Oh, the joys of getting older!

With the growing suspicion that I may have arthritis in my left foot, I thought I\’d take another stroll through the field of foot care for cyclists. See October 2017 in the article\’s archives for a discussion on arthritis in the feet.

Orthotics may be helpful. I first got a custom-made pair about six years ago; maybe seven years. I had only recently moved up from trike to hybrid, and when I rose partway from the saddle to coast, I could feel my left foot rolling inwards. That put strain on the inside of the knee, which of course is not good. Hence the orthotics.

This past January I got home from a long Sunday ride, and my left toes felt like they were cramping up when I took my cycling shoes (with orthotics) off. I consulted my primary care physician, who sent me to a sports medicine clinic to get fitted for new orthotics.

I always use them when I ride the road bike, but when it comes to sneakers, using them is more uncomfortable than not using them, even when I ride the hybrid instead of walking the mile between work and home. I\’m trying to arrange an appointment with the doctor to discuss what to do next. It\’s annoying to be unable to rise to \”demi-pointe\” because my left toes won\’t flex properly!

I hope this won\’t mean time off the bike. Incidentally, I keep hearing a bit of a creak in the road bike\’s right pedal. Does my bicycle have arthritis, too?