Originally Posted by
zacster
I did my age ride just a few weeks ago, 70 miles of the NYC Century. It wasn't the stamina that made me quit, it was my feet. They just hurt, and it was even worse at the rest stops. Walking in tight cleated shoes is just not normal. I took the subway home and all I wanted to do was take off my shoes during the ride, but this is the NYC subway and you just don't do that.
Starting at age 57, I rode the week long Cycle Oregons almost every year. More than half of those on fix gears. My feet took a real beating. After the first one fixed, I made a bag to hold a pair of Tevas in a WB cage and wore them at the rest stops. A godsend. You can see the bag under the DT in my avatar photo.
The issue was the shoe straps and the hard pulling up I had to do for hills. If I kept the straps tight enough to keep my feet from sliding and blistering it felt like I was breaking the bones in the middle of my foot. I saw the doc for antibiotics after my first two fixed COs. Then I had a brainstorm. This didn't happen in the old days before straps. So I laced my shoes. With grommets from Tandy Leather. Worked! I've now laced all the shoes that are "riders" and not $300 BOAs.