jur

What problem can I expect to see if I ride with toes down?

(I get some numb left toes which improves if I concentrate hard on spinning in circles. I imagine it gets better because there is less pressure on the sole.)

DannoXYZ 

Toes should be down on the bottom half of the stroke. This means your calves are contributing to the motion rather than just transmitting only power from the upper-leg. Then pull up on the toes on the upstroke to get your shins into the action... It really does look like the motion of walking...

BlazingPedals

It's natural to point the toes down slightly - as in the angle you see if you're hanging your feet off the bed. But pointing them down more than that will tighten your Achilles tendon, and will leave you vulnerable to tearing it. Believe me, that is a Bad Thing(tm). Even a small tear is very painful! A minor tear will heal in, oh, a couple of months, but in extreme cases it requires surgery. I definitely do not recommend doing anything to risk it!

flipped4bikes

No. Up. Down. Straight. It doesn't matter. Depends upon one's natural postion. Trying to change is just a waste of time AND potentially injurous...

atbman

Look for pictures of jaques Anquetil - toes always pointed downwards.

Of course, he might have won more than 5 Tours if they hadn't