Saddle causing foot pain?

[Anathema]

Hi, all. This is my first post, though I’ve been lurking a while. I bought a used mountain bike (Trek 4500 WSD) last fall, thinking I might lose some weight. Last time I’d been on a bike was probably 1995 or so, and I had really enjoyed it back then, but was never serious about cycling; I gave up riding after a couple too many narrow incidents with motorists left me feeling I was pushing my luck with the bike.

Anyway, after buying the bike last fall, I didn’t ride it all winter. I got it out briefly last spring, but it was a really windy and cold spring, so I started waiting for the weather to be right. It finally hit me a couple of weeks ago that now that the wind had subsided a bit, it’s too hot, and once that’s passed, it’ll probably be winter again. So, now I’m done waiting for perfect weather, and am committed to riding while the days are long enough.

I’ve tooled around my neighborhood a bit, then took my first real ride last weekend. My town has a bike trail that connects to the town where I work and I’m considering commuting. It’s only about a 15 mile ride. Last Sunday, I started at the trailhead about ten miles from my office and rode round trip from there. I enjoyed the trip, but my left side went nearly completely numb during the course of my ride. As soon as I got back to the TH and was off the bike, I regained sensation, and in a couple of hours, my body was craving riding again; I felt I could have gone much further if it hadn’t been for the numb sensation. I took that as a good sign and thought maybe the bike could be better adjusted to prevent the numbness. I went to my LBS and paid to have it fitted. The guy who worked with me took a bunch of measurements and said I’d gotten incredibly lucky with the size of the frame and that the current setup was nearly perfectly adjusted to me; we made only a small adjustment to the saddle (shifted it back a bit and aimed the nose slightly down). He gave me some pointers about posture and positioning (some of it seems good, some didn’t make any sense to me at all, and some I think absolutely wrong for me), and told me the problem with the numbness was probably that I’m sitting on a cluster of nerves that run down the groin.

Yesterday, I started the same ride that I’d done last weekend. For the first couple of miles, I found I was slipping around and having to re-settle myself on the saddle, but other than that, everything felt great. At about the fifth mile, I started going numb again, but this week, by mile six, the inside of my left ankle and the top of the foot were in excruciating pain. It felt at first like it might have been cramping; relaxing my foot seemed to help a little, but not enough and not for long. By the time I got back to my car, I felt like I wanted to die. It felt like I've strained my ankle. The pain continued all through last night. I woke up this morning feeling lame and took today off from trying to ride.

Now I’m scared to get back on the bike. Does anyone have any ideas what can be causing this? Could a different saddle correct it?

[boy in a kilt]

I've had a similar problem for years. Not to the same extent, but I've pretty much gotten used to losing contact with my toes and sometimes my insteps when I ride. I've mitigated it to varying degrees by changing my shoes and playing around with cleat and saddle positions, but I've never really solved it.

I'm just as interested in the answer as you are.

SGTiger had her position tweaked at a bike fitting party a while back and seems really happy with it. Now she wants someone to take a look at my position. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who fits men.

[motochick]

I don't know what the answer is, but maybe you can try this if you haven't already. Slide your saddle to the extreme right or left in the seat clamp; push it over to one side or the other. Next, try twisting the saddle in the seatpost so it is off center. Just a thought, hope you find something that works.

Brenda

[indigoiis]

You may also want to stretch before you ride, concentrating on stretches that stretch the muscles around your groin area. The stronger those muscles get (through riding) the less numbness you're likely to feel, as you will be supported more (less pressure on the saddle.) Also, exercize the core through pilates style exercizes. Again, think balance and support - less pressure on the saddle.

[KnottedYet]

Does your saddle fit?

Could it be too narrow or too "pear-shaped" or too padded and pressing on the neighborhood of the big juicy nerves (and they are BIG targets up near the haunches) that run down the leg?

Will your LBS allow you to borrow a few different saddles to try?

[sundial]

For the first couple of miles, I found I was slipping around and having to re-settle myself on the saddle, but other than that, everything felt great. At about the fifth mile, I started going numb again, but this week, by mile six, the inside of my left ankle and the top of the foot were in excruciating pain.

Couple of questions:
1. Is the seat post up too high?
2. Are you using SPD's?
3. Does the saddle have a cut-out for the girlie parts?

[Anathema]

Thank you all for your replies. I tried the idea about turning the pointy end of the seat (I don't know how to slide it over) and tested it on a shorter ride; it did seem to help. I didn't feel like I spent the entire trip scootching back and I didn't get home feeling like I had a big sore spot on my left inner thigh. My foot still went to sleep, though and I'm still nervous about going farther.

I'm a big fan of pilates, and it makes sense to me that doing core work would help with biking. After riding today, I noticed I started my ride a lot more recruited than when I finished. It could be that this hits at six miles is that that's about how long it takes before my core starts getting fatigued. (I recently had to stop going to the studio where I had been working out because of scheduling conflicts and haven't been faithful about maintaining on my own. I did a mat workout on my own last night for the first time since quitting, and was astounded a half hour later when I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, how dramatic the change in the way I was carrying myself was just from that one workout. I hadn't even noticed the encroaching tension and slouching.)

My seat does have feminine cutouts. If anything, I feel like the seat is too low. I know I'm supposed to keep some bend in my knee, and both the guy who helped fit my bike the other day and the guy who first looked over the bike when I bought it said I should keep it where it is, a bit lower than feels natural to me. Still, if it were about my own taste, I'd like just a little more extension in the down position. And I haven't seriously considered shoes yet. I've been using a pair of cross training sneakers. Could the right shoes make a difference?

[KnottedYet]

If anything, I feel like the seat is too low. I know I'm supposed to keep some bend in my knee, and both the guy who helped fit my bike the other day and the guy who first looked over the bike when I bought it said I should keep it where it is, a bit lower than feels natural to me. Still, if it were about my own taste, I'd like just a little more extension in the down position.

It is about your own taste! It's your bike and your ride!

Put a mark on the seatpost (tape, ink, scratch, whatever makes a decent mark) where it is now, and raise that puppy up! Play with it! In the end, you might decide you liked it best where it was, so you just lower it back down to the mark you made.

It's your bike, and it's absolutely your right to fiddle with the fit. Heck, it's almost a sacred tradition to fuss and fiddle with fit.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Have fun!

[sundial]

I've been using a pair of cross training sneakers. Could the right shoes make a difference?

Absolutely! It's time to go shopping.

As Knot suggested finagle with your seat post. Mine is a little high cuz my knees like it that way. Some TE'ers have had issues with saddles that have cut outs and found relief going with a traditional saddle.

If after playing with your bike you're still having issues, perhaps posting pics of you on your bike can help us determine how to resolve the problems.

[Drummer Momma]

I had the same problem and mine turned out to be my saddle. Once I found a saddle that fit my sit bones properly (I tried four different ones) my feet are much improved.

I was riding this past weekend with a guy from my bike club and he told me that rounding out your stroke also helps. I have been working on this skill as of late as well. I rode 25 miles on Sunday and my feet didn't bother me at all.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I had this problem but it went away after I fooled with the saddle height and tilted the saddle down a little. To me it was just my body getting accustomed to riding for a long time seated (on the road vs mtb). I make sure I stand up every once and again too. I have a Terry Butterfly Ti and it works well for me.