Foot Pain. My Story.
Hello Athletes
My name is Niels Erikstrup, 2 x Ironman, ultra-distance-adventure-racer, MTB Conquistadores Costa Rica finisher and ex-Royal Guards-infantryman.All this activity would have been much more fun if my front feet had not hurt so bad.
Pain used to be manageable, but after moving to Switzerland, where cycling a 10km@10% slope cannot be avoided (i have a nice Catégorie 1 climb starting just 400m from my front door, see the photo below), my front feet said STOP.
On a web forum, I read a suggestion about moving the pedal pressure, i.e. the cleat, about an inch further back than what was possible on my cycling shoes. I started drawing, tinkering and testing. The testing was fun, and the results were immediate: My front foot pain vanished, just like that. I could finally enjoy cycling to its fullest.
It got obvious to develop the initial adapters one step further, as I noticed a remarkable added comfort while testing the prototypes. Not only was the foot pain gone, but they also relaxed my calves, and I felt better balanced on the bike. What wonderful surprises!
The reason for my improved comfort was explained by bike-fitters, scientific papers and discussions on web forums. I can't claim any deep knowledge in physiology and ergonomics, so all I can do is to thank those who enlightened me.
The more refined strength/weight design touches come from my background as a mechanical engineer. Product development is my home turf, and I have enjoyed five years developing stuff for the US Air Force Laboratory.
I do not claim that the PatroCleats adapters are for everyone. You can read about the pros and cons in the Q&A session and various bike-fitter blogs, and I suggest you do some reading there, as you will need more than just my words for a decision to try this new way of cycling.
However, if your front feet hurt, I recommend giving my cleat adapters a try.
