foot cramp...?

Silverbull
Silverbull Posts: 32
edited October 2012 in Road beginners
Hi everyone....a few weeks in to my first road bike and LOVING IT! been mountain biking for years but need the miles/fitness and all my local area is perfect for road cycling. Wasnt expecting to enjoy it so much!!!

Thanks to everyone on the forum ...its been an amazing resource, been lurking for a while!

Have decided to go for SPDs from the beginning....all my reasons for not using on mtb no longer count (needing to boot off rocks etc). i REALLY like the efficiency that spd's bring...infact my mtb just felt so massively INefficient last weekend in FoD that I may have to reconsider my position!!

Anyway, raised my saddle slightly and went on my longest road ride yet. Stretched before and after initial warm up however after approx 7/8miles I feel major cramp in my feet! I think the shoes are the right size (tried a few in lbs) they're Specialized BG Sport...ridden with 105 peddles. There was a feeling of instant relief after taking them off...perhaps they were too tight however I thought the tighter the better to prevent movement etc...?

Any thoughts ideas welcome. Do I need to try a different shoe?

Comments

  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,448
    Two things. Don't know how old you are but the older you get, the less flexible you are. If I am raising or lowering my saddle height for example, I do it in increments - 2mm at a time.
    You may find that your feet swell up on a road bike. I am surprised that this doesn't happen on an Mtb. I find that my feet swell up especially in hot weather so I often re-tension the straps on the shoes as I go along. No need to overtighten the shoes.
    The other thing which is related to my first sentance, is that you should try and mimmick as near as possible the measurements from your Mtb. If your pedalling was comfortable and efficient, then the distance from the chainset to the top of the saddle should be replicated on the road bike. Take note of the crank arm lenghts too. I ride 175mm crank arms and your Mtb might have shorter crank arm lengths so measure from the bottom of the pedal stroke on the Mtb to the top of the saddle.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Charlyfarly
    Charlyfarly Posts: 16
    I've new to cycling and have been using exactly the same pedals and shoe's as you for about 6/7 weeks now. Coincidentally, the shoes have been a little uncomfortable and I assumed at the outset that maybe they were too tight. My feet are relatively wide, but i'm hoping the more I use them the better they will feel, although it can feel a little like torture at times!
  • farrina
    farrina Posts: 360
    Probably a bit late to mention it, but if you ultimately decide that it's a problem with the sizing of the shoes and a replacement pair is required Sidi do wider sizes in a number of their models.

    Regards

    Alan
    Regards
    Alan
  • Silverbull
    Silverbull Posts: 32
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Two things. Don't know how old you are but the older you get, the less flexible you are. If I am raising or lowering my saddle height for example, I do it in increments - 2mm at a time.
    You may find that your feet swell up on a road bike. I am surprised that this doesn't happen on an Mtb. I find that my feet swell up especially in hot weather so I often re-tension the straps on the shoes as I go along. No need to overtighten the shoes.
    The other thing which is related to my first sentance, is that you should try and mimmick as near as possible the measurements from your Mtb. If your pedalling was comfortable and efficient, then the distance from the chainset to the top of the saddle should be replicated on the road bike. Take note of the crank arm lenghts too. I ride 175mm crank arms and your Mtb might have shorter crank arm lengths so measure from the bottom of the pedal stroke on the Mtb to the top of the saddle.


    thanks for your help...I'll check measurements in daylight although my mtb seat is up and down like a pogo as I like to have it up for climbs, down for dodgy decents and halfway for pumpy/technical sections. I raised the saddle by approx 20mm so I guess it was quite a large increment! :shock: never been a huge prob on mtb, I guess mostly due to wearing big five10 flat bottom shoes and having huge spikey flat pedals....will chech measurements and report back, ta :D
  • Silverbull
    Silverbull Posts: 32
    ok...thought i'd go for process of illimination so went for a blast after work but today had the shoes a lot looser (well not loose but certainly not tight!). Success! No cramp like before...I guess I didnt realise that your feet swell once you get gwarnin :D

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