clipped in / toe clenching

[Abitrary]

When clipped in I find I clench my toes after riding for a while. I only notice it from time to time, and it's not painful, but it's distracting and I do end up concentrating on relaxing my feet so I can put more power down.

I've used double sided shimano SPD pedals and their cheapest lace up shoes on my road bike for over a year now, and seem to notice it more now, although I think it's always happened.

I'm pretty sure it's an anatomical thing i.e. it's not natural for feet to exert continual pressure in the same position for a long time, as I don't get it with straps... but there's more wiggle room with those.

Does anyone else get this, and have any suggestions to prevent it?

 

[longers]

I think I had similar foot ache and by trying to apply the pressure through the base of my big toe and not across the whole toe range I found relief.
It took a couple of hundred miles for it to become automatic.

 

[Abitrary]

I think I had similar foot ache and by trying to apply the pressure through the base of my big toe and not across the whole toe range I found relief.
It took a couple of hundred miles for it to become automatic.

It's not really an ache, more a tension.. but yeah, I find myself concentrating on relaxing my smaller toes - where it's happening, but it gives me a strange neurological itch... like a tickling. I will try pushing with my big toe area though.

Maybe I'll play around with the cleat position... move them back a bit maybe.

 

[yenrod]

When clipped in I find I clench my toes after riding for a while. I only notice it from time to time, and it's not painful, but it's distracting and I do end up concentrating on relaxing my feet so I can put more power down.

I've used double sided shimano SPD pedals and their cheapest lace up shoes on my road bike for over a year now, and seem to notice it more now, although I think it's always happened.

I'm pretty sure it's an anatomical thing i.e. it's not natural for feet to exert continual pressure in the same position for a long time, as I don't get it with straps... but there's more wiggle room with those.

Does anyone else get this, and have any suggestions to prevent it?

aRBS - I HEARD CLENCHING ONES TOES CAN BE BAD FOR YOU POSITION OR COULD DEVELOP PROBS!

 

[domtyler]

I don't actually notice myself actively doing this while cycling but I have actually developed large calluses on the knuckles of several toes so I suspect that I do do something of this ilk.

 

[Chromatic]

Abitrary, I found myself doing exactly as you described and with the same pedals too, although I have not noticed myself doing it lately. When I did notice it I made a conscious effort to not clench my toes and maybe I have trained myself not to do it any longer. I will check my toe situation this evening on the ride home.

 

[Abitrary]

I think I had similar foot ache and by trying to apply the pressure through the base of my big toe and not across the whole toe range I found relief.
It took a couple of hundred miles for it to become automatic.

Good advice longers, cheers. On a 25 mile loop tonight I tried from the outset to apply pressure through the ball of the foot, and it felt a bit weird at first as I kept trying pressing with my big toe. I think that the problem before was I was trying to relax my outer toes when it was too late.

Eventually it became more natural, and by the end of the ride I was spinning more naturally than ever with these pedals. Gonna try and move my cleats around a bit to try and optimise this.