Does feet pain go away?

[Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach]

So I have about 2 weeks of practice on my V5f, and I can actually ride it quite well. My only issue is I experience major feet pain mostly in my arches after about 1/2 mile of riding. Sitting down and resting for a minute or two makes it go away. I assume I'm using muscles I don't normally use, so does this just eventually go away?

[abinder3]

Yes. It will eventually get better. 

 

Allen

[LanghamP]

It hasn't gone away for me. It has decreased somewhat over 600 miles and three months later. I would say there are a few things that can be done while riding but ultimately I get off and trot every mile or two.

 

[The Fat Unicyclist]

 

[Carlos E Rodriguez]

Yes it will go away. I bought boots with hard soles after a week of pain. It also prevented anckle injuries while learning. Now I can ride with soft athletic shoes also with no problem. 

[Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach]

21 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

It hasn't gone away for me. It has decreased somewhat over 600 miles and three months later. I would say there are a few things that can be done while riding but ultimately I get off and trot every mile or two.

 

That's a bit concerning. I hope I don't have to deal with this forever. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach

[Chris Westland]

I think foot pain is a fact of life as you get older, and the fact that your only inputs to an EUC are from the bottoms of your feet (with an occasional assist from the calf) will only add to the pain.  One solution (and a good one) is to get fitted for custom orthotics, as these will assure that your arches take the correct shape.  You can either go to a podiatrist (~$200-300) or there are "sandbox" type fitting systems (~$100) or off-the-shelf inserts (~$50).  Generally, IMO you get what you pay for.    Also check to see that your shoes are not crowding toes, etc as these will create foot pain and damage.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Chris Westland

[Carlos E Rodriguez]

9 minutes ago, Carlos E Rodriguez said:

Yes it will go away. I bought boots with hard soles after a week of pain. It also prevented anckle injuries while learning. Now I can ride with soft athletic shoes also with no problem. 

Get some hard sole boots. It worked for me. Also your feet should be centered. If you put most of the pressure on the ball of your feet if will hurt.  Hard sole boots. 

 

[Chris Westland]

Simon Tay's videos are great.  He seems to be the main guy videoing about EUC technique and kinematics, and he is spot on in in suggestions.  Wear hard bottom shoes (as @Carlos E Rodriguez suggested) and position the weight of body over a point on the foot that aligns with the hip and upper body (I prefer standard running shoes).  Alternately lift toes off the pedals, and take a rest when needed. Alignment is extremely important, as otherwise (IMHO) you will be fighting the wheel.  I started a thread on my theories (which may or may not be correct, but ...I welcome discussion) at:  

 ... so perhaps you can experiment, and let us know what you think.  I would like to see more discussion on the forum about technique and theories of pedagogy for EUCs as there is not yet a definitive "Unicycle University" for ECUs, say along the lines of http://www.motorcycletraining.com/ or http://droneschool.com/  (but there should be)

[Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach]

1 hour ago, Carlos E Rodriguez said:

Get some hard sole boots. It worked for me. Also your feet should be centered. If you put most of the pressure on the ball of your feet if will hurt.  Hard sole boots. 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Chris Westland said:

Simon Tay's videos are great.  He seems to be the main guy videoing about EUC technique and kinematics, and he is spot on in in suggestions.  Wear hard bottom shoes (as @Carlos E Rodriguez suggested) and position the weight of body over a point on the foot that aligns with the hip and upper body (I prefer standard running shoes).  Alternately lift toes off the pedals, and take a rest when needed. Alignment is extremely important, as otherwise (IMHO) you will be fighting the wheel.  I started a thread on my theories (which may or may not be correct, but ...I welcome discussion) at:  

 ... so perhaps you can experiment, and let us know what you think.  I would like to see more discussion on the forum about technique and theories of pedagogy for EUCs as there is not yet a definitive "Unicycle University" for ECUs, say along the lines of http://www.motorcycletraining.com/ or http://droneschool.com/  (but there should be)

Should my feet be centered on the wheel or should my toes be over the front? 

[The Fat Unicyclist]

15 minutes ago, Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach said:

Should my feet be centered on the wheel or should my toes be over the front? 

That depends on your foot size. 

I think the key thing is to ensure that both the heel and ball of your foot are on the pedal - that should remove any pressure on the "soft bits."

[Scatcat]

Many, the majority, of pedals are sized for smaller size feet than the typical westerner.

The average shoe-size in US/EU for men is about 9.5 (43), for women about 7.5 (39) - while in China the same numbers are 8 (41) and 5.5 (36). That's two full EU shoe-sizes, or almost one inch difference in foot length.

When it comes to weight the difference is about 20-30 pounds for females, and 40-50 pounds for men. So we westerners have bigger feet and put a lot more weight on those feet. Now guess what another inch in length on those pedals would do for the overall relaxation of your feet?

My own experience with a shoe-size of 9.5/43 and ~205 pounds are that I can choose to have the heel OR the balls of my feet on the pedal with good support. Given balance and the fact that the heels take most of the pressure, I place my feet to let the heels sit securely, and then get a bit of "overhang" forward. Having a right flat foot, which unluckily is also my strong foot, I start getting pains after a kilometer or so. The pedal kind of cuts into the soft flesh just behind the balls of my feet, and my right foot has less natural support in that area. That in turn cuts off some of the blood-flow and presses on the nerves in the foot, which means cramps.

I tried a friends Gotway MS3, and his pedals were a dream come true. They were actually big enough to give my WHOLE foot support, with only the toes sticking out some and hardly even that. I can say that pedal size were a factor when I looked at a new wheel...

[Chris Westland]

7 hours ago, Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach said:

 

Should my feet be centered on the wheel or should my toes be over the front? 

@Scatcat makes good points.  I have a size 11 foot (big for my height) and I hang 10 over the front of the pedal.  It took me a while to figure this out, but the only thing that matters (IMO for foot position) is your body axis aligns with the wheel axis ... that way you are not fighting the wheel.  For me that means my toes hang off the front of the pedal.  +1 on suggesting that larger pedals should be an option.  Of course everyone is different, and you really have to experiment to see what works for you.

[Scully]

I found these 2 helped. 

Loosening shoe laces
Moving feet further forward on the peddles. 

 

Good luck. 

[Scatcat]

13 minutes ago, Scully said:

I found these 2 helped. 

Loosening shoe laces
Moving feet further forward on the peddles. 

 

Good luck. 

Good point, I'll certainly try loosening the shoe laces. That should help some with circulation. ?? 

[Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach]

I just invested in some orthotics designed for flat feet, they'll be here Tuesday and we'll see how it goes. 

[Carlos E Rodriguez]

11 hours ago, Joshua 'JD' Schwarzenbach said:

 

Should my feet be centered on the wheel or should my toes be over the front? 

Yes. In general. Your feet should be extending and your heal possibly about 1/4 hanging. The anckle should lined up with the center of the pedal. Pinching the wheel gives you a sense of security but it put too much stress so let your muscles get strong and learn to control the wheel without pinching it between your legs. It will wobble at the beginning but it will get better. 

[meepmeepmayer]

Foot positioning is extremely important. It makes a great, relaxing ride where you feel you'll never have to stop; or a cramped, uncomfortable, unsafe and wobbly ride. Almost everytime I start, I go to the next wall/post/...and reposition my feet until it's as good as reasonably possible. Usually, that's further to the outside than where I initially put them.

I would say, position your feet so you stand relaxed and it feels good and you feel in control and comfortable. No matter where they actually end up (as long as it is safely on the pedals).

Also, I think "arches" is the key word here. When they collapse, your legs cramp, you stand in a non-natural way, and it gets uncomfortable. So use good supporting shoes with good insoles, or even get orthopedic insoles supporting your arches.

Edited May 21, 2017 by meepmeepmayer

[kasenutty]

I line my heels up at the back like that guy in the video when my balls  (foot) get sore, and although it feels a little goofy with your toes sticking off so far, it totally alleviates the pain from foot fatigue. 

[steve454]

15 hours ago, Scatcat said:

Many, the majority, of pedals are sized for smaller size feet than the typical westerner.

Good point.  The pedals almost seem to be designed for children.  I don't understand why the pedals are not about 6 inches longer.  Like the footplates on a Honda Goldwing, where you have so much room to move your feet.

[abinder3]

1 hour ago, steve454 said:

Good point.  The pedals almost seem to be designed for children.  I don't understand why the pedals are not about 6 inches longer.  Like the footplates on a Honda Goldwing, where you have so much room to move your feet.

Exactly. I wish all EUC manufacturers would offer the option of being able to purchase larger foot rests as an accessory. 

Allen

[Scatcat]

6 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Foot positioning is extremely important. It makes a great, relaxing ride where you feel you'll never have to stop; or a cramped, uncomfortable, unsafe and wobbly ride. Almost everytime I start, I go to the next wall/post/...and reposition my feet until it's as good as reasonably possible. Usually, that's further to the outside than where I initially put them.

I would say, position your feet so you stand relaxed and it feels good and you feel in control and comfortable. No matter where they actually end up (as long as it is safely on the pedals).

Also, I think "arches" is the key word here. When they collapse, your legs cramp, you stand in a non-natural way, and it gets uncomfortable. So use good supporting shoes with good insoles, or even get orthopedic insoles supporting your arches.

I have insoles, but not full blown ones with full support. I should probably get another pair of the same kind I use for my running-shoes... I should also get a pair of shoes with harder sole to relieve some of the pressure on the part just behind the balls of the feet.

[Dingfelder]

4 hours ago, abinder3 said:

Exactly. I wish all EUC manufacturers would offer the option of being able to purchase larger foot rests as an accessory. 

Allen

Me too.  Might be tricky to go wider without messing up your turn radius though.  Dunno about longer though.

[Scatcat]

1 hour ago, Dingfelder said:

Me too.  Might be tricky to go wider without messing up your turn radius though.  Dunno about longer though.

I think longer is more important than wider. I think - and correct me if I'm wrong - that your feet can better take not having full support to it's outer edge, than having the edge of the support somewhere in the foot arches.

[The Fat Unicyclist]

7 hours ago, kasenutty said:

I line my heels up at the back like that guy in the video when my balls get sore, and although it feels a little goofy with your toes sticking off so far, it totally alleviates the pain from foot fatigue. 

I hate riding with sore balls too!!!