Weird pains not sure what happened

[momtohanna]

Today I took a longish ride (16 miles) however, I was towing my daughter in the trailer. By the time I was done my girlie parts were numb and my toes were numb and sore.

I've done longer rides and had no discomfort at all ~ what's the deal? Was it towing her in the back that made the difference? and if so what might I be able to do about it?

thanks

[kermit]

I imagine pulling your daughter in the trailer had something to do with it. Pulling anything, you probably worked harder sitting heavier on the saddle and pedaled harder with your feet. Try to stand up every once in a while on a flat spot to make sure the blood is flowing. Thats my guess.

[Cataboo]

maybe gearing down would help?

[momtohanna]

@Catriona ~ I was in a gear where the next one down just felt out of control easy ~ so I don't think that was it ~ but I'll keep it in mind.

Wondering if my seat may need to be adjusted?

[TrekWSDmechanic]

Hey there Hanna's mom.

Can you tell me what your shoe/pedal set up is?

[momtohanna]

sneakers and regular flat pedals on my mtb

[TrekWSDmechanic]

I suspect that your foot pain is probably associated with your shoes. Regular sneakers allow your foot to hyperextend on the pedals. That, combined with the extra effort while towing the trailer, probably placed too much pressure on the nerves that run under your feet. This is a common problem for people who wear regular sneakers while riding.

Have you considered getting a pair of cycling shoes? What makes them different is that they have a rigid sole, so the flex that causes the numbness isn't a problem.

[momtohanna]

I have considered it, but don't know about much about them, and I guess I thought they were only for special pedals. Can I use them on my regular pedals?

[Eden]

If you get a shoe made for mt bike style pedals you can use them just fine without a cleat installed. In fact, most shoes made for recessed cleats have a piece of rubber covering the area that you install the cleat that you have to remove to use the cleat. They don't have to be terribly expensive either. Around her you can usually find a pairs of touring shoes or mt bike shoes on sale for $20-$25 if you look around. Many look very much like regular walking/hiking shoes.

[momtohanna]

Really? It seems all the shoes I've looked at are hundreds of dollars ~ maybe because I don't know what I'm looking for lol.

Where are you looking for these shoes and what exactly are they called?

Thanks

[ccbloom]

I'd be interested in the shoes, too...for my road bike because clipless have been a disaster, and at this point, DH forbids me from wearing them

[Eden]

Since I'm not in your area I can't really suggest stores to look for the best deals in, but as far as types of shoes - Check out Bike Nashbar or Performance to get an idea of what kind of shoes go for those prices.

At Nashbar on their mt bike shoe page they have 9 different shoes for under $25. On their "casual" shoe page (these tend to look like sneakers) they have 5 or 6 more.

Many of the bike shops around here have piles of clearance shoes too. I even found a pair of real honest to goodness Sidi Geniuses for $30 once (but I have a *very* small foot, so I stand a better chance of this kind of thing). If you have any shops that sell used bikes in your area you might be able to find some shoes there too. I've seen new/nearly new shoes quite cheap around here.

I got my first pair of shoes made for cycling long ago when I was a teenager... this was before clipless pedals really became normal - they'd probably only been in wider use for a year or two. The shoes were basically Nike tennis shoes with a steel shank in the sole...

[momtohanna]

thanks for the suggestions! I found some shoes I like on the Nashbar site ~ when I was looking at the sizing I noticed the sizing chart they have is totally different than the shimano sizing chart ~ I was looking at the Shimano MT31 ~ do you have any idea about the sizing for these shoes? I have never bought shoes online ~ kinda scary lol.

[Deborajen]

I'd go with Shimano's sizing charts. Specialty shoes, like cycling or running shoes, tend to vary by brand. You might also want to try on a pair of Shimano shoes at a bike shop to get an idea if the sizing feels big, small, etc.

[momtohanna]

great idea ~ looks like it's time for another trip to town and the bike shop.