numb toes.
The information / discussion in the Cycling Health Forum is not qualified medical advice. Please consult your doctor.
- mark field
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:28 pm
numb toes.
Postby mark field » Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:21 pm
-
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:59 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby wookie661 » Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:25 pm
i have the same problem in my hands. leaning on the bars too heavy will cause me to get numbness and tingling in my fingers.
-
- Posts: 3493
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:39 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby rustychisel » Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:28 pm
If not that maybe consider a good pair of inner soles, then look for other causes. Compression and nerve pinching can afflict in the wierdest of ways - it's not completely unknown for lower back issues to manifest in foot and ankle pain. Truly. Try the simple things and if pain persists...
-
- Posts: 414
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:26 pm
- Location: Perth
Re: numb toes.
Postby GrumpySmurf » Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:05 pm
1. Loosen the front part of your shoes - wither laced or velcro - the part that is across the ball of your foot
2. Consciously pedal with your foot's heel downwards rather than toe downwards
3. Move the cleat on your shoe back a little bit behind the ball of your foot
4. Buy SIDI Mega Wide shoes
if like me, you still have problems
5. Go for a professional bike fit - and explain the issue
6. Go to a podiatrist that specialises in cycling / sports and explain the issue
7. Have metartasal buttons fitted
8. Constantly massage your foot (just rolling it over a tennis ball), but everytime you are seated
9. Buy more new saddle / shoes / bibs combination
If you're like me - by now, you would have spent thousands, and still have issues - just HTFU
- bosvit
- Posts: 1613
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:47 pm
- Location: Port Lincoln
Re: numb toes.
Postby bosvit » Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:47 pm
I'm about halfway through your list and have had a fair bit of benefit.
For numbness in my toes I found changing my seat angle stopped it completely. Hot spots however have been a much harder fix, but getting there.
-
- Posts: 5470
- Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:23 pm
- Location: Yangebup
Re: numb toes.
Postby Baalzamon » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:50 pm
Fixed hotspots using Specialized inserts for me. I've got good arches and went for the blue and it's lovely nowbosvit wrote:Good advise Mr Smurf.
I'm about halfway through your list and have had a fair bit of benefit.
For numbness in my toes I found changing my seat angle stopped it completely. Hot spots however have been a much harder fix, but getting there.
- mark field
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:28 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby mark field » Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:41 am
ive had a back problem for a few years but my if i dont get the problems on the mountain bike, then the idea of it being shoe related is more likely, i do have 3 strap velcro shoes but as i have flat feel they are relatively loose as snug or tight fitting shoes of any kind makes the top of my feet cramp up, i moved the cleats back more, but all that did was improve my endurance. not that thats a bad thing! i will try the scrunch and crunch trick though!!rustychisel wrote:slightly narrow shoes is often the answer. If your shoes are 3 strap or 2 strap and ratchet, try loosening the middle strap. When riding try to 'scrunch and crunch' your toes occasionally as you ride.
If not that maybe consider a good pair of inner soles, then look for other causes. Compression and nerve pinching can afflict in the wierdest of ways - it's not completely unknown for lower back issues to manifest in foot and ankle pain. Truly. Try the simple things and if pain persists...
- mark field
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:28 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby mark field » Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:50 am
im worried that ill do my ankles if i ride heel down, i do alot of running and its a worry as ive had sprains on the back of my ankle beforeGrumpySmurf wrote:I suffer the same thing - but on both (cleated) MTB as well as road. There are a few "common" fixes which has worked for some people, in order of which to try first;
1. Loosen the front part of your shoes - wither laced or velcro - the part that is across the ball of your foot
2. Consciously pedal with your foot's heel downwards rather than toe downwards
3. Move the cleat on your shoe back a little bit behind the ball of your foot
4. Buy SIDI Mega Wide shoes
if like me, you still have problems
5. Go for a professional bike fit - and explain the issue
6. Go to a podiatrist that specialises in cycling / sports and explain the issue
7. Have metartasal buttons fitted
8. Constantly massage your foot (just rolling it over a tennis ball), but everytime you are seated
9. Buy more new saddle / shoes / bibs combination
If you're like me - by now, you would have spent thousands, and still have issues - just HTFU
what are metatarsal buttons??? the bike fit sounds good, im painfully saving my $$$$ for a new road bike and will get it fitted to me like a glove( i hope) ill certainly mention the problem to them.
- scotto
- Posts: 2380
- Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:38 am
- Location: Baulkham Hills
- Contact:
Re: numb toes.
Postby scotto » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:32 am
wookie661 wrote:the shorts could cause this, if they are too tight, they will be cutting off certain blood flow to your toes, which will cause numbness....
ROFL - its only April 1 today - no getting in early
apologies and no offense if you were serious. you werent though were you ??!!
-
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 11:29 pm
numb toes.
Postby dugy » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:22 pm
Have the same problem after about 50km's.
Will try some of the recommendations.
- mark field
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:28 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby mark field » Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:15 pm
- bigfriendlyvegan
- Posts: 3977
- Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:18 pm
- Location: Denistone, NSW
- Contact:
Re: numb toes.
Postby bigfriendlyvegan » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:42 pm
Dr. Scholls does a great sports inner sole which I find works wonders.
David
-
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 7:15 pm
Re: numb toes.
Postby melbnut » Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:44 pm
- elStado
- Posts: 2363
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:27 am
- Location: Syd, NSW
Re: numb toes.
Postby elStado » Sat Jun 30, 2012 2:55 pm
I've just started wearing SPD MTB shoes (Shimano MT71) in the past 6 weeks and have been experiencing toe numbness after about 35-40 minutes of riding at a moderate pace. It's usually is worse in my right foot, but it often also occurs in my left foot as well after another 5-10 minutes of riding. It starts with a tingling feeling in my big toe and then after a while the toe starts getting numb. After another 5-10 minutes my big toe and a few of my other toes next to it have gone totally numb. It isn't really painful, just feels very uncomfortable.
If I stop riding and get off the bike and walk around the numbness goes away within minutes. If I am off the bike for over an hour that seems to be enough to prevent the numbness returning for another 30 minutes worth of riding. If I ride with regular shoes and flat platform pedals I don't experience the toe numbness, but I do get hot foot over the ball of my foot after ~30 minutes of riding due to the flexible sole of my shoe.
I've tried adjusting my cleat position, not doing up the laces/velcro too tight and also trying different thickness socks. I've managed to reduce the onset (it was happening after only 25-30 minutes originally) but I haven't managed to stop it completely. I find it seems to come on faster in the evening on my commute home, so I guess this is exacerbated if the foot is swollen or fatigued.
Thanks to my brilliant genetics I have low (not flat) arches, mild overpronation and mild bunions in both feet (right foot is a bit worse). So no doubt this is contributing to this discomfort as I also had issues with foot pain after walking more than 5-6km. I managed to reduce this by getting wider shoes with better heel support, as well over the counter sole inserts for arch support and cushioning. My MT71 shoes are fairly wide though (which is one of the reasons why I got them). I think I might try moving back the cleat position a little more, put my sole inserts in my cycling shoes, and try loosening the laces a little more. If that doesn't work it might be finally time to go see a podiatrist to get it looked at as it isn't fun to not be able to ride more than 15km without having to stop and have a rest due to experiencing some form of pain or discomfort, especially as I am planning to cover 70km+ per day while touring. I'm also looking into getting a professional bike fit done before I leave to try and get a more comfortable and efficient fit.
- trailgumby
- Posts: 15469
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:30 pm
- Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney
- Contact:
Re: numb toes.
Postby trailgumby » Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:12 pm
Unlike walking, you don't put your heel down and load it on a bike, so his classic orthotics that were designed to stabilise my heel to prevent pronation don't work in cycling shoes I found. It wasn't until I self-diagnosed that I have a Varus forefoot and shimmed it out with some Specialized Body Geometry inner soles that my knees started tracking properly which improved my knee and sacro-illiac issues immensely. I stopped banging my top tube with my knees
I run my cleats as rearward as I can get them.
That said, I wouldn't have thought that the above would contribute all that much to numb toes. Bike shoes do need to be a closer fit than normal runners or office shoes, as your feet don't spread as much and you want minimum slippage for the upstroke. Bike socks tend to be very thin with no cushioning compared to other sports socks.
All my shoes are of the three-strap velcro variety. I just adjust until they feel firm without causing pins-and-needles. Try loosening the laces down low near the base of the tongue so it's not so tight around the ball of the foot?
I have had some toe numbness but I *think* it was from flexier soles and me trying to push my big toes down and drive off the non-existent support. It's much less of an issue on my carbon-soled XC race shoes
- elStado
- Posts: 2363
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:27 am
- Location: Syd, NSW
Re: numb toes.
Postby elStado » Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:34 pm
I don't even know if any exist in Perth. I'll have to look around or maybe ask the local podiatry clinic.trailgumby wrote:Make sure you see a cycling-specific podiatrist. I pronate as well, and went to see a guy who knew his stuff and fixed me for walking. However, he's not a cyclist.
Mine are quite far forwards. I'll have to drop them back a bit more.I run my cleats as rearward as I can get them.
I've noticed that. The MT71 shoes are a slightly closer fit than my dress shoes, they are labelled as US 9.7 when I would usually wear a US 10 to allow for spread.That said, I wouldn't have thought that the above would contribute all that much to numb toes. Bike shoes do need to be a closer fit than normal runners or office shoes, as your feet don't spread as much and you want minimum slippage for the upstroke. Bike socks tend to be very thin with no cushioning compared to other sports socks.
I wear DeFeet Levitator (thinner summer socks) and Woolie Boolie 2 (mid thickness winter socks). I get numbness with both, however it seems to onset a bit sooner with thicker socks.
I'll give it a go.All my shoes are of the three-strap velcro variety. I just adjust until they feel firm without causing pins-and-needles. Try loosening the laces down low near the base of the tongue so it's not so tight around the ball of the foot?
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
numb toes.
Postby RonK » Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:46 pm
-
- Posts: 414
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:30 pm
- Location: East Sydney
Re: numb toes.
Postby whitey » Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:08 pm
Which can lead to Morton's neuroma which can be nasty. If this is consistently happening I would get to a podiatrist.RonK wrote:Numb toes - tight shoes.
- elStado
- Posts: 2363
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:27 am
- Location: Syd, NSW
Re: numb toes.
Postby elStado » Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:00 am
I also rang around a few different podiatry clinics, one of them referred me to Darryn Sargant at Peak Podiatry in Subiaco who is apparently well regarded for sport-specific podiatry. Not sure what he's like with cyclists/cycling shoes though. I'm in the process of trying to sneak in an appointment but it's not looking likely before I leave in 3 weeks. Will just have to keep making my own adjustments to see if I can get a better fit.
-
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:16 am
Re: numb toes.
Postby tk38 » Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:31 am
I only seem to get this with carbon shoes, but all others seem to be fine. I've read above that insoles might be a good thing to consider. What insoles do you recommend, and where do i get them?
Thanks
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+10:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.