Current Pedorthics | May-June 2017 | Vol.49, Issue 3 | Page 38

CYCLING AND PEDORTHICS

CYCLING AND PEDORTHICS

power from skeletal frame to bicycle crank or ski . Soft corns are common among road cyclists where the foot is cramped in a tight , moist cycling shoe where a single ride may be more than 150 + miles . A delicate balance exists between smoking tight performance and loose enough to ensure proper physiologic function . The foot takes a unique beating in cycling sports . The shoe / cleat / orthotic combo protects the foot from bruising by evenly distributing pressure from the pedal frame to foot .
Cycling shoes can be tightened by laces and complex ratchet systems . The ratchet systems on higher end products allow the foot to be held very snugly . When fitting bike shoes , I think about the spherical view of the foot and pedal . Down stroke is where the power is and is controlled by the custom orthotic , while vamp and throat fit is important as many cyclists pull up through the lift off portion ( 7:00 – 11:00 ) of the pedal stroke . Not all cyclist are strong enough to pull up through lift off . In cycling the merits of actively puling on the pedals during lift off are hotly debated- but the Pedorthist will encounter cyclists who will have dorsal fit issues due to the overall snugness of many road racing shoes . ( see : photo # 1 )
A uniting , fraternal feature among cyclists is the very stiff soles on all cycling shoes . Even the most casual cycling shoes — always identified by their more comfort oriented laces — will have a very rigid sole . This stiff sole has two major features- efficient power transmission to the pedal and protection from pressure created by the shoe cleat or pedal .
The sole will be stiff enough to impede walking and cyclists donning bike shoes are immediately recognizable from the accommodative gait as the cyclist attempts normal gait in shoes where the sole doesn ' t flex . Nothing is more humorous that watching a neophyte roadie hobble through the supermarket with a pair of road bike cleats on . On slick floors walking in bicycling shoes with cleats is quite the feat and ending up on the ground is common .
Downhill mountain biking , where heavy duty bikes are purposely ridden at high velocity down a hill ( or man man feature ) while taking very large controlled jumpspresents its own challenges . A common pedal in downhill mountain biking will feature sharp spikes on the pedal , effectively grabbing the rider ' s foot when landing jumps . Downhill shoes have an external sole material that is soft and grabbing , yet the flex of the sole support will be rigid and unforgiving . This protects the plantar fascia from being injured while landing big jumps .
Sometimes dimly viewed by traditional cyclist for its lack of aerobic exercise and off-the-couch nature , downhill mountain biking is a fast-growing segment of the market and has shown continued growth in even the most urban areas . The ski industry is spending millions of dollars to build summer trail systems designed around lift served access to downhill mountain biking terrain . These trails sometimes descend thousands of feet , combining intricate jumps and tight turns . ( see : photo # 2 )
Poor foot position on the pedal can easily translate into kinetic chain pain . Sesmoiditis and plantar fascia pain are the most common pedorthic challenges seen in casual cyclists . Designed for performance , road and trail riding shoes are narrow and can cause metatarsal cramps and and pinched metatarsal nerves . A rigid
36 Pedorthic Footcare Association www . pedorthics . org