Longer rides results in being uncomfortable

[Au575]

Originally Posted by Matt13

Anyone ever have experience in foot tingling?

My left foot (pinky toe area) always seems to fall asleep on rides.

Had that issue this past weekend heading up Mt Palomar - first the foot, then the whole left leg went tingly. Raised/lowered/tilted the seat, but nothing helped.

It was the longest sustained climb I've done in a while, so I chalked it up to 'fitness' - but I really don't want to experience the loss of feeling down there again.

Solution? Don't ride a sustained 2-hour climb. I'll also try the cleat repositioning suggestion above - that's one that didn't occur to me on the way up.

[nekit]

khs_johnnyd, I have a similar thing with my pinkie from time to time. But I ride platforms. when this happens I try different positions on the pedal and it doesn't seem to help. Then I force myself to just ignore it and it goes away...

Any advice for me? (other than go clipless)

Originally Posted by khs_johnnyd

im almost 99% sure you need to repostion your cleats on your shoes.... your most likely pintching a nerve in your knee or hip or have it set so blood flow is no so good... try turning the cleat to the left a bit and see if it helps... if not turn it to the right... everyone pedals differently.....i had a bad crash and blew my right knee out and when i pedal my bikes my toes point out on my right foot where as my left foot is straight... so play around with it

[khs_johnnyd]

what knd of shoes are u riding in... go with a skate shoe ... they are designed with a flat sole and a waffle tread for better grip. they are also designed for a heel impact.... adio, etnies, vans(not old school), are all great shoes for riding... loose around your toe but stay in place.

[Jordansrealm]

as many fellow riders told me when i was getting into longer rides, the only thing that will make them easier is riding more of them. focus on your diet and keep working on getting stronger, it takes time. i still get sore and handle tingles every now and then but i assume most of it is from my body being tired from being pushed hard. thats usually when i feel it. as you get stronger it will be easier on your entire body.

if you think its your equipment that is holding you back, visit a local bike shop and talk it over with the most experience person they have. plenty of them around here. have them watch you ride your bike, check your geometry, positioning, etc.. Or, go on a ride with someone who knows their stuff and have them watch you. I think I read you dont ride in mtb shorts with padding? Definitely get some, they make a huge difference. Also, a +1 to the specialized gel gloves with padding. I use them on the road and used them once on the MTB when my other gloves were in the wash and I may switch to them permanently.

[nekit]

Originally Posted by khs_johnnyd

what knd of shoes are u riding in... go with a skate shoe ... they are designed with a flat sole and a waffle tread for better grip. they are also designed for a heel impact.... adio, etnies, vans(not old school), are all great shoes for riding... loose around your toe but stay in place.

old Converse AllStars. And they are really tight. I need at least one size larger I think. I guess my feet grew a little since I bought them. gee, who wodda thunk, feet keep growing after 30...

Thx for advice, will try different shoes.

[Blueman]

A simple solution for hand pain/numbness is... on uphill and non-tech portions of the trail put your thumbs on top of your grips and hold the grips with your palm/fingers. This will really relax your hands/wirsts and spread the weight more evenly on your palms. It will also lighten your grip which often can help with your pedaling efficiency by reducing bar pulling. This tip really helped me.

[khs_johnnyd]

yes thos are horrible shoes... i own chucks and love them but they kill my feet to ride in... get skate shoes ... trust me im a big dude 6'1 300lbd and i ride hard... and allways on platforms... never have numbness issues in my feet.

[Padre]

Ergon grips solved my tingly hand problem.

[jake]

Originally Posted by Matt13

Anyone ever have experience in foot tingling?

My left foot (pinky toe area) always seems to fall asleep on rides.

I've had the tingly foot problem after long rides too. At first I would only notice it for a few hours just after a big ride. Then after doing a 30+ mile ride with 2 huge hike-a-bike sections, half my foot went numb for 3 days.

I tried readjusting my cleats, loosening my shoe straps, changing saddle positions but nothing helped. One of the guys in the bike shop figured it out for me. My problem ended up being my shoes were actually too loose allowing my foot to slide forward and scrunch my toes up into the front of the shoe on long climbs and hikes. After tightening them up around the middle of my foot the problem went away.

[vandyketom]

Ditto on the shoe issue from jake above. Different shoes was like night and day for me. On the hands, I found that sliding the saddle forward on the post about an inch seemed to put less pressure on the hands.
Good luck.

[Matt13]

Originally Posted by jake

I've had the tingly foot problem after long rides too. At first I would only notice it for a few hours just after a big ride. Then after doing a 30+ mile ride with 2 huge hike-a-bike sections, half my foot went numb for 3 days.

I tried readjusting my cleats, loosening my shoe straps, changing saddle positions but nothing helped. One of the guys in the bike shop figured it out for me. My problem ended up being my shoes were actually too loose allowing my foot to slide forward and scrunch my toes up into the front of the shoe on long climbs and hikes. After tightening them up around the middle of my foot the problem went away.

First off....Awesome Avatar! One the best bands ever. I must have seen Jawbreaker 20 plus times!

Second thanks for the info....now that you mention it, my shoes are a bit on the looser side and I bet they are packing in up front. Thanks!

[ladera Dave]

I ride the laser V seat it is great for 6 hour rides, As far as grips I like the Euro style with the flat top area to rest my hands on the long climbs. The Path set me up, you guys rock, keep up the good work.

[Pain Freak]

I had a severe problem when doing long rides. My hand would go numb then my whole arm ( we were doing rides in excess of 12 hours ). I'd reposition my hands and it would still hurt. Then I started buying different types of gloves as I have the same problem on a number of bikes. After like 10 different styles I found a pair out in Iowa when I was doing a road ride. They are called Ironman gloves. The have a big pad and a funnel for the Ulnar?nerve that runs down the center of your inside hand. These solved my problem almost entirely.

[NA1NSXR]

Bar ends might be worth a try. I spend as much time on them or even more than I do the regular bars on long rides. Oury grips as suggested above are also worth a try.

[bdegroodt]

Originally Posted by lukewiens

try ergon grips....

Plus one on this suggestion. I recently switched just because and after using a rental w/o them this weekend I immediately could feel the difference in the stress on the wrist. My setup never bothered me, but the Ergon grips made for a lot less stress. One other idea on the grips, don't grip the bar so hard. I read a tip the other day that I thought made a lot of sense--every so often just release the grips and drum on them for a second. This is less about the drumming and more about letting go of any death grip that may be sneaking in on your ride without you thinking about it.

As for sleeping toes, sounds like a hot spot in the shoe. Maybe not in the exact spot where the toe is sleeping either. Oftentimes a strap too tight across the foot can cut circulation and put your foot/toes to sleep. Also remember the longer you go your foot may swell and need some adjustment to the tightness of your closures.

[jake]

Originally Posted by Matt13

First off....Awesome Avatar! One the best bands ever. I must have seen Jawbreaker 20 plus times!

Second thanks for the info....now that you mention it, my shoes are a bit on the looser side and I bet they are packing in up front. Thanks!

I only saw them once at the Jabberjaw. It has to have been one of the best shows I've ever been to. I always had to miss their shows for some reason.
Wonder where Blake Schwarzenbach is now?

[Matt13]

Originally Posted by jake

I only saw them once at the Jabberjaw. It has to have been one of the best shows I've ever been to. I always had to miss their shows for some reason.
Wonder where Blake Schwarzenbach is now?

Saw them 3 times at the Jabberjaw...

Saw the Offspring there too.....lol

After Jawbreaker, Blake was in Jets To Brazil but they broke up as well. Now I have no idea.

[slo65]

Originally Posted by khs_johnnyd

oury grips!!!!!! super cush and cheap!!!!!

+1 i love my ourys, i used some crappy smaller grips (came with the bike) but for my huge hands the oury's work great, now that they're getting a little older it seems like they have become more "tacky" with the grip

[Abui]

Originally Posted by northshore

Lately I have been doing longer rides to build up my strength, cardio, and just plain having fun. I know for some of you 12-15 miles isn't much on a single ride but I will eventually catch up. How are you folks in the training world resolving issues like tingling hands and saddle soreness?

The details without being too graphic. My left hand always tingles after the 12-13 mile. I wear fairly padded full finger gloves, ODI lockon Ruffian grips, and I generally try not to put a death grip on the grips unless things get nasty on the trail. Heck, I try to switch positions on the top of the bar on flat sections. Same with the seat. It's a WTB Laser V. I've tried adjusting it, adding a slight degree of tilt so as not to kill myself on climbs but man it hurts after awhile. Anything under 10 miles I'm ok. Anything over I feel the pain.

Occasionally drop your elbows so that your forearms are close to horizontal and grip with your fingers. That'll give your palms a break from the pounding.

[BoingBoing]

Butt-padding in your shorts is necessary, but not a cure-all IMO. I still need to stand up on the pedals once in a while. If you don't want to do this by charging up hills out-of-the-saddle, then just stand up when you get to the top. A little break goes a long way (for my tush).

As for your hands, you've gotten a lot of good advice already. I'd start by following the suggestions that don't involve spending money. But maybe that's cause I'm a cheap basti