my poor tootsies

Hi all! Just joined and am excited to be a part of the forum. I've been mtn biking for several years and am now slowly getting into road riding with what little free time I have, being a grad student. I was hoping y'all could help me out with something:
I have a Trek 2000 WSD that I really like, but I've noticed that around mile 20 my toes start to get numb! I thought maybe my shoes were too tight, so I loosened the straps, but that didn't help. Then I adjusted my saddle so the nose tilted down a little more, but that didn't seem to help either!
As soon as I get off the bike and walk around a little I feel the blood returning to my toes and they feel better. But this really puts a crimp in my goal of taking progressively longer rides!
Has anyone had this problem, and what did you do about it?
Many thanks!!

you don't say what kind of shoe/pedal set up you have.
I moutnain bike with a Sidi hard hose with velcro straps, SPD clips. If I crank the velcro too tight, I have all sorts of problems with numbness...?

penny s

If you are using clipless pedals, have you tried moving the cleat back a little? maybe a half inch or less so that the pedal axle is just behind the ball of your foot rather than directly under it...

Until I read this in Ned Overend's mountain biking book, I too thought I was tying my shoes too tight, but then I tried it. Found that I only had to move the left cleat (guess I'm a little lopsided :D ). Can't believe the difference!

PS - getting ready for my first century November 9th; I remember how painful it was in June on 70+ mile rides and am looking forward to a hundred-miler without having to worry about my left foot going numb! (worry about other things perhaps, but not numb feet!:rolleyes: )

I had the same problem. To fix it I changed my pedal stroke a little bit. I found that pedal stroke made a huge difference. If I am actually pulling through the bottom and up on the back then my feet feel better. It gives my feet more to do. My other suggestion is : like your hands try moving your toes and maybe even shaking out your leg every 10 minutes to keep the blood moving.

Thanks for the good advice; I'm going to try those suggestions.

Re: the pedal/shoe setup, I have specialized sport mtn bike shoes and SPD's. I though maybe the velcro was too tight but when i loosened it that didn't really help.

thanks for your help y'all.

My toes & the balls of my feet go numb, but it doesn't just happen during cycling. I first noticed it a decade ago when I took up sea kayaking.

Anytime the area of my sit bones is compressed, I pinch something. That's what makes my toes go numb. I happens if I sit wrong on a hard chair. Using a women's saddle makes it worse. It's an odd thing, and I glad I figured it out before I started cycling. Otherwise I would have wasted tons of time trying out different shoe/pedal/seat combinations.

My 'cure' is getting up off the saddle every 15-20 minutes, and taking a break off the bike every hour or so.

I haven't talked to any other cyclists with a similar wiring problem, but I cannot believe I'm that unique!

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Using a women's saddle makes it worse.

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Hill-slug, does this mean that you're currently using a men's saddle?

What you've said about pinching something really struck a nerve (no pun intended, well yes, pun intended :p ) in me, only for me it's just on the left side! Moving the cleat did help wonders, but there is a possibility it could be improved?!?

Now that I think about it, that happens to me when I sit on a hard chair also!
...I think that might have to do with the fact that I am so short that when I sit in most standard chairs my feet dangle, not touching the ground. I'm pretty sure that puts pressure on the back of my legs, kind of my hamstrings, and makes my legs/feet go numb. Maybe there's some sort of link between that and my toes-numb-while-riding thing.
I did move my cleat back and that seemed to help some. But maybe I will just have to resign myself to getting off and walking around every so often.

Thanks for the advice!

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Originally posted by ayermail2


Hill-slug, does this mean that you're currently using a men's saddle?

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I have a Julie Furtado Race Day saddle. It's a "unisex" saddle. I bought it because it matches my bike, and Julie Furtado rocks. (Love ain't always logical, right?)

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Originally posted by zephyr
Now that I think about it, that happens to me when I sit on a hard chair also! I'm pretty sure that puts pressure on the back of my legs, kind of my hamstrings, and makes my legs/feet go numb.

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My toes go numb if I sit at the edge of a chair, because that puts pressure on my sit bones.

On your next ride, try standing every 10-15 minutes and see if that alleviates the problem.

The funny thing is I have never encountered anyone who has the same numbfoot wiring. In fact, men usually look at me like I'm nuts when I describe the problem.

I had been riding happily for about 8 years , then last year I bought a WSD TREK. I became such an uhappy rider that I actually thought I might have to give up riding. I had horrible back pain and foot numbness. The discomfort would start as soon as I started climbing then last throughout the ride.

My professional background is in healthcare, so I knew that the numbness was probably from nerve impingement not a bloodflow issue. The back pain seemed to come from the angle of the pedal stroke.

I finally sold the darn thing. Thankfully the problems went away as soon as I got a different bike.

You may want to have a professional fitting done on your bike, but this didn't help me (twice). Changing stem length and saddle position are possible options. I wish you the best of luck in solving your problems, if all else fails rent or borrow a bike with different geometry to see if you get relief.

Shoes that you think fit don't nessesarily- most cycling shoes are mighty narrow. I've got mens Chili pro's, got the numb feet, but got them stretched in the forefoot and the problem is 90% gone. Even lacing shoes too tight can be a problem. My orthotic guy has been educating me. Your feet swell through the first ten miles or so, so start loose.
Lake shoes are boxier in the toe and wider than usual. And they're leather, not plastic crap. I don't have long miles on them yet but am already a fan.
The female nerve impingement idea intrigues me. When you figure it out, please post!

missliz

Zephyr,
Ayermail2 made a good suggestion about moving the cleats a little. Also, are you biking in your mountain bike shoes? The soles on a road shoe are a lot stiffer than on a mtn bike shoe. That's because when mtn biking you occasionally have to get off and walk so a softer sole. On a road bike there's little or no walking and the stiffer sole of a road bike shoe may also help the numbness. Just a suggestion.