For about 18 months, I’ve been dealing with quite a bit of pain in both feet. Until recently, I was not sure what was causing it. I was feeling soreness in the middle of my right foot after several hours on the road bike and occasionally pain in either foot would keep me on the couch for several days to a week. About 6 months ago, pain in my left big toe brought me to the podiatrist. He recognized right away that I was suffering from gout. Then, a recent work trip found me working from my hotel for a few days, with immense pain in my right big toe.

A trip to an urgent care led me to a local Physicians Assistant, who recognized that a certain medication I’ve been taking, was more than likely causing my gout issue. I immediately discarded that medication and accepted the consequence.

With the thought that gout was behind me, I decided to discard my road pedals for mountain pedals. My Speedplay Zero pedals on both road bikes have served me well for many years, but I needed a larger contact point for both feet. I switched the Crank Brothers Candy Pedals from my gravel bikes to the road bikes and purchased 2 pairs of Crank Brothers Double Shot Pedals for the the gravel bikes. The flat side will allow me to ride even if I have an issue with my feet, while the reverse side allows me to clip in while still resting on a larger base.

The final piece of the puzzle was adjusting my cleats. I rode for mamy years with my cleats jammed to the front of my shoes. I decided to set my them all the way back. This allows my feet to move freely. Finally, the allure of having one set of shoes for all my bikes as well as being able to walk while off the road bike is very inviting. Hopefully, most of the pain is in the rear view mirror. We’ll see…..

What’s Playing (what am I listening to while writing or what’s dancing around in my head whill riding) – today – Foreigner – Feels Like the First Time