Hi
Looking for some advive with regards to my pelvis and position on the bike.
After much analysis of my position and constatntly checking myself on video, whilst riding, asking others etc… I now know that my left hip sits forward. This causes me to sit very slightly to the left of the bike, with my left knee coming inwards slightly and the right knee going outwards slightly.
I am currently seeing a chiropractor to address this, I had some x-rays taken, and the pelvis looks level on them. I have heard a few others say in the past though that my right side is a little higher.
When I sit on a table and tangle my legs off, it is also obvious from the fact my left knee is further forward than my right knee.
I am basically trying to find out corrective exercises to help this. i.e. the asumptom of a tiwsted pelvis whereby the left side is further forward than the right.
Are there any “off the shelf” exercises that can help with this?
If it actually is off which I couldn’t tell without looking, but take your left leg and flex your hip and knee bringing it to your chest. Then hold that leg and push out against your arms for 3-5 seconds then pull it closer and repeat that a few times that should get it closer to being in the correct position. The problem is if its actually out there is probably something else wrong unless you had some sort of trauma. I could be tight hip flexor muscles. Do you get any clicking or popping if you externally rotate your hip?
I reckon I am a little tighter through the right hip flexor than the left, and maybe also a little tighter in the right piriformis. Would that make sense considering my left hip is further forward?
I notice, that if I make an effort to really “spill” my hips forward on the bike i.e. opening up my hip flexors, my knees track much better.
I do have a very anterior rotated pelvis… If my right side psoas/piriformis is tighter, what would one expect as the result? i.e. would it make sense that my left knee appears further forward than my right?
I have had a similar issue with my pelvis being off for many years now. Except with mine you can definitely see it in the X-rays. Bottom two vertebrae are way off…either causing the pelvis to be rotated, or as a result of the pelvis being rotated (not sure which).
I’ve gone to many different physios and chiros and really nothing has helped long term. Then I bought an “inversion table” for $100, which seems to help more than anything
we are all asymmetrical to some extent. Your hip may be outside the normal range for symmetry or it may not. More likely, it’s a leg thing. You said the pelvis X-ray suggested your pelvis is normal, so probably your legs.
Either an overall leg length difference or just a large-ish difference in say, your femurs.
Without radical leg surgery to lengthen a shorter leg, not much you can do. There’s a guy around here (Auckland) that specializes in such things. Basically he uses shims in shoes to correct it (some times as little as 1mm) and a co-worker even had him shim one side of his bike seat. Both those remedies seem to work more or less.
Look around for someone like that, and you could be onto a winner.
Hi
Looking for some advive with regards to my pelvis and position on the bike
I do this EXACT same thing, except I turn A LOT! In fact, several of my team mates refer to me as “the twister”. I also have no skeletal issues.
I was recently fitted by Mat Steinmetz at Retul and he told me that, as long as there is no pain, that it isn’t an issue. Apparently, he’s seen a lot of pros do this and it doesn’t effect power transfer at all. With that said, I have embraced my turning and can vouch for the fact that I can produce power easily and am continuing to improve. The turning isn’t a hindrance.
Embrace the way your body wants to ride. It’s a lot easier than fighting it!
NOTE: I’m assuming you have reasonable flexibility as well as no muscular/skeletal issues.
It just frustrates me, and I rarely feel “at one” with the bike.
I am sure I can work through this, as sometimes (usually after riding for a bit), Certain muscles seem to kick in and I feel better on the bike. Not sure what muscle it is, but there is one on my left side which is deep in my abs, and when I really work on activating that, things start to feel better. Any ideas as to what it is? I find it hard to describe, but it feels deep and long…
My left hip forward doesn’t cause pain, it just sometimes feels like I am putting my body in a position it would rather not be in.
I have noticed that as soon as I roll my hips forward, my knees track better, so I am working on stretching the hip flexors/lower back and rec fem + strengthening the glutes/abs and hamstrings.
I notice when I sit for a while in the same position (in my office chair), my right piriformis starts to burn a little, assuming that means it is tightening up?
Srly: I had some issues with my left hip because as u I sit uneven on the bike; a lot of stretching after rides and I changed to shorter crank arms (175 to 170) and is “almost” a non-issue anymore!
Have you experienced any injuries or is this merely to diagnose and correct a visual imbalance?
I can’t personally help but I’m interested in the feedback as I have a similar issue but in my case it’s led to constant injuries. Left leg longer than right, tight psoas on the right side, right pelvis further back (or whatever the correct terminology is). I’ve found minimal relief from a chiro and been to a number of PT’s who haven’t helped. I’m currently seeing a massage therapist to see if he can work out any of the tight muscles that might be causing the imbalance.
Anyway, good luck, hopefully there are some good suggestions on here I can steal cause I’m sick of being hurt!
I think it probably contributes to some injures. Had a problem with the achilles and hamstrings in the past.
I used to be much worse than I am now, over the last 6 months or so I have moved much closer to the centre line of the bike. Interesting that your right psoas is tight and your right side is further back. I used to think that a tight psoas would cause the hip to be brought forward (so I stretched my left side psoas more than my right). However, since doing the test where you lie on a bench and bring one knee close to chest and other leg dangling off, I am tighter through the right side for sure, which makes me think that a tight psoas/piriformis on my right side is the problem.
I am seeing a chiro, who said I am sublaxated (not sure what that means!), which is what is causing my left hip forward a bit.
I notice that my left foot pronates more than my right. I can feel it when walking sometimes, and see it when running (on a treadmill with mirror in front). I also notice that it does it when on the bike (not sure if that’s a symptom of less weight on the left sit bone though). I have had custom insoles made, but the fitter said he couldnt get enough support for my left foot so suggested wedges under the shoe.
One last thing I notice is that I wear through pedals very quickly on my left foot. It seems to move around through the pedal stroke…
