Fit corrects a leftward lean due to leg length difference.
Ed contacted us about a fitting because he purchased a new bike last fall and wanted to get his position checked before his riding volume increased this spring.
A first check of his position revealed a knee angle on the high side of normal; indicating Ed was overextending to “reach” his pedals. His saddle height was a little high and creating the extra leg extension. When we looked at the front view of Ed’s pedaling we were slightly baffled by how far he was leaning to the left side of center. As you can see in the photos, Ed was riding tilted to the left side. It appears that Ed’s left leg is functionally (though not physically) shorter than his right. Lower flexibility or range of motion can create this type of functional difference. Ed was leaning to the left in a subconscious attempt to protect his left extension on the left side due to the high saddle height. It was a quick fix to bring Ed back to center, we lowered is saddle slightly and he instantly aligned himself correctly.
Ed presents an interesting case of a fit issue that is obvious when you stop to look at it, but that we might ignore for a long time and, unknowningly, be less comfortable and less efficient on the bike.
