I run SPD and flats. For SPD I have the spacer kit from here at 3 mm.

Home

Bike fitting products, tools, equipment, and software for professional bike fitters, bike shops and cycling enthusiasts. Shop Today!

fitkitsystems.com

With SPD, you can also run the cleat farther forward on the short leg. Depends how much of a difference you need to adjust for, and how much of the difference is in the upper or lower leg.
For flat shoes, I run a thin insole in the right shoe and a thicker one in the left shoe.
I’ve never felt the need for different crank lengths.
Recommend not over-adjusting, i.e. making the short leg “too long”
Set saddle height for the shorter leg.

 

I have a similar issue which I just use saddle height to compensate for, but you made me wonder if it would be possible to buy two lengths of cranks from a manufacturer to make it a bit more natural. I know some people with different shoe sizes will do that, but I wonder if a big enough manufacturer would just sell the parts individually through their service department (similar to a crash replacement).

I may research more into this on my next build.

Hopefully, the insert will fix the situation, but I'm guessing your muscles are wired for the previous situation so it might take some time for your legs/hips to adjust.

 

After riding for 30 years now, I found out yesterday I have a leg length discrepancy.

How was that measured?

 

My question also.

 

Had this diagnosed when I was in my early 20’s. Orthopedist used X-rays to measure it. OP may have also had this.

I initially started using a heel lift but only did so for a few years. It helped. Now I don’t use lifts and just adjust seat height for my shorter leg. No issues. But my discrepancy (measured 25 years ago) was about 2.5 mm.

 

Had this diagnosed when I was in my early 20’s. Orthopedist used X-rays to measure it. OP may have also had this.

That’s the accurate way to do it

 

I had this same thing as a teenager, diagnosed via x-ray. Wearing an insert in my left shoe took care of it or my lower back would flare up - not fun. I guess I outgrew it or somehow have managed for many years without it (58 yrs/old now).

 

So I do clinical movement analysis, and I would say everyone has a leg length discrepancy. Typically anything under 1cm is considered normal, and we usually don't do anything until it is approaching 2cm. Worry less, ride more.

 

With hip and back pain, it's impacting my riding in a negative way. It's also the reason I ended up with a grade 2 tear on my MCL a week ago (not from biking, but from roller skating). So I'm off the bike for the next 6-8 weeks and have plenty of time to think about this.

Chiros have been absolutely useless for it, only resetting my hips and adjusting my leg length. PTs also not much help. X-ray diagnosis.

So yes, I'm curious to if it's affected crank length, because that in addition to saddle position and height and pedals, are how I've been compensating for it, but it's not really impacted with a riser in my sole now. That's why the question about crank length.

 

This is actually pretty common. My right leg is ~4mm shorter than the left. While I had noticed before, it wasn't until I had a professional bike "fit" that it was fully understood. I never realized the reason-I had always cuffed the right leg of my non-tailored pants (to keep from dragging). I had also always experience pain in my right knee--I thought it was a sensitivity to temperature or wind.

After the fit, I ride with a shim between my cleat (Time ATAC) and shoe. No issues since its been diagnosed and correct. I was 30 yrs old when I had my first bike fit.

 

Packer between the cleat and shoe is an option. A friend of mine has a 40mm difference and runs a large Packer.

 

I posted I’m riding flats. Not sure what a packer is and how it relates.

 

I suspect that I have this as I have pretty mild right hip pain. Also, somewhere I read about roadies sometimes brushing their knee against the top tube to sort of "reorient" their legs/hips relative to the bike. I can do this easily with my right knee and less so with my left and I somehow suspect that has something to do with it.

Maybe it's just some weird hip imbalance.

 

I suspect that I have this as I have pretty mild right hip pain. Also, somewhere I read about roadies sometimes brushing their knee against the top tube to sort of "reorient" their legs/hips relative to the bike. I can do this easily with my right knee and less so with my left and I somehow suspect that has something to do with it.

Maybe it's just some weird hip imbalance.

I thought mine was strictly a weird hip imbalance too but it turns out this is why I have a hip imbalance. My right hip and low back used to bug me all the time. Couldn’t even figure out why walking hurt, or why my hips would get rotated in a painful way so often, and for decades.

It also explains why I’ve had knee issues, particularly on my left knee over the years, which is the shorter of my two legs. And I think it’s why I tore my MCL a week ago.

I’m looking forward to get clearance to pedal a bike that goes somewhere again, and see how i pedal with the riser in my shoe. I’m also curious to how it impacts my climbing. I’ve always sucked at it, and now I think at least I know one reason why is bad mechanics.

That said I don’t think the roadie solution is the way to go on a mountain bike, because we ride on unstable ground not road. But that’s interesting to know.

 

I can’t imagine different length cranks is the solution here. Crank length doesn’t just impact min and max pedal height, but the whole pedal circle and the amount of lever arm torque. Running different l/r cranks would play absolute hell with your cadence and ability to put down even power.

 

I don't mean separate length cranks per side, but now that my legs are relatively even, should I look at longer cranks again? I've been going between 155, 160, and 165 and it explains why I've been struggling to get comfortable on one size vs another.

 

I started getting sore hips when sleeping after I tore my hip flexors.

 

OUCH.

I haven't torn mine, but I've had right hip pain and low back (right size) because it takes the load off the shorter left leg. I'm riding on my bike in the trainer while my MCL recovers, and I'm discovering I can ride longer without any type of pain, even in the trainer.

I am hoping that this fixes issues when I get back on the trails, like my knees collapsing in, struggling on climbs (almost unrealistically), and getting a better stance for pumping and jumping. Since I got the insert my recovery is going better than I thought (knee is much more stable 2 weeks post-injury) and my pain is significantly less than I thought it would be. So here's hoping.

 

I've known about my leg length discrepancy for well over 25 years now, but the problems have just now materialized in the past 13 years or so. My right leg is between 5-10mm observed when I'm sitting/lying down. Not the orthopedic x-ray equivalent, but it partially explains why I have developed a Haglund's Deformity on my right heel. While all functional tests have shown that I've adapted to this discrepancy, with my level of activity, I've always noticed that on the hardest/longest days either running or cycling, my right calves and hamstrings are tighter compared to my left. I also notice that on the longest/hardest days, my left quad has worked harder than my right. Long story short, the resulting bone spur from my right side being chronically tighter results in the Achilles tendon to just rub the heel and/or irritate the bursa behind the tendon that my body is reacting by making more bone. I've had 4 episodes in 13 years where I can barely put any weight on my right leg for 1-2 weeks at a time because my heel is swolen. The last time I recovered from it, I'm more keen to recognized when my posterior chain is in need of mobilization/stretching and not put it off before it starts the chain reaction where my legs are so tight that it irritates that area of my heel.