Originally Posted by
koala logs
If you have to stand a lot, you need the soles on your shoes to be hard and avoid / remove insoles and avoid thick socks. The extra pressure of standing means you'll lose more energy if the space between your foot and the pedal is "squishier" and may even cause foot discomfort.
That has not been my experience. Insoles help better distribute the forces and avoid pressure points and the energy dissipated in compression of shoe insoles will almost surely be minuscule and essentially unmeasurable compared to any other factor.
Stiffness of midsole, OTOH, helps avoid stretching forces on the foot, which is what I began to feel after an hour. True stand up bikes will avoid this by using pedals that support the entire length of the foot, rendering shoe stiffness unnecessary and actually making it undesirable.
I should probably add that I’m quite happy to have had no saddle discomfort this year, so that I only stand about as much as you would expect from someone who rides almost but not entirely in a single gear.
Otto