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Even with a stout pair of riding boots, your toes and feet are still susceptible to catching and/or colliding with trail-side debris hidden by tall grass or other obstructions. Riding in a standing position and consciously keeping your toes pointed up and in, toward the bike, can minimize these impacts.
By keeping your toes pointed up when not shifting or braking, if something does collide with your foot, it will usually hit the bottom of your foot, knocking it back, off the peg. While this can still be uncomfortable, it's better than catching something on the top of your foot, forcing your foot down and stretching and/or bending it in ways that it's not meant to move.
Pointing your toes in, toward your bike when riding, helps your feet deflect objects to the outside. If something were to grab your foot and twist it to the outside, you could, again, subject your foot and/or lower leg into bending, stretching and/or twisting in ways that it's not meant to move.
Along with pointing your toes up and in, please take the time and go to the expense of protecting your feet with some beefy riding boots. Next to your helmet, boots are probably you're most important piece of safety gear in your bag. The steel toes and re-enforced ankle support can turn a collision with a rock or stump hidden in the tall grass into something that you can shake off quickly.
Have fun riding the Crested Butte and Gunnison trails out there and remember to armor those feet and keep those toes pointed up and in! |
