MTB SPD's

seanorawe

I did my longest cycle at the weekend. A total of 52 miles. It was up and down for the first 40 miles then hilly for the last 10.

With about 2 miles to go, I couldn't pedal anymore. My right foot was aching so bad it was too painful to keep pedaling, so I unclipped and pedaled using the bottom of my shoe. The pain was directly under where the cleats made contact with the pedal and it was a burning sharp pain. I have been reading about and I do have my cleats all the way forward so I have adjusted that, but it got me thinking. Are MTB pedals and cleats really not supposed to be used for long periods in the saddle? and the narrow small pedal just cant spread the pressure with each downstroke? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Finishing the ride felt good though... apart from the sore back and shoulders and cramp. #bikefit

cougie

I used my winter bike for a century ride last week due to a problem with the summer bike. That's got MTB pedals and pretty cheap Adidas shoes that must be 20 years old now and no problems.

Are you pedalling slowly and putting more pressure into the pedal rather than spinning the gears ?

You can get Carbon fibre soles that spread the pressure - but that's not a cheap solution really.

kafkathedog

More likely a problem with your shoes than the pedals.

I have MTB SPDs on my everyday bike and have never suffered that issue. I have ridden all day (12 hrs+) with no discomfort. Its probably better if the shoe is pretty firm on the sole.

ugo.santalucia

Just the opposite... over 200 km I find my carbon soled road shoes become very painful... too stiff

On the other hand, the rubber soled SPD MTBike shoes are ideal for veyr long distance. Sounds like your shoes are crap

letap73

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Just the opposite... over 200 km I find my carbon soled road shoes become very painful... too stiff

On the other hand, the rubber soled SPD MTBike shoes are ideal for veyr long distance. Sounds like your shoes are crap

I have a pair of Sidi Drakos which were uncomfortable after an hour or so under my feet - close to where the cleats were positioned.

I found changing the insole made a big difference.

seanorawe

Cheers for the replies

The shoes are specialized body geometry. Pushing on the cleat from inside the shoe with my fingers I can feel a ridge that may be causing it so an insole will probably work well. I have also moved the cleats back so they are now slightly behind the ball of my foot. As for cadence, im a spinner. Hopefully the small changes will work, and as per replies, other people have spent longer periods with no problems so that answers my question.

step83

I've always used SPD's much to my friends annoyance, cant say I have had any of what your experiencing.
You did say theres a ridge, this will cause a hotspot which will mean plenty of pain.
I would try the insole but you may still have problems as all the insole will do is pad out the area so it could just mean the pain is over a slightly bigger area.
If it does you may have to look at a new pair of shoes.

Mr _Tibbs

I get a spot of pins and needles when I ride more than 50 miles on my SPD pedals on cross MTB/Road shoes. I use them more for commuting as they are just easier to get in and out of over multiple stops in town.

I use a rigid shoe on SL's for longer rides but still find that after 80 miles I get numb.

For me, pulling and also allowing more float helps to shift the problem.

simon_masterson

seanorawe wrote:

Are MTB pedals and cleats really not supposed to be used for long periods in the saddle? and the narrow small pedal just cant spread the pressure with each downstroke?

No. MTB riders only go for short, leisurely rides. Only road cyclists have any interest in performance.

(If you experience foot discomfort, it is likely because you need better shoes and/or cleat placement.)

meanredspider

oxoman wrote:

Always used spd as easy to walk in and 212km several times at reasonable pace .

I'd recommend using a bicycle

BTW I think SM's comments above were sarcastic

yiannism

I use MTB cleats too, not really a problem, sometimes i feel that burn, but my cycling buddies feel the same on their road bike cleats too. As other said is more about shoes/cleats position than the pedals it self

Dave_P1

Nothing wrong with MTB pedals for long rides, it sounds like something else isn't quite right.

simon_masterson

This bike belongs to Andy Wilkinson. He holds comp records at 12 hours (317.97), and 24 hours (541.17).



He uses SPDs.

ugo.santalucia

Simon Masterson wrote:

This bike belongs to Andy Wilkinson. He holds comp records at 12 hours (317.97), and 24 hours (541.17).



He uses SPDs.

That is a proper bike... not just because it is a Dolan, but also because every single component is mismatched and therefore perfect for the job.

I wonder why he uses a triple chainring...

Is it a MTBike frame?

stevie63

It is indeed a MTB frame, he prefers the long top tube.

mercia_man

I see he's got rear carrier mounting points. So he could go touring on it. The triple chainset would come in handy for lugging his camping gear up mountain passes.

ugo.santalucia

I love it... it's been cobbled together on a shoe string and he holds pretty serious records... Legend! The rear seems a RAL cover on a beaten HED JET wheel

priory

I find that rigid shoes worn for many hours make my feet hurt all over especially in spots on the soles.'' Hot feet '' I have heard it called , although I believe podiatrists may use that term to mean specifically metatarsalgia, which is not what I mean. I avoid racing shoes for long trips and usually use a happy medium such as Shimano MT34 and allow my feet some movement.
I have some winter boots that are slightly too small and that also makes my feet ache in a different way.
I have had cheap mtb shoes in the past that one could feel the pressure spot of the pedal through, and that would cause a tender spot. Different not flimsy insoles is a good idea.


http://www.bicycling.com/training/injur ... t-foot-bay

bluemoon17

Holy crap that bike is awesome.

joncomelately

Simon Masterson wrote:

Is no-one else concerned about the hands growing out of the rear wheel? Or (I've not been around many serious cyclists) do they collect them as trophies like Dolph Lundgren does with ears in Universal Soldier?

simon_e

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I love it... it's been cobbled together on a shoe string and he holds pretty serious records... Legend! The rear seems a RAL cover on a beaten HED JET wheel

Ha, not quite a shoestring. Wilko put a lot of thought into his bike and components.

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/andy- ... bike-29431

His wife Jill has since had a Rourke frame made with the same setup.