Been riding on ISM saddles for a while and have always been great. Have had to stop riding over the past week because I noticed I was starting to get irritation along the back of my left leg (from my sit bones down to before the back of the knee) in combination with some numbness/tingling on the ball of my foot and big toe.
I noticed that my ISM saddle, the left side of the two prongs, the padding had started to get pushed towards in the inside gap - so not entirely sure if this is the reason why.
Any one else have this issue? At this point, I'm mostly just staying off the bike and seeing if things improve. If not, it will be a doctors visit to see if I've done any damage.
Probably a completely different issue, but when I had foot numbness/tingling this spring the solution was a set of Superfeet insoles. I have high arches, and an insole with support made a big difference.
@OP: I'm not a medical professional and I haven't experienced these symptoms myself, but it sounds as if it could be the Sciatic nerve? If that's so, I'd guess its not to be messed with, and a visit to a doc or a chiropractor is needed pronto.
@Angstrom: I'm curious how an insole might make a difference in a shoe with a rigid sole. I get forefoot numbness too, and extremely cold toes in winter, despite neoprene toe covers. I'll try my superfeet next ride, but would love to understand the reasoning - it wouldn't have occurred to me. Thanks!
Hasn't gone away, so I have a Dr appoint and have stayed off the bike.
Unfortunate -was going to his 4,000 miles and 200,000 ft of climbing. Going to be a touch short this year. Better that I have long term use of my leg 🙂
@Mark_S, stiff sole or not the foot can still spread or flatten out if not supported inside the shoe...
as my summer miles started to stack up I was starting to get/have numbness with all my middle toes. usually starting at about the 30 mile mark. a Professional bike fit helped me quite a bit. (the bike fit i got came with custom insoles)
I also agree with Mark about seeing a doctor or chiropractor. Probably best at this point to rule that out as problem or not.... just try and find someone with a "Sports" background if at all possible. I found Sports oriented Doc. seem to have a better understanding of what an athlete is looking for.
Mark_S wrote: @Angstrom: I'm curious how an insole might make a difference in a shoe with a rigid sole. I get forefoot numbness too, and extremely cold toes in winter, despite neoprene toe covers. I'll try my superfeet next ride, but would love to understand the reasoning - it wouldn't have occurred to me. Thanks!
For a healthy rider, shoe fit is critical and highly under rated. I have high arches, so the super feet work well for me.
I did have one light "race" shoe where I could feel the SPD attachment plate on it, so I put a thin pad (from a running shoe) in it (right shoe). Then a few months later I was doing a long ride and wondering why my right foot was getting so sore. I took the shoe off and realized that was the one with the extra padding. It actually made things worse.
Thanks both for the explanation - nothing to lose with good inserts in any case. I just wouldn't have thought about it since the foot is not taking any impact. Appreciate it.
I am a medical professional: Ortho surgeon lower extremity specialist. I agree that you should see someone local for your numbness.
With regard to feet/shoes and high arches, I have a few recommendations. First, most bikig shoes are way way too narrow in the toe box. Even some that are wider are symmetrically tapered and I have no idea why. The human foot is asymmetric, that's why they call it "the big toe." Very few shoe brands take this into account. My web site lists a few shoes that do. See this list under "Cycling." https://hoopesmd.com/recommended-shoe-list-shoe-type/
Also, for high arches, I either recommend no arch support or a shoe insert that actually LOWERS the arch. Please see here for an explanation: https://hoopesmd.com/pes-cavus-high-arch/
I've seen IT band issues pop up this time of year because cold will exacerbate the problem. One therapy is to foam roll it from the hip down to the knee. This will hurt. But it's very tight and needs to be loosened up if this is the issue.
Thanks all. I'm usually pretty good at listening to my body - so I've been tacking it easy (along with my fitness level) and waiting to get this all sorted out. Would prefer not to get any long term issue by pushing towards only short term goals....
Just as a note - it appears that the numbness was associated with a B12 deficiency. Decades of acid reflux medicine blocked B12 adsorption, which resulted in degradation of the fatty insulation around nerves, resulting in the numbness. Vitamin supplements have brought my numbers back to where they should be and the numbness appears to be getting better (it is a slow process, if it every completely heals). I have been able to get back onto the bike and do some shorter workouts/rides this winter.
Hope this information helps someone else. Just goes to show, always go to your doctor.
