Shoe & Pedal suggestions for longer rides/audax

stevie63

I am looking to start doing some longer rides but am looking for advise from those that do audaxing etc with regards to foot comfort. I currently use a 3 bolt setup and have done since taking up road cycling. However the problem I have is with painful feet. Basically after about 60 miles or so my feet will burn and go numb starting from the little toe and move inwards.

I have slightly wide feet which is probably contributing to this. To help with this I have tried various wide fit road shoes. To start of with I have a pair of Spech Comp roads which I have had a few years, these have a fair bit of ventilation which seems to help. Then I tried Bont Vaypor plus Wides, these proved to be torture devices that would cause me discomfort within an hour. I tried Shimano wides, these seemed to be no wider than my standard width Spech. Then I gave Giro Trans HV a go, but these would also cause the burning only now it would start within 30 miles. Whilst they seemed wider than the Comp road the ventilation was poorer.

Now obviously I cant take on 200,300 and 400km rides if my feet are a problem but I don't know what to try next. It would appear that many Audaxers use standard SPD and MTB or touring shoes. I am happy to give these a look as I am probably going to need to replace my pedals shortly.

marcusjb

OK. Here is my take on it. I occasionally ride longer distances, so hopefully know a little on what I speak.

Yes, many of us ride 2 bolt shoes, probably the majority. Many of us come from touring backgrounds and many of us accept some compromise on outright performance in order to gain absolute comfort (you can be as fast as you like, but if things start to hurt after a couple of days of riding, then you will not be as fast as someone who is comfy!).

Largely, whilst I do personally run 2 bolt, I believe that this is secondary and, so long as you are happy with the whole walking like a penguin thing, 3 bolt can be just as valid a choice.

I believe that the supposed benefit of larger platforms that 3 bolt pedals usually offer is also a red herring.

The shoe is far more important than the pedal system in my mind.

A good stiff (and I mean really stiff) shoe works for me. I have used Sidi Dragon in the past and currently I am riding in Bonts. I have ridden over 600km in a day in them, and done multi day events such as LEL and PBP without ever having suffered hot foot.

Cleat positioning is essential as well. Long distance riders often benefit from having cleats back further than maybe day riders do.

I hate 'bike fit' being the answer to every question on discomfort, however, shoe fit is essential for me. I have had all my shoes checked and fitted by someone who has been able to create a stable platform for cycling (by using wedges etc. to rotate my foot). When he first fitted me, I was surprised by someone spending two plus hours on looking at my shoes. Choose a fitter very carefully, most of them will focus on other areas without looking at the fundamental issue of whether your feet are in a stable position to pedal with.

In short, 2 or 3 bolt does not matter too much. Sure 2 bolt has the advantage of being able to walk in the cafe, but so long as you can deal with the downside of 3 bolt, then it is fine.

Get the stiffest shoes you can.

Get your feet checked by someone who knows their stuff. They may recommend orthotic inserts, or may be able to resolve most issues with wedges etc. (I trust the Bike Whisperer for my happy feet).

Socks also make a big difference, some work, some do not - throw the ones that don't work for you away and remember the ones that do work for you.

On big multi day events, taking your shoes off at controls can be very beneficial.

Good luck and welcome to the dark side.

marcusjb

Oh, and as ever, it is a personal thing.

There are plenty of Audaxers who ride in non stiff shoes. Hey, this time of year, you will see plenty rocking the sandals look. Winter time, and many of those will be rocking the socks and sandals look!

I do sometimes wonder why Audax has an image problem!

Moonbiker

Sometimes I wear crocs for cyling 8)

coops1967

You may need a decent footbed - possibly even a properly fitted orthotic footbed from a podiatrist....

but note :- the footbed in those Bontrager Vapors is truly astonishingly pathetic.

I tried those on against some Lake 237 and the difference is noticeable just standing up within five seconds... that's how p@ss poor the footbed s on the vaypors..

The Lake has decent footbed and wide fit and half sizes... take your vaypors along and pull the footbed out and compare the two.

marcusjb

^equally I use the standard insoles in Bont Vaypors without issue for some fairly long rides.

Like many things like saddles, shorts etc., it is a personal thing.

Mine do have some shims and wedges underneath to level things up for me.

stevie63

Do you think then that it's shims etc getting the foot level that is the key? I often wonder if the discomfort is because my foot is tipping outwards which is is why the pain starts on the little toe first.

I like the look of the sidi dragons and I note that they are available in wide. Might be worth looking into. Do you have any experience with Lake shoes as they have always been the next possibility?

Garry H

Are your feet being held securely within the shoes and not sliding forward?

stevie63

Yeah they are being held, I do the top boa on the shoes up fairly tight but leave the bottom strap loose.

meanredspider

I'm in favour of the shoe/pedal fit thing. I had The Bike Whisperer do mine and he spent a huge amount of time in it. The socks you wear can make a difference too.

I do actually find SPD-SL a more stable pedalling platform than SPD. But probably personal.

I have pretty wide feet and by far the most comfortable shoes I've found after trying most things are the Spesh S-Works - 12 hours no problem.

stevie63

I am considering a bike fit this year. Though I was thinking of giving cadence sport a go.

fenix

Have you tried loosening the shoe off a bit mid ride ? Feet swell so as your ride goes on - your shoes may be getting tighter ?

It'd be weird if you've gone through so many different shoes and still not found comfort. .

stevie63

I do loosen them off, I also take out the insoles but all that does is buys me another 10-15 miles before the numbness comes back.

JimboM

I'm going to suggest bike fit as well. If you don't want to spring for a pro version try giving one of the smart phone apps a go. I suffered with numb feet and the Roadie Bike Fit app suggested raising my saddle slightly and lifting the nose - it made a world of difference. Still get slight numbness so probably still needs some tweeking but it's nothing like before.

Just for clarification, I'm not suggesting that a phone based app will be anything as thorough or provide as good as advice as a proper fit but for a couple of quid it might help identify an easy fix.