[dave16]

Hey's a lame one:

When I ride my road bike (Shimano shoes with M-520 pedals) I develop numbness in my left foot after ~ 45 minutes. The numbness will eventually become soreness and will ecxtend up my calf into my thigh. This does not happen on my mountain bike (Specialized Rockhopper shoes with M-520 pedals).

Any ideas?

 

[pimpbot]

Shoes are too narrow

Hey's a lame one:

When I ride my road bike (Shimano shoes with M-520 pedals) I develop numbness in my left foot after ~ 45 minutes. The numbness will eventually become soreness and will ecxtend up my calf into my thigh. This does not happen on my mountain bike (Specialized Rockhopper shoes with M-520 pedals).

Any ideas?

I get the same problem if I sinch up the toes of my Sidis too tightly. I keep that toe strap a bit extra loose, and the problem goes away.

 

[Lotusfinger]

Hey's a lame one:

When I ride my road bike (Shimano shoes with M-520 pedals) I develop numbness in my left foot after ~ 45 minutes. The numbness will eventually become soreness and will ecxtend up my calf into my thigh. This does not happen on my mountain bike (Specialized Rockhopper shoes with M-520 pedals).

Any ideas?

I'd have to say it's the shoes. Maybe their too tight in just the right places and pinching something. Try to identify any pressure points before the numbness kicks in. I had a simular problem w/my shoes (although the numbness never got part the ankle). I ended up taking the laces out and using just the velcro straps.

I'm curious though, Why MTN pedals on your roadie if you got 2 pairs of shoes anyway? I put MTn pedals on my road bike so I would not HAVE to buy another pair of shoes.

 

[John]

Cutting circulation on top

Hey's a lame one:

When I ride my road bike (Shimano shoes with M-520 pedals) I develop numbness in my left foot after ~ 45 minutes. The numbness will eventually become soreness and will ecxtend up my calf into my thigh. This does not happen on my mountain bike (Specialized Rockhopper shoes with M-520 pedals).

Any ideas?

Exact same situation I have had with MTB shoes and Ski boots. Turns out it is a vein running along the very top of the foot that travels to the large toe. Some people are very sensitive to pressure on this vein. The podiatrist I went to simply lightly pressed his thumb on the highest part of the top of my foot, midway between the toe and ankle, and very quickly my toe started to get numb, then painful!! Only took about 6 seconds.

I guess when pedaling, I may be pulling up slightly to increase my power, and this is aggravating the situation.

His suggestion was to ride with the laces a bit looser. Also he recommended a footbed insert that was available in the shoe stores. I still get the numbness occasionally, if the tongue of the shoe shifts and starts pressing that damn nerve, but I stop and pull the tongue, and the numbness goes away.

He also said that if a foam insert is added to the shoe tongue, it can relieve some of the pressure on that particular point.

 

[bulC]

try this

Used to get foot pain on big road rides. After about 70 miles it really hurt, used to squirt water into my shoes. Then one day I stopped (didn't like to stop back then) and loosen the laces (Sidi Cycle Titaniums don't know from no velcros let alone buckles) and the pain went away. Turns out yer feet swell up when you ride so what's perfect when you start is too tight after awhile.

 

[Nat]

Hey's a lame one:

When I ride my road bike (Shimano shoes with M-520 pedals) I develop numbness in my left foot after ~ 45 minutes. The numbness will eventually become soreness and will ecxtend up my calf into my thigh. This does not happen on my mountain bike (Specialized Rockhopper shoes with M-520 pedals).

Any ideas?

First of all, where's the numbness? Is it on the ball of the foot? Can I go with that assumption?

I think that road riding is a harder stress on the ball of the foot than mountain biking, since you're applying more constant pressure on the pedals. When you mountain bike, you pause your pedalstroke a lot, such as when you coast down steep descents, hop logs, nail tight corners, etc.

Have you tried going for a road ride (on your road bike) with your mountain shoes? If you still get the same symptoms, then it's not just the road shoe that's causing the problem.

 

[dave16]

Thanks for your replies fellas.

Your consensus leads me to believe that my Shimano shoes are too tight. I will loosen the velcro straps on the next few rides and see how it goes.

My recommendation to anyone else who reads this thread: If you have wide feet, do not buy Shimano shoes, buy Specialized.