Clipless - still got numb feet

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Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
Move the cleats further forward , mine are nearly at the front of the positioning the shoes give me . I'm only saying this as you clearly have them set back as far as they will go and it isn't working for you . Draw around the cleats with a pencil before you move them so you can put them back in the same place after but its worth a try isn't it ?
 

S-Express

Guest
Not sure how putting more stress on the achilles is going to cure numb feet?
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
Not sure how buying a saddle , new socks but keeping your cleats in the same back position is going to help either but its worth a try as the cleat position could be the problem and very easy to test .
Dawn , to you get cold very easy when riding ?
 
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OP
Doobiesis

Doobiesis

Über Member
Location
Poole Dorset
Not sure how buying a saddle , new socks but keeping your cleats in the same back position is going to help either but its worth a try as the cleat position could be the problem and very easy to test .
Dawn , to you get cold very easy when riding ?

I started off with the cleats right forward and we moved them back a little bit at a time and ended up with no where left to go back. I don't tend to feel the cold out, cept for in winter when I first head out.

I'm open to any suggestions as I'm so tired of feeling frustrated with my progress. I appreciate everyone's input X
 

S-Express

Guest
Not sure how buying a saddle , new socks but keeping your cleats in the same back position is going to help either but its worth a try as the cleat position could be the problem and very easy to test .
Dawn , to you get cold very easy when riding ?

Well, because cleat position has a significant influence on biomechanics, in a way that socks and (to a lesser extent) saddles don't. If the OP is happy that her cleat position is already good, then I would certainly not suggest moving it - it's an unlikely cause of foot numbness anyway.
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
I started off with the cleats right forward and we moved them back a little bit at a time and ended up with no where left to go back. I don't tend to feel the cold out, cept for in winter when I first head out.

I'm open to any suggestions as I'm so tired of feeling frustrated with my progress. I appreciate everyone's input X
Think about what mileage you where doing then and now . It may be that you are riding further now but have moved from a position that was probably ok for you if you got used to it . These things are very personal . I found new pedals with the same shoes , socks and make of pedals gave me hot spots on my feet for a few weeks before i got used to them but now they are not a problem .
Well, because cleat position has a significant influence on biomechanics, in a way that socks and (to a lesser extent) saddles don't. If the OP is happy that her cleat position is already good, then I would certainly not suggest moving it - it's an unlikely cause of foot numbness anyway.
From what i have read Dawn has her cleats in the position they are in because of bike fits from biomechanical experts and her feet are hurting while she is riding her bike . That's a biomechanical catastrophic incompetent fark up :tongue:
I'm just adding my knowledge of hurty bits from riding a bike .
 

S-Express

Guest
As far as I can tell, it appears (from the first post) as though her cleats are in more or less the correct position (ie under the ball of the foot) - 'correct' in the sense that this is generally the suggested starting position when positioning cleats for the first time.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I'm completely inexpert on this - just a random on the internet with an opinion - but that won't stop me. I would have thought that clipless - holding the feet in one single position - would be more likely to promote numbness than work against it. Have you tried flats? Toe clips? Shouldn't be an expensive experiment. Not likely to affect your performance.
 

S-Express

Guest
I'm completely inexpert on this - just a random on the internet with an opinion - but that won't stop me. I would have thought that clipless - holding the feet in one single position - would be more likely to promote numbness than work against it. Have you tried flats? Toe clips? Shouldn't be an expensive experiment. Not likely to affect your performance.

Ironically, toe clips could potentially make things worse, as the strap tightens over the shoes, potentially restricting the foot even more. Either way, there's no particular reason why clipless pedals would promote foot numbness, as they do not restrict the foot in any way. They simply connect the sole of the shoe to the pedal.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Ironically, toe clips could potentially make things worse, as the strap tightens over the shoes, potentially restricting the foot even more. Either way, there's no particular reason why clipless pedals would promote foot numbness, as they do not restrict the foot in any way. They simply connect the sole of the shoe to the pedal.
Well, again noting that this is just random opinion, they connect the shoe in a single position there's no room for any fore/aft or side/side adjustment at all - only a bit of yaw, so the pressure is always all in one spot. Is how I see it at least. Not that I know a darn thing about foot anatomy.

A pair of cheap flats would cost less than a tenner. A cheap enough experiment to see if the numbness sets in after 10 miles
 
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S-Express

Guest
Well, again noting that this is just random opinion, they connect the shoe in a single position there's no room for any fore/aft or side/side adjustment at all - only a bit of yaw, so the pressure is always all in one spot. Is how I see it at least. Not that I know a darn thing about foot anatomy.

But I still don't see how any of that would result in numbness per se. If that were a genuine factor, then surely everyone with clipless would suffer from foot numbness?
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
As far as I can tell, it appears (from the first post) as though her cleats are in more or less the correct position (ie under the ball of the foot) - 'correct' in the sense that this is generally the suggested starting position when positioning cleats for the first time.
You're not reading Dawns posts are you . She has said that she has moved them back over time and her feet still hurt .
You are either amazing at what you do or the same person that has been banned from this forum many times for being stupid .
I hope you are the amazing version that knows where the ball of a womans foot wearing mens shoes is but i doubt this is the case .
 

Tin Pot

Guru
i have had my road bike for a few years now and I'm still experiencing numb feet. Please see below to what I've tried.

Changed shoes - I now have Specialized men's shoes as gave my wide feet a bit of room. They are the Elite Road shoes. They're not too tight, or lose.

Bike fit - had bike fitted totally also had an insert put in shoes as my arches were high.

Cleats - am totally on the ball of foot me and other half did this when I got new shoes via an online guide

saddle - in right position and height

I'm thinking I'm never going to find a solution to this problem, and it's hindering my progress as I'm achieving 16mph avg speed for first 10 miles, but then it starts getting annoying and I lose concentration. I end up only achieving 14-15 and I find this very frustrating

Has anybody got any further advice? And would I still achieve the speed of I went back to clips?

Dawn

1. Loosen the strap, bike shoes don't have to be tight to be effective.

2. Take a break from pressing down and scrunching your toes occasionally, pull up the pedals and wiggle your toes
 

S-Express

Guest
You're not reading Dawns posts are you . She has said that she has moved them back over time and her feet still hurt.

Calm down mate. This is what she said:

Cleats - am totally on the ball of foot me and other half did this when I got new shoes via an online guide

I don't see anywhere that she has said she has moved them back further than that.
 
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Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
But I still don't see how any of that would result in numbness per se. If that were a genuine factor, then surely everyone with clipless would suffer from foot numbness?
I'm not proposing a mechanism. I have no anatomical knowledge.

Cost of less than a tenner, could even borrow some flats. 10 mins to swap. Worth a go, I would say, as the problem seems intractable otherwise.
 
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