Ankle pain (OMG not again)

[Crankin]

I hope you figure this out, NY.

[north woods gal]

NY, you really DON'T need special shoes for flats. You don't want too floppy, of course, but going too stiff may aggravate your ankle injury. A good walking shoe or light hiking boot is fine. I use my light New Balance hikers most of the time for backcountry work. Heck, in the summer, I've even used my Birks for quick rides, but my lug sole Columbia hiking sandals also work. In the winter, some folks up here even use Sorel pack boots.

There are special shoes for flat pedals if you want to spend the money, of course, but one of the big advantages of going with flats is that it gets you away from needing bicycle specific shoes. The only real advantage of flat specific shoes is the sole material that allows good grip with pins, but all kinds of regular shoes can do the same. Even my lugged hiking boots and lugged sandals have plenty of grab. Just a matter of trial and error with a given flat pedal to see what works.

[ny biker]

So, an update. I bought two different ankle-compression things and lost count of how many others I tried on, and I hated them all. They either are too tight on my foot, or have a heel opening surrounded by too-tight stitching, or bunch up in front of my ankle when I try to walk. I already returned one of the ones I bought and will be returning the other one tomorrow.

Ultimately the best thing has been an old-fashioned Ace bandage, because I can decide how tight to make it. And they cost less than all the other things I've looked at. I've bought two of them so I can wash one and still have one to wear. With the Ace bandage and the Superfeet, I have been mostly pain-free for several days now. After a week off from all exercise, I'm going to the gym tonight for weight training.

While I was at the bike shop the other day I mentioned that I might need to put flat pedals on my road bike for a while while the ankle recovers. I stressed "might" since I hadn't tried to ride or clip in and out yet. But they insisted on lending me a pair of inexpensive plastic pedals and showed me how to take off the Speedplays and put on the flat ones if needed. I had to buy a pedal wrench but can return it along with the pedals if I don't need it. As it turned out, the nice weather we were expecting for the weekend didn't happen and I ended up spending a lot of time working on the furniture painting project, and the place in my living room where I normally set up the indoor trainer is currently full of newly-painted dresser drawers. So I still haven't tried to ride the bike yet.

[north woods gal]

That's a good bike shop to let you try a set of flats like that. As long as those pedals have at least some teeth for the sake of grip, they'll give you a good test. Best of luck. Ride when you can.

[emily_in_nc]

Yes NY, I hope the pedals will enable you to ride. Sorry the ankle braces didn't work out, but sounds like wrapping in an Ace bandage is the best solution -- and nice when it is also the least expensive, no?

[ny biker]

It's 71 and sunny right now but I can't go outside to ride or even take a walk. GRRRRRRRRRRR.

It's been two weeks. The ankle is much improved but not totally healed. It is so hard to resist thinking that I can take a chance and go out and do something. But I so do not want to make things worse.

I rode my bike on the trainer for 25 minutes last night. The ankle felt fine. I could clip in and out without pain. But then I realized -- I always clip out first with the right foot and put that foot down when I stop. If I'm on a downhill or have to stop suddenly, the foot hits the ground with a fair amount of force. It could injure the tendon more. So I think I need to stay off the road bike for another week or two. This is so hard! We will have great weather for an evening ride later this week, too.

I think there is less risk riding the mountain bike if I take it out on flat trails. Not today, because it still needs some repairs to the left shifter. And with this weather the trails will be mobbed anyway. So I will put the flat pedals on it and take it to the shop for repairs. Maybe next weekend (after another week of rest) the weather will be decent and I can go for an easy trail ride. My thinking is that I go slower on the mountain bike and with the wider tires, I am better able to balance so it would be less urgent to put a foot down if I have to stop suddenly.

Ok, typing all this out and just having a plan makes me feel better.

[emily_in_nc]

So sorry, NY. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be with the early nice weather.

I hope your ankle will be 100% soon. And just remember, spring is coming. It's only February, despite all appearances to the contrary in so many parts of the country!