Best foot position peddle

Just wondering about opinions on foot position on the peddle of a recumbent bike. I have read some information that the arch of the foot should be over the peddle as oposed to the ball of the foot as on a conventional bike. Any thoughts?

that is a darn good question! of course i have no idea. i did try the easy in and out plastic toe clips on my bent. i REALLY DID NOT LIKE IT kinda scary. someone will answer.

I generally keep the cleat/spindle just behind the ball of my foot. If it is too far toward the toes, it causes tired feet and/or hotfoot. On average, I think recumbent riders place their cleats further back than upright riders. This is because gravity works to pull the foot toward the heel of the shoe slightly. I know some riders who have actually drilled new holes in their shoes to accomodate moving the cleats significantly. They must have loose shoes! For me it is enough to put the cleat all the way back in the slot provided, or at most elongate the slot by 1/4".

Any particular shoe brand that provides more adjustment without Dremel Tooling on the sole?

Should a beginner even wear the clipless stuff, or wait for how many miles/hours before messing with clips? My Sister started out on her DF with clips of some sort. Her only crash so far, after a couple hundred miles, is due to a stop when she forgot the shoe took some doing before you put your foot down. Makes for a pretty hilarious story of slo-mo "Oh, No."

I would prefer to avoid relating such tales in the first person...

Hull 697

I don't know of any shoes that are better than others WRT adjustability of the cleat. It all depends on your foot.

Those low-speed crashes like your sister had - virtually everyone who uses 'clipless' pedals has done it AT LEAST once. (Including Yours Truly. ) You just learn to tuck and roll so you don't break an arm while breaking your fall.

Although it might be better to at least get comfortable with your balance on the new bent first, I don't see a problem with introducing clipless pedals early in your 'bent career. They really do help with your stroke and with spinning higher rpms like you should.

[QUOTE=blazingpedals]Those low-speed crashes like your sister had - virtually everyone who uses 'clipless' pedals has done it AT LEAST once. (Including Yours Truly. ) You just learn to tuck and roll so you don't break an arm while breaking your fall.
QUOTE]

Given the number of bents I have seen in this burg (0) no one will notice anything amiss if I wear those elbow protectors the skateboarders wear. Should help reduce elbow bruising for the slo mo crash. Guess shoulder pads would be too much... Still have the Strada as number one pick for the bike. A San Antonio dealer is supposed to have a P-38 up and running and was to give me a call, guess I will have to harass him Monday. The Lady and I are now considering a run to Houston, or possibly Florida, to ride as many styles as possible before making decisions on what bike to buy.

__________________
Charlie Dwyer
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
– Sir Winston Churchill

[QUOTE=Hull 697] This is my first time posting a question on any forum, so bear with me please.
I ride a Trimuter recumbent trike, which I absolutely love. I've only peddled 560 miles so far, but I've encountered a problem and am looking for help. I have shoes that clip onto the pedals, but after going for six or seven miles, the front part of my feet "fall-asleep," or go numb. I'm considering SIDI Mega shoes as they have extra width, (EE to EEEE), but I've also heard that a bike road shoe (as opposed to the mountain shoes that I use) because of the hard stiffer sole, gives more stability and will ease or stop my feet from getting numb. Does anyone have any info to offer that may solve my "numb feet" problem.

The GF is complaining about foot numbness on her Giro 20. She really needs to go clipless anyway. What shoes are out there for the femmes that are hard to fit comfortably?

My Lake Sandals with BeBops really accentuate my Strada with Rotors.

__________________
Charlie Dwyer
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
– Sir Winston Churchill