Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New Clyde in the Stable Needs Help

Hello Everyone,
I have been looking around for a while and you all seem like such nice people I decided I would get involved. I am 44 years old and currently weigh 235, this is down from 280 in June when I started riding. Bought a mountain bike first and rode for a couple of months and in October purchased a Roubaix Compact Elite. I am looking for a wider shoe as I have developed some foot discomfort recently.

Lake makes a wide shoe. I use Sidi Dominators. Their fit changes from year to year. Why they change the freaking last all the time I have no idea.
I used to use the Mega (what they call wide). But the last time I bought a pair I found some 5 year old ones in a shop. They were a 1/2 size large, and not Mega.
But they fit really well. So I got them.

http://www.lakecycling.com/

Wide shoes can be tough to find, especially since it's an item I wouldn't buy over the web without trying on first. Lots of surfing showed that Lake has among the best variety of wide shoes, and fortunately business travel took me close to a bike shop that specialized in Lake and had a good selection. I'm a commuter/wanderer/ tourer and like shoes I can walk in, so I'm happy with the MX101's. I'm a 10.5 EEE and the 45Wide fit perfectly. I tried on 4 different styles, and the sizing seemed pretty consistant.

http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=MX101

Hi rft63, I see you have been shy! I can't help with the shoe problem (although my husband's brother shares the hard to fit wide foot syndrome), but I can definitely say:

Welcome to Bike Forums (and to the C/A forum)!

Good job on the weight loss, too :D .

East Hill

If you're looking for road shoes, you might just want to buy a range of sizes and factor the returns into your budget.

How wide is your foot? I wear a EE size wide which is small compared to some. I recently bought a pair of road shoes from Price Point by Sette and they fit my foot really well. Similar to the Sidi's, just not with the Sidi 200+ price. I got mine for $49 on sale, I figured it was worth the shot as I was not finding anything local at a reasonable price. I am not racing, and don't really want to pay big dollars.

This is not exactly what I got, but it's very close. Just the new year model: http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16456-285_SETEL7-1-Clothing-173-Shoes/Road/Sette-New-Elite-Carbon-Road-Shoes-w_-Buckle.htm

They also have MTB shoes. http://www.pricepoint.com/thumb/1-Clothing-133-Shoes/Mountain-True.htm

For those that have bike shoes - do they really make a difference? I have 13EEEE feet - finding shoes in that size just seems like more effort than it's worth. I use platform pedals so I don't care about cleats. Typically my biking shoes are the ones that I don't want to walk around in public anymore with, seems to be one area to save dough (I am super tough on shoes, if they last me a few months that's impressive). Not racing but like to ride long distances.

Thank you all for your help.

They make a difference for me. I found myself being able to ride longer and more comfortably with cycling shoes. My legs did not hurt as much and my avg speed was able to increase as I had a much better pedal stability and consistent cadence.



For those that have bike shoes - do they really make a difference? I have 13EEEE feet - finding shoes in that size just seems like more effort than it's worth. I use platform pedals so I don't care about cleats. Typically my biking shoes are the ones that I don't want to walk around in public anymore with, seems to be one area to save dough (I am super tough on shoes, if they last me a few months that's impressive). Not racing but like to ride long distances.

Are you clipped in?

Pearl Izumi makes what they market as mountain bike shoe that's great for me, and I've not been on a mountain bike since I left Korea in the early 90s. Built like a sneaker and provides all the support you need while cycling and great for the local back and forth without damageing cleats or sounding like a tap dancer. It's thier X-Alp Low MTB Cycling shoe.

Nike makes a MTB shoe called the KATO that I like. With my cleats that I use, I can use these shoes almost as a sneaker. I also like the velcro straps because my feet swell during a ride, and I can quickly reach them and loosen them if needed.

Are you clipped in?

Yes

I wear a EEEEEE so consequently I don't even bother looking for a specialty shoe. Just finding something I can wear is a specialty shoe. I use clips, they seem to work fine.
I get my shoes at www.wideshoes.com (http://www.wideshoes.com) as they have a good selection from EEE-EEEEEE. No cycling shoes specifically, alas.

As far as I'm concerned, real cyclists use platform pedals, so I have no good advice for you. :) But I read a review (http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/roubaix-elite-compact-27927) and that looks like one sweet bike. Are you experiencing any braking issues?