VCSL2015

Started this thread out of respect for the OP of the other thread he started. Anywayzzz on my ride yesterday 39km moderate exertion, (not a new route) and wearing Nike 5.0 running shoes... at the half way mark dang the soles of my right foot were killing me so bad i almost ended my ride. I tried to switch foot positions because i thought maybe i had my foot in the wrong position meh didnt seem to help much. Now its the second day... no foot pain. Its the first time i experienced such intense pain. Wind was very noticeable the whole ride.




Quote Originally Posted by TrojanHorse View Post
Can't really help you since I'm not 400lbs but... BURNING? Do you have bike shorts?

As for shoes, my feet can't ride in normal sneakers anymore - I need a stiff sole. Maybe some hiking shoes or something with a steel shank might help?

I've ridden with an assortment of 300 pounders and they all seemed to do fine. I'm a little thrown by your comment that you can't go further than 2 miles - something must be really off to be that painful that fast. What kind of saddle are you using? Is the bike the right size? Have you had anybody local to you check you out on the bike to see if anything stands out?

Sore feet? What's your cadence? Feet can only stand so much pressure...

PatrickR400

It is fairly easy to strain a foot; lots of small bones, ligaments, and stuff if there. You can even do some damage just by climbing stairs if your foot is not placed well.

I use shoes MTB type with SPD cleats because the have stiff soles while still allowing me to walk normally. They also allow me to put power to the pedals both on the downward and upward part of a stroke.

Yes, this means you are "tied" to the bike, but I have never fallen because I forgot to un-clip. Almost, but I managed to stay upright. As a bonus, my foot never falls off the pedal and my calf or chin never gets whacked.

yooperbiker

^ Me too.

If you like riding with your running shoes however, get a platform flat pedal that spreads support under your foot. Most stock pedals concentrate load under much too small an area for comfort.

example: 2013-11-bike-touring-pedals-05.jpg

PatrickR400

There are also pedals that are platform on one side and SPD on the other, Shimano PD-T400 Click'R SPD Pedals

dagray

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Multi-...+cycling+shoes

you need riding shoes, whether you go clipless or jus use a good stiff touring shoe. Your Nike soles are flexing too much allowing more stress on your feet.

These would be good as they are the SPD compatible shoe if you decide to go clipless, and they are good without cleat as well.

VCSL2015

You are exactly right. I will look at these types of shoes thank you everyone!

Erwin8r

But by g*d, you don't need to spend $100 to get a decent SPD shoe--do some shopping around. I got a nice pair of Shimano MT21's, NIB, for around $40....

Trakhak

You're going to be amazed at how much of a difference the stiff sole will make, especially coming from using running shoes.

DarthMonkey

My wife and I both got biking shoes (SPD ready) this summer and the difference from regular shoes was huge. I'm making the switch to spd pedals, but my wife is staying with standard pedals for now. If you want to try a different pedal look for a larger platform pedal. I saw some ergon PC2 pedals the other day, and they looked pretty sturdy and comfortable for a platform pedal, and I am considering getting my wife a set.

ERGON BIKE ERGONOMICS

I would try the shoes first though.

-DarthMonkey

ColaJacket

I'd say to go to a LBS for your first set of clipless shoes/pedals.

It won't hurt to have them see where how you pedal, and where it would be best to put the clips on your shoes. Also after they put the pedals on the bike, your fit may change a little, so it won't hurt to hop on their trainer and see if you need to raise/lower the seat a little due to the new shoes.

Also do some exercising (e.g. walking, cycling, anything that has you on your feet) before you try on biking shoes. As your foot expands some while exercising. And this will help to make sure that the shoes are still comfortable at the end of a ride. You can usually tighten up the shoes if they feel too loose at the beginning of the ride, and then loosen as needed. If you get shoes that are too tight, you may not be able to loosen them enough for the end of the ride.

While you don't need expensive cycling shoes, which I put at > $150. You want to make sure you have well built shoes that aren't too cheap.

I got MTB shoes (that look like road shoes from the top) with SPD clips and pedals (the clips come with the pedals). Since I'm a newb to clipless, I got the type that are SPD on one side and platforms on the other side. This way, when I'm taking off at lights, I don't have to worry about clipping in, until I'm up to a decent speed.

After you have a pair, you, at least, know the size for that type that are comfortable. And if you do get the LBS's help on trying on a lot of shoes, don't be a meanie and then order online (unless the LBS is prohibitively more expensive than online). Pay the LBS for their time in helping you find a good pair of shoes. When you go to replace them, you can always order online, then, as you know the proper size.

GH

RubeRad

If you want to buy shoes, you could get bike shoes as discussed above, and you could choose to put cleats onto them and use clipless (misnomer! They are clips!) pedals. But you don't have to, you could just use the stiff shoes on whatever pedals.

Recently on BF I saw a link to Chrome brand shoes, they look pretty cool, and they claim to have stiffer soles.

If you want to get by meanwhile as a real cheapskate, you could make yourself some ghetto insoles out of the thickest/stiffest cardboard you can find. It will be better than nothing!

Null66

I like mountain bike type shoes, combined with crank brothers pedal, walking no metal hits the floor or ground.

VCSL2015

Really? thats pretty cheap!

VCSL2015

Its on my Xmas list! So excited. Its like spinning wheels when bike riding. Lots of exertion, no moving. This is probably also contributing to my time and distance and exhaustion going up hills?

VCSL2015

Darth, just using the stock pedals. Will they be okay with the spd ready shoes? not ready for clips just yet and dont see them in my immediate future

VCSL2015

Are cycling shoes spd Okay for hardwood floors? Cycling shoes are more common where i live because Spinning indoors is so trendy nowadays.


Loved the DIY solution Dont think ill go there though lol

Null66

No diy involved, just equipment choice. I find it unacceptable to ride in shoes that are difficult / fall prone when there are ways around it...

not racing, so what do I care if shoes weigh a few grams more (though cleats and pedals are lighter)...

oh, and metal on wood floors is recipe for gouges!

RubeRad

Yes, I'm not clipless anymore, but when I was I would avoid walking on hardwood or tile in my cleats -- at least in my house. In parking lots I would take odd routes to try to walk on paint stripes so it wouldn't be so crunchy. But grocery store linoleum, no problem.

HOWEVER if you buy clipless shoes, and do not put cleats on them, you've got nothing to worry about. Note if you are going to go cleat-able shoes with no cleats, maybe look for shoes where you would have to slice out the cleat hole (I'm not even sure if they have those!), so you can have an intact sole with no puddle-access. Otherwise I think you'll have a plastic plate in there which is only held in place under the insole with the pressure of your feet. The typical solution to water I've seen is that the shoes come with stickers(!) that go under the insole to seal the cleat hole. (I don't even bother since for me every little bit of ventilation helps, and it never rains here anyways)

DarthMonkey

If you have not installed spd clips into the spd-ready shoes yet, then they will not damage floors. If you have, then it depends on the shoe.

spd ready shoes and regular pedals work fine.

VCSL2015

Fstop

I'll second the "you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good SPD shoe"; I got a quite-decent pair for $35 NIB from Amazon (search for bicycle shoes and sort by price; they seem to regularly have select sizes of older models on super-discount).

Also, when getting bicycle shoes make sure that they fit VERY well. They should be very snug, with little to no room for your feet to move around (but also no pinching/rubbing). The first pair I got was too large and too loose (fit like a comfortable sneaker with lots of room for my big feet), and so when I rode in them for the first time I actually got MORE foot pain than when I was in sneakers. I returned them and ordered more than a half-dozen pairs from Amazon in a variety of styles/sizes (gotta love free return shipping!), and after trying them all on found that only one actually fit my feet well. But that one pair just helped me complete my first metric century, and I love them!

VCSL2015

This is interesting. Another member said you should try shoes on after exercising because your foot swells?

Fstop

I've seen that advice as well; I tried them on after walking around for a bit (but that's because I'm just lazy). As I understand it, most of the shoes are built to allow for mid-ride adjustment of how tight they are "laced" to compensate for swelling (which is why most will have velcro straps or ratcheting mechanisms instead of laces). Note that what socks you wear can make a huge difference in the fit, so wear the socks that you plan to cycle in.

Also, I've heard that the half-sizes of some manufacturers are the same last as the prior whole size, but with more material on top of the shoe (e.g., a 41.5 is the same length as a 41); I certainly found that in the handful of shoes I tried on the half sizes tended to fit my wide, high-arched feet better.

VCSL2015

Thank you for all your responses! I am loving this feedback it is really going to help me when choosing spd shoes =)

cbass377

I experienced a burning pain on the outer edge of my foot, I knew the stiffness of cycling shoes would help, but my feet are wide, so I went with Specialized MTB (SPD ready) shoes to get the stiffness mentioned above, and then installed some Nashbar Double Track Pedals on my mountain bike, because one day I do want to try this clipless thing.

This was pretty good for a while, then I moved my seat back about 3/4 inch, and boom, no more foot pain. I had to buy some handlebars with about a 1 inch rise, and then it was greatness.

Good luck to you, and once you get it dialed in and have your first pain free ride, let us know.