Sore feet

davidmiller

Right, I'm fed up with my feet now (anybody want to swap???).

I seem to often have numb or sore feet when I ride my road bike with Specialised clip-in shoes. In winter, I convince myself they are cold and that the new expensive Merino socks I've just bought are crap and i should never listen to anybody on BikeRadar again (but quickly realise that is not correct). However, after being off the road bike for quite a while I had it fixed and was out last night. It was a lovely warm evening and I just had ankle sport socks on and before long my feet were not happy.

I never have any issues on the MTB with my MTB shoes (no clips).

So, please vote and tell me where you think I'm going wrong.

Many thanks,

David

CarleyB

Do you feel you have enough room in your shoes? Enough room to wiggle your toes ? Not sure if you can wiggle your toes whilst riding with feet in cleats as Ive never tried it

garrynolan

Assuming the shoes are the correct size(?) I'd call into a local LBS and ask them to help you check the cleat position. Any good shop should be able to help with this. Good luck.

softlad

assuming you have the correct size shoes, and the cleats are properly aligned, then it's possible you may simply be doing them up too tight.

You don't mention which particular shoes you have, but I find it's usually better to fasten cycling shoes while you are standing up, with your weight going fully through your feet. This allows your feet to 'spread' before you shoes are tightened.

If you tighten your shoes while you are sitting, chances are they will be too tight once you put weight on them...

kayakerchris

+1 for them being too tight.

I used to think that to get total contact from foot to shoe to pedal meant the shoe being as tight as possible. Not true. You can pedal perfectly well when comfortably loose and not in pain.

davidmiller

Thanks guys. i'll try loosening them up ore on the lower straps and see if that works. otherwise, I'll head over to Grafham cycles and ask them about the cleat position.

DM

Monty Dog

Whilst sometimes sore feet can be down to incompatible shoe / foot shape, IME it's most likely to be do to having them too tight and restricting circulation. People don't recognise the comparative luxury of modern shoes and pedals in comparison to 20 plus years ago - I took my restored Gios out for a leisurely ride last weekend, complete with toeclips, straps and period Detto Pietro shoes - within 30 minutes my feet were in agony and I had to stop, loosen the laces and get the blood flowing.

Stewie Griffin

kayakerchris wrote:

+1 for them being too tight.

I used to think that to get total contact from foot to shoe to pedal meant the shoe being as tight as possible. Not true. You can pedal perfectly well when comfortably loose and not in pain.

+ another, spent ages in the belief that my shoes must be as tight as possible. Came home with numb toes on anything longer than a 90 mins ride. I still have the same shoes but just dont do them up as tight and its far more comfortable.

night_porter

+1 Shoes too tight

I used to get a very numb left foot on my 9 mile commute, I changed to large flat pedals and kept moving my foot around. Better but not completely right. Lbs said not to go clipless as this would keep my foot in same place and cause more problems. Frustration and a couple of special offers @ CRC and I bought mtb spd's, I have to walk on cobbles for 1/4 mile when I get to work so I needed the non-slip soles.

This revolutionised (sorry for pun) my pedalling because now if my foot starts to tingle I pull up extra hard for a few minutes and the tingling subsides. Simples!

I cannot remember where I read this (could have been the cleat instructions) but if you are able to adjust the fore/aft position of the cleat these are the rules?

If your pedalling style is high cadence spinning then you need the cleat adjusted so that you are almost just using your toes to pedal.

If your pedalling style has a lower cadence then move the cleat further back allowing the centre of your foot to perfom the pedalling.

Maybe worth a little fettling?

markmod

+1 for too tighty = not righty!