charges filed against you from expressing your dissatisfaction against your incompetent bike fitter with said implement.
Great to have BFT back - brilliant advice and guidance - as always :)
So... Can we expect a world tour? I think it's time for James to take this show on the road!!
Bike Fit Tuesday, Francis & James the true dynamic duo.
Been using Specialized shoes for 18years. Spot on that it rolls both of my feet to the outside. Anxiously awaiting the US Tour of Bike Fit Tuesdays.
I’d love to hear James’ thoughts on Morton’s Neuromas and Metatarsalgia
Me too, just commented on it as well
People are really good at compensating. If something hurts or is uncomfortable, we avoid it and adapt to it. However, this also means that it is hard to diagnose for yourself where the problem truly is. You only feel what's wrong, not how to fix it. To me, wedges seem to be the the easiest thing to screw up.
Plus when things are finally diagnosed, you have to let your body settle out of the old position and into the new one which isn't always a smooth process and you have to be patient.
I love this so much! I've had all of these shims/wedges applied to my bike fits in the past, and all they did was create more issues. Especially when I went to get checked for a leg length discrepancy and that came back as not being the case.
just booked a fit with James, can't wait!
@bikefitjames was wondering if you could do a video on flat footedness and plantar faciitus. Been waking up with pain on random days after work and its been affecting my cycling on my off days. Could you please make a video on it and ways i can improve the pain and get me back riding again? thanks in advance!!!
As always, entertaining and educational. James taught me, inadvertently, that I’ve had my saddle height 2.5cm too high for the past 10 years. And I used to work in a bike shop! I can confirm that most people, including bike fitters, have a tendency to set the saddle too high.
Have a friend who had been through multiple fits - some of them leaving her like quasimodo... others just sawing off her stem height adjustment millimeter by millimeter. She has now been diagnosed with a discus in her neck and some nerve impingement and have other ailments too. With all those fits she could barely click into her speedplays and had massive sitbone issues. Only took 1.5-2cm or whatever it was and very minor adjustments to saddle angle and fore aft to make her stable, easy click in and no pain or discomfort apart from the discus for which she is due a surgery
@@yannickokpara4861 It’s amazing how powerful saddle height is and also sad how often it’s set so high that it creates a series of problems with back, neck, wrists, knees, feet and sit bones.
I thought I had a well fitting pair of Lake shoes.... until I had a fit by James and some heel wedges later... it was astounding the difference it made.
What was the difference? How would you describe the before and after? Thanks.
@@SpinShoeGuru the easiest way to explain it is the shoes now feels like a well fitting shoe. Before the foot felt a bit vacant in the shoe on the pedal stroke
I have wedges in my left shoe. One under the footbed, two on the cleat. Shady but it works. But I did shatter both heals and the left healed on the wonk so that foot rolls to the outside. I also had insoles in all my street shoes. Thanks NHS for not listening that I was sure I’d smashed both and by the time you agreed it was too late...
One aspect I love almost as much as the wealth of knowledge had here is James and his style!! Seriously, what brand shirt is that?!
As far as the many and subtle leg length discrepancies go, I remember a Chiropracter treatment working on me and correcting this for good. So if you can find a good honest one that doesn't destroy people, that could be the best for you, far better tban shimming. It's amazing what a good chiropractor can do for even a guy like me with an extreme orthopedic case of slipped vertebrae.
Very good quality, easy to assemble, works as advertised.
If there's anything I've learned today is that I should bring something heavy when going to a bike fitting. Thanks for the tip!
I like the fact that James is a watch enthusiast. I’ve seen him wear a Speedmaster in another video.
Bike fit James, how to find a good bike fitter in my country. How would I know he is really competent? Opinions?probably not... Years in business?don't think so... equipment or prices?surely not... I live in Poland so this might be tricky...
Teoretycznie veloart jest godny zaufania, ale czy na 100% to ciężko powiedzieć.
Perfect advice @9:31. Another great video with great info.
Delightful video but one correction for 3:56: Something big and heavy and which is NOT I REPEAT IS NOT a precision instrument like a Topeak D-Torq DX torque wrench. (I have one too, brilliant tool if used correctly and not as a hammer)
Finally booked a fit few days ago, see you in 9 weeks (9 weeks? crazy)
I am commenting before I even watch the end of this video. I have wedges in my shoes and I did not even know no that I would like them.. Come to find out I like a little wedge under the outside of my feet and and it just makes everything feel great it's great. Just an opinion
Guys. Can you a video covering how you would cater for excessive 'toe out'?
For example, how would you deal with a +10° toe out? Are there any road/mtb pedals that could accommodate this? What about heal strike - longer axles or extenders?
If you need a lab rat, let me know since I'm local:)
In the meantime, thanks for the insight and gotchas.👍👍
The funniest thing is how specialized do a fit with these spacers. They put you on a flat floor then add spacers under your foot and ask you to squat on one foot until you get better balance and then put you in their shoes which are not flat, this is absurd!
Regarding the length of the legs, the best option is to take a lower body X-ray in a standing position (this is important), so you can see the difference in the length of the legs. Otherwise you could be mistaken because the muscles compensate for the discrepancies in length. For example, if your leg length is checked on a table by pulling both legs to align your pelvis, that is not correct because your spine is still curved.
p.s. Thank you for your video, I have long wanted to throw out these spacers because they were taking up space in the closet but I was unsure about it
Bike Fit James told me I could... LOVE IT!
Love a good old BikeFitTuesday!
Had my own bike fit Tuesday this week (pre purchase of bike). Got a medial sub tarsal coalition so big it causes my feet to collapse over time… pronate a crazy amount and splay outwards. Answer: buy mountain bike pedals for my road bike.
So if anyone else out there pronates too much due to valgus then getting rid off clip pedals may be answer
I'm starting to find that bike fit Tuesday videos will contain some sort of criticism from James towards bad bike fitters, which unfortunately has turned me off towards getting a bike fit. on that note, I am now riding more comfortably just by doing a self bike fit guided by James and bike fit Tuesday 🤷♂️ you guys rock.
But he also says don't try this by yourself, So now i'm turned off from bike fitters, and also told not to try any of the fixes myself so i guess I'll just take up running or something
@@EliCriffield 🤣
😂😂😂
Question for James: I have Giro Empires and they feel great when I start my ride. But usually after an hour I start to feel pain on the outside of my small toes. Usually starts with the right side. I KNOW you said something about that in one of the many amazing videos, BUT I am not sure in which one. Thank you so much and have a great day!
Woah I have this issue too. Actually more of a numbness on the outer toes on the right foot. I usually have to stop, remove shoes and walk on flat ground to get feeling back in them.
The Giro Empire is a fairly narrow shoe, as you ride your feet swell and the metatarsal bones push outwards resulting in your small toes pushing on the outside of the shoe. From my recollection, the laces on the Empire don't extend down far enough for you to relax the tip of the shoe much. However I would try to give yourself more room in the laces at the bottom and see if that makes a difference. A lot people think cycling shoes need to fit like ballet or rock climbing shoes, but you want the ankle locked in with enough room to wiggle your toes in the bottom. You could also try moving your cleat further back as the will reduce the the weight on your toes.
Honestly it can be anything that might not be even related to the shoe. I had similar issue and it turned out my saddle was too high and my bike fit was so bad that my piriformis muscle was cutting circulation of sciatica and it resulted in numbness in my feet from middle toe to the smallest one. I would say get propper fit before you dump couple of Gs on new shoes.
@@echtogammut Have a very similar issue with the Empires even though Sidis (which are narrower) work perfectly. Never managed to figure it out and went back to my Sidis.
You can try to increase your q-factor
I really enjoy these high energy sprints down bike fit lane. It is sometimes hard to concentrate on the biomechanics though, when all I can think about is shirts with logos on the boob and if it's possible to get clothing without said boob-logos
The legend which is ‘BFJ’ - Good stuff 👍
Wedge seems to fix differences between two feet. In other words, if both sides use the same wedge setup, I'd say start with increasing the Q-Factor length
James mentioned stacks can cause hip impingement. Can heel wedges also? I had a bike fit years ago, and was fitted with 2 heel wedges in the left shoe. Recently noticed left hip issues and tried removing the wedges and seems to be better now. (I also have 1 wedge in the right shoe, which I've left in, as that was worse when I removed it. My right foot pronates more which makes sense - and so the set up I had before was a bit odd perhaps).
Fantastic video so so interesting thanks so much Dr James and male nurse Francis Great job 👍🏻
Question for James : I am pretty sure that years ago I had James on the phone at sigma sport and he was recommending the G8 insoles. I’ve had incredible success with them preventing knee pain …. But…
The G8 instructions say that every now and again you will need to incrementally increase the height of the support as your foot changes due to the support. This has been my experience, but what happens when you run out of changes you can make? Sometimes I think that perhaps the support shims on the G8 slightly collapse…. Is this the case?
Yes they deform and flatten over time. He recommended in an older video that you replace the inserts periodically
I also have a problem with the G8 on long rides. They also don’t work in every shoe. For Lakes they are quite ok. The concept of keeping on increasing the support is a hard one that can lead to problems and actually contradicts G8 own instructions of picking the right insert while having your foot static on the floor.
Bike fit tuesday........ James is the man! 👌🍀
Any solutions on pain in the achilles tendon or where it might come from?
I use G8 foot beds and I have two of those specialized internal wedges in my left shoe….They definitely help me but perhaps I’ll give the heel wedge a go….should probably just get a bike fit as I have a few issues I need sorting out
James, I had a fitter put a wedge in my shoes and, like you said, I hated it. I felt like it put pressure on my knees and lower quads, and my legs fatigued. I didn’t understand why he put them in as other fitters had pointed out how even my knees track and how smooth my pedal stroke is. I removed them and I went back to normal.
Does it have to be a ratchet o hit them with or can you use a beam style torque wrench? Asking for a friend😁
Great now I can smack the numpties at work and say bike fit James told me to🤣. Have a fit with him in a couple of weeks, going to have to take notes.
Might I suggest if you can to place a burr in the chamois of those bike fitters suggesting all these measures. What do you tell an older rider experiencing none of these issues who's knees track well? I also like your chrome vanadium idea if stealth fails!
James, have you ever thought of doing a world tour of bike fitting. Like for myself, I would love for you to come to Perth Australia and help me and a lot of other people with a bike fit.
How many people do you need to fit to make that trip your worth while?
“Bikefit James asked me to do it “
😂😂😂
I have bunion issue on right foot. When ride long hour (more than 3) big toe tend to have pain not just on the joint. Hope I can get fitted by you soon.
Cracking video...! Pertinent and informative as usual.. thanks guys!
cheers Steve!
Hi Great videos! I'd love to see one on fitting someone that has long legs for their height. Often they need a bike with higher stack but also shorter reach which becomes tricky. Any bike recommendations on this also? Would you go up a size to get a higher stack and then run a super short stem? Cheers
Be interested to know yours and James thoughts on using pedal extenders for those of of us who are slightly more comfortably proportioned cyclists, to reduce knee out at top of stroke
wider stance usually does no harm, especially for larger riders!
Some day I'd really like a compilation of BFJ throwing stuff onto the bench, obviously with the heavy objects clips from this video spliced in too.
I just stumbled across your channel and it‘s so useful. Thanks a lot. Could you do a „long legs special“? I‘m really struggling to find a frame that works for me (183cm/91cm inseam). Modern frames tend to have a special dedicated seatpost that is only available in one length and if I select a small enough frame that is short enough, the seatpost can‘t be extended far enough.
Fantastically informative videos - thanks very much. My Garmin Rally power meter pedals tell me I’ve got +8mm platform centre offset on each foot (ie I think it means I’m putting pressure on the pedal toward the outside edge of my feet). I’ve no pain problems - but wonder if you can comment about my need for wedges, shims etc etc.
Thanks again - brilliant vids
I recently fitted someone who also bought some Lake 238's off me because their current shoes were too small. Following the purchase of the new shoes, they told me that their podiatrist advised that, "you shouldn't need to apply any footbeds or cleat wedging to the new shoes because the shoe will sort all that for you"...........Can you ask James to authorise me to hit the podiatrist please!?!
James, what causes a heel-out tendency at the power portion / bottom of the pedal stroke? It only happens to my left leg and it causes outer - upper calf pain. It feels like throughout an entire ride, my left heel is pressed against the heel-out limit of my cleats? If I tilt my bike to the left (and sit with my left sitbone on the right portion of the seat), all of a sudden my left pedal stroke feels more normal (obviously this is an extreme position). This is post-bike fit by the way, albeit not a great one obviously. Thanks for your help!
Thanks much! Incredibly informative.
I have orthotic insoles which I wear in my shoes. They have a solid heel section which raises the inside of my heels and provide arch support. Should I wear them in my carbon soled cycling shoes?
You're probably better off having a fitter make a suggestion. Orthotic insoles are made to provide arch support for walking and other things (of the primal nature referenced in the video) while cycling arch support isn't quite in the same location.
Some people think you need a bike fit even if you ride without problems.would love to hear James thoughts
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Then again you don’t know what performance you might unlock!
"Bikefit James told me I could"
🤣👍
Now I just want a video that is just a stream of "If a bike fitter tells you this, Bike Fit James says I can hit you with this wrench" :D
Question: will the "Bikefit James told me to" excuse be admissible in court, and if so, will Bikefit James be available to testify in our behalf?
Doesn’t need to appear in court the judge will obviously know ` James and will know that these are going to be new laws so will rule in your favour. Job done
Excellent, as ever.
James, if a customer is experiencing pain whilst cycling and it isn't resolved after a bike fit, do you offer a refund? Thanks.
James getting all Dominic Torretto with the torque wrench...
Morton’s neuroma in right foot, cleat has been pushed back all the way, helped a bit but still in pain. Any suggestions? Had a bike fit by a licensed fitter who is also a Physiotherapist.
I also have that issue in my right foot. Apart from moving the cleat back (30mm behind ball of foot for me) I’ve had some relief from a 1/4 inch thick metatarsal pad as well as making sure to use an insole with good arch support. The combination of those three things has enabled me to continue riding
Yes, I have a metatarsal button on my blue specialized foot bed as well. Though they do make one with a higher arch support I believe
Are you speaking about the built in one? I tried the green (high arch) with built in metatarsal pad which I felt like did nothing. I needed to buy a pack of 1/4” thick pads on Amazon. Felt funny at first but you get used to it. Having enough arch support is huge too
Yes built in one. I just ordered a set of foot beds from Solestar as well. I’ll order some individual pads as well. Thanks 🙏 I’ll let you know how I make out.
Do some research on the pad placement, that’s pretty important. Best of luck 👍🏻
I’m going on a rampage and when I get caught I’m just going to say “bike fit James said I could”
😂🛠😂
Road Cycling Academy says almost everyone could use leg length shims and Cade Media says they are only appropriate in extreme cases...
I want to use a socket wrench instead of a torque wrench. Is that allowed?
No reason, just personal preference
Great info as usual…my question is, can you just put an orthotic in your cycling shoe that you normally wear in regular shoes?
Sir. james ha ha ha.... I Wish there's a bike fit doctor like you here in My country....
Very excited for this one.
Every time I see James in a video he looks totally differently. Either savage with crazy hair und beard or here styled und clean shaved 😂😂😂👌🏻
that hairy guy is his identical twin
@@Cade_Media 🤯😂
Should I look into a proper shoe fit/wedge? I'm not having any pain but have noticed recently most of the pressure is on the outside of my foot when pedaling. It takes a bit if effort and concentration to make it feel balanced and spread across the foot evenly. Do I need better form or potentially some type of shoe fit?
Hey James, should shoe wedges and pedal washers be taken into consideration in EVERY bike fitting? I don't think my local bike fitters offer that. Thanks.
🤣🔨. Thanks for this, would love to get a proper bike fit some day.
Question for James, why no the thicker side of the shim on the outside of the shoe?
Hi James, I was searching for spaces and came across your video above - I have recently visited a Physio re lower back pain and following a few sessions, he has said I should get 5mm spaces for my cleat on my right foot due to a short leg. Would have liked to have dropped around to you for a bike fit, but not so easy as I am based in Ireland.
Question for James, If someone has Specialized shoes and wants to correct the in-built forefoot cant of the shoe. What size wedge would be required to neutralize the shoe?
I use both SPD SL and SPD MTB shoes/cleats. Lately I have been getting a pain in one foot when using the MTB but not with the SL. The pain seems to be directly above where the cleat would be. Any ideas why this is? Thanks. Great content (thumbs up emoji)
If you're on a Rubber based shoe last - consider switching to a Carbon based foot bed > worked for me. Good Luck...
So was Specialized truthfull when they claim most riders NEED the varus? Or was that hype? I remember removing a Big MEAT wedge years back from a SIDI shoe. BUt open to this for a shoe that's real flat with no arch. I guess you avoid the Varus accessories, and not in agreement with the Specialized claims?
Can a wider stand with a little bit of rotation of the cleats also fix some sort of Varus problems instead of wedges?
I didn‘t really understand the thing where one side of the foot is „elevated“. Does this mean that that side is sticking out more? I use pre-made footbeds for arch support. When they are worn, the foam under the inside toe joint is completely compressed. Can this be one of the situations described?
Brilliant book me in
Ok, how to address difference in leg lenght?
JAMES!
Bike fit James what do you do if your city does not possess a fitter of your caliber, that uses all these techniques? Surely some self trial and error is ok? How would you go about it in a safe way?
Hello @bikefitjames. Thanks for the video. I’m experiencing pain in both of my toes (as if they were swollen with blood) when I do a very long ride with constant hard pedaling. What are my options? In another fitting video I saw that this is probably due to the fact that my archs are too deep and I’m putting all the load in the metatarsals - thus I would need arch supports underneath my soles. What do you think about this? Thanks!
Is there any recognised qualification one should look for in a bike fitter to give confidence in what they are doing. I've had couple of fits over the years and very different experiences
Wow you know it’s going to be a good video when James is in the lense
Question: I ride both A touring bike and an Aero bike I find that I’m leaning to one side Of the saddle (ever so slightly and I know this because I generally get saddle sores on my left side) which I believe is compensation for the fact that I’m blind in my right eye no I do have knee pain sometimes which is normally inflamed when I’m not spinning on the pedals, is there anything I can do which might help with my seat position or is it a case of suck it up buttercup?
next video is on saddle sores!
When using G8 insoles do you need to adjust seat height I noticed there is 4 mm difference (rise) inside the shoe compared to normal insoles.
I had a similar problem. I would like to say "lateral foot sore" rather than pain cause I feel the fatigue in the lateral foot muscle.i have tried move cleats inside but it seems it doesn't work. then I try wedging cleats to elevate the outside and the symptom resolved. however, after 25km， the lateral knee started to "pain". how to fiexd it? i totoally have no idea ~~@_@