Clenching toes on one foot...Symptom of ????

[KathiCville]

Hoping I can get some ideas and help with a little problem/mystery. I've been road riding now for about four years, averaging 1500 to 2000 miles annually, on rides ranging from 15 to 50 miles. I wear Sidi MTB shoes (I don't like the slick bottoms of road shoes) and have the SPD cleat system (which I'm very happy with). For what it's worth, I'm 5' 3", 115 lbs.

I noticed a few rides ago that I am unconsciously "clenching" the toes on my right foot as I ride. Never the left, only the right. I'm not sure when I started doing this, but it's been very noticeable for the last three weeks or so.

I started really paying attention this past week to how I'm pedaling to see if I could figure out why I'm doing it.

Here's what I noticed:

1) Toe boxes on both shoes have plenty of room, no pinching, no discomfort. So I don't think I'm clenching on the right because of any tightness in the shoe. If anything, the opposite.

2) The shoes are four years old. (And so have surely stretched a bit.) Cinching the front strap tighter over the toe box doesn't stop the impulse to clench.

3) I'm not having any problem clipping in or out.

4) My left leg *seems* to be working a little harder than the right.

5) On the upstroke, I can feel a slight "looseness" on the right that I don't on the left---my right foot seems to lift very slightly off the pedal, unlike my left, which stays solidly connected to the pedal throughout the 360 cycle. It feels as if some aspect of the foot/shoe/cleat/pedal combo is not as solidly connected as it should be. I *think* that this is why I'm clenching----my right foot is tensing up to try to make up for something, trying to keep my foot more firmly attached to the pedal throughout the full push and pull.

I did a little reading here (of course!) and among the few ideas or suggestions I could find are:

1) A solution could be to change insoles? Maybe change the Sidi insole to something with more stiffness to encourage my foot to stay flat.

2) The problem could be a leg length difference? Maybe my right leg is slightly shorter than the left and so the left is doing more of the work? If so, should I shim the cleat? Or?

3) Another possibility: Perhaps the connection between the cleat and the pedal has loosened a bit from simple wear-and-tear. (The set is about two years old.) Is that why I'm feeling my foot "lift" a little bit off the pedal during the upstroke? If so, is it time to change the cleats? Change pedals? Both? Or is there some kind of simple adjustment? (I have Shimano SPD SM56 cleats.) And is it possible to make the connection more solid between the cleat and the pedal without also making it harder to unclip?

4) Could it be a matter of cleat position? Does the clenching perhaps mean that I'm trying unconsciously to move my right foot to a "better" (more efficient) position on the pedal? (Left foot is fine.)

Clenching my foot seems to waste power that could otherwise be going into more efficient pedaling. And I need every bit of power I can get!

Thoughts? As always, thanks!!

[tulip]

Is there something in your life that you are stressed out about? Something you need to deal with but haven't yet? Maybe that stress is manifesting in clenching your foot. I used to grind my teeth at night--same type of thing. Went away when I faced and managed the thing(s) that were causing me so much stress. It had nothing to do with my teeth; this might have nothing to do with your foot.

[KathiCville]

Ha, ha, I hadn't thought about that possibility! I AM definitely a bit stressed at the moment---I have a full plate of work that is keeping me hopping. But I do yoga regularly and have a really upbeat outlook on life, so I don't *think* the clenching is emotional tension manifesting itself in my pedal stroke.

My sense is that there is a mechanical reason I'm doing it---that my right foot is working harder than it should, particularly to lift the pedal on the upstroke. I noticed yesterday on my ride that even when I focus really hard on keeping the right foot as flat as the left, there still seems to be a bit of looseness somewhere in the foot/shoe/cleat/pedal connection.

Thanks, Tulip! I'll keep your idea in mind when I'm riding this week.

[Becky]

I tend to clench my toes when my shoe isn't tight enough to keep my foot from sliding forward. Usually, tightening the instep/heel strap is enough to fix the problem. For me, tightening the toe strap just makes my toes numb.

Good luck figuring this out!

[KathiCville]

Thanks, Becky and Sheila....Hmmm, I hadn't thought about whether my feet might vary in length! What you describe, Sheila, is similar to what's happening to me when I pedal. I'll add your suggestion to my list of possible solutions!

I'll also compare how well my heels are staying put in the shoes when pedaling---maybe I need a snugger fit in the heel on the right side. I could be slipping forward a little, as Becky suggests.

Thanks! Keep those ideas and suggestions comin'!

[pll]

Is your right leg your dominant leg? Do you unclip your right foot first when you stop? And, when you say your right foot lifts, do you mean your foot and shoe (from the pedal) or your foot inside the shoe? It could be as simple as tightening the pedal a little bit -- might have become a bit loose, or perhaps the cleat is worn out (or both).

[Catrin]

I wonder, since you just noted this problem, if there could be a problem developing with the cleat on that shoe? Is it perhaps a little more worn or getting a little loose? I don't know how common an issue this is but the sudden onset makes me wonder. I also saw some poor guy yesterday who had to walk his bike some distance because HIS cleat broke - not only was he walking his bike but had to do it in his socks