Topics

1

General Discussion / Looking for bike shoe suggestions to overcome issue with Parkinson's

« on: May 20, 2012, 08:20:57 pm »

I've been riding (and light touring) for about 8 years now but I've recently run into a problem reportedly related to a symptom of Parkinson's disease.  While I'm riding, my toes want to curl under my foot.  It's a strange thing but PD is a strange disease.  Unfortunately, this is very painful after a few hours and I have yet to find a good solution.  I really don't want to give up touring but the pain is really cutting into the enjoyment of being on a bike.

I currently use SPD cleats and have found my very stiff soled Specialized shoes are somewhat better than a more flexible pair of Shimano shoes.  Tightening the shoes excessively stops the foot movement but is no more comfortable.  I've used the same cleat positions and bike fit for several years and have not tried changing the cleat positions yet. 

My local bike shop has heard of this problem before but had no ideas on a work-around.  Does anyone out there have any experience with this?  Thanks in advance!

2

Gear Talk / Brooks B17 - Standard or Aged?

« on: November 13, 2010, 08:03:45 pm »

I've given up on the stock saddle that came with my Trek 520 and am going to upgrade to a Brooks B17.  Does anyone know if the aged version is worth the extra cost?  And, will it hold up as long as a standard model? I'm not too concerned about the break-in time but I like the pebbled texture of the aged model and was wondering if it is as good as the original.

Thanks in advance!