Hot feet!!

Fiachra cork

Has anyone ever experienced a burning type numbness in their feet after a couple of hours on the bike - particularly in summer?

feck sake lads

yes big time no idea how it came about and no idea how it disappeared.
have you back pain by any chance, if so get some treatment i 'm nearly sure that's what caused it for me , but as i said it came and went.

_sheep

I did until I changed my shoes, they were ever so slightly too tight on one small section of my foot - but only after cycling for a while and I guess my feet swelling a little, put up with it for about 6 months thinking it was just part of cycling longer distances.

Got a slightly bigger (wider) pair in January and havent ever had to think about my feet on the bike since.

100Suns

It's called 'hot foot' and is generally caused by repeated compression of the nerves in the ball of the foot by the metatarsal bones. It can be excruciating particularly in hot weather.

I've have endured its wrath and had a thread on it last Autumn which threw up some good advice (maybe see if you can find it). Try moving your cleats back, make sure your shoes are not too tight, and if the budget allows, go to a shop that retails Specialized shoes and has the machinery to measure your arches, proper fit etc. They do different shaped inserts and have metatarsal buttons to distribute pressure. They have worked for me. Summer will tell just how effective they have been.

Lumen

I had it last summer. Took the insoles out of my Specialized shoes and moved the cleats back, and no problems since.

doozerie

It actually seems to be quite a common problem. I get it occasionally though less with my current shoes (Specialised BG) than with my previous shoes. When it does occur I've found that loosening the straps near my toes helps a lot, though it doesn't eliminate it once it has cropped up on a ride. Leaving those straps a little looser than usual from the start of the ride might help.

I haven't had it since some of the warmer days of last year, though I'm not convinced yet that the problem has gone away. I'm still using the same shoes but I'm now on different pedals (was on Look, now on Speedplay), and I've also adjusted my position on the bike a bit. The pedals and new position were not an attempt to deal with the hot foot problem, but they might actually have helped - only time will tell for sure though. Riding lower gears might help too, it certainly helps take some of the pressure off when the problem crops up.

As mentioned already, moving the cleats further back can help too. I've read a few discussion of the mid-cleat position where people said this had completely eliminated their hot foot problem. The mid-cleat position is basically where the cleat is positioned under the arch of the foot rather than under the ball of the foot - there is quite a bit of info available on this idea online, and it has been mentioned in threads here before so maybe search for those too for more info. Of course, there is no way of knowing if moving the cleat a lesser amount would have been equally effective in their particular cases so for me that in itself wouldn't be a strong enough reason to move my cleats back that far unless nothing else had worked (though I am intrigued by the other arguments for moving the cleats back that far - that's a different discussion though).

Fiachra cork

Jees - I thought you'd all think I was some kind of freak! Definately can't afford to go to a specialist shop (in saying that, is there one in this country)? As it happens, Im riding sidis which apparantly are renouned to be a small fit ( I have fairly small feet all the same). I took the insoles out which helped a lot - or rather delayed the effect/ extended the amount of time I got before the numbness kicked in. I sincerely hope its not this thing with the ball of the foot although probably is. Whilst were at it - can anyone recommend a comfortable shoe. The problem is that Im on a seriously low budget but realise realistically that they're going to cost around the €100 mark. Meanwhile, I'll try moving the cleats back a bit although I know Im not going to like that either!

Fiachra cork

Is there a specialised shop? - Sorry, new to this site and don't understand why the reply doesn't directly follow the one you intend it to if you know what I mean. This was aimed at 100 suns.

doozerie

I've seen Specialized shoes for sale in Cycleways (Parnell Street, Dublin) but based on your username I assume that's well out of the way for you. There is a dealer search on the Specialized website, here, that may help you find something more local.

Fiachra cork

A bit off course but not impossible

doozerie

Stating the obvious here, but do contact them first before going out of your way to get there if you decide to go to Cycleways. They had a few of the Specialized range in there when I saw them but I didn't check whether they offered a measuring/fitting service (maybe they are obliged to if they sell Specialized shoes at all, I don't know).

barrabus

Lumen wrote: »

I had it last summer. Took the insoles out of my Specialized shoes and moved the cleats back, and no problems since.

did you drill new holes?

Lumen

barrabus wrote: »

did you drill new holes?

Nope, just shoved them as far back as they would go.

levitronix

Only ever had it once while cycling in france during a long day in the hills, only had it on one foot which was kinda strange

100Suns

Fiachra cork wrote: »

Is there a specialised shop? - Sorry, new to this site and don't understand why the reply doesn't directly follow the one you intend it to if you know what I mean. This was aimed at 100 suns.

What I was referring to was the Specialized brand. Cycleways in Dublin have a good range:

http://www.cycleways.com/store/category/69/451/Shoes-Road/

I would only make a purchase based on a proper shoe fit at an authorised retailer who has the Specialized machinery. It doesn't cost anything extra.