Should I use my walking orthotics in my cycling shoes?

This is one of the most common questions we get at The Pedaler when cyclists call and ask for an appointment. Orthotic therapy has been used in a walking context for far longer then cycling and we are still catching up. As a consequence, we see a lot of riders stuffing a pair of walking orthoses into their cycling shoes and giving themselves problems.

Generally the conditions we treat when creating cycling orthotic solutions are not the same as when we treat runners. Most pains and problems are largely due to high peak pressures,, volume issues, shoe issues and overuse injuries of the leg knee and hip. Consequently, the treatment and orthotic prescription is very different to walking solutions. Above all, the space occupied by walking orthoses (often made from foam) is prohibitive to making a shoe fit well. We only use Carbon Fibre to create all our cycling orthotics to ensure the fit in the shoe is as perfect as it was for the previous shoe liner albeit now custom for your foot.

By using thin yet stiff carbon fibre it allows us the space to easily add pressure deflection, cushioning and load shift elements without filling up the shoe. The custom arch profile then makes the pedal pressure feel more even and stable, which is certainly an endearing sensation.

If you have questions about cycling orthoses (or standard orthotics for that matter) feel free to contact us for more information.

Remember, it’s not long now till the end of the year so use your health insurance before December 31.

Back at it on the Weekends!!

With the summer of cycling back on the radar, and the demand from our regulars taken under consideration, we are back at it Saturdays from 7am till noon. We snuck a few in before Christmas, but we can confirm that our increased hours are to remain in place. Enjoy a Fonzie Brew with the crew and break down the weekends racing in our clubhouse type atmosphere.

Physiotherapist Anouska Edwards joins The Pedaler team.

I've known Anouska for around 10 years initially as a rider on the Pensar Race team where my mates Hads and Terry were racing and also through the early incarnations of Twittersphere under the Fittoride handle (correct use of handle?).  There is still an unanswered direct twitter message from Anouska to the Cobra9 twitter feed from 2011 that I promise I'll get around to responding to at some point.

Early on, I knew Anouska was a good physio.  Good physiotherapists have a way of finding themselves in ever increasingly important and interesting roles.  Anouska always seemed to be working with a National team of some description.  When Anouska moved to the UK a few years ago, we touched on the idea of some mutual work for the UK team whereby Anouska's physiotherapy expertise could work in conjunction with my Podiatry skillset.  We have both worked amongst cyclists for a huge period of time and simply there are still not a whole lot of practitioners in our field where this is the case.  Given how highly I regard Anouska's skillset, the notion that she would like to work with me on occasion is a huge compliment, or at least I'm taking it as such.  I'll press Anouska on this point when we have coffee next.

Now that Anouska has returned to Brisbane, Australia, we finally have the opportunity to work together.  I for one, am pretty excited by the prospect.  When we were looking for a Physio to complete our team of health practitioners at The Pedaler, getting a professional of Anouska's quality was the highest priority, and her return from overseas is extremely serendipitous.  

Initially Anouska will be treating once a week from our rooms starting on the 19th of February.  You can book online or call us to schedule. Where required, Anouska and myself may consult together to ensure we have the best possible treatment outcomes going forward for previous and future clients.

Anouska is the physiotherapist of choice to ensure you can ride pain free and with improved function.  Her twitter handle says it all - Fittoride.  I can't put it more eloquently then that.

Anouska Edwards - Physiotherapist

Why do my feet burn when I ride?

Photo @cyclebro

The most commonly reported lower limb symptom reported from our patients at The Pedaler is burning feet or 'hot foot'. There are numerous reasons why your feet burn when you ride, however, the solution is usually fairly straight forward.

Riding involves an enormous prolonged period of repitition.  As a consequence, the potential for small issues to evolve into larger problems is common.  The load on the foot when cycling is one such example of the extremes of the sport.  As social rides now creep up into longer and longer distances, it is unsurprising that so many begin to experience discomfort.

Often when discussing burning feet, I'll typically advise the cyclist, that while cycling may be an extremely efficient form of transport, it is not a pursuit we have spent centuries adapting to.  With firmer carbon soles paired to stiff bikes and extra miles, the peak pressures on the forefoot are likely to lead to a degree of pain.  In these instances, the prime area of load when cycling is the ball of the foot under the big toe.  Secondary to this is the base of the big toe followed by the remainder of the pad of the foot.  Studies also indicate load through the lesser toes and into the heel.  The location of the cleats and the stiff sole of most cycling shoes tends to promote some loading (around 10%) through these structures.

When hot foot is caused by 'overuse' and increased distances rather then other pathologies, we reduce peak load on those particular locations through deflection, padding or cleat movement.  If the shoe size is inappropriate, then this will need to be changed as well.  Shoes that are too long for the foot cause huge problems as the stiff sole bites into the foot in the incorrect locations.

If there is soft tissue or boney prominances in the forefoot then targeted deflection and proximal loading with a prescription cycling orthotic is typically effective.  In some instances the addition of a spongey metatarsal dome is also warranted to reduce peak forefoot load.  

There are a raft of other causes for hot foot that will not respond with deflection and padding. In these instances, further investigation, diagnostic imaging and a tailored solution to ensure a quality outcome is the only way forward.  Simply treating all forms of 'hot foot' with a blanket solution will certainly lead to a high rate of poor outcomes.

If you have burning feet when you ride, or indeed, when you don't, make time to use our experience and skill set in this niche field.

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Words

Nathan White  B Hth Sc (Pod) Hons  M A Pod A

The Pedaler Podiatry

WHAT WE DO

15 months after opening our doors in Milton, we have become widely known and relied upon to make the feet and legs of the cycling community pain free.  It is a mission that kicked off our unique enterprise, drove us into cycle shoe retail, and now stands us apart from your typical local bike shop / podiatry service.

Over time, the families of our treated cyclists have come to realize that we also provide comprehensive podiatric care for every member of their family as well.  From growing pains right through to offloading heel pain and pressure relief insoles for Grandmas tap shoes. 

The Pedaler remains one of the few Podiatry practices in Brisbane to still run a full onsite Orthotic Lab.  Each and every pair of cycling or walking orthotics remains hand crafted by head podiatrist Nathan White with his 17 years of industry leading experience.  It also allows us to run our now famous no gap second set of orthotics* for loyal Pedaler patients.

As part of The Pedaler Community, if you need any questions answered about foot health, drop in, give us a call or make an appointment.  Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to set you in the right direction.  

*subject to conditions.

The Pedaler - Open from 6am

With the opening of The 4064 Coffee, our opening hours at The Pedaler will now extend to 6am from Monday to Friday, and 7am on Saturdays.  This means you can drop off your bike for a service, grab some kit or pick up your orthotics from 6am in the morning, then grab a coffee and head to work.  Our location just of Milton Road makes it the ideal minor detour on the way to the office.

Call ahead or email us to schedule your service, then drop and run.  Easy as.

The Pedaler Cares.

Getting the most from your Health Insurance

Most people who pay for the benefits of Private Health Insurance, wish to get the most out of our coverage.  We pay for the privilege so why not make it count.

One of our niche differences at The Pedaler is the provision of Podiatry alongside our cycling retail passion.  We have a collective 20 years of experience within the field.  If you need help finding comfortable shoes, or understanding the basis for your aches and pains, we are there to help.  Having HICAPS onsite means you can claim while in store.  Neat and tidy.

Make a time to sit down with us and ask us the tricky questions.  

12 months on. The Pedaler story thus far.

It has been 12 months since we kicked off this new venture and it is amazing how much has changed in that time.  The journey continues but I felt it may be interesting to provide some insight into where we have come from.

My background has always been specialised sports podiatry.  This has been my bread and butter for the last 16 years.  Over the last 9 years, cycling orientated podiatry has also become a focus. I love riding.  I love bikes and I enjoy the culture around the industry.   

My first foray into the cycling industry was through Cobra9 Cycling Orthotics.  I started this company in Hobart in 2009 with my close friend Chris Angel who had reintroduced me to cycling in 2007.  We started making specialised carbon insoles for cycling shoes and grew from there.  We played to our strengths.  We also enjoyed plenty of nights on the wines thinking big about our fledgling company.

In that same year, we sponsored our first race team - Cobra9 Racing.  This was a bunch of early adaptors and hubs, including myself, who raced down the grades and got belted at events routinely.  The first kit was fairly basic but the core and ethos was born.

As the racing team grew, so did our associations within the industry.  Our earliest supporter Dion from 4Shaw has hooked us up with socks since 2011.  I can still remember his email discussing a collaboration (rare in that time) with our socks.  I ignored the email as I didn't have a clue who he was.  A year later, 4Shaw was huge and meekly I finally replied to his email and we organised our first hook up.

With Cobra9 growing, the racing team became an important focus for marketing purposes. The team has grown from 5 riders to around 35 currently.  The team's involvement has shifted from Elite B, to Masters A and now to the Elite A level.  The team now competes regularly at NRS events and occasionally at UCI races.  The same underlying ethos remains. Race hard and enjoy the experience because the journey is the destination.  Every moment we race, travel and train is there to be enjoyed.  It won't last forever and the time to embrace it is now. As we commence preparations for season 2017, Cobra9 Intebuild Racing has become one of the longest standing active cycling teams in Queensland.

The team's emergence and increased prominence has grown some of our most important connections within the industry.  Long time supporters Megabake emerged out of this evolution and Wurkstand grew alongside the team's journeys.  Industry heavyweights, Attaquer jumped into our corner in 2013 which has been enormous for our brand and business.  I can't speak highly enough of the crew behind this particular company in terms of their professionalism and work ethic.  In an industry full of hollow promises and whingers, these guys keep delivering.

The Pedaler was conceived to capitalise on these strong brand associations.   However it would be another 12 months before the shop opened.   In the foot hills of the iconic Park Rd 'Eiffel Tower' where the cycling scene kicked off in Brisbane, The Pedaler was born.  The business model was supported by a sports focused Podiatry business in parallel with a strong core of quality cycling brands.  

We set out to only carry brands that we believe in.  POC safety gear fits this concept neatly as do the shoe offerings from Suplest, Fizik and Lake. The fabled Italian brand Colnago was our primary bike brand followed shortly after by Johnson Bikes from Ben Johnson in Noosa. Another example of a quality human in the cycling industry.

Our onsite lab has allowed us to build all types of orthotic solutions for our clients.  It also helps us ensure the best fit for our clients and their cycling shoes.  We have grown from one shoe brand to four and hope to create a proper 'wall of shoe' for our customers. It naturally plays to our strengths as qualified podiatrists.

None of this would be possible without our crew.

Our staff started with a very small core group. Podiatrist and now born again trackie, David Gruhl has been with us from the start.  He has been a stellar example of continuous endeavour and purpose.  His manual therapy skills have been incredibly important to our practice and his relationships with trainers and industry professionals continues to grow. 

Phil Cavdarski has manned the front desk regularly since opening and always presents with purpose.  He also brings humour and coffee.

The most recent arrival to our team in March of this year was Josh Prete. He is a huge addition for us as we have transitioned into comprehensive bike servicing and more complex builds. His customer relations are impeccable and he has grown into an integral part of The Pedaler providing assistance in developing brands and generating new market directions.  

We also need to laud the assistance of some other 'staff'.  Hadleigh has cleaned up our books enormously and allowed us more time to focus on the business and less time spent trying to untangle my BAS musings which look a lot like a scene from 'A Beautiful Mind'. Dugald runs the racing team with an efficiency that could only come from working at Australia Post for decades.  Adam my brother is a constant with the race team and co owner at Cobra9 Cycling Orthotics.  Daniel of Cycling Enquirer fame has also helped us look better then we really are on a regular basis driving much of our social media. 

Abbie and myself continue to learn important lessons daily. The first 6 months were pretty intense.   Up front costs associated with starting the business from scratch were epic and the ongoing expenses were uncomfortable.  As our community and the business has grown, the pressure has eased and the head space this allows has fuelled more creativity.  We like enjoying our days at work and subscribe to concept that our staff are our most valuable asset. We toast mars bars, take suicidal photos on Douglas St, create album covers and enjoy the experience.  In this way, the ethos of The Pedaler is similar to the race team's.  Enjoy the journey now.  Our other motto is just as important.  Don't spend every moment of every day worrying about the next.  If you have a quiet period, relax and use it.  

In our first year we have also had our fair share of set backs.  We lost our mate and most loyal fan JJ to depression.  He was an enormous help for us over the first few months of our journey. He was also our biggest supporter and it was a huge shock to lose him in such painful circumstances.  We hope to create an event in the coming months as a fitting memorial to our mate and one that typifies what this colourful character meant to the Brisbane cycling scene.

We also lost another of our best friends Steve Small from Wurkstand.  He was the victim of a hit and run on his way home from work in Noosa.  It is impossible to put into words how much he helped us create The Pedaler and also, how much he meant to our race team.  His untimely death is still painful to digest.  Fittingly at our 1st Birthday, we will unveil our Tribute kit to Steve.  All profits from this venture will go to his family to help reconcile a tiny portion of their loss.

There are more ideas and business ventures we are hoping to launch in the coming months. We remain loyal to our foundation brands and will grow from this base.  We also remain focused on providing comprehensive best practice Podiatry care and a top shelf customer experience. Each interaction is a relationship, not a transaction.   

Thank you all for your support.  Come along on Saturday to our Sausage Festival and enjoy the snags (maybe even a few vegan versions by popular demand).  Tunes, drinks, banter and epic snaps.  It's The Pedaler way.

Nathan