Santa Cruz Dealer of the Month

For the month of May, when you purchase road bike from Calgary Cycle you will be entered to win a pair of OIM custom footbeds, a $395 value.

Calgary’s leaders in cycling and comfort, Calgary Cycle and OIM Sport Footbeds are joining forces to offer increased riding comfort. At Calgary Cycle, we take pride in offering free comprehensive bike fits with all bike purchases, and are now offering the custom footbed service to further improve your satisfaction with your new ride. In addition to your custom bike fit, our experienced bike fitters will assess your lower leg mechanics and bike positioning to help determine if custom footbeds could improve your alignment and comfort.

It is a common conception that cycling is a non-weight-bearing activity, yet an increasing number of studies are showing that the mechanics of cycling are extremely similar to the mechanics of running; cycling is low impact, yet certainly not non-weight-bearing. Much like corrective orthotics can improve the mechanics of your feet (i.e. control pronation/supination) in walking and running, custom corrective footbeds can prevent the foot (forefoot) from pronating while cycling. Pronation of the foot under downstroke load can cause the knee and hip to rotate out of alignment. In contrast to a stock, or off-the-shelf molded insole, our custom footbeds are corrective helping to control pronation (rolling in) or supination (rolling out) to maintain knee and hip alignment.

Experiencing foot numbness, knee or hip pain?

Common foot, knee or hip discomforts can be addressed with a combination of modifications to bike fit, and custom footbeds. Forefoot numbness can be an indication of improper shoe fit, but can also stem from the hip being out of alignment; a proper metatarsal pad and proper “posting” of the foot can help reduce these, and many more symptoms.

Worried about weight?

No need to compromise performance for comfort with ultra-lite custom footbeds. OIM Sport Footbeds are manufactured using brand new, high carbon content Vertex, which is extremely stiff and light at a minimal thickness of 1.5mm! The devices would come in at a total weight lesser than the most common off-the-shelf molded footbeds.

How can they help performance?

Well if you really want to get technical, studies show that there is a physiological “dead spot” in cycling. At the exact moment in the cycling pattern where the foot is maximally “stretched” (at the end of the downstroke, before the upstroke), the arch of the foot will compress within the shoe, and creates a moment with no energy transfer. By filling the arch with a custom footbed, the foot is constantly in contact with a rigid structure, hence an increase in efficiency and energy transfer. This concept is widely accepted yet frequently overlooked when dealing with competitive riders!