I have a pair of the fairly minimal SPD pedals (M520s) on my road bike. I don't have great circulation and I get hotspots/numbness on my foot where the pedal is, this isn't much of a big deal in nice summer weather but at the moment it kicks in within an hour due to coldness.
Was thinking of trying some different pedals with more of a platform around the SPD engagement to spread the pressure through the shoe (something like a A600 or M530 or whatever their modern day equivalents are). Has anyone found these make much difference to things or would I be better off investing in shoes with carbon soles?
I'd say the shoe could have more impact. I use an old full carbon road shoe to commute but with spds. No issue. Switch to a more flexible nylon sole mtb shoe on the same pedal and bike and route and yes, get issues.
I've not found much difference between MTB pedals with and without cages, and that's using carbon soled XC disco slippers.
However, road SPD-SL's did make a big difference to hotspots. The bigger cleat really helps them a lot.
I wouldnt waste your time with pedals with 'cages' as I find them largely pointless - the cage is never actually supporting the bottom of your foot.
As per above, the shoe makes more of a difference - stiffer the shoe, the less the 'point load' at the bit where the cleat is attached.
And maybe go up a size and/or make sure you dont overdo the tightness, i find this makes a big difference.
Often have to loosen my shoes off one notch after a few miles as my feet settle into them and in summer, warm up a bit.
+1 to shoes being the main cause. I had awful trouble due to a cheapish pair of shoes and eliminated it completed by dropping wads of cash on decent pair of sidis.
I was running XT SPDs before and after so the same contact area as the M520s
Platform pedals nor carbon soled shoes are the answer, correctly fitting shoes with the correct insoles and arch support are the answer to eliminating hot spots.
I've had various shoes over the year, carbon, nylon and carbon / nylon hybrid soles, I've had carbon that were amazingly comfortable and carbon that were bloody awful after say 2-3 hours of pedalling.
When you can, get down to a shop and try various shoes and insole combos until they basically feel like you're not wearing any and hey presto, you won't get hot spots.
The soles on my Shimano winter boots have indentations where they've been pressed against my Crank Bros Candys so I'd suggest there is at least some additional "support" coming from them.
Platform pedals nor carbon soled shoes are the answer, correctly fitting shoes with the correct insoles and arch support are the answer to eliminating hot spots.
This.
But also for a road bike, road pedals. They are the right tool for the job, normal SPD's aren't.
But also for a road bike, road pedals. They are the right tool for the job, normal SPD’s aren’t.
I agree to a degree!
When riding a road bike and acting like a roadie - yes, definately.
When riding a road bike but walking about a bit more I'd rather be in a solid still xc shoe and spd.
Not a gravel rider but I'd imagine the rise of the gravel bike means more will be riding in xc shoes than has been popular for a few years.
I had this with Shimano DX's pedals and a shimano shoe, on a long ride in the summer slight pins and needles in my small toes, then in the winter fully numb toes. I went to a shop that sold the specialized body geometry insoles and it instantly made a difference. I now have a pair of the insoles in all 4 of my cycling SPD shoes.
One issue may be that the big lump of metal on the bottom of SPDs acts like a heat-sink for your foot if the shoe isn't that insulated. If it's definitely a problem with weather (more than pressure) then different shoe construction may help. Or SPD-SL have more plastic rather than metal.
I wouldnt waste your time with pedals with ‘cages’ as I find them largely pointless – the cage is never actually supporting the bottom of your foot.
This ^^^
Stiffer-soled SPD shoes will get you 90% of the way there. I don't think they necessarily need to be carbon. For the other 10% you possibly need SPD-SL (or equivalent) but these are very compromised for any walking off the bike.
Shimano offer Trail Wide shoes and pedals which offer a far greater surface area of contact. On my MTB I have the XC7 shoes and a pair of XT8020 pedals with the cages cut off (angle grinder - cos they don't do anything), they offer a huge amount more contact than my M520/540's.
Thanks for replies.
I never tighten them too much as I'm aware of issues this can cause. I should have said in the OP I don't really want to switch to road pedals as I like to be able to walk and also need to commute on this bike sometimes which means a decent walk from bike shed to desk including four flights of stairs, appreciate that it is probably the best solution to the hotspots though.
Sounds like pedals aren't likely to be a magic bullet then. I hadn't considered switching insoles, I do have high arches so that seems a good avenue to explore without taking punts on £150+ shoes.
I think the pedals acting as heat sinks theory is probaby right. I've climbed the Galibier in these shoes and pedals when it was ~28 degrees, but if it's nippy then even with 2 x socks, toe covers and overshoes then I end up with blocks of ice for feet. I guess there's not a great deal can be done about that without switching to plastic cleats.
I think the pedals acting as heat sinks theory is probaby right
I got lost down this rabbit hole, tried reflective tape on the underside of the insole but didnt have a noticeable impact.
I actually ended up stopping wearing two pairs of socks, squeezing them on and wedging my feet in my shoes also harmed my circulation, been wearing seal skinz extreme cold socks so far this year and havent had any issues. (using MW5 in the winter, AM's in the summer)
I have 3 pairs of shoes.
I find that my light gravel shoes begin hurting after about 70miles, but my heavy shimano SH-XM700's touring shoes are super comfy for hours and hours of riding.
Another tip is to buy one size bigger, and get a super cushioned inner sole.
