Foot numbness during cycling - Page 2 - Triathlon

JD.

pirate

15/06/2009 at 19:27

Gavo wrote (see)

Read something about this recently on roadbikerider.com
Moving cleats rearward as far as cycling shoes permit -- or even re-drilling the soles to put cleats way back -- is the secret to foot comfort among long-distance cyclists. Ultramarathon riders have been doing it for years. The reason it works is because it removes pedal pressure from the ball of the foot, the source of painful "hot foot."
I get something similar after I've done 30m or so but moved the cleat back & feet seem to be OK at the moment.

i've recently moved my cleats right back to put less strain on my calfs. during my (not very detailed or thorough) search for info i saw that gordo reckons the cost of having your cleats moved forward is not worth it. your calfs get worked too hard for the extra speed they actually give. so it's worth just saving them for the run. obviously what he wrote was clearer than what i've just written!

Reidy 36

15/06/2009 at 19:34

Have you made sure that the centre of the cleat is exactly over the ball of your foot? Although i thought mine was i was a little out, re adjusted and found that the problem has gone now. For those with speedplay cleats, you could still get it as that is what i have, but correct positioning sorted it.

DTB, Ultra Cake Pim.p

15/06/2009 at 19:36

Bike shop man moved mine back a couple of months ago - hasn't helped with the numbness though.
Mind you, I don't mind the numbness too much - gives me something other than the screaming pain on my sit bones to dwell on

popsider

15/06/2009 at 21:22

One thing you could try - if you haven't already - is red cleats rather than grey - they give more float.

Playing around with cleat position would be a good idea.

Also I remember Zanzy/Yifter having a foot problem cycling and putting washers or wedges under the cleats at one side which helped - one of you lot more or less advised him to try it - maybe Bassy. Cleat float is mainly about rotation but this may be something to do with the position of the foot in a different plane - think it'd be abduction/adduction if you see what I mean.

Orange 5

15/06/2009 at 22:03

Agree try moving the cleats ect. I've biked for several years and had problems with numbness and cramp in my toes. Partially due to rheumatics, but bike shoes tend to be narrow. I now get a larger size than I would in normal shoes. I tended to buy Shimano but have had the same problem with Specialized although the most recent pair which are the Body Geomentary are better.

GarrsMateNige

16/06/2009 at 10:53

Interesting!!! I get this sometimes, but not all the time. It tends to sort itself out on the run. I'll try moving the cleats. Cheers guys.

Holly_Golightly pirate

pirate

16/06/2009 at 11:21

DTB, Ultra Cake Pimp wrote (see)

Mind you, I don't mind the numbness too much - gives me something other than the screaming pain on my sit bones to dwell on

Lol!!! I feel the same. I spent at least the first half an hour of the bike with the three middle toes on my left foot totally numb on Sunday. It's quite a weird sensation when they start coming back and as you say, there's something else to focus on!

FerrousFerret

16/06/2009 at 11:23

Not directly related to numbness, but following on from what JD said

http://www.cyclingnews.com/reviews/biomac-bio-mxc2-shoes

16/06/2009 at 19:30

I suffer from this too - running seems to make it more sore than cycling though.

I moved my cleats back a few mm and it meant that I had to raise teh saddle a few mm too ! Most bizarre.

Nick L

18/06/2009 at 09:01

well i moved the cleats rearwards on one shoe, but left the otehrs as they were....a 'pepsi challenge' if you will.

Certainly much more comfortable.....not sure about the numbness though...feet were still a bit achy both sides. Will be movign the others rearwards to match

bassy -- . x2(head down, flat out, fall off) pirate

pirate

19/06/2009 at 01:52

Ladies and gentlemen I refer you to

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/136431/

Pebble 2

19/06/2009 at 03:51

Both my feet go totally numb, have done for years, changed shoes, cleats forward, back all shapes and still they go numb. Doctor has given me some drugs to try (Adalat) but not tried them yet (scared). She thinks it could be circulation problems. Its really painful and takes a few miles of running before any feeling comes back.

20/06/2009 at 12:38

[quietly vows to stick to li'l pink plimsolls and ordinary pedal-type pedals...]

Camlo

20/06/2009 at 18:07

Gosh- I thought it was just me!! Toes going numb really soon after starting a ride & lasting for a good 10-15 mins after. I don't have bike shoes/ cleats etc just regular trainers but have cage thingies on the pedals. Last week I removed the strap that tightens the cage thing as I felt my trainers were too wide to fit properly & low & behold with my foot going right to the front of this cage thing the numbness has stopped.

Certainly would fit with all your advice to try using the mid foot rather than the ball to push down on.

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