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scozim

I've got a 100K ride next Saturday and decided to get a long one in today. Ended up being the longest I've done on either of my Gitane bikes. I took the Sprint since that's what I'll be riding next weekend. It's newly equipped with one of Chas' 38t Stronglight chainrings which has been a great change.

Today was a total of 73.5 miles (118km) with lots o' climbing - 8.5 miles of significant hills and a ton of false flats. I've been fighting a "hot foot"/nerve issue in my right foot all summer. Shoe inserts help a little but the last 20 miles were pretty painful. It has definitely slowed me down a lot this year. Might just have to take a couple of months off to rest the foot and work on projects.

Here's a few photos:

The last couple of miles here really pitched up. I was down to the 38-24 and wishing for one more bailout gear. Dropped to 10.2 mph by the top - about as slow as I've gone up a hill in awhile.

verktyg

Scott,

Great pictures.... Cool

Check out this website. There is a little video in the Details Area on the right side of the page. It explains hot foot.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57646

scozim

Thanks Chas - I actually bought some of the Specialized Body Geometry inserts that, for the most part, have eased some of the problems. I suspect some rest will help more than anything else.

verktyg

Hot Foot was a very common problem back in the days of toe clips and straps - for a number of reasons... Crying or Very sad

Here's some of them:

High points on top of the pedals put pressure on the bottom of the foot. This was especially true with Campagnolo and other pedals with "quill" style cages.

Those kinds of pedals were designed for people with very narrow feet (don't get me started on Italian footwear - I wear size 10 1/2 EEE shoes). Evil or Very Mad

Next thing with those style pedals, the toe straps can compress the toes together resulting in loss of blood flow and nerve compression, especially in riders with wider feet.

Another issue is foot orientation. This goes back to the concept of 1 size fits all - riders should adjust to the bike not have the bike fit them MYTH!

If your natural stance is to have your toes point outward that's how you should ride, regardless of what self proclaimed "Fit Nazis" recommend. The bike should be COMFORTABLE!!!
Shocked

Riding shoes are another cause of Hot Foot. Most shoes were/are designed for people with skinny feet. There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to wiggle your toes inside the toe box area at the front of the shoe.

Another suggestion, many people push down with both feet when they ride. Probably goes back to the pre toe strap days when riders tried to keep their feet on the pedals.

When I first started riding I was quite a "masher", running in high gears at low RPMs. I learned to spin and rode at up to 90 RPM. That helped my cardio endurance.

From the late 70s until about 5-6 years ago, most of my riding was off road and I fell back into a mashing style of pedaling.

A year or so ago I realized that I was pushing down with both feet when I pedaled on my road bikes. It took a wek or so to adjust but I started lifting my foot opposite of the down stroke pedal. It cut my pedaling force in half! Very Happy

It also lessens the pressure on the bottoms of my feet.

One last thing, try moving your cleats front to back to see if that makes any difference.

Good luck.