Orthodics - hiking vs. biking?

[thejen12]

I just got some orthodics for hiking (and maybe running). I took them out on my first hike yesterday, and was amazed at the results! Of course I expected my knee pain to be greatly diminished, but I wasn't expecting to have no leg pain or sore muscles. Yet, after the hike that's exactly what happened, I had no leg pain or sore muscles at all! Usually my leg muscles would still be sore a couple of days later, but this time I feel like I didn't even go on a hike!

Now I'm wondering about biking. I never have any knee pain when biking, so I've always thought things were fine. However, I do get sore leg muscles, even on rides of only 30-40 miles. Any idea whether the orthodics would reduce my leg muscle soreness when biking as it did with hiking?

I won't have time to try an experiment for at least a couple of weeks (heading out of town), so I thought I'd ask in case anyone had a similar experience. I don't even know yet if the orthodics will fit in my cycling shoes.

Thanks for any feedback,

Jenn

[davids]

I'm a recent convert to orthotics, but so far I've only tried them in my cycling shoes.

My Testimony (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=316371&postcount=13)

[rpm]

Jenn--
Orthotics can make a huge difference in biking comfort and efficiency, too. Whether or not your walking orthotics will work for biking all depends. Your doctor probably prescribed your orthotics because your feet pronate or flatten out. On the bike that means that your knee doesn't track where it should during your pedal stroke and you hurt or lose efficiency. Orthotics can correct that by supporting your foot in the correct position.

But your walking orthotics might not do the job for biking, because you put pressure on the pedals with your forefoot. Some walking orthotics only lift up the back of the foot and not the forefoot, and if you have those, they won't help. But if your walking orthotic is "front-posted" (i.e., has a wedge underneath the front part as well as a heel) it could do the job.

The same thing is accomplished by using LeWedge slanted shims under your cleats or using Specialized shoes, which have a pronation correction built in. My advice is to talk to the doctor who prescribed the orthotics and ask him about whether they would help for cycling. I use the same basic front-posted orthotics for both walking and cycling, but my podiatrist built me a lighter and slimmer version for cycling. I also use some LeWedges, too, because I went to see Andy Pruitt in Boulder, the world's leading expert on bike ergonomics--the best $400 cycling investment I ever made.

Good luck!

Ron

[thejen12]

Jenn--

But your walking orthotics might not do the job for biking, because you put pressure on the pedals with your forefoot. Some walking orthotics only lift up the back of the foot and not the forefoot, and if you have those, they won't help. But if your walking orthotic is "front-posted" (i.e., has a wedge underneath the front part as well as a heel) it could do the job.

Good luck!

Ron

Ron,

Thanks for the advice! Yes, my orthotics only have support from the heel to through the arch, the front is floppy. I recently got Specialized Mountain bike shoes (top end '07 women's shoe) and plan to use the insole that came with them (when I tested myself at the store, they said I needed the "black" insole, which I believe is the "standard", but my new shoes came with a red insole and no documentation about using different insoles, so I'm hoping it's the same "standard"). I plan to start using these shoes in a few weeks when I get my new bike.

I'll ask the doc, too, when I see him in a couple of weeks.

Jenn

[rpm]

Jenn--

You're in an area where there will be a lot of high zoot bike shops and sports medicine doctors and podiatrists. If your current doctor doesn't seem too knowledgeable about cycling, ask around and you can get some more specific help. It's worth pursuing for both your cycling and your running--if orthotics help in one activity, they're guaranteed to help in the others, provided they're the right ones. You can also goof yourself up by over-correcting, so it's good to get some expert help for each activity.

Ron

[Ralph]

I'm a severe pronator, and use orthotics for the rear part of the foot only for walking and hiking shoes. Recently purchasrd some Specialized Comp Road shoes with the built in orthotic. While the shoe doesn't have quite as much arch support as my custom orthotics, it doesn't need as much, since when cycling I'm putting weight more forward. Another vote for Specialized shoes.....as least for me. Don't know if whole line has this feature.

[benb]

If you're seeing great results with the orthotics for hiking I'd definitely find someone who can build you another pair for cycling using your specialized shoes...

The stock footbeds in the specialized shoes are too soft to really give any support.. but they are great shoes in terms of accepting & working with an orthotic..

I have 2 pairs of specialized shoes, and got orthotics built that fit in both of them. They are decently different then the ones I wear for hiking/running/whatever... they definitely make a big difference for cycling.

The guy who built the orthotics was really impressed with the design of the specialized shoes.