Rick

I started bicycling shortly after training when I was stationed at Ft Lewis. I always had some minor knee pain and without a foot retention system on the pedals I would have heel strikes on the chain stays. I was transfered to Fort Ord and rode with a small group of bicyclists on the weekends and holidays. I mentioned the knee pain to our group leader. He refered me to a bicycle shop that carried a product called Kneesavers. I still have the original pair of them made in SS. I am bow legged and the Kneesavers solved my pain problem. The same Q factor dosen't work for everybody. Kneesavers extend your pedal out by screwing into the crank arm first. you can purchase them in three widths and in SS or Titanium. KNEESAVERS

easyupbug 

Not your company but did try a 20mm pedal extender for my injured knee and still have it on as it helped my thigh from rubbing the top tube but did not help with the joint.

unterhausen

It's not too difficult to find pedal extenders. Bike shops either have some in stock or can easily get them. And Amazon has approximately 37million varieties available

veganbikes

I have used pedal extenders and they can be quite handy.

SoSmellyAir

20 mm is a lot. I was unable to comfortably ride clipless until Shimano released its +4 mm Ultegra pedals, which allow the additional toe out I needed.

CrimsonEclipse

Pedal extenders.
Yeah, I used them.
Riding a fat bike has the same effect.
Had them on an older folding bike that had a really narrow bottom bracket.
Recumbent cyclists seem to use them a lot.

Wildwood 

Maybe this thread should also go in Fitting Your Bike - for bow-legged folks, (maybe) some very tall folks, and fat-bike users. Probably some e-bike riders.

Never gave it much thought, .....always seeking a fairly narrow Q-factor.

Paul_P

I was considering extenders, but then changed my crank for one with a greater Q-factor.
I think I gained about 8mm each side which should be a better fit. Haven't gone for a ride yet.

big john

I started around 1990, had some custom made by a machine shop. When SCORE came out with theirs I bought 2 pair from them. I can't use clipless without them. Even with 20mm extenders my right heel hits the crank and the chainstay and I wear through the shoe.

Now that most decent pedals have stopped using wrench flats and have the 8mm Allen, I have to use older pedals for the road. Shimano still makes decent SPD pedals with wrench flats for the mountain bike.

rumrunn6

I use them in the winter so I can use winter boots on flat pedals. they help accommodate the wider foot, but are mildly annoying for foot placement. I'm using smaller winter boots now so I don't think I've used them in a cpl years.

Rick

I have Speedplay Frogs that need replacing. The wrench flat removal by most companies is annoying and a problem for me. I looked and Shimano has four SPD models with wrench flats, Richey has two models that have wrench flats. MKS has the Solution triple bearing pedal also.

zandoval 

Rick - I dont need to remind you that as you get older these little adjustments make a world of difference. I added a 2mm spacer to my right pedal to get a more comfortable alignment on my crank. Just 2mm, Ha! Due to my arthritis I have to be very careful of the dimensions and layout of my bikes. And thats just just for my little local poser rides!

Find those sweet spots where ever they may be. We do what we have to do, to keep ridding...

Troul 

tried a set (i forget the mm) but it didnt really help. The solution ended up being more degrees in float. SP Zero. Only the one side needed it, so I made the other side have less float with its adjustment.

Rick

Thanks zandoval: I used the Kneesavers for the first time Jan 1980 and they have been in every bicycle that I have owned since then. I used the Speedplay Frogs for the large amount of float. In my search for new pedals I have found the MKS US-B NUEVO Pedals that use the Time MTB setup. They use triple sealed bearings and claim to have better than average float. I want the red ones so I will probably order from Japan.

Sierra_rider

Never used the extenders, but both of my road bikes are running pedal systems with wider spindles. One bike is running Ultegra 8000s with the +4mm axle and the other is running Favero power pedals with Shimano bodies(+11mm over standard Shimano.)

I don't think Stance width is a huge issue for most people, but it is something worth looking at. On Shimano road cranksets with the standard pedal width, I was having some issues with foot and knee pain when I would start to up my volume of riding. Not debilitatingly so, but it was still there. Meanwhile I don't think I ever experienced any joint discomfort when riding my MTBs, even with the frequent applications of high torque pedaling that is common during a MTB ride. A big difference is that my Sram MTB cranks both have 20mm wider stance widths.

slow rollin

I ride a mtb with flats every other ride and my pedaling seems a little more "inline" like that. With road cranks and clipless I find my heels go in a little and my toes point out, but that's how I stand so that might be related. Luckily I haven't had any issues yet, but I bet if I was doing 50+miles a day or long mtb rides it would develop into an issue.

PeteHski

I also use the Shimano +4 mm road pedals to avoid my heels rubbing on the crank arms - because my feet naturally toe out a little. Other than that I’m not too fussed about Q-factor.

philbob57

or a dozen varieties, each sold as if by millions of vendors.

I've found pedal extenders to almost completely eliminate my knee pain. Steel versions are truly annoying, because they rust so easily IME. Stainless steel or titanium don't rust.

mstateglfr 

So...just an effectively wider Q factor.

jaxgtr

I used some on a old road bike I had that had a stupid narrow q factor many moons ago, and I think they were 15mm if I remember correctly. They helped with that bike very well and I was able to position the cleats in a much more natural position. When I change bikes, the q factor was a bit wider, so I found I did not need them, I had also lost some weight, so that helped as well.

philbob57

Hmmm ... did you expect something more?

big john

It's more than that for me. I toe out so much I need to be away from the crankarm. A wider Q doesn't affect that.

PeteHski

Yes, I was going to say the same. I’m not sensitive to Q-factor, but I hate rubbing crank arms. The +4 mm Shimano pedals are enough for me. With the standard pedals I have to offset my cleats to the max.

philbob57

Thanks for the clarification. I did not mean to seem dismissive of other benefits.

big john

No problem. It's just some of us who have weird fit issues. When I rode with clips and straps I had to hang part of my foot over the outside of the pedal so my heel would clear the crankarm. Was spinning pretty good one time and my right heel came down on top of the arm and it was almost a bad outcome.

In those days I also took a grinder to the heel of the right shoe when I had a wide heel.

When I first tried clipless I drilled holes in my shoes to move the cleat to the inside. A friend knew a machinist who made extenders for me around 1990.
My feet are size 13 wide, so that doesn't help.