Heavy rucksack = foot pain?

cyclingpast

Yesterday I had much more stuff than usual to take to work on my 9-mile commute, So I grabbed a larger rucksack (probably about 35-40 litres) and shoved everything in. It was practically full and pretty heavy. By the time I got to work the soles of my feet were feeling particularly sore. The question is- has anyone else found this to be the case, or is it just that the extra weight has identified a problem with my cycling technique?

cougie

Did you ride out of the saddle a lot ? Carbon soled shoes would help spread the pressure if you were carrying on with a lot of weight on you I guess ?

Drysuitdiver

remember all the nerves to the all parts of the body use the spinal cord. if the rucksack has knocked the spine about then you will be feeling pain in the feet even if the feet are actually OK.

beverick

Drysuitdiver wrote:

remember all the nerves to the all parts of the body use the spinal cord. if the rucksack has knocked the spine about then you will be feeling pain in the feet even if the feet are actually OK.

....especially if it's the sciatic nerve that's been affected but you'd probably get pain elsewhere in your leg/lower back and then only probably on one side.

I tore a periformis muscle about five-eight years ago (they go from your lower back to the top of your hip bones along the same line as the sciatic nerve). It's left me with "left-side" sciatica which, when it shows itself, it's a sore toothache like pain radiating from (or along the line of) the sciatic nerve and occasionally down to the sole of my left foot.

Bob

chris_bass

i commute with a pretty heavy rucksack (usually, shoes, full set of clothes, sizeable lunch, breakfast, towel,washkit, bike tools and whatever shopping i buy during the day) and have never had pain in my feet, almost everywhere else at one time or another but never the feet!

but i guess if it is a sudden change and it altered your riding position then i could have affected somewhere you wouldnt think it would.

Maybe try without and see if it stops and then try again and see if it starts again, then you'll know!

beelzebomb

Friend of mine recently had an op on his foot which his doc suggested may have been needed because of incorrect foot/pedal positioning.
Are you riding on flat pedals? If so, possibly you're not using the ball of your foot & using the arch.

Cafewanda

Give in and get panniers. You know it makes sense

thiscocks

I normally feel it in my arse (!), and lower back when carrying a heavy rucksack, but never feet.

cyclingpast

i'm riding with toe clips at the moment. Bit of a hilly commute in places so that may have had an effect, and I have very flat feet (don't know if that will make a difference) i'm going to go clipless soon and see how that goes, but for the majority of the time i don't even need a rucksack, so i don't see the point in getting panniers

getonyourbike

thiscocks wrote:

I normally feel it in my ars* (!), and lower back when carrying a heavy rucksack, but never feet.

this