Ankle pain

Schoie81
Schoie81 Posts: 749
edited December 2014 in Road beginners
Hi guys,

Got a new bike and have been riding it for about six weeks now. Been tinkering with the setup to get it right and I think I'm not far off now. However, I've started to get a little bit of pain right below the outside of the ankle bone on my right foot. Not really sure what to adjust to stop this - cleat position, saddle height or fore/aft?? I'm using the same shoes and pedals as my previous bike, so I assume the cleat position should be ok? Can anyone suggest anything? The pain isn't really bad (on the doctors 1-10 pain scale, I'd say its no more than 2), and doesn't really bother me on the bike, but it is annoying that I can always feel it and I always think that pain is there because something isn't right, so I shouldn't just ignore it.
"I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"

Comments

  • Are the crank arms the same length as your old bike? Same geometry frame? It sounds a bit like over extension of the foot. If the height feels good it may be worth shuffling forward a bit to see if that cures it?

    Good luck!
    Boardman 8.9 SLR - Summer
    Holdsworth La Quelda - Commuter
    Moda Intro - Winter
    Planet X Stealth - TT
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    I'm not sure about crank lengths! I suspect they may be a little shorter if anything. My old bike got nicked!! I was p****d off enough that my bike got stolen, but little did I know then that them stealing my set up would be worse than losing the actual bike!!

    I wondered if I might be a little high - I did try raising the saddle a little and it seemed to make it worse, so lowered it a little instead, but that didn't seem to make any difference. Maybe I need it a touch lower still...
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    Lowered seat 1mm ish and seemed better last night. Got a few days off the bike now so should give ankle some time to recover and then see how it is from now on....
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    Bit of an update...no change in the pain, but I'm no longer convinced it has anything to do with the bike....? Recently had a couple of weeks off the bike, and during that time the pain neither got worse or better. Two weeks ago, I ran 7km and ankle felt fine whilst running and was no worse afterwards. Been back on the bike since then, and again, whilst actually on the bike, there is absolutely no pain at all. At all other times, its there, but never gets any better or any worse. Do you think it would be fair for me to stop looking at cycling as a cause of this? Is it reasonable to assume that if cycling was causing it, then having two weeks off the bike would see it improve at least a little??
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    I used to get ankle pain in my right foot. I adjusted everything from saddle to cleat position. Turns out it was my shoes. They were rubbing on my ankle bone. Could be that in your case too maybe.
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    Smoggy - it had crossed my mind that it could be my shoes. I have caused myself pain in the past by fastening them up too tight, but I'm not aware I've habitually started doing that again, and I've had the shoes for over 12months now, so it seems odd it could be them, but.... One problem I have is that I can't pinpoint exactly where the pain is coming from?
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"