Neither myself nor 2 local fitters have been able to solve this riddle so I’d doing the logical thing and reaching out to the forum experts.
Outdoors- L/R is typically averaging around 44/56. When I’m riding Z1 or Z2 it’s closer to 42/58 and when I’m hammering it’s around 47/54. Indoors- 49/51… always.
*I went from 175s to 170s with the idea of a more open hip angle and that helped but barely. 45/55 now.
Help me Obi Wan, you’re my only hope.
From every other conversation I’ve seen on L/R balance, your numbers are quite normal. The two common suggestions I’ve heard are 1) practice while riding, mostly through single leg drills and 2) single leg weighted lifts to address any imbalances (ie lunges, split squats, etc).
Mine is roughly the same, less balanced on easier rides outdoors and close to balanced when I’m giving it the beans. Indoors, pretty much 50/50 whatever.
I found the solution was to remove the data field from my head unit and stop worrying about it…
There is no riddle to solve…the idea that your power balance should be 50/50 (or close to it) is based on nothing. Unless you are coming back from injury or are having some serious discomfort on the bike, there is nothing to worry about.
As for the difference between your outdoor and indoor balance, what power meter are you using outdoors?
This is my focus in the gym this winter. My right, unsurprisingly, is considerably stronger.
I use to be about a 45/55 offset on most rides including training sessions. I then started to notice that on 45-min all out rides where I am “hanging” on for all means possible I was 48/52 offset.
I started looking at my fit, and realized on those 45-min rides that I was tipping my saddle or riding more forward.
I have since moved my saddle forward (slow progression) and today I can say normal or all out riding I am a 50/50 offset and sometimes 49/51.
YMMV but this is something I did, I also don’t chop circles as much and have a more fluid pedal action.
I am not advocating for you to move your saddle, just sharing what I did - in these examples the only thing that changed on my gear is I moved the saddle forward (cleat position remained, same bike etc)
Examples;
1.07hr SS ride;
1hr V02 max workout, absolute monster IMO;
2hr endurance or z2 ride;
August before moving saddle all out 45-min event;
Injury history? Leg length discrepancy?
Barring either of those, this could be symptomatic of tight illiopsoas leading to pelvic tilt in the saddle (which increases the effective length of one leg vs. the other). Tight illiopsoas is extremely common in cyclists. If you suffer from back pain off the bike that gets better when you’re riding, this is one likely cause.
But I wouldn’t be too alarmed with those numbers. That said if it’s consistent, then something is up, just not a huge issue.
Same bike/power meter or different?
Are you always clipping out/starting on the same side? That might account for a % or two over the course of a ride.
Interesting. I do suffer from occasional lower back pain from lifting heavy heavy heavy when I was in my 20s and yes, I don’t notice it until I step off the bike after a long ride. Again, 30 days per month I stopped caring but that 1 way when I look at it and see 42.7 / 57.3, I get pissed off.
*same bike. Same PM.
Another side note since you mentioned it, I also will suffer back pain “if” my saddle is too high - even 3-5mm lower will make a difference between aching that night to not.
I have some pretty precision replication fit tools for fits between all my bikes and have finally hammered down a near perfect replication between bikes.
It is becoming common practice for trying new saddles/fit that you base it on the 80mm (8cm) portion/point on any/all saddles
I’m envious of your good l/r balance, I will have my first fit in about 2/3 weeks hopefully it will improve mine. Before you dive deeper into your imbalance did you check if there is a real imbalance and not something wrong with your pm?
What helped me was to simply put my 20-second average of my L/R balance on my Wahoo’s indoor training screen. I’d keep track of it and simply trying to even out my power balance has helped.
I only had a right sided power meter for years, after moving to dual I noted a 55/45 balance.
Made sense as I had a right hip operation post motorbike crash years ago.
But I also discovered my right leg was slightly longer than left. (3-5mm)
Currently making sustained effort with single leg strength exercises.
Do you do any extensive strength training that could help ensure balance? Particularly single leg exercises?
In 2022 I had a complete tear of the conjoined tendon in my left hamstring I didn’t repair. In 2023 I had surgery on my left hip to repair a torn labrum.
My L/R balance is nearly always with 1-2% of 50/50, with either side being stronger in a given ride. I contribute it to two decades of strength training.
I was consistently 54/46 R/L. My coach assigned some single leg strength exercises which marginally improved things. I then went and got a thorough bike fit and the fitter identified a leg length discrepancy. Now with a 3mm shim under my left cleat I’m now consistently at 50/50, on two different dual sided pm’s. Overnight.
I’m currently doing a simple bi-weekly superset of single sided Romanian Deadlifts , Single Sided Bulgarian Squats, and Goblet Squats. Mixing it up with some Single sided weighted lunges and calf raises. (Upper body in between leg sets)
Only been 3-4 consistent weeks now. I started strength years ago, but never for more than a few months. So 2025 goal….
I was convinced my right leg was shorter due leg reach and it being weaker….turned out I was wrong…. My left was actually shorter and I was twisting my pelvis to the left to compensate- explained the bent seat…
I don’t think it matters at all.
But if you’re curious why… are you riding in erg mode inside? And your outdoor rides are all mostly in the flats with no long climbs?
ERG & mostly flat
Flywheel effect plus brain trying to be energy economical I think.
If you pedal your bike on the flat then stop pedalling, the bike doesn’t immediately stop moving just because you’re not pedalling. There is inertia that has been stored in the rotational movement of the wheels and you’re running off that. Essentially, each pedal stroke puts a little bit of power in the bank of wheel spin - not all the power you put out in a pedal stroke is immediately converted to movement along the ground. It takes at least a few seconds on flat ground for the wheel to finish spinning once you stop pedalling.
As such, when you’re on the flats in particular, you can get away with one leg doing more work - the other leg (non dominant?) takes it a bit easy as you keep moving off the inertia stored in your wheels from the prior legs pedal stroke.
But that leg can’t take it easy when there is less flywheel effect. If you’re on a hill you slow down pretty fast if you stop pedalling for even a second. And in erg mode, the trainer applies force constantly throughout the pedal cycle…. So you can’t get away with having one leg be a bit lazy. Or if you’re going hard, your brain knows you can’t let one leg be lazy as you need all you’ve got.
At least this is what I’ve noticed for myself and figured the reason was. Big difference on the flats when going easy. Difference goes away on climbs, hard efforts, or in erg mode.
TLDR: Can you pedal at 30bpm doing what you’re doing without falling over? If yes, your brain realizes it can let one leg do more work. If no, both legs tend to work more equally.
