Road Cycling - Mountain biking shoes on a road bicycle?

I haven't used clipless before, but I am going to pick up a pair of Shimano clipless pedals. Now I'm wondering what shoe to get. I could get a pair of Cannondale MC Mountain biking shoes, or else shop around for a while longer (hard to find road shoes in this area).

Are mountain bike shoes definetly a no-no on road bicycles?
All I know is that they are compatible.

Mountain bike shoes work with mountain bike pedals.

You can put mountain bike pedals on a road bike.

Mountain bike clipless pedals have a somewhat looser interface than road bike pedals. This is to accomodate the different needs of roadies and mountain bikers.

If you aren't racing, there is no reason not to use mountain bike pedals on your road bike. Roadie purist snobs might frown at you, but who cares? They are roadie purist snobs. And the last laugh will be yours....

At the end of a group ride, the roadie purist snobs will clump, skate and cleat walk into the coffee shop and you, with your mountain bike shoes, will walk upright like the highly evolved person you are.

In short: if the shoe fits, wear it.

If your rides regularly include trips into a coffee shop or other activities that require you to walk around then I would deffinately go with mountain shoes. If you only go out and hammer the roads go with a road shoe. Eventually, you may decide to have both. I did.

I agree with regularguy. I use MTB shoes, and have SPD pedals on my roadbike.

I just enjoy watching my riding buddies looking like ducks when we walk to a coffee shop for some cold drinks after our rides.. :D :D :D

Try the SPD sandals. I just got them a couple of weeks ago and I love them.

for what it's worth, i've been riding my cyclo-cross bike with slicks on the road while my road bike is being repainted. i forgot to take my look pedals of the roadie, so i've been riding with time atac pedals and diadora mtb shoes. it's not bad, though i really do miss my look pedals...

I use MTB shoes and Road Pedals that are SPD compatible...Nashbar and Performance still sell one or two models. They work just fine as far as I can tell, though I pine for Some Speedplays.

I race in triathlons and I use mountain shoes and pedals. Get yourself a real stiff set of race shoes and boogie! Also, if you have hardwood floors in your home, go with the mountain shoes/pedals. Easy to walk around in and they won't scratch the floor.

I wear MTB shoes and have Time ATAC MTB pedals on my road bike. I got them as my first set of clipless on the advice of the LBS at the time. I have absolutely no intention of changing them and I certainly don't care what people think - not that anyone has ever really said anything to me anyway! I have toyed with the idea of the Sidi Genius 4 shoe only because they will accommodate the Time ATAC cleat without the need for an adapter. And the only reason for me even thinking of changing shoes is the heat.

Yes if you do the coffee shop thing or otherwise walk around alot than the mtb shoes with eggbeaters/spd/atac are the best route imo.

I agree with folks above. I have Speedplay Frogs on my Vigorelli and have Sidi Dominator 4s for shoes. Works great. I still clip-clop a little because my shoes are more like road shoes, but I have no problem walking for long distances.

I have sidi rampa 3 MTB shoes and eggbeater pedals. I have pounded the life out of both and I have never had any problems. About 3 months ago I got a flat rear, after changing it, i got another one 1 hour later but this one was a long slit that I could not repair, so I put a fresh tube in and started back home, about 1 1/2 miles from home I got another flat :eek: (I havn't had a flat in 3 years) but this time when I opened up the valve to put some air into it, the tip just came out in my hand :mad: . I couldn't pump up the tire and I dont own a cell phone (freak....I have been told) so I had to walk home. Sorry about the long story but if I had road shoes, I couldn't have made it, yes...my feet were a bit sore when I got home, but nowhere as bad if I had road shoes.
I know they can be a bit heavier, but I dont notice the difference.Look at SIDI, I think they are great :)

for what it's worth, i've been riding my cyclo-cross bike with slicks on the road while my road bike is being repainted. i forgot to take my look pedals of the roadie, so i've been riding with time atac pedals and diadora mtb shoes. it's not bad, though i really do miss my look pedals...

I don't own a road bike, I have a Steelman EuroCross with time MTB pedals. Some of the road purists in my riding group give me grief but that doesn't keep me from riding at the front. Ride whatever you want and don't worry about the comments. Unless you are trying to walk thru a grocery store in road cleats, turn to go down an asile and loose your footing, smack to the floor. Then your should pay attention to the little kid laughing at you, take the hint and get MTB SPDs. Good MTB shoes are stiff enough that the reduced contact area of an SPD shouldn't give you a hot spot.

Go with the MTB shoes you won't regret it because you will have a more comfortable feel for walking around where ever you stop at on a ride. No loud clacking noise, or possible slipping, and the MTB shoes will probably last you loneger.

No problem

hey,
i just recently switched over from using road shoes to mtb and im kicking myself for not making the decision from the very beginning...i would've saved a good chunk of change. i live in brooklyn and commute to and from work and also do a lot of group rides around town bar hopping and what not.

several people have said it already but if you're planning on running errands and the like, or like me, mount and dismount frequently then the choice is clear...get mtb shoes...they so much more comfortable to walk in than road shoes, way more comfortable! i can't see any reason to get road shoes unless your riding centuries every week and/or competing.

Remember that MTB shoes will only work with MTB pedals. If you have Shimano road racing pedals on your road bike, then you will need to replace the pedals if you want to use MTB shoes.

I'm a bike courier in Toronto and everyone that rides clipless, rides mountain shoes and pedals. You spend as much time on your feet as you do on a bike. I've personally used Eggbeaters (don't last) Shimano SPD (zero float) and now I'm on Time Atacs (which are awesome)
The only problem is that once the tread wears down, your cleats cause you to skate along those polished marble floors in the office towers. I've taken my shoes to the shoe cobbler several times to re-tread them (about $20) but they have finally reached the end of their rope.
I'm gonna buy the Sidi Dragon 2 mountain shoes, since you can replace every part on them, including the tread.

Back from the dead... again.

I was in a similar frame of mind when I went clipless on my Chicane. I've got a really wide foot, (flipper wide) and road shoes were so constrictive I'd lose feeling in my toes before I left my neighbourhood. Now for less cost, and more flexibility in sizing I've gone to mtb shoes from Mountain Equipment Co-op and haven't looked back. Snobs are easy to ignore after all.

^ I don't see why foot width should make a difference, especially since the difference between most mountain and road shoes are only that the mountain version has a walkable sole of some sort... which is the only valid reason I see to ride mountain shoes over road ones, but a good reason it is!

I recently made the switch from MTB shoes and SPD pedals to road shoes and LOOK pedals. The main reason I changed was to gain more float, it had nothing to do with the shoes. I never got any grief from other roadies about the MTB shoes. I did get a number of comments when I first started riding with flat pedals and sneakers. That still happens today on a group ride when someone shows up without clipless pedals.

I have SPD road pedals on my road bikes and SPD mtb pedals on my mtb bikes so I can use a road shoe on a mtb or a mtb shoe on a road bike. I do not understand the problem.

Someone should start a tally of threads like this to see how many times a year exactly the same question gets asked.

Too bad there's no Search function.

Try the SPD sandals. I just got them a couple of weeks ago and I love them.

That sounds ridiculous... is part of the foot exposed? I've seen kids ride bikes with flip flops, but i never thought they were clipped in to their mountain bikes :D

hey,
i just recently switched over from using road shoes to mtb and im kicking myself for not making the decision from the very beginning...i would've saved a good chunk of change. i live in brooklyn and commute to and from work and also do a lot of group rides around town bar hopping and what not.

several people have said it already but if you're planning on running errands and the like, or like me, mount and dismount frequently then the choice is clear...get mtb shoes...they so much more comfortable to walk in than road shoes, way more comfortable! i can't see any reason to get road shoes unless your riding centuries every week and/or competing.

Sorry, but your avatar is rather disgusting and pointless. But your point is valid. Ugh. Change it. The profile pic.

Sorry, but your avatar is rather disgusting and pointless. But your point is valid. Ugh. Change it. The profile pic.

Thread started 2004

The guy you are addressing posted in 2007 and has 7 posts, do ya think he's really going to hear ya?:roflmao2:

LOL. didnt even pay attention to that.

That sounds ridiculous... is part of the foot exposed? I've seen kids ride bikes with flip flops, but i never thought they were clipped in to their mountain bikes :D

Some sandals expose the toes, I don't recommend them. The Keen models don't. I have them and really like using them for casual rides.

LOL. didnt even pay attention to that.

If I could shake your hand, I'd bet 5 bucks there will be another one!:D

I wouldnt be stupid enough to take your bet :)

Try the SPD sandals. I just got them a couple of weeks ago and I love them.

I agree. I have the Shimano and 661 sandals and like them in any temperature over 70 or so, lower with socks on. I have SPD recessed cleat pedals on 7 of my 8 bikes including the A-520s on a 83 Colnago Super Record! The only exception so far is dual sided VO touring pedals on my Kona cruiser.

No problems with abraded toes yet but the tops of your feet do tan in an odd pattern. IIRC Sheldon liked them too!

Try the SPD sandals. I just got them a couple of weeks ago and I love them.

I bought a pair of these (Shimano I think) and love them! Many fellow riders laugh initially thinking that they are just standard sandals, then I show them the cleats...

5 Bucks!:D

Shimano SPD pedals, Izumi shoes.
I mostly ride in-town. Commuting, running errands, occasional bike group route for fitness. Mtn Bike shoes have served me well. I've found most road cyclist around town use SPDs due to ease of walking around town, in and out of shops.

I use the Izumi x-alps, sort of a road/mtn cross. Reflective highlihghts like a road shoe would have, but thread and walks like a normal shoe.

The Keen cycling sandals are very popular, see tons of chicks wearing those.

5 Bucks!:D

:)

^ I don't see why foot width should make a difference, especially since the difference between most mountain and road shoes are only that the mountain version has a walkable sole of some sort... which is the only valid reason I see to ride mountain shoes over road ones, but a good reason it is!


It may have been me but I found that the way the road shoes are designed is that there is a narrow fit and no give along the sides. I know I tried a Shimano shoe and another one but I don't recall which. Along the outside of my foot I would lose feeling really quickly. Like a couple city blocks. The mtb shoes I chose have some stretch along the top which relieves the sides. The extra ventilation helps as well.

road shoes are stiff, but if they were too narrow, you probably needed to try a different kind of shoe. road shoes are more comfortable while riding, and spd/mtn shoes are way better for any walking you have to do. this is, of course, assuming you find good fits for both

Has everyone completely missed the age of this thread?

It may have been me but I found that the way the road shoes are designed is that there is a narrow fit and no give along the sides. I know I tried a Shimano shoe and another one but I don't recall which. Along the outside of my foot I would lose feeling really quickly. Like a couple city blocks. The mtb shoes I chose have some stretch along the top which relieves the sides. The extra ventilation helps as well.
It depends on which shoes you tried on. Some models are literally available in MTB and road versions with the only difference being the tread blocks on the bottom and sometimes the color. Other shoes are only available for one application, but width is not a consideration in making one over the other.

No matter, though. If you like the shoes you're wearing, that's all that matters.