The SPD Hotspot Myth...

zexel

...Is not a myth.

I'm upping my mileage on my road bike to regular 65 milers now, but after about 40 miles the soles of my feet (above the cleat position) are killing me.

I've got Shimano RT81's (basically a road looking SPD shoe) I've filled the inside of the shoe where the cleat is with silicon so that is smooth/flat, no difference. Thin socks/thick socks, no difference.

Has anyone tried them inner soles you heat up and then wear for 10 minutes to shape to your foot?

Any other ideas/solutions?

I don't want to go to SPD-SL's, but are they really the be all and end all for foot related maladies?

Ta all.

kingrollo

no not the be all and end all - but

You get a bigger contact area with the pedal

You feel more attached to the bike

It feels faster

Its a relativley cheap ugrade the pedals and cleats can be had for £25 on ebay.

Also be aware if you have irrated the nerves on you feet this takes a while to settle - so whatever you do you may not get an instant fix - are you taking any anti inflamatories ?

Go for a slower ride - and concentrate of pulling up - not pushing down - that might give you some pointers as to whats wrong.

Bar Shaker

Any hot spots will be caused by flexibility in the sole, not how the sole is connected to the pedal. If the sole cannot flex, you transfer the effort from your entire foot to the cleat, irrespective of how big the cleat is.

Your shoe is described as a 'touring' shoe and may be more designed for comfort than endurance.

I use M183s and have no hot spots at all, but the soles of these are as stiff as a kitchen table.

TheStone

Better shoes is the answer. You need a really stiff sole. Full carbon if you can stretch to it.

sungod

as above, it's probably the shoe

i've got some mtb shoes with carbon soles, there's no feeling of the cleat through the sole, they are comfy even after several hours

i used to have an older pair of 'casual' bike shoes with spd, they were way too soft and got uncomfortable after a while

another possibility is that it's due to one of the nerves being compressed between some of the bones, footbeds such as the specialized bg ones have a raised bit to help avoid this

rake

carbon sole mtb shoes dont feel the cleat, so its not a myth. its down to your shoes. yes they need to be stiffer by comparison to road shoes, but if they are solid you cant feel any cleat.

vorsprung

I agree with the other posters. When I had bendy old Shimano touring shoes I would occassionally get a bit of something that was a bit like hot foot

With Specialized MTB Comp shoes, nothing like this at all, they are far more rigid

The other thing I do is have the cleat position as far back in the heel direction as possible

Chris James

I use RT81 shoes with A520 pedals.

I never get hotspots no matter what distance or how hilly / how much effort I am putting out.

What pedals are you using?

zexel

I'm using XTR's SPD's. Also got the cleats as far back as possible which as an aside made it strangely feel 'easier' to pedal (less effort).

Never had a problem before until I started the mileages over 40 miles. I was hoping these RT81's would be a middle ground between the full on road and the tractor tread MTB SPD's.

I don't really want to go SPD-SL. I'm doing a trip across France (average 65miles day for ten days) later this year and being able to walk about will be quite crucial as well I suppose is being able to cycle it without mangled feet obviously.

I have some Specialized BG Sonoma (another flat soled SPD) which I'm going to try on a 60 miler and see how I go. They have got some kind of 'wedge' insole in them. I had forgotten I had them! :roll:

Could someone point me in the direction of some road looking carbon soled SPD's, if such a thing exists!

andrewjoseph

I use my MTB shoes (mid to high end shimano or specialized) for all my riding, road, mtb, touring.

As has been said, stiff soles may be the answer. My wife and I never get a hot spot, and we have used CB eggbeaters with minimal foot/pedal support. and now use Time ROC (for road) and Time Z control (for MTB and Touring).

I know the 'tractor tyre' look of MTB shoes is not in keeping with a road bike, nor are the large platform mtb Z control's we use when touring.

However, I prefer comfort to looks and the Z control's mean we can ride short distances in lightweight 'crocs' to go to the shops/pub, when touring.

andrewjoseph

Some spd shoes:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-am45-all-mountain-spd-shoes/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-m315-mtb-race-shoes/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-m123-mtb-shoes/

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-BG-Pro-MTB-2010-Cycling-Shoes_27437.htm

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Pro-MTB-Shoe_40251.htm

AndyF16

I was surprised to learn that my Sidi Pro5s/Campag Record ProFits DO give me hotspots where my cheap Shimano R060s/M520s don't over same distances

I have found the Sidis are better if I don't tighten them as much as you would expect to, not loose enough for foot to move inside the shoe, just not so Geisha like!

father_jack

same here, but really only notice it on 30/40 miles plus

Erudin

Chris James wrote:

I use RT81 shoes with A520 pedals.

I never get hotspots no matter what distance or how hilly / how much effort I am putting out...

I also use A520's, no hotspots.

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/bike-reviews/shimano-pd-a-520-pedal/2525.html

"Unlike that of MTB versions, the pedal platform extends in front of and behind the retention mechanism to provide a more road-orientated look. More importantly in terms of function, the platform is shaped to provide maximum support for the rubber bars found on mtb-type soles either side of the cleat. The contact area is substantial on both sides of the pedal, preventing lateral rocking as well as ensuring effective power transfer."

father_jack

I went from M520 M424, A520 to PD-5700.

A520 and PD-5700 are the best, the M520 had hotspot after long ride (could feel pedal through shoe) 5700 nice and comfy and very stable.

zexel

What a dibber! :oops:

I've been thinking/picturing the A520's are M520's. I didn't know A520's existed.

The A520's could be the answer to my problems.

Shame on me for needing pictures and diagrams!

Thanks all for your time/input, much appreciated.