Bruise pain sensation in my right foot - an adjustment fix?

Joined: 28 Aug 2013 Posts: 26

After fitting clipless pedals to my bike I’m experiencing a problem in my right foot.
For example if I go for a ride I end up with a discomfort/light pain in the ball of the foot behind the second and third smallest toes. The best way I can describe it is like a bruising where the sensation will increase over a day or so and then subside in the following days as if it cures.
I’m perfectly happy with how my foot sits over the axle of the pedal so that leaves me with three more adjustment options; toe-in/out, left & right and shoe strap tightness.
What I can’t tell is whether it is due to the pressure from the contact point or if it is a lack of this and they don’t have support.
I don’t have any problems with my left foot at all.
Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tom

Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 578 Location: Netherlands

I get that with some pedals but could never find out why or how. In my case it does not matter which foot, just that it happens in some bikes. Sometimes I also get it if I walk around in flip-flops during the summer. Not always thou. I "solved" it by changing pedals (or bike).

Joined: 17 Mar 2013 Posts: 1037

I get this also.... On the same foot... Thought it was my dodgy metatarsals from rugby injuries.... So gonna keep an eye on this thread!

Joined: 28 Aug 2013 Posts: 26

Ok, I've fixed the issue. What I did was slide the cleat, keeping the same toe-in and front to back, all the way to the right bringing my foot much closer to the crank arm. I have done two rides since, one of 39Kms and the other of 114kms and no pain in my foot.

However, I found that on my second ride (yesterday) that in the last 25 to 30kms I started to get knee pain, sort of behind the knee cap and fading back - if that makes sence. This is after going up and down plenty of Italian inland hills and making my way home via the coastal roads which are flat. Seemed a bit weird.

Any ideas?

Tom.

Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 578 Location: Netherlands

Glad that your sorted the foot pain. Knee pain is more common.
According to what I was reading the other day, knee pain is usually caused by the seat tube and seat position/angle. In some cases you put too much effort on certain parts of your legs and hips and as you get tired you start to have knee pain.
So, it is usually a matter of how low/high the seat is or forward/backwards regarding your bottom bracket. Try moving the seat forward/backward up/down on the rails and go for a ride. Remember that your knee has to be slightly bent (to check, put your heel on the pedal. If your leg is perfectly extended then when you place it in normal position your leg will be slightly bent).

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:58 am Post subject:

The knee pain will probably just be a kneecap-tracking problem.
In the old days (just tell me to shut up!) when SPDs first came out we used to see no end of knee problems. Stop using the SPDs and the problem went.

So it is positioning. I don't know much about cleats, but I know Shimano introduced floating cleats to get around the knee pain issue.
Are they still available?

The foot pain will be a similar problem - one of tracking. Think about the power being generated by the big muscles of your legs going into a relatively small area of your foot before being transmitted to the pedal - it all has to align or you'll end up with strain.

Hope this is useful.

Joined: 28 Aug 2013 Posts: 26

Thanks for the replies fellas. Can't remember what I did since my last post, probably some cleat tweaking, but I'm not getting any pain at all these days.

Thanks,
Tom.

	MTBE Forum Index -> The Cardio Room	All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1