the spirit was willing but the knees and arches were week.

[madscot13]

Now that summer has started I have been increasing my mileage from 6 miles a few times a week ( my commute) to 12- 15 mile daily minimum with 30 milers poking there head, except for rest and rainy days. I jst started this biking thing and am loving it but I do not want to invest a ton of money into it. I have been using my normal shoes a pair of Pumas that aren't even good enough for walking in for an extended period. When I assigned them as my biking shoes I thought it would be okay and even great to find a new use for this loyal shoes. Yeah that was stupid. However, I think that is why my arches and knees are hurting. I think I have caved the areas around the arches down and but a crack through the inside sole. I switched to my more thicker soled trail running shoes (and hiked my seat up a fair bit!) to try and relieve this pain but so far I don't think it is enough. I don't want to spend more money on shoes and on pedals than on what I paid for the bike and to boot I am still unemployed .

Is there anyway around buying the pedal/ shoe package or is there a way around it? I am increasing my mileage each week and don't want this pain to slow me down. Until I got serious for a century or something I wanted to stick with what I have. Any hints or thoughts?

[Tri Girl]

The problem is most likely that your soles are too soft and your foot doesn't have enough support (but it sounds like you know that already). When I bought my bike two years ago, I,too, had a hard time spending more money than it already cost. Therefore, I used eBay to buy almost everything I needed! I bought used road shoes (really nice and cheap), the pedals and cleats (but had to borrow a pedal wrench from a friend to put them on), and cycling jerseys a plenty. The only things I bought new at first was the helmet and a pair of bike shorts. Try eBay for some inexpensive cycling shoes and pedals/cleats. I'll bet that'll solve your foot/knee pain in a jiff.

[KnottedYet]

Or go to REI or a shoe store and get a pair of Superfeet insoles. About $35. Wear them in ALL your shoes, ALL the time to support and sort-of retrain your feet.

Since you'd be doing a lot of biking, I'd recommend the Berry with the metatarsal arch support for the forefoot. (you'll be putting a lot of pressure thru the forefoot on the pedal)

If you have a really good shoestore, they should be able to "post" a 2nd pair of insoles (if you find some you like) specifically for biking, but start off with one pair in all your shoes and see how it goes. And if you don't like them you can return them to REI. (or sell 'em to me, if you're a size 9.5 )

[madscot13]

And if you don't like them you can return them to REI. (or sell 'em to me, if you're a size 9.5 )

thanks for the good advice. i think I will try the insole idea first and then I will reward myself later with some shoes/ pedals.

Sorry Knotted I am happy to make a size 7.5 no where near 9.5

[madscot13]

What if i have wide feet? should I switch to one of the different insoles? the berry makes it sound like it is for narrow feet .

[SadieKate]

You speak of arch pain. What part of the foot are you placing on the pedal? It should be the ball of your foot. I see a lot of riders using tennies or running shoes put the arch of their foot on the pedal.

If this is what you have been doing, change to the ball of your foot plus you may have to raise your saddle a bit since this effectively lengthens your leg (saddle to pedal distance).

[madscot13]

Or go to REI or a shoe store and get a pair of Superfeet insoles. About $35. Wear them in ALL your shoes, ALL the time to support and sort-of retrain your feet.

When you say retrain, is that something that is supposed to hurt or a feeling that I know i am wearing insoles but it is bearable?

[Torrilin]

Your feet (and ankles. and knees. and hips) are used to moving in a particular way. When you add an orthotic (aka insole) it alters the way you move. You may end up using new muscles, or need to tie your shoes differently, or all manner of other tiny changes. So you end up relearning some or all of your movement and coping skills. It's definitely retraining .

A new insole that fits correctly *should* give you a subtle (or not so subtle) feeling of "I'm better". For me, it's a sudden feeling of "oh, I don't hurt", but my legs have problems that most people don't. If the insole hurts, it's not the right one, or your foot has changed enough that it's no longer the right one, or you've worn it out. I notice my orthotics when it's *very* hot out and my feet have sweated through my socks. I sometimes notice them when I've spent 6 or more hours standing, and my feet are depending on the orthotic to do more of the work of supporting me. I'll also notice them if I'm walking up a slippery incline or taking a very long walk (10+ miles). Otherwise, they aren't something I'm aware of.

Some podiatrists recommend wearing orthotics or insoles for an hour or two the first day, then slowly increasing the time. I've never done that, since I have always had hard plastic orthotics, and you can't really break those in.

[Kano]

Madscot, when I started, I wore "normal" shoes to ride and my feet hurt. Yes, through the arch too, even though I didn't put the arch of my foot on the pedal. I did buy bike shoes (Specialized Taho, about $70) but I did not buy pedals until the following season. The shoes alone made a HUGE difference for my feet!

The physical therapist types like Knott will have lots of probably even better suggestions, but a very firm, supportive shoe will help a lot, I'm sure!

Karen in Boise