Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Recumbent
Reload this Page >

Toes falling asleep...

Notices
Recumbent What IS that thing?! Recumbents may be odd looking, but they have many advantages over a "wedgie" bicycle. Discuss the in's and out's recumbent lifestyle in the recumbent forum.

Toes falling asleep...

Old 12-22-14, 06:46 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Posts: 178

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, a MTN bike, and a road bike gathering dust

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Toes falling asleep...

Took my new Giro for a 16 mile ride yesterday and couldn't feel my toes after about mile 11.

I recall reading about other folks having the same issue here, so what's the solution?

Thanks!
VACaver is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 06:54 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 269

Bikes: Schlitter Encore, RANS Seavo tandem, Fisher HKEK, Spec. Roubaix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Couple suggestions. One, move the cleats as far back toward your heel as you can on the shoes.
Two, try reclining a bit more as that will change your pressure points.
vic303 is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 08:24 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Posts: 178

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, a MTN bike, and a road bike gathering dust

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by vic303
Couple suggestions. One, move the cleats as far back toward your heel as you can on the shoes.
Two, try reclining a bit more as that will change your pressure points.
Yesterdays ride was in sneakers...I was afraid to clip in I'll wear my riding shoes on my next ride (Probably Christmas Day) and see how they work out. If I still have the problem, I'll give your suggestions a try.

Thanks.
VACaver is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 08:25 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
rydabent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,920

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3345 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times in 634 Posts
There is a good precentage the reason for this is the fact that your shoes are too narrow. For some stupid reason cycling shoe mfg are not willing to admit that Americans have shoes wider that the A width.

In the non cycling world, with my very high instep and wide foot I need a double E width shoe. I have never been able to find a cycling shoe that has a reasonable price that is this size.
rydabent is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 08:36 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
delcrossv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Scalarville
Posts: 1,457
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Loosen your shoes. The primary cause of numb feet is too tight shoes. See if that works first.
delcrossv is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 12:16 PM
  #6  
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
 
Steamer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: high ground
Posts: 1,344
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 260 Post(s)
Liked 127 Times in 82 Posts
Originally Posted by vic303
Couple suggestions. One, move the cleats as far back toward your heel as you can on the shoes.
Two, try reclining a bit more as that will change your pressure points.
VACaver - there is no single cause, but the item emphasized above, is what caused it for me. As I got more experience, and reclined my seat, the numb toes went away. The couple times I briefly went back to a more upright angle the numb toes came back. It was only then did I realize what had caused it in the first place. Putting a lot of weight on your butt can sometimes cut off circulation or compress a nerve.

Remember though, if you recline the seat without moving it forward a little bit, you'll be increasing your reach to the pedals. So, be sure to do both at the same time.
Steamer is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 05:45 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,473

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 453 Posts
Tennies can be a problem, too. Not enough support for the foot.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 06:06 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
79pmooney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,790

Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder

Mentioned: 125 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4731 Post(s)
Liked 3,832 Times in 2,492 Posts
Originally Posted by vic303
Couple suggestions. One, move the cleats as far back toward your heel as you can on the shoes.
Two, try reclining a bit more as that will change your pressure points.
When you and Steamer say "recline the seat", do you mean rotate it back, ie lift the nose? I never heard the term "recline" used in conjunction with bike seats. Thanks.

Ben
79pmooney is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 06:38 PM
  #9  
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
 
Steamer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: high ground
Posts: 1,344
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 260 Post(s)
Liked 127 Times in 82 Posts
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
When you and Steamer say "recline the seat", do you mean rotate it back, ie lift the nose? I never heard the term "recline" used in conjunction with bike seats. Thanks.

Ben
It means to make the seat back less vertical, and more horizontal. Typically this is measured in degrees. Zero degrees meaning one's torso is totally horizontal. 90 deg. meaning vertical.

This is standard recumbent bike terminology. Or did you post here by accident?
Steamer is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 06:50 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
79pmooney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,790

Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder

Mentioned: 125 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4731 Post(s)
Liked 3,832 Times in 2,492 Posts
Originally Posted by Steamer
It means to make the seat back less vertical, and more horizontal. Typically this is measured in degrees. Zero degrees meaning one's torso is totally horizontal. 90 deg. meaning vertical.

This is standard recumbent bike terminology. Or did you post here by accident?
Oops, I didn't realize I was in the Recumbent forum. Makes sense now. (I visited because I have had ongoing issues with my little toe tingling. In a recent ride, it was really noticeable. Then I looked down and realized my toeclip buckle was hard on the side of my foot and not over on the top. Stopped and tugged and it was far better.)

I am another rider who would like to see wider shoes. My feet are getting wider as I age.

Ben
79pmooney is offline  
Old 12-22-14, 07:14 PM
  #11  
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
 
Steamer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: high ground
Posts: 1,344
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 260 Post(s)
Liked 127 Times in 82 Posts
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
Oops, I didn't realize I was in the Recumbent forum. Makes sense now. (I visited because I have had ongoing issues with my little toe tingling. In a recent ride, it was really noticeable. Then I looked down and realized my toeclip buckle was hard on the side of my foot and not over on the top. Stopped and tugged and it was far better.)

I am another rider who would like to see wider shoes. My feet are getting wider as I age.

Ben
That's ok. In your case, look at:

Cleat fore-aft position.* Shoe width (not too narrow). Sock thickness (not too thick). Shoe strap tightness (not too tight). Insoles (hard to give specific direction here - sometimes more arch support helps, sometimes less. sometimes the insole needs more cushioning, as most bike insoles suck and are hard, thin, and crappy).

*If you move your cleats back, you may need to move your saddle down.
Steamer is offline  
Old 12-23-14, 09:52 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,473

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 453 Posts
Recumbent bikes have seats.
Upright bikes have saddles.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 12-23-14, 05:59 PM
  #13  
Old Fart In Training
 
osco53's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times in 16 Posts
On my Tour Easy AND my Mountain bike,
ALL my foot problems suddenly vanished when I got these:

Review: Specialized 2FO Flat shoes - Mtbr.com

Tennis shoes on a pedal, may as well be in flip flops, very bad support, very bad energy transfer

The 2FO's, 2 models, Flat AND clipless,
and you can actually walk in them, Broke my flats in by wearing them a whole week at work, very very comfy.

$130,,I've about decided to just wear them at work all the time, get a second pair for the bikes...

Last edited by osco53; 12-23-14 at 06:02 PM.
osco53 is offline  
Old 12-23-14, 06:49 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,473

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 453 Posts
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
I am another rider who would like to see wider shoes. My feet are getting wider as I age.
When I got my most recent street shoes, I was chagrined to note that I've gone from a perfect 10D to a perfect 10E. I guess getting old beats the alternative! Anyway, my bike shoes had been bothering me for the past year and I didn't know why, so I got a pair of Shimano R088-LE, which is 'wide.' I rounded the size up to a 45. They fit me perfectly, so I turned around and got a pair of M088-LE too. I never knew the wide sizes existed but I'm glad they do.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 01-05-15, 11:18 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Notso_fastLane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606

Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times in 418 Posts
Originally Posted by osco53
On my Tour Easy AND my Mountain bike,
ALL my foot problems suddenly vanished when I got these:

Review: Specialized 2FO Flat shoes - Mtbr.com

Tennis shoes on a pedal, may as well be in flip flops, very bad support, very bad energy transfer

The 2FO's, 2 models, Flat AND clipless,
and you can actually walk in them, Broke my flats in by wearing them a whole week at work, very very comfy.

$130,,I've about decided to just wear them at work all the time, get a second pair for the bikes...
Bookmarked. Thanks for the link! I haven't seen that brand in any of the local shops around here.
Notso_fastLane is offline  
Old 01-06-15, 06:11 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Posts: 178

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, a MTN bike, and a road bike gathering dust

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I bought a pair of Specialized Tahoe's and so far they are working OK. Having laces instead of three velcro straps really helps adjust how snug they fit on each section of my foot.
VACaver is offline  
Old 04-01-15, 09:22 PM
  #17  
sch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Mountain Brook. AL
Posts: 4,002
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 303 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 135 Times in 103 Posts
VACaver, take a look at Lake shoes online, they have a variety of shoes in EE sizes you will never find in stores.
sch is offline  
Old 04-03-15, 07:53 AM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
rydabent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,920

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3345 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times in 634 Posts
Yes by all means use some sort of cycling shoe with a stiff sole.
rydabent is offline  
Old 04-03-15, 07:56 AM
  #19  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Posts: 178

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, a MTN bike, and a road bike gathering dust

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I bought a pair of Specialized Tahoe shoes and like them much better than my other Specialized MTB shoes. The laces on the Tahoes allow me to "fine tune" the fit better to help prevent my toes falling asleep.
VACaver is offline  
Old 04-12-15, 07:56 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
VertigoFlyer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Balmy Snoqualmie WA
Posts: 172

Bikes: 2011 Trek Madone 5.2, 2010 Trek Fuel EX 8

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Wiggle your toes on a regular basis. This one change helped my feet more than any other! Seems simple but trust me, wiggle your toes every 15 minutes or so and your feet will thank you! Doing this keeps the blood flowing in your feet and reduces the tension in your feet/toes.
VertigoFlyer is offline  
Old 04-13-15, 04:56 PM
  #21  
Old Fart In Training
 
osco53's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times in 16 Posts
Wide shoes,,,SIDI makes em, Dominator fit Mega !

Sidi cycling shoes fitting guide | Wiggle Buyers Guides

SIDI
osco53 is offline  
Old 04-14-15, 05:58 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 269

Bikes: Schlitter Encore, RANS Seavo tandem, Fisher HKEK, Spec. Roubaix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Laying your seat back more will help a lot with toe numbness.
vic303 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
WeTommyD
Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling
14
06-06-13 11:36 AM
rydabent
General Cycling Discussion
10
12-27-11 02:57 PM
kiltedcelt
General Cycling Discussion
7
06-20-11 11:23 AM
FujiKid
General Cycling Discussion
4
03-29-11 09:07 AM
rankin116
Road Cycling
8
09-17-10 07:12 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.