Pedal question for the old dudes...

[dauphin]

Ok...I am still using spd type pedals on my roadie. I have never used a road type pedal and cleat. I really want a pair of Sidi cycling shoes, but I can't see paying 200+ dollars for a pair of roadies and a pair of mtn. What do you guys think of me staying with my mtn type cleats and going with the Sidi dominators. I commute on my Bianchi and I ride long distances as well. I want a good pair of shoes, but I can't afford to have both. Any thoughts?

[sch]

Certain pedal/cleat combos are compatible with both recessed type mounting seen on ATB/comfort shoes and the exposed mountings seen on road shoes. SPD happens to be one of these so no reason not to go with whichever you find comfortable in either situation. If I were starting over I would switch to Crank
brothers system which is the same way.

[BluesDawg]

Sidi makes great cycling shoes. If you absolutely must use the same shoes for road and MTB, the Dominators would be a good way to go. But then I would start saving pennies to get a road specific shoe and pedal/cleat for the long rides on the road bike.

[maddmaxx]

I use the Shimano PD-A520. This is a single sided road type cage and pedal that uses the mountain cleat and shoe system.
This way I can still walk into the bakery for pie.

[BluesDawg]

I use Crank Bros. Smarty pedals and MTB type shoes on my around town and commuter bikes and enjoy the convenience of being able to walk around more easily. But for long road rides, I wouldn't swap the larger platform of my Look pedals and cleats for a little convenience during a brief rest stop. Kool Kovers help to keep the cleats clean and to avoid slipping on floors.

[gear]

For me converting from (clipless) MBT pedal/shoes to (clipless) road pedal/shoes was as dramatic a change as converting form toestrap to clipless. I will never go back to MBT pedal/shoes for road riding.

[MichiganMike]

For me converting from (clipless) MBT pedal/shoes to (clipless) road pedal/shoes was as dramatic a change as converting form toestrap to clipless. I will never go back to MBT pedal/shoes for road riding.

I am curious. What are the differences between MBT and Road as far as systems go, and why do you prefer road to MTB?

[stonecrd]

My opinion is that your shoes are one of those things that you really want to spend your extra dollars on. It makes such a big difference when riding over 50 miles. I found switching from a pair of cheaper Shimano shoes (I use spd-sl pedals) to Sidi Giants made a huge difference in how my feet felt. No more hot spots or toes cramping at the end of long rides. Just make sure whatever you buy you try them on first for fit. In my case I am a 9.5 in shoes and wear a 44 in Sidis. I found when I purchased them the top fastener had about 3 clicks left when they were tight now it has 0 clicks left so thay have stretched a bit.

Also for me the spd-sl was the way to go. When I ride it is only on the road and I am almost never off the bike when I am riding, so walking is not an issue. The spd-sl shimano pedals have a nice wide platform and good float. I can get in/out very easily and when I am in I am really connected to the pedal. Plus they don't squeek (my friend has a set of Keos and they make a lot of noise)

[maddmaxx]

Simplistic answer. Road cleats extend below the sole of the shoe. Mountain cleats are recessed up into a pocket in the sole..
Beyond that there are many brands and styles that become matters of personal like and dislike.

[MichiganMike]

Simplistic answer. Road cleats extend below the sole of the shoe. Mountain cleats are recessed up into a pocket in the sole..
Beyond that there are many brands and styles that become matters of personal like and dislike.

I have a handle on the differences, I am curious what makes the road shoes superior to the MTB? I toured for years wearing just running shoes. This year I went to a clipless pedal, and bought some Nike MTB shoes. I have ridden with them a couple of times so far and really like them. I see where some feel any distance over 50 miles and the road shoes are far superior, and am just wanting to know what those differences are. Are the shoes lighter, cooler on the feet, or what? Just curious. I might want to switch at some point since I do quite a bit more than 50 miles a day when I actually tour.

[maddmaxx]

Touring folks spend a significant time off the bike on their feet. Its much easier to walk around in mountain shoes than road shoes.

[gear]

Road shoes have a stiffer sole and the wide platform of my SPD SL cleats combined with the stiff soles of the shoes makes the connection feel like the whole shoe is connected not just one spot. So there is never a "hot spot" feeling. Road shoes tend to be lighter so there no sensation of rotating anything but your foot. My road shoes are made with all venting material on the top so my foot does not sweat or swell during a ride. This may add up to better efficiantiancy, I don't know about that, for me it feels like a more solid connection to the bike and something more akin to a barefoot feeling.

With MBT shoes I feel like I have boots or heavy shoes on and I feel like the connection is this tiny spot. I notice the flexing of the sole around this spot, my feet sweat, I just am paying much more attention to my feet with them and once I switched to road shoes, I liked not thinking about that.

[Paydirt]

Bite the bullet. Get the Sidi road shoes and the road pedals and don't look back. I prefer the Look style, available from Nashbar for under 40 bucks and very serviceable. Your feet will thank you and your overall performance will improve.

MTB shoes and pedals have their place, on a MTB bike - IMHO.

[Jet Travis]

Hmmm. This is all very interesting. In order to keep things convenient, I've gone the MTB clipless route on all my bikes. But I do have a go-fast bike (or at least a wanna-be go-fast bike) You guys have got me thinking about making the swtich.

[gear]

It seems funny to spend a lot of money on custom frames, smoothworking high end componants, expensive shoes and pedals and the end result your going for is that the sensation of some mechanical device (that you just dropped a ton of money on) disapears completely and it feels more like just you and nature.

[Bud Bent]

Clipless pedals is one area where there are lots of different opinions. Because my road bike is a high bottom bracket recumbent, I need the sole of a MTB shoe when I put my foot down. Spd's gave me hot spots, so I switched to Bebops. Because Bebop cleats clip all the way around the pedals, they spread out the contact area enough to not cause hot spots, in spite of the fact that they fit MTB shoes. Even though I wear Shimano sandals, which aren't known for the stiffest soles, I've never had hot spots since I started using Bebops. 20 degrees of float make them easy on knees, and they have the lowest stack height of any clipless pedal, which I also like. My Shimano sandals are among the most comfortable shoes I own, and I can walk in them with no proplem, but I still feel like I get great performance out of them with the Bebop pedals.

[abqhudson]

I use SPDs - so I can easily get out of them and wear SIDI Dominators (three velcro straps work better than the clamp for me) - comfortable and I can easily walk in them. Works great for me.

[Hermes]

I have Sidi Genius 5 Lorica shoes and Ultegra SPD-SL cleats. The Sidis are light, stiff and comfortable. The SDP-SL pedals and cleats provide a wide platform that gives a more solid feeling and connection to the pedal than smaller style spd cleats for mountain and road (I had those previously). They also put your foot closer to the pedal and distribute the forces more evenly. Is the SPD cleating system good for road and mountain? Absolutely, but once you ride the Look or SPD-SL system with Sidi road shoes there is no coming back.

[Velo Dog]

I seem to be in the minority here, but I've never seen a reason to buy mountain-specific or road-specific ANYTHING, except for the bike itself and the tires. I do nearly all my riding in mountain shorts, because who wants to see my butt in Lycra? I wear a mountain helmet all the time because I like the visor, and I use a Camelback on long road rides. I still use toe clips on a couple of bikes so I can ride in street shoes when I commute, but my clipless pedals (two road, one mountain bike) are all MB, and I ride them in Diadora MB shoes (I wear size 50; you take what you can get). No problems with any aspect of the performance of anything, so far.

[cyclezen]

Ok...I am still using spd type pedals on my roadie. I have never used a road type pedal and cleat. I really want a pair of Sidi cycling shoes, but I can't see paying 200+ dollars for a pair of roadies and a pair of mtn. What do you guys think of me staying with my mtn type cleats and going with the Sidi dominators. I commute on my Bianchi and I ride long distances as well. I want a good pair of shoes, but I can't afford to have both. Any thoughts?

For my money, one of the TOP 3 advancements in all of cycling are mtb shoes. I'm tired of skatin around on conventional roadie soles. A primary reason I went to one of the 1st clipless designs back in the late 80s (actually the 1st clipless design - before Look), CycleBinding, was the recessed 'cleating'. I guess if I was racin for money and glory, I'd prolly use a roadie setup to save the weight weenie oz. But since thatz not an concern, MTB has it all over roadie shoes. The comfort and safety of having soles with lugs far outweighs any advantages a very slight weight savings, maybe 1oz, might bring.
As for selection - seems to me - aside from cosmetics, each shoe manu makes the same model/design/performance level in both a 'roadie' and mtb model.
Course if one believes they absolutely need the 3 bolt mount system, that will limit selection.
... there was a guy on one of our weekly Sat. hammerfest and hillwork rides, last October, whom we all hated by the time we got to the end of the ride, 40 miles hence. He rode the whole ride in JC boots - slaps - flipflops, on oldstyle Campy NR road pedals, no toe clips, on a very nice new TI bike. Did the whole ride with us, even dared to 'pull' the entire group at some 27-28 mph on the flats, a number of times. no ****, I kid you not! We really hated him...

[BluesDawg]

I think it really depends on how specific your riding is as to how specific your equipment needs to be. There is a lot of room for overlap and compromise, depending on what you are doing and why. For example, today I'll be riding with my club for a leisurely, social ride around town. I'm riding my old 12 speed Fuji road bike with Crank Bros. Smarty pedals (MTB type) and cheap MTB shoes. I'll be wearing baggy MTB shorts, the kind with padded lycra shorts sewn in. I'll wear a wicking t-shirt. I use the same helmet for all my riding. The kind of riding I'm doing today is not demanding of equipment, so I go for comfort and ability to walk around in public.
Saturday I practiced riding the MTB course I'll be racing next Sunday. I rode my MTB with lycra shorts, cycling jersey, camelback, Eggbeater pedals and good MTB shoes.
Sunday when I did a 52 mile hilly ride, I rode my fast road bike with lycra shorts, cycling jersey, water bottles, Look pedals and good road shoes.
You don't have to choose to be so specific, but when you do, it works best to use equipment best suited to the task at hand.

[JT52]

"I have a handle on the differences, I am curious what makes the road shoes superior to the MTB?"

I personally don't think road shoes are superior for the vast majority of riders. I haven't used road shoes in years, opting instead for the convenience of being able to walk half way normally when using MTB shoes, and I haven't missed them a bit. Besides, now I can ride my moutain bike, road bike and my cyclocross bike without having to buy another pair of shoes.

[The Weak Link]

I wear a mountain helmet all the time because I like the visor, and I use a Camelback on long road rides. I still use toe clips on a couple of bikes so I can ride in street shoes when I commute.

OMG! Honey, hide the children!

A Camelbak on a road ride! I'm calling the police! Drop the Camelbak and step away from the bike, and no one will get hurt.....

[MichiganMike]

Thanks for the info. This was really interesting. Thanks for starting it out Dauphin. I am kind of like Jet Travis in that it's got me thinking. Great thread.

[Terex]

"I personally don't think road shoes are superior for the vast majority of riders. I haven't used road shoes in years, opting instead for the convenience of being able to walk half way normally when using MTB shoes, and I haven't missed them a bit. Besides, now I can ride my moutain bike, road bike and my cyclocross bike without having to buy another pair of shoes.

Who gets off their bike on a road ride??? It sounds like I stumbled into the 50+ forum or something.

If I ride in my tennis shoes, not only can I ride all my bikes, but I can play tennis too. Brilliant. By "tennis shoes", I meant "bowling shoes". No, I actually meant "flip flops". Still, brilliant.:beer:

[Terex]

I wear a mountain helmet all the time because I like the visor, and I use a Camelback on long road rides.

I like my mtn bike helmet just fine - on my mtn bike. On my road bike it blocks my vision.

[BSLeVan]

I think it depends on what you want to do on your road bike. If you want to go out and ride hard and fast for specified distances or times, good road shoes will make a difference in performance. If you want to ride with frequent stops, day touring, etc. MTB shoes make more sense. I agree with the earlier poster who suggested that improvements in shoes is one of the best advances. I remember how excited I was to move from tennis shoes to Beta Bikers, then to MTB shoes and then to road shoes. The past two years I've been riding top of the line carbon road shoes and enjoy the riding much more, my feet don't hurt as much, and my pedal stoke is smoother.

[BluesDawg]

I like my mtn bike helmet just fine - on my mtn bike. On my road bike it blocks my vision.

I've never really understood the idea that a helmet with a visor is a MTB helmet and one without is a road helmet. If anything, there is more need for shade on the road where you are out in the open. Out amongst the trees where most of my MTB riding is done, I don't even need sunglasses most of the time.
The very experienced MTB racer who has been coaching me always tells people that if they are experiencing neck pain while riding, they may want to remove the visor as it forces you to tilt your head too far up so you can look ahead while riding technical singletrack.

On really sunny days, I like to wear a cycling cap under my helmet so I can flip the bill down if I need the shade or up if I don't.

[BSLeVan]

On really sunny days, I like to wear a cycling cap under my helmet so I can flip the bill down if I need the shade or up if I don't.

+1... wouldn't leave the house without one!

[Dchiefransom]

The visor on most "MTB" helmets will block vision if worn in the drops on a road bike. It's almost necessary to shade my eyes on my 'bent.

[RDW3261]

I have both types of clip on my bikes. When I bought my new bike last month I put MTB on them for the reason others have mention. When I tour, I want to be able to walk normal when I stop for breaks. I notice no big difference between the two.

[stapfam]

Who gets off their bike on a road ride??? It sounds like I stumbled into the 50+ forum or something.

If I ride in my tennis shoes, not only can I ride all my bikes, but I can play tennis too. Brilliant. By "tennis shoes", I meant "bowling shoes". No, I actually meant "flip flops". Still, brilliant.:beer:

My cafe will not allow me sit down and eat pie while still clipped in,

[Beethoven]

Sometimes, when I feel too chirpy, I go to the 50+ forum (to which I legitimately have access since a couple of weeks). I can be sure to get instantly depressed. Only here would you find a discussion about the advantages of road shoes, with 50% dissenters.
Will this happen to me too? Will I turn into a down-tube-shifting, sandal-and-socks-wearing, overweight dork who wears soft grey shoes on Sundays?

[DaveTaylor]

Whoa!! Obviously, turning 50 doesn't cure everyone:D

[Digital Gee]

Sometimes, when I feel too chirpy, I go to the 50+ forum (to which I legitimately have access since a couple of weeks). I can be sure to get instantly depressed. Only here would you find a discussion about the advantages of road shoes, with 50% dissenters.
Will this happen to me too? Will I turn into a down-tube-shifting, sandal-and-socks-wearing, overweight dork who wears soft grey shoes on Sundays?

Only if you're very, very lucky.

[Thrifty1]

For my money, one of the TOP 3 advancements in all of cycling are mtb shoes. I'm tired of skatin around on conventional roadie soles. A primary reason I went to one of the 1st clipless designs back in the late 80s (actually the 1st clipless design - before Look), CycleBinding, was the recessed 'cleating'. I guess if I was racin for money and glory, I'd prolly use a roadie setup to save the weight weenie oz. But since thatz not an concern, MTB has it all over roadie shoes. The comfort and safety of having soles with lugs far outweighs any advantages a very slight weight savings, maybe 1oz, might bring.
As for selection - seems to me - aside from cosmetics, each shoe manu makes the same model/design/performance level in both a 'roadie' and mtb model.
Course if one believes they absolutely need the 3 bolt mount system, that will limit selection.
... there was a guy on one of our weekly Sat. hammerfest and hillwork rides, last October, whom we all hated by the time we got to the end of the ride, 40 miles hence. He rode the whole ride in JC boots - slaps - flipflops, on oldstyle Campy NR road pedals, no toe clips, on a very nice new TI bike. Did the whole ride with us, even dared to 'pull' the entire group at some 27-28 mph on the flats, a number of times. no ****, I kid you not! We really hated him...


All of my bikes are fitted with MKS Touring platform pedals. My footwear is determined/dictated by whim/mood. I can even ride barefoot .....with a few wraps of duct tape. For me quality of life/convenience is more important than "total/maximum" performance.

[cccorlew]

Just an additional note: I bought Sole (http://www2.yoursole.com/home?id=iqjfzbsA) inserts for my road shoes and my toes don't get numb any more. I hate spending the 40 bucks, but the suckers work for me. really well.

[big john]

I think the shoes are the most important part, regardless of the pedals you are using. I have tried many types of pedals and I now use mountain shoes/SPD pedals for everything. I also know people who do double centuries at an elite level with SPD pedals. This stuff about hot spots is shoes not fitting, not because of the pedal system. High quality mtb shoes are just as light and stiff as high quality road shoes.

[Brian_1]

"What do you guys think of me staying with my mtn type cleats and going with the Sidi dominators."

It's what I've done for years. I use Speedplay Frogs. Dominators come in a mega (wide) size if you need it. In the event you like the option of wearing casual-looking shoes with a cleat option, I'd look at Lake casual cleated shoes (which come in wide sizes too). If you have more narrow feet, Shimano has casual looking shoes to fit the need.