Why use special insoles when cycling?
Although cycling is a sport where you are carried, your feet suffer a lot of abuse when you are on your bike for hours. In fact, despite the lack of contact with the ground, there is a lot of stress exerted on your feet when you cycle! This stress can cause pain and even injuries while decreasing your performance level and enjoyment.
That is why we developed a range of insoles specially for cycling with the help of the Astana pro cycling team, one of the best international racing teams. These super innovative insoles help all bike enthusiasts, from competitors to bicycle tourists, to say goodbye to foot pain and hello to performance!
YES, CYCLING MAKES YOUR FEET WORK HARD AND SOMETIMES THEY SUFFER!
Kelly Avenas, a podiatrist and orthotist at the Sidas center, a cycling specialist and the Astana Pro Team's consultant in this area, explains how cycling stresses our feet in a very unique way. Because – and why not end some prejudice right now – although bikes carry you and your feet don't touch the ground directly, it doesn't mean they aren't working!
- "First of all, when you walk or run, your feet flex naturally during movement with a tibial twist of about 15 degrees. On a bike, because of the cleats on your shoes, your feet don't flex any more."
- "Secondly, these same cleats unevenly distribute the pressure exerted on the foot, which is usually distributed towards the front and back. Here, the lack of heel support tends to over-strain the forefoot."
- "Last but not least, even if contact isn't direct, your feet get a lot of vibration from the road surface. They must then absorb these shock waves, which are sometimes very strong, especially when the terrain is uneven, such as the cobblestones in the Paris–Roubaix!"
FROM FOOT PAIN TO UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES...
There are multiple consequences to these kinds of stresses, and they can sometimes be severe:
- Discomfort. Those infamous "hot feet" that are the bane of all cyclists. Which cyclist has not experienced this particularly painful overheating of their arches?
- Injuries. This repeated discomfort as well as the postural imbalance can, in the long term, cause inflammatory injuries in the metatarsals, under the foot, and also have an impact on the calves, Achilles tendons or even the knees.
- Loss of efficiency, with less precision pedalling, which therefore makes you less effective.
These stresses and their consequences are often increased by:
- The wrong choice of shoes – too small, too big or too narrow.
- The wrong choice of socks
- Badly fitting cleats
This is why we highly recommend seeking help from an expert to advise you in selecting the right gear and setting it up properly.
OUR CYCLING INSOLE, A GEM OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Being very aware of these foot problems specific to cycling, we got together with the Astana pro team (who win multiple stages in the Tour de France every year) to develop a range of insoles specially for this sport.
Our collaboration resulted in two different types of insoles:
- The Bike+ insole, a comfortable solution for all those who love cycling. (ready to use)
- The Custom Bike insole, made by professionals from the right materials, based on the custom concept.
Their composition is more or less the same and is based on the same principles:
- Conforten material in the forefoot area to absorb vibrations while providing precision and dynamics.
- "Podiaflex" technology under the arch and at the back, basically a fine, light resin that provides good support and energy transfer.
- A resin ring to stabilise the heel and prevent losses from friction.
A MIRACLE SOLUTION FOR COMFORT...
The cyclists from the Astana team really noticed a difference before and after use of the insoles they helped to develop.
Firstly, all the athletes were united in their praise of our insole as a "miracle" solution for comfort.
This maximum comfort is achieved by:
- Better distribution of the pressure points between the front and rear of the foot.
- A foot perfectly accommodated by the shoe and its sole, which gives you an incomparable feeling of stability.
- Road surface vibration absorption which decreases shockwaves and therefore reduces losses from friction.
- Correction of recurring postural defects which, in the long term, can lead to injuries.
...BUT ABOVE ALL, IT IS A GREAT PERFORMANCE DRIVER
Above and beyond comfort, the Astana team considers our sole to be a real driver of performance. It's a way of achieving that elusive extra percentage of optimisation that leads to big wins.
This performance optimisation is based on:
- Less foot fatigue. Comfortable feet mean less tired feet so you can pedal harder and for longer.
- Precision pedalling for a unique performance. You've never cycled so smoothly before, or with such precision and therefore with such efficiency.
- The product's lightness, a marginal yet not insignificant gain when you're aspiring to reach a higher level, all while remaining stiff enough to give you maximum energy transfer without any losses.
FOR ASTANA PRO TEAM CYCLISTS, THERE IS A CLEAR "BEFORE" AND "AFTER"...
DAVIDE MARTINELLI: "I never go cycling without my SIDAS insoles!"
"I never go cycling without my SIDAS insoles! They make things so much more comfortable, especially on long rides. I can pedal for hours without any foot pain! They also give me that pleasant feeling of pedalling smoothly and efficiently, like my feet are working optimally in my shoes. I definitely felt like there was a before and after when I used them!"
LAURENS DE VREESE: "It's like I corrected a small postural defect I had!"
"Since the start of my career, I have noticed a small difference between my left and right foot causing more pronounced movement of the left knee outward. Before, this imbalance caused pain after long rides. However, since using SIDAS insoles, I feel much more stable in my shoes, like I'd corrected this defect. I can now exert myself more intensely and for longer, which is really important when you're dreaming of winning major races (smiles)..."
HAROLD TEJADA: "These insoles aren't just comfortable; they help us perform better!"
"Using custom insoles is new to me, but now I wonder how I could have done without them when I was younger... With them, I feel like it's easier to pedal, like my feet are floating in the air and have become one with the shoe, as if the energy I put into pedalling was transferred perfectly to the shoe with no losses..."
