My heels won't stay down

[crazycanuck]

I've noticed lately that my heels won't stay down all the time when i pedal..

Is this specifically a shoe cleat thing or an actual bike set up issue.

Other than reminding myself to keep my heels down, is there anything else i should do?

[OakLeaf]

It took me over a year to retrain myself. You'll need to gradually lower your saddle as you learn not to ankle. Saddle too high forces you to ankle ... but if you're ankling, then lowering your saddle could hurt your knees.

[crazycanuck]

Ah, so it's a balancing act then..I thought it might be!

Often when I make small changes on my bike i just end up with one unhappy knee :(.

I seem to have my cleat position at different places on each shoe-(not a huge difference but just a weeny bit)-and struggle...

Thanks :)

[Blueberry]

I'm in the process of retraining. My saddle is at the correct height (assuming I don't ankle) - set by my PT. It's hard and slow - I'm not ready to say I have progress yet....

[HillSlugger]

It's my understanding that we are not all equally designed for heel down pedaling and that it's not necessarily good for everyone. True?

[KnottedYet]

It's my understanding that we are not all equally designed for heel down pedaling and that it's not necessarily good for everyone. True?

Yes.

I'm sorry, but I am amused by this thread because not too long ago everyone was TRYING to keep their heels UP when they rode. There were careful diagrams in magazines, analyses of how much more efficient it was, testimonials from riders who'd retrained themselves and found the heavens opened up and the angels sang. "Ankling" was the hot and sexy trend of the moment because some racer at the time did it. (Just like how crazy-high RPMs were the hot and sexy trend of the moment for a while because Lance did it.)

Do what feels best for YOU. If your saddle feels too low and you are spending the whole ride trying to drop your heels instead of riding your bike, raise the saddle.

20-30 years ago, everyone wanted me to raise my saddle and point my toes. That was just as wrong for me as pedaling with heels down is for someone else.

If it feels wrong, change it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[beccaB]

I'm wondering if improper technique is causing my sore right achilles. I also drive a school bus 5 hours a day, and it is my driving foot.. I find myself standing on the gas pedal to make the bus move down the road, and I am always glad to have summer be here to recover from some strain issues from that job. This thread has me wondering if it's not the bus, but my technique on the bike and I don't know what to do to fix that.

[KnottedYet]

If it gets better over the summer when you are not driving the bus (and when you are riding the bike MORE), then I would bet it's the bus, not the bike.

[Sky King]

Just back on the bike this year after having to stop all exercise for almost 18 months due to severe achilles tendon issues with both achilles. When riding I find myself doing all sorts of tricks to keep my tendons loose, so am not going to go into the heel down, heel up but wanted to share a simple stretch taught to me by a super therapist who gave me embarrassingly simple exercises that got me back to riding.
1. Sit on the floor, keep your shoes on, take a rope, loop it around the ball of your foot, extend that leg and keep the other bent at the knee. Pull you toes/foot toward your knee, assist with the rope, breath out and hold for only two seconds, repeat a dozen times. Slightly turn your foot to the inside, repeat. Slightly turn your foot to the outside, repeat.
2. Lie on your back. again have rope wrapped around the ball of your foot AND looped behind your ankle. Have leg you are not working on bent at knee to keep back flat on floor. Raise leg without bending your knee and pull gently toward your chest - this helps stretch the hamstring, and calf muscle as they are all tied to your achilles. Hold for two seconds while breathing out, lower and repeat about a dozen times.

Those are just two of the simple exercises I do but they have done wonders to get my achilles moving in the right direction

[crazycanuck]

Interesting thoughts...

I think what i do is incorrect technique as i don't always extend my leg far enough down when i bike...I don't even realize i'm doing it but I do...

[malkin]

I learned to keep heels down (mostly) from stoking the tandem, because it makes it way easier to ride through bumps.