Pain in foot after rides

cjam

Hi,

Have only been cycling for a week and I have noticed that the day after riding 10+ miles I get a pain in my right foot, around the ball of my foot just rearward of my big toe that makes it painful to walk. I can bend the toe freely but when weight is put on the foot when walking that's when it begins to hurt.

The shoes I have seem to fit me well, I have no problems what-so-ever ON the bike and they feel comfortable enough when idle, the cleats are in the same position (rearmost and centred) on both shoes but I don't get ANY pain at all in my left foot. I also get a slight numbing of the outside of my foot during the ride after 10 miles or so.

Is this simply my body getting used to cycling or should I try moving the cleats, and if so what way?

Regards,

Cjam

HeatherMillsLeg

Clear, concise, sensible and polite but a bit strange.

Sometimes I get foot pain on one of my feet ON the bike but have worked out it's because I am a bit lopsided and quite hard to remedy.

10+ miles isn't very much really and if not causing pain on the bike you should be grateful!

How old are you & are you used to exercise & what shoes do you wear off the bike?

Simplest solution is adjusting the cleats - doing a 5 mile run & then monitoring pain, if any.

Grill

You most likely need footbed with a good bit of arch support as what you're experiencing is indicative of pronation. Your arch is collapsing rotating your ankle inward and the downward stroke is shifting excess pressure to the ball of your foot. Pretty common and it can cause bunions.

HeatherMillsLeg

Grill wrote:

You most likely need footbed with a good bit of arch support as what you're experiencing is indicative of pronation. Your arch is collapsing rotating your ankle inward and the downward stroke is shifting excess pressure to the ball of your foot. Pretty common and it can cause bunions.

Yep - defo what he said - isn't that an annoying non word?

Defo - the word of a complete f****o!

Dunno if what he says is true but he defo seems to know his stuff!

cjam

HeatherMillsLeg,

I understand 10 miles isn't very far, but I am very new to cycling and just building up the distance for now. I am 21, I participate in a fair bit of badminton and tennis, I am used to wearing mostly converse style shoes and trainers.

Grill,

Thanks for this advice, I do remember being told some years ago I had high arches so that would seem to confirm your opinion. I will try some insoles and see if they help.

Many thanks.

Grill

Specialized BG footbeds are best value for money. You'll need the greens for a high arch.

KevChallis

Definitely try the specialized footbeds, I had a few problems with my feet during and after rides, nothing like yours though, I got new shoes as my old ones were one size too small, but the new ones have the specialized footbeds, which are extremely comfy, having done a few 40 mile rides and a 50, definitely worth looking at

tri-sexual

Don't be afraid to adjust your cleats for a more comfortable ride.
Don't know what pedals you're using but you can sometimes see uneven wear on your cleats where one side of your cleat is worn more than the other, if you see these wear marks adjust your cleat accordingly if your shoes allow.
Numbness or pain is not natural and is often caused by poor fit or adjustment.
The symptoms you describe can sometimes be caused on a physical level eg. A trapped nerve in the lower back can cause numbness and discomfort in one or both feet but if this problem only arise when you are on a bike then I suspect it's a bike fit issue.
Make sure your saddle is correct position, height, fore and aft.
I then suggest you try riding the same 10 mile route using flat pedals, these will allow your feet to move around and find their own comfort zone, if you feel no pain after trying them then you know it's a problem with shoe/ cleat.
Adjust accordingly or seek advice from a bike shop