I’ve been getting a lot of foot numbness on the bike, especially when I hammer it…my question: is it related to shoes, saddle, position, a combination, or none of the above? Thoughts?
Is it your whole foot, or primarily your big toe and its next door neighbor?
In my case it is primarily my big toe on both feet.
When I bought my shoes, I must have been in a rock climbing state of mind because I bought them a few cm too small. My feet get numb on long rides. See if you can find a local shop that will rent you some other shoes, just to see if that is it.
For me, it was the strap(s) across the TOP of my foot were too tight…especially the one furthest from the toes. As I ride, and my feet slowly swell, I have to keep remembering to slightly loosen the strap(s) to prevent the numbness. Try it!
Hey Dave. Have you tried putting some a “lift” in for the big and its buddy. I think it is called a Morton’s extension. You can trim some material off a sneaker insert (maybe double it) and place it under the toes of the insert on your bike shoes. You can Google “Morton’s Extension” and you will learn about the condition–you can search it on ST as well. A poster named “rroof” is a podiatrist and he posted information and is very helpful on foot issues.
Thanks for your posts.
The numbness has been affecting my entire forefoot on both feet. I’ve been riding for 4 years, & the numbness just started recently. Since I’ve had the same shoes & saddle for those 4 years, it led me to believe that perhaps it was one of those factors.
For me it was solved with a change of shoe, from flexible mtb shoes to stiff soled road/tri shoes.
that’s all it took.
J.
Try a larger pair of shoes. I had the same problem with my left foot only. That foot’s at leat a half size bigger than my right. New, larger shoes have solved the problem.
I used to have the same problem on long rides. Try putting gel insoles in your cycling shoes, they help to dampen some of the vibration that makes its way to your feet. Also make sure that your cleates are positioned correctly, with the pedal axle below the ball of your foot.
Jonathan
This used to be more common back in the dark ages when everyone used toe-clips and straps. Who remembers those? Your shoe strap is a prime suspect.
It could be a combination of foot swelling due to electrolyte depletion or your shoes are too small.
Foot numbness is a gift. Its a free, low-tech but accurate pedal mashing indicator. When my feet get numb (which happens about once an hour or so–usually when the group starts hammering) I settle down, focus on turning circles and my body posture, and the numbness goes away after 5-10 minutes.