Arch pain

[Ana]

I have been commuting in my tennis shoes, with platform pedals and am having some pain in my arch. My commute is just over one mile each way (although construction is making it slightly longer these days). I am considering switching over to clipless but it hardly seems worth it considering I would then have to pack my shoes in my pannier (and it's only about 15 minutes each way).

Do any of you wear tennis shoes to commute and, if so, you have foot pain?

[tulip]

First make sure that the ball of your foot is centered on the pedal spindle. Your arch should not be on the pedal.

If that doesn't work, try some stiffer shoes. You don't need clipless pedals and cycling shoes for a one mile ride.

For one mile, I'd just walk.

[TsPoet]

My coworker, with a 15 mi commute, just switched to clipless for the same reason. He's in heaven, says in the 3 years he's been commuting his feet have never felt better.
Now for my new found "religion" PR (or BS, depending on your point of view) - try Vibrams! I wear my "barefoot" shoes all day everyday and my feet have never felt better. I ride in them on my trike with platform pedals and they are heaven sent for that as well. This is the opposite of Tulip's advice - let your feet work instead of stopping them from working. The VFFs will develop muscles in your feet you never knew existed and, after the original "ouch" of muscle development, your arch will be stronger for it!
Off my high-horse - either platforms or stiffer soles might help as well.

[Ana]

First make sure that the ball of your foot is centered on the pedal spindle. Your arch should not be on the pedal.

If that doesn't work, try some stiffer shoes. You don't need clipless pedals and cycling shoes for a one mile ride.

For one mile, I'd just walk.

The ball of my foot is aligned with the center of the axle (my arch is not on the pedal) but I should have mentioned that I have very flat feet :p Minor stuff (like heels) causes them to become sore also :p :( I think it's the flexing of my arch that is making them somewhat sore. Also, the soreness varies from day to day.

I will try a stiffer shoe or switch over my pedals, I guess. I'll stop by the bike store this week and see what they have to say :) Of course, they will be in favor of trying to sell me something ;)

[Biciclista]

you can buy a cheap pair of bike shoes and use them nicely on platform pedals. that's what I did for years because my husband was afraid i'd hurt my feet.. they have a stiff sole and protect your arch

[OakLeaf]

Cycling and walking/running are two different beasts.

On foot, your foot is in contact with the ground, and we have a large number of bones and muscles that have particular purposes, including supporting and flexing the arch, catching the body and propelling it forward as you take each step. If your foot muscles get sore when you're on foot, that's a sign that they need to get stronger - just like sore muscles in any other part of your body. The more flexible the soles of your shoes, the better your feet will be able to do their job.

On the bicycle, your feet are transmitting power through a small contact patch between foot and pedal. The size, shape and location of that patch doesn't change from pedal stroke to pedal stroke. When the sole of a cycling shoe flexes, and your arch flexes during the pedal stroke, no purpose is served - your heels and toes go down into empty space, and your foot muscles are stuck scrambling to hold your feet stable in a position they didn't evolve to work repetitively. The stiffer the soles of your cycling shoes, the better your legs will be able to do their job.

Think of holding a plank, because it's really similar. Your spine and core muscles evolved to hold your body upright. Planks are good exercise, because they're asking those muscles to work against gravity in a different direction than they're used to, and that'll help you be stable in motion, when you're not perfectly upright. But could you hold a plank for five minutes... ten... an hour? That's basically what you're asking your foot to do if you bicycle in flexible shoes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ana, make sure you are not pointing your toes down as you pedal. Lots of people do that without thinking and it puts undue pressure on the wrong parts of the foot.

One mile? I would never bother to do clipless and have to change shoes for a one mile ride. Um...it's only a few blocks! :cool:

[BikingNurse]

Ana, make sure you are not pointing your toes down as you pedal. Lots of people do that without thinking and it puts undue pressure on the wrong parts of the foot.

One mile? I would never bother to do clipless and have to change shoes for a one mile ride. Um...it's only a few blocks! :cool:

OK here's a question for you. I do use clipless because I go on longer rides. but my commute is very short. Could one just use their tennis shoes or what ever on a short ride with their clipless peddals?

[tulip]

Yes, but it will be awkward. You could get campus pedals. They have SPDs on one side and regular platform pedals on the other side. My commuting bike has them and they work great (if you use SPDs, that is).

Or you could get a beater bike for your commute--a beautiful yard-sale vintage mixte, say. Or you could walk. You have lots of options.

[TsPoet]

OK here's a question for you. I do use clipless because I go on longer rides. but my commute is very short. Could one just use their tennis shoes or what ever on a short ride with their clipless peddals?

In addition to what Tulip said, there are brands that have "platform" pedals with options, such as eggbeaters
http://www.crankbrothers.com/mallet.php

I didn't really like my eggbeater candy's though - the platform wasn't really enough of a platform to work. I've heard good things about the mallets, though.
Love my eggbeaters way above my old SPDs.

[BikingNurse]

Tulip and TSpoet.
Thanks for the feed back. I think I'll get a commuter that I can also use for groceries as I hate using my Dolce for that purpose. it's like putting your race hores in a pasture full of donkeys and thinking that no body will mess with the race horse. I also asked a friend of mine and he said it may not even be safe to use stree shoes with clipless incase of foot slipping and the leg getting cut up by sharp edges.

And to the OP. Have you thought of talking to a podiatrist? it may be facitis. does you foot do the first step in the morning or is it just when you ride then it could be cramps.?

[ny biker]

The ball of my foot is aligned with the center of the axle (my arch is not on the pedal) but I should have mentioned that I have very flat feet :p Minor stuff (like heels) causes them to become sore also :p :( I think it's the flexing of my arch that is making them somewhat sore. Also, the soreness varies from day to day.

I will try a stiffer shoe or switch over my pedals, I guess. I'll stop by the bike store this week and see what they have to say :) Of course, they will be in favor of trying to sell me something ;)

How is the arch support in your tennis shoes? If there's not much, it might help to get orthotics that provide better support. Something like this:

http://www.superfeet.com/products/Green.aspx

[Ana]

Ana, make sure you are not pointing your toes down as you pedal. Lots of people do that without thinking and it puts undue pressure on the wrong parts of the foot.
One mile? I would never bother to do clipless and have to change shoes for a one mile ride. Um...it's only a few blocks! :cool:

...but I love riding my bike :) Most days it's the only riding I get in during the week! Additionally, I can run errands after work around town :)

I think I might point my toes down. It takes a lot of concentration to perfect pedal stroke :p :)


And to the OP. Have you thought of talking to a podiatrist? it may be facitis. does you foot do the first step in the morning or is it just when you ride then it could be cramps.?

I haven't been to the podiatrist in a while... :( I'll ask him about my feet next time and look for stiffer shoes in the meantime :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...but I love riding my bike :) Most days it's the only riding I get in during the week! Additionally, I can run errands after work around town :)
I think I might point my toes down. It takes a lot of concentration to perfect pedal stroke :p :)


I got painful feet a couple of times at first until my husband pointed out that I was pedaling with my toes pointed downwards a lot. Since then I've kept my feet a bit more level and problem went away.

I agree it's great to use your bike for short rides and errands- good for you! I just can't see using clipless to ride only one mile and have to change my shoes for that....twice every day. But hey that's just my 2 cents. ;)

[Ana]

I got painful feet a couple of times at first until my husband pointed out that I was pedaling with my toes pointed downwards a lot. Since then I've kept my feet a bit more level and problem went away.

I agree it's great to use your bike for short rides and errands- good for you! I just can't see using clipless to ride only one mile and have to change my shoes for that....twice every day. But hey that's just my 2 cents. ;)

I'll watch the toes :) I know, it hardly seems worth the shoe change, etc :p I wish it was easier in society to commute by bike (I would love to have a secure locker in which to store all the stuff, and a shower :)).

[tulip]

If you point your feet now, you'll likely do it even with other shoes and pedals, unless, of course, you make a conscious effort to change your pedaling style.

Lots of employers and cities are recognizing the benefits of bike commuters. I hope your town gets with the program soon.

[blackhillsbiker]

Take a look at MKS Lambda (aka Grip King) pedals. I have them on my commuter and I love them!! No more foot pain.

Deb

[JennK13]

I also use campus pedals on my commuter and love them. I have a second pair of cycling shoes that I wear when I'm commuting, or running errands and I know I'll be on and off the bike a lot. They're Shimano mountain bike shoes, and are flat on the bottom with rubber soles and recessed cleats so I have stable footing while walking around - I hate walking in my road shoes and slipping all over the place, as well as worrying about messing up my cleats. Might also try some spin shoes - for a mile commute, you wouldn't be putting too many miles on the shoes and be able to walk around in them, too. Just a thought :)

[moderncyclista]

I still swear by my Chrome shoes. Stiff sole makes a great commuter shoe. They make several styles. http://www.chromebagsstore.com/

Wow, sorry I sound like an ad. I am just impressed with them. Seriously, they take a couple of days to break in but they are great sneaker alternatives and grip the pedals like crazy. Sometimes I feel like I'm clipped in! :)

[Voodoo Sally]

Maybe some orthotics are in order? I just put some in my cycling shoes to combat my foot pain.

[kjay]

moderncyclista, would you recommend the Chrome shoes for long-distance bicycling as well? I've been looking for a stiff sole without clip-in capability so that there's no "bump" inside my shoe.

[Ana]

Maybe some orthotics are in order? I just put some in my cycling shoes to combat my foot pain.

I have orthotics already but they messed up the fit of my shoe when I tried them :p Correcting my pedal stroke does seem to help a lot and I instantly notice the additional strain on my arch when I tend to point my toe :p

I'll let you know if the shoes I ordered help with this :)

[zoom-zoom]

Toe pointers, where are you feeling the arch pain? I have dealt with outer arch (peroneal tendon) pain on my right foot a few times over the past couple of years. What solved the issue was moving to running shoe with a more flexible forefoot, then adding Superfeet insoles to give a bit more rearfoot stability. But when I get this pain on the bike I'm not sure how to prevent it. I'm a toe pointer, too.

My pain has gotten better as I've ridden more miles, so maybe it's just a newbie issue in my case.

[moderncyclista]

moderncyclista, would you recommend the Chrome shoes for long-distance bicycling as well? I've been looking for a stiff sole without clip-in capability so that there's no "bump" inside my shoe.

I don't know about centuries, but 25 miles or so and they still feel good. I'd still give em' a thumbs up for anything 25 miles or under. :) I've just never tested them past this point. I guess I should. I would like to get a pair of Keens (sandals) for touring, just for the sweaty, hot, humid months here. I've heard those are good too.

I like Chrome's shoes so far. I wear em' everyday I bike. Also, ingenius "lace gutter" idea. Tucks laces away so there is no danger of catching them in the chain. Woo!

[Ana]

Wow, stiffer soles helped my arch pain!! :D I don't like using the shoes without the clipless part because the shoes are slippery but I'll keep at it and see how it goes...clipless seems like a bit of overkill :p (but I reserve the right to change my mind at any time ;))

[HipGnosis6]

I use a MTB shoe to help with the slippery - and to let me walk around! I use them even on my 3.5 mile commute, but I work in an office with a strict dress code and leave my work shoes under my desk every day anyway. Days I don't ride, I walk in from the bus in stockings and white sneakers - very "Nine To Five", I know! but it keeps my feet happy.