Advice about how I pedal please?

[Katherine]

Try the winter boots again, just to work out if it is you or the shoes. I know you have done century’s before in them, but if it is your body that has changed then it would be good to work it out.

Ok, I'll wait for a cooler day!

 

[stephec]

It could be the summer shoes are thinner so your effective saddle height has changed

This quite possibly.

I had a pair of Shimano winter road boots that had thick soles, probably about 6/7mm thicker than my summer shoes, which meant a change in saddle height to keep everything hunky dory.

 

[Katherine]

I'm going to use my Dawes Galaxy for a few rides this week which still have pedals with toe clips on, wearing normal leisure shoes.

 

[Doobiesis]

i had trouble with my feet for years and tried everything.

The best thing I did has worked and I rarely have trouble with my feet now.

Sit on a table so that your feet are dangling off. Let them hang down and look to see how your feet naturally hang. I found mine went inwards quite a lot.

Try to replicate the way your feet were on table to the the pedals. I moved my cleats, but then with the Shimano cleats they have a motion allowance, so moving my feet more into that position not only stops your feet going numb, but gives you more power in using the pedals.

It’s a bit of farting about but it really does work. ‍♂️‍♂️

 

[hoppym27]

I've been thinking of going clipless this summer on my road bike..this thread has made my mind up not to do it....seems a lot of faff for marginal gains..im not racing so not worth the hassle by the looks of it...I'd rather be comfortable and a tiny bit slower.....I think the only thing I'll do is go for toe straps instead

 

[andrew_s]

Most solutions seem to involve a change of footwear, as is the case with new sufferers. I'd agree with @mangid, in that it happens because the shoes are too narrow across the forefoot, and a nerve ends up getting squeezed between the foot bones.

One thing to note is that your foot swells slightly over a long ride, so a shoe that is OK when tried on in the shop may still be too narrow after 50 miles. I once had foot pain that didn't start until 450 km into a 600 km audax, with that foot remaining sensitive for two or three years after.

I'd suggest trying one of the brands that offer shoes in a wide fitting. I don't think super-rigid is necessary, but it's usually only some models that come in a wide fitting, so there may not be the choice.

 

[Johnno260]

I had some foot pain around the ball of the foot, my cleats seemed to be set correctly, what I changed was the shoe.

My old shoes were cheap and had loads of flex in the sole, I managed to get some R171 with a carbon sole, nice and stiff and zero foot pain now.

I found the SPD-SL pedals better as they had a bigger platform and I felt like they offered better support/stability.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Sit on a table so that your feet are dangling off. Let them hang down and look to see how your feet naturally hang. I found mine went inwards quite a lot.

That's exactly how I had my first fitting for SPDs done in my LBS. I sat on a counter with a mirror on the floor beneath my feet while the guy showed my how to get the correct alignment.

 

[andrew_s]

Using dangling feet for cleat alignment is unlikely to help much with hot foot.
It is, however, good for avoiding dodgy knees

 

[Crankarm]

Using dangling feet for cleat alignment is unlikely to help much with hot foot.
It is, however, good for avoiding dodgy knees

How do you know whether it will or won't or whether it will prevent "dodgy" knees as you put it.

 

[Crankarm]

Most solutions seem to involve a change of footwear, as is the case with new sufferers. I'd agree with @mangid, in that it happens because the shoes are too narrow across the forefoot, and a nerve ends up getting squeezed between the foot bones.

One thing to note is that your foot swells slightly over a long ride, so a shoe that is OK when tried on in the shop may still be too narrow after 50 miles. I once had foot pain that didn't start until 450 km into a 600 km audax, with that foot remaining sensitive for two or three years after.

I'd suggest trying one of the brands that offer shoes in a wide fitting. I don't think super-rigid is necessary, but it's usually only some models that come in a wide fitting, so there may not be the choice.

I would say if the pain started having ridden 450km then it was probably cramp as riding continuously for 450km is pretty extreme and most cyclists ride nowhere near these long distances in one ride. In fact most would drive. If anything what you experienced could possibly be viewed as a repetitive strain injury brought upon by extreme demands causing fatigue in your foot.

 

[Crankarm]

I'm going to use my Dawes Galaxy for a few rides this week which still have pedals with toe clips on, wearing normal leisure shoes.

No don't do this or if you do only do it for a short while until you feel ready to try proper cycling shoes gain with SPDs or cleats. A leisure shoe has about as much stiffness as a floppy fish and securing your toes by straps I can't think of a more painful and inefficient means of securing your feet to the pedals. At least get some cycling shoes even if you still use toe straps although these are things that are only seen in museums now? I know track cyclists still use straps with fixed cleats to make sure their feet don't come off the pedals but this is because they generate so much power without the straps their shoes can come out of the pedal bindings. Seriously persevere with getting some good cycling shoes with SPDs and them set up properly then you will be set fine. You can cycle so much more efficiently, faster and further with SPDs or cleated cycling shoes. But they have to be adjusted for you. The reward is worth persevering for.

 

[Katherine]

I did cycle the 2 miles to work and back on the Dawes with the toe clips. It's only 3 months since I stopped using them yet it felt too weird. Since then I have been persevering with the shoes and cleats but I have kept to short distances.
Last Sunday I went on a 35 mile ride and was very glad to remove my shoes for a while at the cafe stop half way round. I tried Ball of the foot plasters which were comfortable but didn't stop the pain.

I have to conclude that I need to get some wider shoes and probably the size larger.