General Cycling Discussion - need some pedals/shoes

Well, my first road bike is on it's way :) I've never used anything other than platform pedals before, but would like to get a decent set of pedals and shoes. I've heard from a few that mtn bike pedals are nice, as you can walk around in compatible shoes. I'm not really sure what to look for, so can anyone steer me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,

Dax

I've been using Speedplay FROGS and Lake shoes for several years. I like to get off and walk around sometimes, and as you said, mountain shoes allow that.

Dax...

Hie thee to thy LBS and try a bunch of different shoes. What should you look for? Assuming you're going for MTB-style shoes:

1. Cleat compatibility; they can take a cleat.

2. Fit, comfort; MTB shoes should fit like really comfortable sneakers or day hikers [road shoes should fit like slippers]. Make sure your feet are neither pinched nor swimming and that you heel doesn't slide.

3. Stiff sole. MTB soles have to move a bit, unlike road soles, which should be almost completely rigid, but the flex should be one way -- up. You want your shoes to be stiff enough to transfer power from your feel to your pedals with as little loss as possible.

4. Appearance. They should look good. Don't buy a pair of shoes that you'd be embarassed to wear.

That's good advice, thanks Velocipedio!

So do you think that mtn bike shoes are a good idea on the road then?

Also, what should I be looking for with respect to pedals. I apologize for being completely clueless here :) I would like to know a bit when I walk into the LBS though to make my choices easier!

Thanks,

Dax

My transition from platform pedals to clipless went like this:

At first I had no intention of making the transition. I used cleatless touring shoes with Power Grips. This is a mtn bike pedal with a wide strap attached to it diagonally. You slip into the strap at angle and when you straighten your foot out, the strap naturally tightens. It's a good system. Bike Nashbar still sells these if you're interested.

Drawback: they're heavier than clipless pedals and look sort of odd on a road bike. Well, they'd look odd on a race bike; not on a touring, recreational, or hybrid bike necessarily.

Anyway, I was at REI in Dallas and bought a pair of Shimano touring/mtn bike shoes. They were SPD compatible, but I didn't intend to add a cleat.

Then one day, I bought an inexpensive road bike on sale (Trek 320) and decided to try cliipless pedals.

Since I already had those Shimano shoes that fit well and were comfortable, I had my local bike shop add SPD cleats.

Then they sold me a set of ATB (mtn bike) pedals that they said worked just as well as road pedals and were easier to get used to because they were double-sided.

These cost about $50 back then (1998?). The equivalent today would be Nashbar's Clipless ATB Pedal (NR-PDL-(color)) for $29.95. Other options abound. See what the LBS recommends.

Not saying road shoes are bad; I just can't find any that fit me. Plus I like to be able to walk when I get off the bike.

Condor

Originally posted by Guillermo
So do you think that mtn bike shoes are a good idea on the road then?
That depends. I'm a pretty hardcore roadie, and I do a lot of miles and a lot of very long rides. I like having the super-stiff road shoes and the road pedals with the big cleats and wide contact area. For the kind of road riding I do, they're the best choice. Of course, i don't normally stop and walk around when I'm on a ride, except sometimes to duck behind a bush for a nature break.

Having said that, road shoes/cleats are really unsuited to walking more than a few metres at a time. Some call it duck-walking, but I like to think of it more as hoof-walking. In fact, I wear MTB shoes on my cyclocross bike [with SPD pedals] because I do spend time portaging the bike on too-gnarly-for-me descents and runups. I coldn't imagine doing 'cross with road shoes.

So... the question comes down to "how do you ride?" If you do get off and walk around, or you want to have a pair of shoes that will allow some walking around, should you choose, then you should go with MTB shoes/pedals. If you think your riding style will be like mine -- get on the bike, ride for four or five hours, get off the bie -- then go straight to road shoes.

If you're not sure, then MTB shoes and pedals are a good place to start and are typically a little less expensive than their roadie counterparts.

If you're looking for road pedals, your choices boil down to Look, Shimano SPD-R, Speedplay and Time. They're all basically the same in terms of quality [at equivalent pricepoints], but all work a little differently. Look and Time are very similar; Speedplay offers the greatest amount of "float" [how much you can rotate your foot in a horizontal plane]; Shimano SPD-R is reportedly easier to release.

If you're looking for MTB pedals, you're most likely looking at Shimano SPD and SPD clones [though Time's and Speedplay's MTB pedals have very good reputations]. You should probably stick to known brands, like Shimano or Ritchey. You can find cheap no-name brand pedals, but you really do get what you pay for. Don't go for the cheapest, no-name pedals, they can often fail catastrophically. You'll probably look at the Shimano M515, which is a pretty good pedal [I have them on my 'cross bike] for the money, and not a bad place to start.

You are an endless resource of bicycle knowledge my friend :) That info should send me right on my way! :p

The sort of riding (on the road) I do on my mtn bike right now is relatively sustained. I may get off once in a while to refill a bottle, etc. However, I like the idea of being able to walk around a bit without worry, especially if I choose to commute on this bike for any reason. But...I do ride pretty hard and push myself, so I might appreciate the wide contact area and stiff shoe! hmmm...haven't made up my mind yet!


Dax

Don't sweat it. It's all just paceline chat... :D