Foot Position on Flat Pedals

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
kncowans
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by kncowans »

Hello

Thanks for the Reply.

This is the Right Shoe from underneath:

20220810_091937.jpg

It looks like there is plenty of room there but bear in mind that the Shoe is right up to the Left Edge of the Pedal and when Cycling like this my Feet rub against the Crank Arms unless I move my Feet out which results in my Feet overhanging the Pedals more.

Thanks in advance

Kevin
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Paulatic
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by Paulatic »

My foot this morning and I have around 15-20mm overhang to the right.
5457E4E4-527C-4432-95DC-96F72F063DDA.jpeg
Pic taken while riding
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Bmblbzzz
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by Bmblbzzz »

MTB pedals, especially those intended for downhilling, might be wider.
kncowans
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by kncowans »

Hello all

Thanks for the Replies.

I think that after 16 Years away from Cycling, I just need to find what is comfortable, for me.

The main issue I have is my Feet rubbing on the Crank Arms.

I was taught, many Years ago, that you should Cycle with the Ball of the Foot Level with the Pedal Spindle, however, this does not seem to be the same now.

If I put my Foot on the Pedal with the Arch over the Pedal Spindle then my Feet have more room on the Pedal.

I just need to find a position for my Feet that keeps them from rubbing on the Crank Arms.

Thanks

Kevin
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Vetus Ossa
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by Vetus Ossa »

I use five ten shoes an flat pedals.
I dislike shoe scuffed cranks so just make sure my foot is just clearing the crank, it doesn't matter if a bit of the shoe is overhanging the pedal.
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PedallingSquares
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by PedallingSquares »

Not all flat pedals are the same platform size.
There are a number of wider pedals on the market.Amazon have a pair for £19.99,Boenoea extra large.

Image

Something like that might be worth a try.
PH
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by PH »

The usual recommendation, in MTB circles at least, is to have no more than a finger width of shoe overhanging the pedal, maybe 20mm. I'm guessing that someone with an XL bike has XL shoes, the most likely issue is that you have M pedals. Pedal extenders will help, though there's a good choice of wider pedals which will probably do the same thing cheaper.
There are other possible issues - it could just be a matter of general fit, if the relationship between the saddle and pedal is wrong, your foot isn't going to feel secure. Or tit could just be a case of familiarity, you've been off a bike for a long time, it may just take a bit more getting used to than you expected.
As I said upthread, I like wide pedals, wide enough for my size 12's, I can ride on narrower ones, with the right shoes they feel secure enough, but I get foot ache after a few hours.
kncowans
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by kncowans »

Hello

Thanks for the Reply.

I am 6'4" with Size 10 Shoes.

I think as you said, I just need to get used to riding again.

I will probably be trying my Foot on the Pedal at the Arch as this feels more comfortable and it also seems to give more room on the Pedals.

Thanks

Kevin
PH
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by PH »

Yes, if it's not painful or dangerous then just go ride some more, see how it goes. I'm not sure about moving your foot to match the pedal, Ideally it ought to be the other way round, that the pedal supports your foot where you want it to be. It would be IMO worthwhile to look at riding position in general, even if you felt you had this spot on before, age changes us. A quick search of the forum will produce some excellent advice.
All my cranks are scuffed, I've never considered it an issue, it must be my shoe rubbing them, but it isn't something I feel. If I was bothered about the look of scuffed cranks, I'd put a bit of helicopter tape there.
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Cugel
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by Cugel »

Paulatic wrote: 10 Aug 2022, 9:37am My foot this morning and I have around 15-20mm overhang to the right. 5457E4E4-527C-4432-95DC-96F72F063DDA.jpeg
Pic taken while riding
One thing ... it would be wise to tether that shoe lace closer to your shoe since the lace-loop as-is stands a chance of catching on your chainring, so pulling your foot off the pedal with a jerk. Some such incidents merely wreck the lace whilst others see you sprawling on the gravel as it rashes you!

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iandriver
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by iandriver »

Personally I'd be quite happy and just ride it with a small amount of show overhanging the outside edge, accepting it as normal with my size 12s. I wouldn't expect the pedal to necessarily be the full width of the shoe. What particular problem is it causing you. Is it your heel catching the crank and then you have to move your foot too far out? Perhaps you cycle particularly heel in if it's the case.
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531colin
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by 531colin »

Foot position on the pedal.....as ever, Steve Hogg has something thoughtful to say......https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bi ... -position/

BOFOPA (ball of foot over pedal axle) seems to be a lazy assumption that cycling is exactly like walking or running, where you push off with the ball of the foot.....so you should have the ball of your foot over the middle of the pedal.

Having read Steve, I now have my cleats maybe 10 or 15mm behind BOFOPA, (ie my feet 10 or 15mm in front of BOFOPA)....I tried to measure it all properly, but having several bikes and several pairs of shoes, in the end I just went with what feels right. Even now, I'm not sure all combinations of shoes and bikes will give exactly the same "result".

A word of caution....moving your feet forward on the pedals loads your quads and spares your hamstrings. I got tired of sore quads and moved my saddle(s) back 10mm or so....moving the saddle back loads the hamstrings and spares the quads, so I was more or less back where I started in terms of relative loading on the different muscle groups.......I don't know why all this works like this, but it is so!

The "midfoot" position I find interesting......but I haven't yet worked up the courage to try it. I hate to ride without cleats, and I don't know of any mass-market shoes made for midfoot cleats. I have one bike where a midfoot cleat probably wouldn't give massive toe overlap, this is a bike with (more or less) "modern mountain bike geometry"....ie long front centre, slack head angle, long trail.
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531colin
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by 531colin »

Bmblbzzz wrote: 10 Aug 2022, 8:59am Hi Kevin,

These might help you:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-clea ... extenders/
Or the cheaper one ......https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-clea ... -916-inch/
axel_knutt
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by axel_knutt »

For donkey's years I used a pair of (quite cheap) Sakae pedals and Stead & Simpson Hobo shoes, which were ideal. Eventually the pedals broke and S&S stopped making the shoes, and after that I never found pedals wide enough or shoes narrow enough.

I just lived with the overhang, and the shoes rubbing paint off the cranks. Toe straps wearing out where they got pinched between shoe and crank was a problem too.
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Bsteel
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Re: Foot Position on Flat Pedals

Post by Bsteel »

531colin wrote: 10 Aug 2022, 3:03pm A word of caution....moving your feet forward on the pedals loads your quads and spares your hamstrings. I got tired of sore quads and moved my saddle(s) back 10mm or so....moving the saddle back loads the hamstrings and spares the quads, so I was more or less back where I started in terms of relative loading on the different muscle groups.......I don't know why all this works like this, but it is so!
This is a bit of an old paper that discusses the biomechanics of fore aft foot positioning.
https://hull.bme.ucdavis.edu/files/2011 ... h_2007.pdf

I came across it whilst looking at Catalyst pedals
https://pedalinginnovations.com/science/

In the end I decided that I wasn't curious enough to spend $149.
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