The world’s best over the counter  In The Shoe support for cycling is here. The ITS Forefoot Wedge and Yellow Superfeet  combination brings the ultimate in forefoot, mid-food and rear foot support.

BikeFit’s ITS Wedge obviously supports the forefoot. Superfeet support the mid and rear foot. In spite of being the worlds most recognizable name in insoles not many realize the extent of support you will find in the Yellow insoles. In addition to mid –foot support the Yellow provide 2 degrees of wedging under the heel. In other words a rear foot varus wedge.

      Here is a sneak peak of the world’s best combined with the world’s best.

        

Stay tuned as there is much more to come. And yes our I T S  wedges are now green. We hope this color will not be copied like the previous orange color because beyond the color there is also a BiG difference…more to come on that front as well.

Katrina (Kit) Vogel MS, DPT along with a host of other international speakers presented at the first annual ICS   on January 25 & 26. This event was hosted by Phil and Julian of CycleFit UK.

Here is a brief introduction about her topic.

Pelvic Asymmetry & Lower Extremity Biomechanics of Cycling

Katrina Z. Vogel, MS. DPT

Why should we care about pelvic mechanics related to cycling? We care because the pelvis is the crossroads for all movement and (with the feet) drives the mechanics of the lower extremities. However, almost NO literature exists related to the pelvis and its effects on the biomechanics of cycling. A common pattern presents in up to 80% of all cyclists yet this pattern has been largely ignored in the world of bike fitting. Why does it happen and what can you do about it? The key for bike fitters is to focus on the connection points (feet, pelvis, hands).

To see a video excerpt from her actual lecture in London click here

Click hereto read about the presenters in London.

Kit graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from University of Southern California in 2002 and received her Masters of Science from Western Washington University in Human Movement and Performance with a specialization in Biomechanics. Kit can be found in the clinic at Eastside Sports and Rehabilitation Clinicsin Kirkland, WA where even a local cyclist can seek her out for a bike fit. The number is 425-576-8180.

Speaking of local, on January 16, Eastside Sports and Rehabilitation Clinics played host to a select group of friends and associates for a preview of Kit’s presentation at ICS. Here is a photo from that evening.

Kit burst onto the worldwide scene of cycling biomechanics in 2007 and 2008 at the SICI International Cycling Science Symposiums.  Velonews (Now called  Velo) labeled Kit as being one of the "rock stars of cycling science" per Velonews (2007).

On behalf of Kit we would like to thank everyone that contributed to the research for her presentation and we will blog more about this in the near future. However, I would like to mention one person in particular, Richard Jackson of The Jackson Clinics.  I love one of his quotes: “asymmetry is the rule.”

The equipment of the cyclist often tells a story. Much valuable information can be found looking at the components. However, expensive hardware and software will not find it; you will need to actually use your eyes to look for it.

The popular Look Keo is one of the easier pedals to find uneven wear as the result of a common misalignment. Sometimes this wear can show up in just a few minutes of pedaling.

Where do you look and why?  For most, our feet do not meet flat or level with the pedal. However, in order to clip into the pedal the foot is forced to be flat (the cleat will not engage the pedal if it is tilted). Yes that is correct, your foot is forced to be level (parallel) with the pedal. How do we know? Look at your pedals and you will see the uneven wear. If the foot wanted to meet the pedal flat and level the wear would be even…not uneven.

If you are not yet convinced most people have a tilt at the forefoot (most of the time up toward the inside), this pedal wear may be what finally convinces you. So the “why” is because most people have what is called  forefoot Varus (see illustration on the left showing the tilt of the forefoot) . The inside of the foot is tilted up higher than the outside of the foot.

Look at the Keo pedal below. Notice inside the red circle that the pedal is worn more in this area. That is because the foot wants to be tilted in its natural position.

You can also see this on a Look Delta pedal. See the photo below.

Will the Look cleat adjustment pedal address this issue?

Nope, the expensive Keo Fit pedal only addresses cleat rotation or is supposed to address rotation but that is for another post.

What about the newer Keos with the wider platform? You will still find the same wear underneath the front area of the pedal up toward the inside.

So why the wider platform anyway? First Shimano introduced a wider platform and then Look followed. Some reports say the pedal was wearing on the outer edge…ummmmm I wonder why that was happening? Could it be that same forefoot tilt? What the narrow platform actually did was allow a little slop, so to speak. The foot could tilt or rock just a little. So when the platform was made wider foot pain increased. Since the shoe/cleat was forced to be even more flat/ flush with the pedal, the foot inside the shoe tried to tilt back to its natural position increasing the misalignment and foot pressure at the outside of the foot as illustrated below.

This pedal wear will also show up on other pedal  systems. Click hereto see the wear on traditional toe clip pedals. You can also read more about feet on our website if you click here

We often recommend to our BikeFit Pros it is a good idea to befriend a local cobbler (shoe repair person). A good cobbler can come in handy often in ways beyond our imagination. Some of them can be quite amazing at what they can to a cycling shoe. It is however worth noting that in some cases it may take time to develop a relationship where the cobbler really starts to understand cycling needs. Not all will be able to produce something like this in the photo below on their first try. This job of creating an elevated sole is one of the cleanest I have ever seen. The cyclist in this case had been using the same cobbler for years and this was not his first attempt.

It is probably pretty clear that a job like this built up shoe is better left to the cobbler. But are there some issues we as bike fitters can address on our own? Sometimes a shoe may be tight in a certain area and it needs to be stretched. If it is beyond a small little spot I refer to the cobbler.

However, one scenario you will no doubt run into is fitting a cyclist with a bunion.

I used to refer these situations out to a cobbler as well but I don’t anymore. I save the bigger jobs for the cobbler. We have a spot stretcher (bunion stretcher)I keep in the fit area. You can apply this tool while working on another aspect of the bike fit and not really add any more time to your overall fit. It is also nice that the cyclist will not need to take the extra time to visit the cobbler. For a cyclist that has been dealing with the discomfort or pain of a bunion this relief is amazing.

Here is a recent review of the bunion stretcher on BikeRadar.

Question - I have been indoor cycling (spinning¹) for a year. I love it and do it 2 times a week sometimes three or more. I have an issue with my SIDI bike shoes,I love them but i noticed well into class I started to develop a pain/soreness etc. I put in some insoles and they didn't provide relief. The soreness is on the outer side of both my right and left foot. It's not on the middle but more on the fattier side of your foot aligned. I have been desperately looking for a solution.If you could help me with some information I would really appreciate it. Thanks

BikeFit reply - Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t call or email us complaining of discomfort or pain on the bottom, outermost part of their foot. The illustration on the left below shows the location of the MOST common “hot foot” or foot discomfort. Sounds like your situation as well.

The illustration on the right shows even pressure across the entire ball of their foot. Cyclists often describe this as feeling better connected, more stable, even-feeling and so on. 

Here is a way to look at your own feet and see why there is often more pressure toward the outside of the foot. With your knees on a chair have someone hold a book or ruler across the balls of your feet. Are they angled up toward the inside?

There is good news. We have a solution for you called Cleat Wedges  (http://www.bikefit.com/c-1-cleat-wedges.aspx) that accommodate for your foot’s natural position by creating an angle on your cycling cleat(s) where it connects to the pedal. It’s worth noting that the number of Cleat Wedges on one shoe in no way dictates the proper number of Cleat Wedges you’ll need on the other shoe.

Each Cleat Wedge has a one degree slope (or angle) and can be stacked based on your needs. 

You also mentioned the insoles you tried did not provide relief. That does not mean your insoles are bad but just so you know, insoles rarely (if ever), address the tilt of the foot as described above. 

You can order Cleat Wedges online or you may find it more beneficial to find a BikeFit Pro or Dealer who carries them. Click here to find a Pro or Dealer near you. 

¹Spinning is a registered trademark of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.