My feet hurt...

[JohnQNT20]

Thanks Catrike and Fiona. The Lidl shoes do seem to have a very stiff sole and I'll be disappointed if it turns out the shoes are inadequately constructed. I've been pleased with the price and quality of the other technical running and cycling kit I've bought from both Aldi and Lidl - after buying the trike I had to economise somewhere! BTW I've no interest in either store other than as an occaisional customer. I think I paid about £18 for the cycling shoes.

First step towards buying a new pair of shoes is to compare the soles of the current ones to brand name cycling shoes. So a trip to the LBS is in order.

 

[CopperBrompton]

What size are your feet? I'm going to buy a pair of shoes with recessed cleats, so my existing Specialized shoes will be surplus to requirements. They're size 11.

 

[sunnyjim]

Here's my attempt at a custom re-inforcing plate - the main reason was to shift the cleats back to the instep. These are / were somewhat used Specialized shoes, but it would work on any shoe/trainer, as the original soleplate isn't used. Not pretty, but it works for me.

 

[JohnQNT20]

Thanks Ben, I'll pm you about the shoes - BTW I enjoyed your LEJOG write up. Sunnyjim - nice work - I was thinking of a reinforcing plate underneath the existing cleat position that I'm happy with.

However, I think the foot problem may be self-inflicted and due to pedaling style. After buying the QNT I bought an old bikeE which I've been riding with regular pedals. Infact I did most of the early riding this spring on the bikeE and developed the habit of maintaining enough foot pressure on the return pedal stroke to prevent the foot falling off. I don't think this is helping when riding clipped in on the trike.

When I make a conscious effort to lightly pull on the pedal on the up stroke it feels much easier and the cadence picks up (not surprisingly). It's going to take some deliberate effort to re-train my pedaling form but I think this will really help.

 

[Arch]

I've found that I can sort of 'feel' my cleats - I did buy some insoles in a French supermarket but never got round to fitting them as the pain then didn't reoccur. One of my party suggested inserting a stiff plate of something to spread the load. And my shoes, although not top of the range, are Shimano branded.

Anyway, after 14 days of riding, I think heat is a big factor in my foot pain, with a little bit of too-tight shoe. I only suffered a couple of times, both on hot days, and it eased when I loosened the laces a bit. I think it'll get better.