Big feet/flat pedals?

ReverendNewman

Active Member
I've been riding for many years and always used spd pedals, even when I raced dh in the early 2000's, but recent events have me wondering if I've been doing myself wrong. I tried running flats but never felt love for them, especially on sketchy, technical sections where I was happy to be clipped in so I didn't have to worry about coming off the pedals. Over the last 5 years I've been experiencing swelling issues in my feet and after x-rays from a podiatrist, it turns out that I have arthritis in my big toe joints which flare up from time to time. A friend had told me to get rid of my "clown shoes" for a couple of years now and I have been hesitant as I never thought the two were related, but a link to a web-site got me thinking. I have size 13 (48) feet and always put a lot of pedal pressure on the balls of my feet and that's where the pain usually starts after a big ride.

And now my question is....
  1. Does anyone else have the same type of arthritis issue?
  2. How do you treat it?
  3. Has anyone switched to flats as a result of foot issues?
I will add that I ordered a pair of the Catalyst pedals as they have a larger platform and will hopefully support my foot better.

Any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Frank

I personally never got anything outta clipless pedals except bad falls. Yeah, I understand the efficiency of them etc. But my kinda riding these days I prefer flats. U don't have to think ahead when u start to fall, u just have to put ur foot down. LOL
 

Ian F

Well-Known Member
Frank - what kind of clipless pedals do you run? While I still run small platform pedals (Crank Bros Candy) on my road bikes, I've pretty much completely switched to larger platform enduro and DH clipless pedals on the mtn bikes.

I run flats when trail riding now and then. Partly just for a change of pace and partly to keep in practice, although I grew up riding BMX so I can swap between them with pretty much zero acclimation time. That said, I'm usually quite happy when I put the clipless back on.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
When I started riding, I used this style of pedal.
download (2).jpg
[wiki][/wiki]


Then I started DH riding and used flats for one season but never really loved it......probably due to the shoes I chose. Later I switched to the larger platform DX pedals for DH, and these for my regular bikes.
pedal.jpg

Even with a caged pedal I was experiencing pain in my big toe joint and just dealt with it. Over the winter I switched to a cheap flat pedal I got on Amazon for my fatbike.....mainly because I didn't want my cleats to freeze into the pedal.
images.jpg

These didn't feel too bad so I was considering a switch to flats when a buddy sent me this http://www.bikejames.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Flat-Pedal-Revolution-Manifesto.pdf which made for interesting reading and made me wanna try these pedals.
Ewan-Anderson-e1454809210835-256x300.jpg

These things are larger than any other pedal I've ever used, but it's still a bit early to tell if they are THE answer....but so far I really like them. It's just going to take a little time getting used to a new pedal position.
New-Foot-Position-Instructions-1024x690.jpg
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
I'm curious as to how those are going to feel, in terms of your perception of pedaling power.

They "take stress off of the ankle joint" by limiting the flexion/extension of the ankle joint, which I assume will impact the role of your calf muscles in turning the pedals.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
I'm curious as to how those are going to feel, in terms of your perception of pedaling power.

They "take stress off of the ankle joint" by limiting the flexion/extension of the ankle joint, which I assume will impact the role of your calf muscles in turning the pedals.
At this point, they are taking the pressure of an area that is sensitive to me.......so for me it's a win. I would think that the bigger your feet are, the more pressure you are putting on your ankle to pedal especially when out of the saddle. I can only say that after a few rides I do feel different muscles being used, as to whether it's an overall improvement remains to be seen. You are most welcome to throw a leg over the fatty any time you'd like.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I would think that the bigger your feet are, the more pressure you are putting on your ankle to pedal especially when out of the saddle. I can only say that after a few rides I do feel different muscles being used, as to whether it's an overall improvement remains to be seen.

i think my feet are on the larger size of the spectrum and i do think a larger pedal works for me. i'm sorta like jeff, i have been using platforms for a long time now because of my knees. i've tried a few pedals and the larger the stomping platform, the happier my feet are.

one other thing about putting the pedal closer to the mid point of the foot. if your pedal is small, a lot more of your foot will be hanging off the front. i have actually had my toes get caught between pedal and rock/log and get stuck. hurts like a m-f'er when all of your forward momentum is stopped because your toes are caught between a pedal and a hard place. just keep it in mind. when i am working a little more on the bike, my toes tend to dip down - i don't practice "ankling", but i guess it naturally sorta happens to me. i've only caught my feet on stuff a few times, but it's not fun when i do.
 

chrisalecia

Active Member
This is an interesting thread that I just picked up on. I come from BMX racing background and have Saints now. I think they feel clunky considering everything else on my bike is light. Seems like the flat pedals out there are just different versions of weight and pins. I've never seen anyone on our trails ride the CrankBros combination pedals like the mallet.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
Any more updates on the pedals Frank?
Yes Ed, I like these pedals so much that I bought a second pair for my Turner. I really like the additional support that these pedals give and I have had zero pain in my feet from riding. Flat pedals alone helped, but I had to move my feet around a lot. With the Catalyst pedals, I can keep my feet in the same position with total comfort. By moving my feet forward, and dropping my saddle a few centimeters, I have noticed a different group of leg muscles being used than with the traditional clip in set up. I also using a harder gear now with no pain in my knees and feet, and I've noticed my hamstrings don't seem as tight. For the first week or two, I noticed that my hips were a little sore after a ride, but now that has now gone away. I still have to relearn a few things, like log-overs but have done well with bunny hops, and I'm transitioning to flat pedals nicely.
 

EMago

New Member
Great news! I put flat pedals on the fatty and I'm also thinking of changing over the other bikes due to my current knee/joint issues. I'll have to take a look at the Catalysts.
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I personally never got anything outta clipless pedals except bad falls. Yeah, I understand the efficiency of them etc. But my kinda riding these days I prefer flats. U don't have to think ahead when u start to fall, u just have to put ur foot down. LOL

There has been some basic experiments done. On rollers clipless are no more efficient than flat pedals.

 

Victor I

aka Ridgehog
I have big feet and use Wellgo MG-1 Magnesium peddles. No issues other than people constantly asking me why I ride platforms.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
See mini-daggers below. I've gotten plenty of dings/cuts but nothing like that pic above

p4pb12412943.jpg
I was going to look at the Hope's but those are pretty harsh looking compared to my flats
they also look pretty thick, do you find yourself getting pedal strikes in tech areas?
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
I just switched a bike back over to flats last weekend after unsuccessfully unclipping on a bridge and was the guy who ended up in the stream
Oddly during the whole ride, my feet wanted to migrate to the front about a half inch and I've always previously ridden on my the balls of my feet as well.
I don't have big feet, but because of the migration, found my outside toes catching roots and stuff along the trail, especially when off the saddle
Doesn't moving your foot forward contribute to more toe strikes?
 
Top Bottom