Toes

[Tin Pot]

Update, a year on.

Bad news is I still have no solution.

So the bits I tried upthread helped a bit, but even in midsummer it's less noticeable but it still happens. After seven hours during Ironman my toes were completely numb when I changed into running and took a long long time to come back.

I've just switched to flats and trainers, with Castelli neoprene over shoes and even then the toes start going after about 1.5hrs.

So it's not the shoes, it's not the weather, could it just be the constant pressure on my feet reducing circulation?

I mean it seems strange to be basically cutting of circulation by pedalling but I can't think of anything else.

 

[Cuchilo]

Could be the saddle restricting blood flow . Who knows , just throwing another option at you . It cant be nice for you . I get the numb toes and fingers no matter what i do in the winter . To have that year round must be horrible !

 

[sarahale]

Have you ever seen a doctor about it?

Could be nerve damage/ trapped nerve or poor circulation.

 

[Dayvo]

The funny thing is that due to a prolapsed disc my right foot is constantly numb so when the left one gets numb through cold I have a matching pair.

I was recently diagnosed with a prolapsed disc (L4/L5) consequently affecting the L5 nerve running from my left hip, down the back of my hamstring, around the left side of my knee, down the front of my shin and out across the top of my foot and into my big toe.

I have very uncomfortable pins and needles and am unable to turn my left toes up. The muscles in my left leg have wasted somewhat. It seems that I have 'foot drop' - http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/leg-pain/what-foot-drop.

I'm having an MR scan in three weeks time to see if the exact cause of pain and discomfort can be detected.

To the OP. Contact a chiropractor to see if there are any underlying problems with damaged/pinched nerves in your back.

 

[sarahale]

Also found this;

Other possible causes of toe numbness include injury to the nerves of the foot, herniation of a spinal disc, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, low levels of vitamin B-12 or calcium in the blood, certain medications, a stroke, shingles or diminished blood supply to the foot from atherosclerosis.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Update, a year on. Bad news is I still have no solution. . . . .
could it just be the constant pressure on my feet reducing circulation?

What shoes are you wearing (clip ins) and what insoles - as sold with the shoes or separately bought?
As I said 10 months ago: "Sometimes people have reported that good (maybe expensive) footbeds replacing the as sold ones can give some relief (because of the beneficial effect to circulation in the feet)." I bought (took a punt on) a pair of Superfeet footbeds, to try to reduce similar problems to yours, before a nine day, 110 miles a day tour. They replaced quite new (ie not worn out or anything) Specialized bg insoles and had a couple of weeks wear-in time. In the event I completed that tour without numb foot problems, so since then they've been regular in whichever shoes I'm using, for any long (>60 mile) rides. YMMV

 

[r04DiE]

Have you considered cleats and pedals? I get numb feet using SPDs and a mate of mine suggested that this is common due to the small surface area of the pedal / cleat. Just a thought.

 

[Tin Pot]

I've just switched to flats and trainers, with Castelli neoprene over shoes and even then the toes start going after about 1.5hrs.

So it's not the shoes.

 

[vickster]

Sounds like a trip to the Dr might be in order as suggested