Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 After riding for almost 15 kms with an average speed of 16 kph without stopping I started to feel some numbness in my feet. I did do some heel toe movements to get the blood flowing again, but I was curious whether there was something the pro riders do who travel a gazillion kilometres at a time. With the tonic contraction of the muscles, is there any fear of developing a blood clot? I also tried shifting my weight from foot to foot while bracing against the wheel which helped. I am not to the one foot riding in a straight line skill level yet. Also what's the longest non-stop distance you've traveled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 When you ride a long straight, do you just travel in a straight line or do you "zig zag" back and forth? I find that even a couple of KM straight starts to cause the suffering - but weaving side to side shifts the weight and helps the blood flow (stopping the pain / numbness)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 I usually do a straight roll mainly, but I'll try zig zagging a bit more. Sometimes I'll practice my slaloms around small oil stains in the road if I get bored. Heel toeing seems to work pretty good. Maybe I need to try a different shoe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johrhoj Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I definitely get numb feet from time to time. Wriggling toes and shifting weight helps me to postpone the moment, for a riding break. I do take breaks. The longest distance without a break was around 40km (1.5 hours), without a single dismount. I know from experience now that I need to take my feet of the pedal for maybe only one minute at the first signs of numbness, and I am good to go again. If I ignore the numbness for a while, it gets really uncomfortable, and I then also need a longer break to remedy this. For me, 20 to 40 minutes without any numbness or discomfort is normal (with wriggling toes, and weight shifting). If, inside that period I mount-dismout a few times, the problem pretty much stays away. One of the things I teached myself is mounting and dismounting both ways, so that my feet get the same relieve. Medically, the problem with numbness is reduced blood flow. Prolonged blood flow deprivation increases the chance of blood clots, and also causes other problems. Your body will tell you there is a problem, first numbness and prolonged numbness will develop into increasing discomfort up to pain. If you can prevent it, then do. I think there are several factors in getting numb feet: - personal factors (weight, age, fitness, natural disposition) - stance on wheel. Is your weight evenly distributed back and front? - size of pedal. It is always better to have a larger area for the same weight - shoe sole. I think the firmer the sole of your shoe, the less problems because of better weight distribution. (I would not like to go barefooted ) Firm shoe soles partly remedy the problems with small pedals. - not sure if bumpy road condition would make a difference, positive or negative ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 No matter what my feet get numb, I like to take a break at least every hour even if it's just a short one. Definitely try different types of shoes. My favorite at the moment is a pair of skate shoes, which at first I thought I wouldn't like because the soles are flexible. They actually seem to be pretty comfortable tho. My least favorite is a pair of walking shoes with a flared sole, they push my leg out a bit and prevent my foot from getting a snug grip on the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuts Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Some things which you should try if not already Wriggle your toes. The best is if your toes protrude passed the pedals. Do little hops on one foot and then alternate. Heel toe stance - This is where you for example put your weight on the heel of your left foot and the weight on the ball of your right foot and after a couple of minutes alternate. You don't even need to lift your foot high, just enough to relief the pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US69 Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 For my next wheel i will definitly try to get bigger, larger pedals.... I will do a Extension myself or will buy one of the Special pedals from 1radwerkstatt! This larger pedals are not only better that your feet do not get numb....they also seam to make a totally different experience of driving on a big wheel like the KS18.... Thats because it is much easier to get your weight on the toes...i even feel this is much easier when i have much harder shoes/soles on my feet, so i am very curious about this Feeling with bigger pedals... @Bryan Wells had done a Video of his KS18 pedal extensions and he is very pleased about this experience...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 The NB1E+ pedals seem pretty big as I have size 9 feet. Maybe I need to move the feet around a little more during the earlier kilometres. It does give me more incentive to practice riding on one foot. I can kind of see how people do it, but finding the balance point isn't so easy. I try to brace my ankle/calf against the side pads and try to lean towards the empty foot side, but it's pretty unstable. Oh well just need more practice. People make it look so easy on videos. I have been doing some heel toeing motions which definitely helps. Maybe I just need to take intermittent breaks off the wheel now and then. Yeah I saw Bryan's video. He does some good review videos and is good rider. I noticed he was in that one Seattle group ride too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Wells Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 45 minutes ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said: The NB1E+ pedals seem pretty big as I have size 9 feet. Maybe I need to move the feet around a little more during the earlier kilometres. It does give me more incentive to practice riding on one foot. I can kind of see how people do it, but finding the balance point isn't so easy. I try to brace my ankle/calf against the side pads and try to lean towards the standing foot side, but it's pretty unstable. Oh well just need more practice. People make it look so easy on videos. I have been doing some heel toeing motions which definitely helps. Maybe I just need to take intermittent breaks off the wheel now and then. Yeah I saw Bryan's video. He does some good review videos and is good rider. I noticed he was in that one Seattle group ride too. Thanks hunka, I definitely feel the pedal extenders was totally necessary. The extenders I made end up about 3/4 inch longer than the 9b1's pedals and my size 13 feet think they are a lot more comfy then the 9b1 pedals. My 2 cents is that the ninebot is one of the hardest eucs to ride one footed on. The reason is that not only is the padding on the side slippery, and the bot too narrow, but the contact point of the padding to your inner leg is reallly low making the presserpoint a LOT more intense than other wheels. Almost all 18" wheels should be easier, but side by side the ks16's pad shape is probably really really good for it as a 16" As far as overall foot fatigue goes i dont think there is a better comfort wheel then the ks-18 with a SEAT! LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 You must get a lot more looks riding around while sitting. I've seen your videos, and the KS18 looks like a great all around touring machine for long trips. Do you have any slalom or turning videos while sitting down on the KS18? Like say if you were seated going at speed, and you suddenly spotted a large pot hole and had to veer, would you just stand up to get a better lean or can you scoot around any obstacles in a seated position fairly well? How's the braking when seated? Do you think if the seat was on an X/Y sliding gimbal or sliding supports so you could shift your weight around, would that make turns easier or is the locked in one position seat just better the way it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 8 hours ago, johrhoj said: - not sure if bumpy road condition would make a difference, positive or negative ... I've been trying a bit of off-roading, and a lot of the roads around here are rubbish anyway. And now I think about it, while it makes for a rougher ride, I haven't had any "standing pain" while away from the smooth stuff. I'm expecting that the continual shift of weight (required to stay upright) is promoting somewhat better circulation? @HunkaHunkaBurningLove - have you tried riding on loose metal / gravel? It would make an interesting comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 Take precious off roading? My baby only sees smooth, silky asphalt. Actually I do ride on sidewalks <looks around for cops listening in> which have pretty bumpy seams. I haven't gone for 15 kilometres on sidewalks though as that would be too bumpy. I was okay for the first 8 or so kms, but on the way back I noticed yeah something is tingling in my feet which is not good. I've got these Dr. Scholl's loafers which I wear to work so they might not be the best shoe as the arch support isn't that great. I have a pair of skateboarding sneakers which I'll try instead. I was thinking of getting some motorcycle shoes with more ankle support after seeing a few stories about broken ankles (gulp!), but I hope I'll be okay without them. I can't imagine what a 200 mile run would be like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 10 minutes ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said: Take precious off roading? But it is so much fun - and much softer WHEN you do fall off... On the downside - I got kicked outside (in the rain) until both my wheel and I cleaned up our act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 No no would you take a Victoria Secret Super Model hog wrestling and get her all dirty? Hmm okay maybe a bad example.... Maybe you would... The Flamebot is a thing of rare beauty. Some people (looking at you @Rehab1) buy them and keep them locked away in their boxes never to be allowed to see the light of day. I ride it sparingly and only in ideal conditions to preserve its good looks. To share my rolling art piece in public, I have to choose carefully the safest path to take and limit her exposure to the rougher elements out there. Can anyone even buy a Flamebot any more? Nopers. Precious must be kept pristine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingouin Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Hi, I usually ride, during my trips, 55-60km during 3h40 to 5h depending on the riding style, with in general at least 30km in straight line. The hardest part for me is staying straight on the wheel going forward for a long period of time. I found out that moving my tips or changing feet position helps, but I do have to stop at least once in an hour. City riding is more difficult, yet doesn't hurt my feet as much. Backward riding helps if I don't want to stop, it seems that the change of angle of the knees and feets make them relax (but my kneck hurts from looking behind instead) After 3h of riding, regardless of what i'm doing on the wheel, I feel exhausted and my knees start to say "no more"...I think having a wider range than 60km is useless, even with a fast wheel (because your attention tends to be worse and worse with time..) going at 30kph, I think it would be dangerous. I don't ride very fast, in general about 17 - 20kph (real speed), but with the stops in gets down to 14kph average in general. I don't feel the need of going fast, I like enjoying the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 You guys are lucky. I actually cannot ride more than 3 km without having to stop and rest my feet for about 3 minutes. They grow completely numb and painful. I have flat feet, but maybe i have some other problem judging by how little i can ride in a row compared to the others here. What helps a bit is putting more weight on one of the feet, also standing on my toes or heels on the pedals for a little while as well as any change in the foot position while riding, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czestnut Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Funny... for me... when it's flat and takes no effort, I can ride for 10km.. however for lots of turns, sidewalks, trails, I need to break every 2-3 km or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I think some of us "bad boys" have had more practice standing in the time-out corner before so we're just used to standing in one spot for long periods of time. With the wheel we can stand but still zoom around so it's all very cathartic psychologically really. It's probably healthier for you to take small breaks from riding as it involves tensing up some muscles all the time. I'm a pretty relaxed rider as compard to my earlier days where I'd grip onto the wheel for dear life. Standing relatively still in one spot likely results in pressure sores as the body is more used to moving to allow proper blood flow. Even that seasoned rider from Speedyfeet complained that his calves were aching during his journey, but it could be due to all that extra battery weight on board. He probably would have been better off sitting on a KS18 for parts of his trip if it wasn't so bumpy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johrhoj Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 15 hours ago, KingSong69 said: For my next wheel i will definitly try to get bigger, larger pedals.... I will do a Extension myself or will buy one of the Special pedals from 1radwerkstatt! Please let us know your experience when you get the bigger pedals, and the difference with the "normal" pedals. The price of the bigger pedals is holding me back, and I tell myself that the current pedals are good enough after all. DIY pedals ... i am not that skilled . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingouin Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 7 hours ago, Cloud said: You guys are lucky. I actually cannot ride more than 3 km without having to stop and rest my feet for about 3 minutes. They grow completely numb and painful. I have flat feet, but maybe i have some other problem judging by how little i can ride in a row compared to the others here. What helps a bit is putting more weight on one of the feet, also standing on my toes or heels on the pedals for a little while as well as any change in the foot position while riding, Hi, actually I felt more comfortable with my feets on the firewheel pedals than the gotway's, I could stay on it for more than 2h without any breaks, I think it's not due to the size and form of the pedals, but the angle of the pedals, with the gotway they are bent inwards slightly, wch gives more manoevrability, but less comfort for me. Also it's more a matter of time spend on the wheel, than distance. I'm not sure that the "healthier & sportier" people can ride longer without any break, I am a "weak" person physically, but I can ride longer than more healthier persons. The only thing that requires a physical effort for me is riding on one foot.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 2 hours ago, Pingouin said: Hi, actually I felt more comfortable with my feets on the firewheel pedals than the gotway's, I could stay on it for more than 2h without any breaks, I think it's not due to the size and form of the pedals, but the angle of the pedals, with the gotway they are bent inwards slightly, wch gives more manoevrability, but less comfort for me. Also it's more a matter of time spend on the wheel, than distance. I'm not sure that the "healthier & sportier" people can ride longer without any break, I am a "weak" person physically, but I can ride longer than more healthier persons. The only thing that requires a physical effort for me is riding on one foot.. Kinsong's are also angled in towards the center. I guess its to prevent slipping off and pedal and also increases clearance between the edge of the pedal and mother earth allowing for tighter turns. Yes the angle can affect the comfort, as well as the size of the pedal, because if one is wearing shoes that have softer soles, the part of the soles overhanging beyond the pedal will have no support and bend causing discomfort. Kinsong pedals are more confortable for me than solowheel classic, ips zero which have smaller pedals, but ninebot pedal felt more comfortable than kingsongs. Yes of course the time is more important than distance, but also the terrain , whether its smooth or bumpy, which would constantly cause beating on the rider's soles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingouin Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I get the fact that it's to prevent riders from slipping, however the materials on the pedals is much more important imo, gotway's don't have as much grip as friwheel's. I haven't ridden a ks, solowheel, ninebot or ips to compare, but I trust you if you say they are the more compfy, maybe there is also a matter of physical preference ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czestnut Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I've been meaning to ride over to the snowboard/skateboard shop in the next town for those sandpaper stickers or whatever you call them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 12 minutes ago, Czestnut said: I've been meaning to ride over to the snowboard/skateboard shop in the next town for those sandpaper stickers or whatever you call them. Grip tape. I bought a skateboard sized piece ($10), which should do several refreshes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 12 hours ago, Pingouin said: I get the fact that it's to prevent riders from slipping, however the materials on the pedals is much more important imo, gotway's don't have as much grip as friwheel's. I haven't ridden a ks, solowheel, ninebot or ips to compare, but I trust you if you say they are the more compfy, maybe there is also a matter of physical preference ? Some of it could be preference or habit, but the fact is that kingsong pedals are just larger than those other ones i tried. Its generally more comfortable to stand on bigger pedals than when parts of your feet are overhanging. yes grip is very important. Scateboarding grip tape works great,ine has been on for several months without changing and is still going strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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