I remember looking at some special inserts for cycling shoes at an expo once. the salesman made some unlikely redshoe claims about increased power but as I like orthotics for running I wanted to check them out. Do any of you know who makes these and have any of y’all have had positive experiences with them?
thanks…
I’ve been using Bill Peterson Powerbeds since early 2002 with great results, but the fit that I had also extended through the entire kinetic chain. I suggest that, rather than just inserting an orthotic, you take the time to get your cleats aligned properly, your seat height & fore/aft optimized, and your handlebar setup positioned properly as well.
Late fall or winter is the best time to work through this adjustment, taking your time and allowing for a long training adaptation period. My '02 results were improved, but my '03 results were even better.
fwiw-
-Mike
i got refit on my bike in may with paul levine of signature cycles and he recommended orthotics for me because i overpronate and therefore lose a lot of transfer power from my feet to the pedals. he wears custom orthotics and said he noticed an immediate 20 watt improvement because of it. i can’t quantifiably say that i am more powerful with mine, but i think that i am. i think they were $200 or so - insurance didn’t cover it.
I am also an overpronator and I have missing cartilage on the bottom of my left femur. After MUCH experimenting I found the right combination of inserts and running shoes that would allow me to run (and just walk around) without pain. But I was still noticing pain and discomfort in my knee after getting off the bike. So I bought some basic Dr. Scholl’s arch supports and put them in my cycling shoes. What a HUGE difference that has made in the feel of my knee on and off the bike as well as just general day to day activities. I also feel like I generate more power on the hills now but don’t have a quantitative way to measure that. I’m just happy to not have discomfort in my knee anymore.
Regina