Have you tried different cleat positions on the shoe?

Some people put their cleats far forward in the hope that one can get some additional umph by using the calf muscles. This is probably nonsense since most of your impetus to move forward comes from the larger muscle groups and lots of pros have tiny calves.. Have you tried putting your cleats all the way back? Some people even recommending drilling holes into your shoes to get the cleats far enough back. I have my cleats to the far outside of the shoe as well to get a low Q but who knows if that works. Unless you already have the cleats all the way back then I'm out of ideas . Except to switch pedals to a different system. :)

I'm in my upper 50's and have a nine year history of mad calf disease. August 2014 I got hit again despite going nearly one year without an issue. Not so funny as I could not run but had no trouble riding the bicycle as I normally do. No correlation with cleat placement. This injury is got to be related to the myofascia tissue that loses its elasticity due to aging. It takes a long warmup to avoid being hit.

Have a look through this;

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/04/power-to-the-pedal-cleat-position/

Certainly the more rearward you place the cleat the less you ask f the calf in stabilization etc.
Whether that helps you, hard to say.


Also running shoes with small fore foot to heel drops are noted for not helping people with tight calves etc.
Mizuno and Asics (not lyte series) are good starting points here as both have a many options with more trsditional ddrop ie 10mm - 13mm etc.


Good luck.

Don't ride a trainer in the erg mode, use slope. I'm 95% sure that is what causes my calf issues.