Click!

A couple of days ago, I went to the big city with a friend, and we stopped at a big sporting goods store.  I got a new daypack, to replace the one that's been repaired twice and went to Japan and the UK with me.  I also looked at new biking shoes because since I've been biking as an adult, I get numb feet after a while and it makes biking longer less and less fun.  (I currently have mountain bike sort of shoes that make it possible to walk because the cleat's recessed a bit, but supposedly, they aren't quite as stiff as road shoes.)  It's a pretty common thing, and I've read that having really stiff soles helps.  They didn't sell me new biking shoes, but suggested some inserts, so I got those and changed out the inserts in my shoes.

Then I was looking at web stuff, and noticed that in addition to the changing shoe advice, some advice said to move the cleats back.

So I figured out how to move the cleats back (there are three possible positions on my shoes to screw the cleats in), and moved the cleat on my right foot back.  Then I put the bike on the trainer, and got on and rode a bit.

Typically, my foot goes numb somewhere between mile 8 and mile 12 if I'm just riding.  On a trainer, I tend not to ride for a long while, but ride in 5 mile chunks because, well, because.  (If you've ridden a trainer, you understand, I bet, even if you have more self discipline about it.)  But sure enough, my left foot started going numb.  And neither of my feet was particularly happy about the inserts.

So then after about mile 10, I moved the cleat on the left foot.  The foot was already sort of numbing, so it never did feel quite right, but the right foot didn't get numb!

And yesterday I rode outside, did 22 miles, and my right foot didn't get numb at all.  My left foot started to a bit, but not nearly as bad as usual.  I think riding may get even more fun now!

(I love the way bikers talk about "clipping in" to "clipless pedals."  It's a weird holdover, I gather, from when bikers used toe clips and used to have to reach down and either engage or disengage them to hold or let loose the foot/shoe.)