Road Cycling - Pain on the outside edge of my foot - has this worked for anyone?

I get pain on the outside edge of my foot that runs along the arch. The pain starts after I've been riding about 5 miles. I've tried moving the cleat all the way back, moving the cleat to outside edge, inside edge, etc. I've even tried a few replacement insoles with various types of arch support and cushioning gels. Nothing has worked so far.

My shoes fit fine, they are snug without being too tight. I have recently learned that my shoes (Specialized Sport MTB) have probably some of the skinniest outsoles for cycling shoes. The outsole is way skinnier than the arch of my feet. My thoughts are that the edge of my foot is rolling over the outsole when I pedal, causing pressure along the outside edge of my foot, which leads to the eventual pain. Does this make any sense?

I'm thinking that a different type of shoe with a much wider outsole would help. Have any of you who have had this problem tried this solution? Are there cycling shoes with outsoles that are as your foot, or are cycling outsoles supposed to be really skinny? Any help would be much appreciated.

I get pain on the outside edge of my foot that runs along the arch. The pain starts after I've been riding about 5 miles. I've tried moving the cleat all the way back, moving the cleat to outside edge, inside edge, etc. I've even tried a few replacement insoles with various types of arch support and cushioning gels. Nothing has worked so far.

My shoes fit fine, they are snug without being too tight. I have recently learned that my shoes (Specialized Sport MTB) have probably some of the skinniest outsoles for cycling shoes. The outsole is way skinnier than the arch of my feet. My thoughts are that the edge of my foot is rolling over the outsole when I pedal, causing pressure along the outside edge of my foot, which leads to the eventual pain. Does this make any sense?

I'm thinking that a different type of shoe with a much wider outsole would help. Have any of you who have had this problem tried this solution? Are there cycling shoes with outsoles that are as your foot, or are cycling outsoles supposed to be really skinny? Any help would be much appreciated.


Try a shim...it sounds like your foot is not flat on the pedal. A shim (LeMond LeWedge) will have a thinker to thinner edge....in other words, if your foot pushes too much to the outside, a shim thicker to the outside will put your foot back to level.
Your bike shop should have these, but if they do cleat fittings (we do them for about $30) it would be worth it to make sure and have them check out the problem. But if you want to experiment, try a shim. When you look at them, you'll see they have a thicker and a thinner side and if you put the thicker side (it goes on your shoe between the shoe and the cleat) on the pain side of your foot, hopefully that will take care of it.

BTW, the thinner the (when you say outsole, I am assuming you are talking about the sole of the shoe) sole of the shoe, the better. Gets you closer to the pedals, and it's more efficient.

BTW, the thinner the (when you say outsole, I am assuming you are talking about the sole of the shoe) sole of the shoe, the better. Gets you closer to the pedals, and it's more efficient.

I think that by "thin" he meant narrow?

I think that by "thin" he meant narrow?

No..it's thinner on one side to level the foot as it sits on the pedal. If the foot tilts to the right (say a right foot) then the thicker side goes to the right side of the shoe to level it out. The thicker side will push the foot back to level.

on2wheels, I had the exact same problem. The edge of the sole was pushing into the side of my foot. Wider shoes solved the problem.

Try a shim...it sounds like your foot is not flat on the pedal. A shim (LeMond LeWedge) will have a thinker to thinner edge....in other words, if your foot pushes too much to the outside, a shim thicker to the outside will put your foot back to level.
Your bike shop should have these, but if they do cleat fittings (we do them for about $30) it would be worth it to make sure and have them check out the problem. But if you want to experiment, try a shim. When you look at them, you'll see they have a thicker and a thinner side and if you put the thicker side (it goes on your shoe between the shoe and the cleat) on the pain side of your foot, hopefully that will take care of it.

BTW, the thinner the (when you say outsole, I am assuming you are talking about the sole of the shoe) sole of the shoe, the better. Gets you closer to the pedals, and it's more efficient.

I went to my LBS looking to buy shims for my cleats. I explained my foot pain to one of the guys that does their cleat fittings. He knew exactly what my problem was, because his feet have the same problem. My feet roll slightly outwards naturally, also known as supination or forefoot varsus. He explained that since my feet roll outward, that my position on the pedal should also have my feet rolled outward, so that my feet, legs, and knees would be aligned and neutral for me. This would allow me to apply pressure to the pedals with the whole surface of my feet, instead of just the outside edges of my feet. The picture below explains everything.

During my cleat fitting, he measured the amount of tilt that my feet have, which came to 7 degrees of outward tilt. Based on this, he added two shims to each of my cleats, with the thicker part of the shims towards the inside of my foot. With the thicker part of the shims to the inside, my feet would be slightly tilted outwards when I clip in to my pedals. He then used the RAD device to properly align the rotation of my cleats with the way my feet naturally rotate when I pedal - my feet point outwards a little, and the RAD device and eventual cleat rotation setting reflected this.

When I clipped in to my pedals with my bike on their trainer, the difference was amazing. I no longer felt like I was forcing my feet into the pedals by applying downward pressure to the inside of my feet to compensate for my forefoot varsus. My feet found the pedals and clipped in with a straight, downward motion. Pedaling felt great to my feet, although my legs had to get used to muscles that were not used as much before.

I went home and did an intense 10 mile ride to test the shims, and I had NO foot pain :D It was amazing. My knees are a lot more stable, I didn't realize until now how much my knees moved side to side before. Foot pain has always been the limiting factor to my rides, now that it's gone, I can work toward my goals of riding a half century and then eventually a century.

Roadwarrior: thank you so much for recommending the cleat shims. Words can't explain how much of a difference this is going to make to my riding enjoyment.

I went to my LBS looking to buy shims for my cleats. I explained my foot pain to one of the guys that does their cleat fittings. He knew exactly what my problem was, because his feet have the same problem. My feet roll slightly outwards naturally, also known as supination or forefoot varsus. He explained that since my feet roll outward, that my position on the pedal should also have my feet rolled outward, so that my feet, legs, and knees would be aligned and neutral for me. This would allow me to apply pressure to the pedals with the whole surface of my feet, instead of just the outside edges of my feet. The picture below explains everything.

During my cleat fitting, he measured the amount of tilt that my feet have, which came to 7 degrees of outward tilt. Based on this, he added two shims to each of my cleats, with the thicker part of the shims towards the inside of my foot. With the thicker part of the shims to the inside, my feet would be slightly tilted outwards when I clip in to my pedals. He then used the RAD device to properly align the rotation of my cleats with the way my feet naturally rotate when I pedal - my feet point outwards a little, and the RAD device and eventual cleat rotation setting reflected this.

When I clipped in to my pedals with my bike on their trainer, the difference was amazing. I no longer felt like I was forcing my feet into the pedals by applying downward pressure to the inside of my feet to compensate for my forefoot varsus. My feet found the pedals and clipped in with a straight, downward motion. Pedaling felt great to my feet, although my legs had to get used to muscles that were not used as much before.

I went home and did an intense 10 mile ride to test the shims, and I had NO foot pain :D It was amazing. My knees are a lot more stable, I didn't realize until now how much my knees moved side to side before. Foot pain has always been the limiting factor to my rides, now that it's gone, I can work toward my goals of riding a half century and then eventually a century.

Roadwarrior: thank you so much for recommending the cleat shims. Words can't explain how much of a difference this is going to make to my riding enjoyment.

Glad to hear it's fixed...FWIW, this is not an uncommon problem...it is amazing the number of people we work with who ride their bikes with pain of some type...and it pretty much can all be fixed.

I have one shim in my right shoe and have my heel turned a bit inward...I went with CX6 Look pedals because I can adjust the Q factor on those pedals and the extra 4mm I took in the Q factor makes all the difference in the world.

Enjoy!!! :)

I've been having this EXACT problem for the last year. After three new pairs of shoes (Shimano, Carnac and Sidi) and two sets of pedals (Shimano and Speedplay) and finally the wedges mentioned above...I'm at the end of my rope. In my case it's the left foot and I too feel as though I'm pushing outward and not directly down when I pedal. I have tried up to six wedges (thick side out) but to no avail. This Friday I'm scheduled to pay a local fit wizard in Atlanta $125 to work with me. I'll print this thread out and give it to him. Here's hoping......'cuz the good weather is going to waste and with Lance in my back yard two weeks ago, I'm getting really antsy.

I'll report back and if this works....I owe you guys one.

Thanks.
Steve

I've been having this EXACT problem for the last year. After three new pairs of shoes (Shimano, Carnac and Sidi) and two sets of pedals (Shimano and Speedplay) and finally the wedges mentioned above...I'm at the end of my rope. In my case it's the left foot and I too feel as though I'm pushing outward and not directly down when I pedal. I have tried up to six wedges (thick side out) but to no avail. This Friday I'm scheduled to pay a local fit wizard in Atlanta $125 to work with me. I'll print this thread out and give it to him. Here's hoping......'cuz the good weather is going to waste and with Lance in my back yard two weeks ago, I'm getting really antsy.

I'll report back and if this works....I owe you guys one.

Thanks.
Steve

smoore: If your feet roll to the outside naturally, you need to have the thick side of your wedges pointing towards the inside or arch of your feet. You want your feet to be at their natural angle when you pedal - this way the force you apply to the pedals will be with the entire foot, not just the outside of your foot.

Your cleat fitting should involve the use of two instruments: one is used to measure how much of an angle your feet roll. You kneel on a chair and let your feet hang over the edge, and a device measures the angle of your relaxed foot. Based on that measurement (mine was 7 degrees of outward tilt), the number of wedges you need will be determined.

The second instrument used for cleat fittings is called a RAD device. This device measures the angle your feet naturally point when on the pedals. They are actually pedals with two rods extending outwards from each pedal. They mount the pedals on your bike, help you get clipped in with your cycling shoes, and then watch you pedal. Your cleats are loose enough where the rotation of the cleat can be adjusted while you are clipped in to the RAD devices. As you pedal, the two rods will indicate where your foot naturally likes to point - for me, my toes point outwards when I walk, and the RAD devices reflected this. Once your natural foot angle is determined, they tighten your cleats.

With the proper cleat fitting from someone that knows what they are doing, your foot pain should be greatly reduced or even totally eliminated. Let us know how it goes, if you have any questions, feel free to post on this thread. Good luck to you, I totally understand what you've been going through.

on2wheels,
I'm not sure what you're saying makes sense? If my left foot is over-pronating to the outside then I wouldn't think I would want the thick side of the wedges on the inside or instep side of my foot....that would be pushing the foot even more to the outside wouldn't it? Perhaps I'm not understanding what you're saying? I do appreciate the help.
Steve

on2wheels,
I'm not sure what you're saying makes sense? If my left foot is over-pronating to the outside then I wouldn't think I would want the thick side of the wedges on the inside or instep side of my foot....that would be pushing the foot even more to the outside wouldn't it? Perhaps I'm not understanding what you're saying? I do appreciate the help.
Steve

smoore: this didn't make sense to me at first, my cleat fitter had to explain it to me. Cycling shoes with cleats are designed for people who are flat footed. When a flat footed person clips into their pedals, their feet are already at their natural angle (no rolling inside or outside) on the pedal. They will be applying force to the pedals with their entire foot, and thier knees will be perfectly aligned, without any side to side movement as they pedal full rotations.

For folks like you and me whose feet roll too much to the outside, clipping in to our pedals without shims forces our knees to push to the inside. When you clip in without shims, do you find yourself having to force the inside of your feet downward towards your bike to clip in? This is the problem that needs to be fixed. Without shims, our knees will move side to side as we pedal, and the force we apply to the pedals will be focused on the outside edges of our feet. This is the source of the pain that I would get along the outside edges of my feet after I rode about 5 miles or so.

The purpose of the shims is to make our feet clip in to our pedals at the natural angle our feet like to be at. Since our feet roll outwards, the shims should be installed so our feet are rolled outwards on the pedals - this means the thick side needs to be on the inside or instep side of our feet. Installing the shims with the thick part pointing towards the outside edges of our feet would only make the problem worse.

Sure, our feet are not flat on the pedals any more, but this is the way our feet "want" to be oriented. For instance, my feet roll outwards 7 degrees, so the cleat fitter used 2 shims on my cycling shoes to force my feet to be rolled outwards 7 degrees when I clip in. Now when I clip in, I am no longer having to force my knees towards my bike to clip in - I clip in with a straight downward motion. With my feet rolled outwards 7 degrees on the pedals due to the shims, I am now applying even pressure with my entire foot. The result: no more pain on the outside edges of my feet.

I hope this makes better sense. Study the picture I attached to this thread, paying particular attention to Figure 4. It's a lot clearer to see the alignment of the leg, knee, and foot with shims installed properly. The shims for the leg and foot in the drawing are installed with the thick side towards the inside of the foot to compensate for the outward rolling of the foot. The circled part of the bottom of the foot in Figure 3 shows where the pressure of the foot is greatest for those of us whose feet roll outwards. In Figure 4, the circled part of the bottom of the foot shows the pressure now spread evenly along the entire width of the foot.

on2wheels,
Many thanks for the exhaustive reply. I'll digest it further.

In the meantime....I just returned from what is reputed to be the #1 road bike shop in Atlanta. They've been around a long time and sell only high end stuff like Merlin, Litespeed, Serotta, Seven, etc.

The guy who was supposed to fit me has been certified by the Fit Kit folks, had half dozen other mechanic and similar certifications and seemed knowledgable. The only problem from my perspective was that he insisted he never reccomended or used wedges. He insisted if other adjustments couldn't fit my problem (which was not unique to him) then it was time for orthotics...."not wedges". Bottom line; after about fifteen minutes of examination he informed me that he didn't think any standard Fit Kit adjusments would help my problem. Nor would another pair of shoes, pedals, etc. I brought up the wedges again and again he told me that was not the way to go.

So, the good thing is he didn't charge me a thing. The down side of course is I presume I still have the problem. The only adjustment he did make was move both cleats inward (Speedplay) as he thought my feet were too close to the bottom bracket and needed to be more in-line with my shoulders. Sooooo, I'm going to resume some testing with the wedges myself and try the things you and roadwarrior have suggested.

Thanks again.

Steve

on2wheels,
Many thanks for the exhaustive reply. I'll digest it further.

In the meantime....I just returned from what is reputed to be the #1 road bike shop in Atlanta. They've been around a long time and sell only high end stuff like Merlin, Litespeed, Serotta, Seven, etc.

The guy who was supposed to fit me has been certified by the Fit Kit folks, had half dozen other mechanic and similar certifications and seemed knowledgable. The only problem from my perspective was that he insisted he never reccomended or used wedges. He insisted if other adjustments couldn't fit my problem (which was not unique to him) then it was time for orthotics...."not wedges". Bottom line; after about fifteen minutes of examination he informed me that he didn't think any standard Fit Kit adjusments would help my problem. Nor would another pair of shoes, pedals, etc. I brought up the wedges again and again he told me that was not the way to go.

So, the good thing is he didn't charge me a thing. The down side of course is I presume I still have the problem. The only adjustment he did make was move both cleats inward (Speedplay) as he thought my feet were too close to the bottom bracket and needed to be more in-line with my shoulders. Sooooo, I'm going to resume some testing with the wedges myself and try the things you and roadwarrior have suggested.

Thanks again.

Steve

smoore: I've been down the orthotics/inserts/metatarsal pads route, none of that worked for me. The idea behind the orthotic is to have a footbed shaped to match the bottom of your foot, so you could theoretically be applying even force to the pedal with your foot. The problem is, your foot is still clipped in at the wrong angle.

Try adding two shims between your cleats and your shoes, thick sides to the inner sides of your feet. Then go take a ride on your bike. You will notice an immediate relief in pain on the outside edge of your feet. Monitor your knees, if they are still moving side to side too much, add another shim.

I've wasted a ton of money on orthotics and inserts. I've wasted a ton of time trying all sorts of suggestions to stop my foot pain. I was about to start trying different cycling shoes until I learned about the shims. The shims were the only thing that worked, and the explanation of why I got foot pain on the outside edge of my feet was the only thing that made any kind of sense. It took a while for me to even learn about shims, not many people know about them. Even people who know of them are skeptical about them. I've talked to several Fit Kit certified fitters, and finally found one who understands and even uses shims himself.

on2wheels,
Many thanks for the exhaustive reply. I'll digest it further.

In the meantime....I just returned from what is reputed to be the #1 road bike shop in Atlanta. They've been around a long time and sell only high end stuff like Merlin, Litespeed, Serotta, Seven, etc.

The guy who was supposed to fit me has been certified by the Fit Kit folks, had half dozen other mechanic and similar certifications and seemed knowledgable. The only problem from my perspective was that he insisted he never reccomended or used wedges. He insisted if other adjustments couldn't fit my problem (which was not unique to him) then it was time for orthotics...."not wedges". Bottom line; after about fifteen minutes of examination he informed me that he didn't think any standard Fit Kit adjusments would help my problem. Nor would another pair of shoes, pedals, etc. I brought up the wedges again and again he told me that was not the way to go.

So, the good thing is he didn't charge me a thing. The down side of course is I presume I still have the problem. The only adjustment he did make was move both cleats inward (Speedplay) as he thought my feet were too close to the bottom bracket and needed to be more in-line with my shoulders. Sooooo, I'm going to resume some testing with the wedges myself and try the things you and roadwarrior have suggested.

Thanks again.

Steve

Steve...just for your own edification try following the advice we gave...try just one shim with the thick end to the inside..if that only helps a little, try a second.
FWIW..and I am sure the guy you saw is good and all...but most pro cyclists use shims. Our guy is Serotta certified, I ride with a shim under my right foot. Lance uses a shim AND an orthotic, but the orthotic is used to better hold his foot stationary in the shoe, not for better pedal alignment.
Try it and see what happens.
on2wheels explanation was spot on...sounds like he did a LOT of research :D

"The only adjustment he did make was move both cleats inward (Speedplay) as he thought my feet were too close to the bottom bracket and needed to be more in-line with my shoulders. Sooooo, I'm going to resume some testing with the wedges myself and try the things you and roadwarrior have suggested."

I'm uncomfortable with this piece of advice, and while it may not reflect poorly on the mechanic's various fit certifications, I think it does suggest that he is not at the bright end of the intelligence spectrum. Here's why:

1. Human beings are adapted as much as possible toward having their feet land directly under their center of gravity (not left and not right) when walking. This keeps them from rolling/tipping left/right, which would be much less efficient because there would have to be constant corrective efforts to keep from falling.

The hips are relatively wide, and the femurs slant in toward the knees. At the knee, there is a bevel at the end of the femur (that is, the end is not perpendicular to the shaft, but is instead shorter on the outside) to allow the tib-fibs to be close and nearly parallel to each other all the way to the ground. I can't imagine any logical relationship between this geometry and the width of the shoulders, even on a bicycle (!).

This bevel does cause some problems for female cyclists. With their wider (for height) hips, they are a little more prone to patellofemoral tracking syndrome (PFTS, please excuse me if I didn't get that quite right), because the muscles on the thighs tend to pull the patella more lateral to the groove on the bottom of the femur that is supposed to guide the ridge on the bottom of the patella.

2. Narrower foot position, IF you can tolerate it, is more efficient. Quoting from James Papadopoulos letter in the December 1990 issue of Bicycle Guide, "frame bending stresses were known to increase in proportion to the tread (in broad terms, foot spacing). Also, a standing rider's arm effort will be proportional to tread (actually, tread divided by handlebar size; could this be a reason cheap bikes feel bad?). And for those who keep track of such things, frame-plus-handlebar flex for a standing rider will increase as the square of the tread."

Without beating this to death (and I deleted some portions of the quote and references), the point to take away from this is that when you push down on the pedal, you have to apply a corrective force by pulling up on the handlebar on the same side, or you will tip away from the pedal where the effort is applied. Moving your foot laterally away from the center-plane of the frame increases the lever length on the end of which the foot is pushing, and that in turn means you will have to pull up harder with your arm, and that means you are going to have to work harder. In short, your mechanic has made you LESS efficient in pursuit of adherence to a bit of false dogma. You would have been better off asking fit questions of a fence post.

Over time pedal spacing has been getting wider and wider, and right now the minimum is pretty much set by the spacing that STI must have to work: starting with a certain chainstay width, and working out through the clearance necessary to keep the chain from jamming between the inside ring and the chainstay, and then using the chainring spacing required to allow STI to work, and then adding the spacing between the outer chainring and the inside of the crankarm necessary for FD clearance to allow STI to work, the only place left to make the foot spacing narrower is by making the crankarm narrower laterally. Admittedly foot width is different from person to person, and some adjustment is possible with different pedals and cleat positions, but I think in general we are much wider than is most efficient for most of us. And you see this brought out in time trial and track bike design (which does not have to use STI dimensional requirements), where the upper end equipment is kept narrow. Remember Graeme Obree's ultranarrow bottom bracket hour record bike? That allowed narrower, more efficient pedal spacing.

In the interest of full disclosure I want to make it clear that I have NO medical or physical therapist training.

Praise the Lord!

Thanks guys...I think we've nailed it. After trying one wedge and then going all the way to four (which felt really weird) I went back to two wedges and moved my cleat all the way inward, pushing both feet all the way to the outside. I've ridden three times this way and my left foot pain is 99% gone. I may experiment a bit more with three wedges just to see...but for the first time in almost two years I can ride for more than fifteen minutes without suffering.

Roadwarrior, SDS and on2wheels, thanks especially for your input and assistance. I will now contact the bike shop in Atlanta who refused to consider the wedges, not to gloat...but to inform and help them have more of an open mind about these things.

I'm sure there will be other aches and pains in the future (considering a Brooks saddle to alleviate another ache :) ) but I trust I won't have to revisit this one again.

Many thanks,
Steve

Praise the Lord!

Thanks guys...I think we've nailed it. After trying one wedge and then going all the way to four (which felt really weird) I went back to two wedges and moved my cleat all the way inward, pushing both feet all the way to the outside. I've ridden three times this way and my left foot pain is 99% gone. I may experiment a bit more with three wedges just to see...but for the first time in almost two years I can ride for more than fifteen minutes without suffering.

Roadwarrior, SDS and on2wheels, thanks especially for your input and assistance. I will now contact the bike shop in Atlanta who refused to consider the wedges, not to gloat...but to inform and help them have more of an open mind about these things.

I'm sure there will be other aches and pains in the future (considering a Brooks saddle to alleviate another ache :) ) but I trust I won't have to revisit this one again.

Many thanks,
Steve

saddlewise, try the new fizik arione...I have one and it is the biggest and longest seat made and very light. Extremely comfortable. lot's of room on this seat to sit..and yo can slide forward and backward, comfortably.
glad to hear the foot probelm worked out... :)

Praise the Lord!

Thanks guys...I think we've nailed it. After trying one wedge and then going all the way to four (which felt really weird) I went back to two wedges and moved my cleat all the way inward, pushing both feet all the way to the outside. I've ridden three times this way and my left foot pain is 99% gone. I may experiment a bit more with three wedges just to see...but for the first time in almost two years I can ride for more than fifteen minutes without suffering.

Roadwarrior, SDS and on2wheels, thanks especially for your input and assistance. I will now contact the bike shop in Atlanta who refused to consider the wedges, not to gloat...but to inform and help them have more of an open mind about these things.

I'm sure there will be other aches and pains in the future (considering a Brooks saddle to alleviate another ache :) ) but I trust I won't have to revisit this one again.

Many thanks,
Steve

smoore: This is great news! I'm glad that the wedges worked for you :) Glad I was able to help out... my thanks goes out again to roadwarrior for recommending the wedges in the first place :D

I did a search on outer foot pain and found this thread.

I just bought a new road bike... a Cannondale R700 Triple. It's my first road bike. I decided to use the pedals and shoes from my mtb for now since I won't be using my mtb for a while so I switched them over. The pedals are SPDs (Shimano PD-M520) and the shoes are Specialized Sport Mountain Shoes. I started out on my first ride and within 5 miles my outer right foot was hurting. The best way I could describe it would be to say it felt like my foot was rolling outward - supinating. The pain was the bottom of the foot... outer aspect and slightly up the side of the foot.
Should I try playing around with shims? Should I pay for a professional fit including cleat fitting? (I wasn't impressed with the (lack of) fitting at the shop I bought the bike at... have debated about getting a professional fit or just fiddling with adjustments myself)
I have never had this pain before when the pedals were on my mtb and I used the same shoes. Any ideas on why it would be bothering me now? Is there a reason I should not have used the same pedals/shoes? Would it be because of different crank arms?
Thanks!
Gypsy

PS - on2wheels - great explanation on the shims. I would have assumed the thick side goes out to push the foot to a flat position. Your explanation makes a helluva lot of sense!

Does it feel like you are excessively loading the bones of the little toe, at the ball of the foot and back through the first joint behind that?

Four things you can check, and no idea at all what the problem is.....

1. Crankarm width the same (lateral measurement, outside of pedal hole to outside of pedal hole)? Crankarm length the same?

2. Seat height the same? Seat setback (distance behind pedal spindle) the same?

3. Cadence and level of effort the same? Are you working harder or spinning faster, or do you have a consistently higher level of effort? MTBers I know say that when they try to switch over to group roadie rides, that the prolonged high effort is difficult to adjust to. I am not an expert on MTBing, so I rely on their explanation that everytime you get into something technical, you get a little bit of a break, as the power requirement drops while you brake/steer. Could be your feet are having a little bit of trouble with the sustained high effort (?).

4. Have you tried searching on those shoes, or Specialized shoes, to see if others have had trouble? Seems to me I might have seen something like that.

My best guess is that your feet were marginal, perhaps with a little bit of pes cavus, and that an increased sustained level of effort on the road bike has pushed them to the point where you got a disproportionate response in excess of the small amount of difference in use you perceived. I think it is also possible that your feet and the shoes are not a good match.

If you can't resolve the problem on your own, by one means or another, a referral to a podiatric surgeon, and perhaps orthotics, might help. Could be rigid-soled roadie shoes and supportive insoles would help.

In the interest of full disclosure I want to make it clear that I have NO medical or physical therapist training (!).

on2wheels, I had the exact same problem. The edge of the sole was pushing into the side of my foot. Wider shoes solved the problem.

Same for me.

Amazing!!! I was having the same pain on the outside of my right foot. I added two shims to the inside of my right cleat and the problem is solved. I went on a pretty intense 25 mile ride today and did not have any problems. I didn't realize how much that foot pain was effecting my pedal cadence. I felt like I was able to apply more power and ride more efficiently.

Thanks for all of the help!!! This forum is GREAT!!!

Thanks for all the input. I am going to the LBS Thursday morning to talk to them about my foot. Hoping they can figure something out and help me. I'll mention the suggestions here.

Amazing!!! I was having the same pain on the outside of my right foot. I added two shims to the inside of my right cleat and the problem is solved. I went on a pretty intense 25 mile ride today and did not have any problems. I didn't realize how much that foot pain was effecting my pedal cadence. I felt like I was able to apply more power and ride more efficiently.

Thanks for all of the help!!! This forum is GREAT!!!


Good news....the wedges kept me riding. Hope they continue to work well for you.
Steve

I rode 40 miles this past weekend and at about mile 20, I began experiencing a sharp pain in the center of my foot right next to the ball of my foot if I stood or put any sudden pressure on my foot. I took a break and took off my shoes for a while and was fine. Did not really bother me like that again for the rest of ride, but there was a general soreness in my feet.

I have Speedplay X5 pedals and have not ridden on them too far (maybe 100+ before I started experiencing the pain), but a 40 miler that a did a few weeks back did not cause me any problems. I have noticed some discomfort on the outside of my foot when I ride, but nothing like this pain that I felt on this ride.

So my question is- is this condition related? Would the shims help on something like there or is something else going on? Shoes too tight? Cleat placement? Poor form?

Be interested to hear. Thanks.

on2wheels,
Many thanks for the exhaustive reply. I'll digest it further.

In the meantime....I just returned from what is reputed to be the #1 road bike shop in Atlanta. They've been around a long time and sell only high end stuff like Merlin, Litespeed, Serotta, Seven, etc.



Steve, I am looking for a good fitting place in Atlanta. I have mismatched leg heights that I think is causing my knee strain (looks to be about 6mm difference between the two). Have you found any other shops that you have heard do good fittings. I don't really want a narrow minded shop like the one that you spoke of. I had some running shoes fit on the weekend, and the guy there said that I have a neutral position on my short leg and am rolling over on my longer one.

I want someone that knows precisely what they are doing.

-Rich

Steve, I am looking for a good fitting place in Atlanta. I have mismatched leg heights that I think is causing my knee strain (looks to be about 6mm difference between the two). Have you found any other shops that you have heard do good fittings. I don't really want a narrow minded shop like the one that you spoke of. I had some running shoes fit on the weekend, and the guy there said that I have a neutral position on my short leg and am rolling over on my longer one.

I want someone that knows precisely what they are doing.

-Rich

I also have a leg length discrepancy along with the problem of foot not being flat (forgotten what my self-diagnosis is). Anyway, I used the shims for both problems. On the shorter foot (measured to be 7 mm. shorter) I used 11 shims, 8 stacked thick to thin for a height increase and the other 3 for the inclination. I have no pain in the ball of my foot and my knees just barely wobbles now, wobbles only on low cadences.

I had very similar foot pain and it turned out to be an issue with the bones in my foot. I would seriously recommending seeing a Podiatrist, preferably one that cycles. I had orthotics made just for my cycling shoes and have had no issues since. Prior to the othothics I was in major pain and could not ride or race, and walking was no fun either!

Best of luck..go see a doctor!