# Bunions!



## Simon_m (15 Feb 2021)

Hey there, hope you are all well. Not sure which topic I should post this?

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from bunions and what they recommend to help. I have wide feet as it is, and now have a blomin' bunion on top (the side). I am on the widest cycling shoes I can find but still struggle on climbs with the pain. It was so bad a few years back, that on the climb I had to keep stopping and climbing off the bike due to the foot pain. I have tried various and custom insoles. So, at the moment, the wide shoes seem ok, but it is the pressure I put down which is causing the problem, due to where the cleat has to be on the shoe and how to get the power through each stroke of the peddle. 

Anyone had the same and found ways to overcome this? thanks


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## furball (15 Feb 2021)

I had bunions on both feet . I ended up having surgery because nothing was giving any relief and I couldn't get shoes to fit. I had a double 
osteotomy where the big toe bones were broken, straightend and then pinned. The pins were supposed to stay in but mine worked their way partly out and had to be removed but the bones remained straighter reducing the bunions. Sounds gross but it made a huge improvement.


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## Simon_m (16 Feb 2021)

Oh that sounds gross for sure lol. my toes are straight so its not all bad, just the growth on the side. I cant see any other option except operation. Apparently you are off your feet for a long time, is the true for you?


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## gom (16 Feb 2021)

My partner had bad right-foot bunion since before I knew her, giving pain after long walks. Over time it got worse and worse, so she decided to go for the operation as it was by then badly affecting quality of life. The x-ray of the foot was very interesting. the line of bones from the big toe back into the foot instead of being nice and straight was bowed out, with a angle at the centre of the bunion. Google bunion x-ray if you dare. 
The operation re-aligned the bones and then fixed them in place, with screws I think. Don’t know about having to break them. The was a lot of sitting around with the foot up afterwards, but there were no problems getting to the loo, making a cuppa, etc. We don’t live together and after the first week she was looking after herself (though I was ‘on call’).
Op done in late October and she was doing 10 mile walks and 50 mile cycle rides by the following April.
In her case, it was definitely a good thing.
I have no medical training, but I would recommend talking to your GP and discussing options. It *might *be right for you.


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## Simon_m (16 Feb 2021)

wow that is a long time, 6 months! christ. Thanks for the info, it does look like the only choice. I did speak to Dr before christmas and she said there is nothing you can do to make it go away, ibu' to take the pain away, but only choice is the op'. Thanks for getting in touch


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## vickster (16 Feb 2021)

Simon_m said:


> wow that is a long time, 6 months! christ. Thanks for the info, it does look like the only choice. I did speak to Dr before christmas and she said there is nothing you can do to make it go away, ibu' to take the pain away, but only choice is the op'. Thanks for getting in touch


You need to cut back on your high heels wearing


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## rockyroller (16 Feb 2021)

cue the foot x-ray. I don't have a bunion, I had swelling from gout. but during an office visit, my GP called it a bunion


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## Simon_m (16 Feb 2021)

I do yes, but i look fabulous in them  

ok xray doesn't look at bad as i thought. my big toe doesn't curl in or anything, just the lump on the side like that


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## gom (16 Feb 2021)

Simon_m said:


> wow that is a long time, 6 months


Given the actual dates, I'd say 5 months.
Also, we think 10 mile walk / 50 mile ride a fair distance, and you don't start with those after 5 months rest.
October a good time for the op as enforced rest not so bad when it's cold and raining outside.
As I said, in this one case it was worth it, but I clearly don't know for others.


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## furball (16 Feb 2021)

For a long time before having surgery I coped by padding around the bunions with chiropody felt (the thick white stuff). For a while it was just enough to build up either side of the bunion to the same level of the lump giving a bit of pressure relief.


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## furball (16 Feb 2021)

I think the recovery time is much quicker if bone realignment isn't necessary.


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## IanSmithCSE (17 Feb 2021)

Good morning,



Simon_m said:


> ....... due to where the cleat has to be on the shoe and how to get......



I know that this must sound like a really dumb question but have you tried different combinations of shoes and pedals?

If you are considering surgery only because of cycling, what about giving up clipless pedals and going for non cycling shoes which can more easily be found in wider fitting and flat pedals with or without toe clips or similar.

I can't ride clipless as I have a badly broken ankle and my right foot points outwards too much and I am old enough to have used toe clips, shoe plates and tight straps.

I find loose toe clips offer very little disadvantage on pleasure rides, except on the steep hills, where I will tighten the straps, sometimes. Also many people might say that I over-gear with 42x25 as my lowest gear on the bike that I mostly ride, so a lower gear might make those steep hill less hard for me.

Although I do tend to use cycling shoes without cleats/shoe plates, for a lot of rides I will use trainers and they work well, but I can tell the difference when cadence drops much below 70-75. 

Common sense says that the soft sole of the trainer must compress but the reality seems to be that this compression is much less than might be expected.

Yes, I do accept that clipless is ultimately the most efficient pedal system, but it's much less clear to me that surgery to allow their continued use is a "no brainer". :-)

Bye

Ian


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## Simon_m (17 Feb 2021)

morning, yep would defo do it over winter if I were to go down that route. I don't think I would need the toe to be broken, so that is a plus.

the padding i have tried and sometimes helps as well as Ibuprofen to reduce swelling and pain.

Riding distance is 5mile to work, weekend rides and races are anywhere from 40-90, plus tours of anywhere between 3weeks to 3months, cycling training holidays for 10days in Mallorca.

Have tried different shoes, not sure if mentioned that in OP, now on the widest I can get. Don't think i would go clip-less on my bike, not really an option. no matter what type of shoe i wuold use, putting the pressure down on a climb will cause the pain. also do long walks which do cause some pain also.


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## saltdogcycling (5 Oct 2021)

Hi Simon, I don't know if you got sorted out but Lake make a shoe for bunions and foot issues called the Lake CX241 Wide Fit Road Cycling Shoes. They are foam on the inside with a leather skeleton to wrap around the foot issue.


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## Simon_m (6 Oct 2021)

saltdogcycling said:


> Hi Simon, I don't know if you got sorted out but Lake make a shoe for bunions and foot issues called the Lake CX241 Wide Fit Road Cycling Shoes. They are foam on the inside with a leather skeleton to wrap around the foot issue.


yep i bought some from you but still have issues from time to time


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