Home Chat General Chat

cycling with Numb feet - advice needed!

Can anyone out there help? I am experiencing numbness in my feet when cycling which starts about 20mins into the ride. I have read lots about the importance of shoes and I have bought stiff cycling shoes from a specialist cycling shop- although I'm not using cleats or clips. I keep my shoes loosly tied and I have had specialist othotics made. All to no avail. I am now wondering whether it is the bike/saddle set up. Whats the best way to go about this? Should I raise or lower the saddle? Tip the saddle up or down, backwards or fowards, or do I have to just experiment? getting off the bike to run is agony, it takes vigorous massage to restore circulation and it feels like running with 2 blocks of wood on the end of my legs!



Thanks

[:(]



[:(]

Comments

  • AgnessAgness Posts: 27
    How bazaar! I get this also, not all the time though. Its particularly worse if its cold or if i try putting thick socks on. I have quite broad feet and was going to buy a new pair of shoes when funds permit. Sorry not much help
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    Sounds like a sciatica-like condition. If it is this then you re probably correct in looking at your set up and saddle. Set up wise the best advice is you your bike and your shoes should go arund to a reputable bike shop or club and have various take a look at your set up, th problem with this is that everybody will have an opinion and an anecdote about when they......zzzzzzzz but somebody might spot something relevant. In my case it was a change of saddle, in fact I went through 3 saddles before I got relief (Selle Italia gel flow). The peculiar thing was that on my tri bike the pain was worst with a Selle Italia SLR xp, but I use this saddle on my road bike on my road bike and experience no pain! Why? It had to be down to the geometry difference; the tri bike having a 3degree steeper seat tube
  • pacmanpacman Posts: 109
    Doc - why no cleats? Its sounds like you might be going the long way round solving this issue. If you got a standard pair of cycling shoes, the right fit, with good clip ins and wore them with a thin pair of cycling socks - you could then rule out the shoes and concentrate on set up. I might be way off but I don't see how orthotics come into it on the bike. Sure when running they have their place - but cycling is low if not non impact and I don't get how they help. Running on numb feet might well make an existing problem worse. Another thing to try is to flex your feet regularly while in the saddle to promote blood flow.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Do you 'claw' your feet? Quite a few people do, especially if you don't ride with cleats, you may be sub consciously 'gripping' the pedals. So relax you toes.
Sign In or Register to comment.