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Cycling shoes... how many of us wear them ?... If not... what DO you wear ?

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Cycling shoes... how many of us wear them ?... If not... what DO you wear ?

Old 05-20-16, 11:10 PM
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Pleased w/ Power Grip for several years and thousands of miles after a Tombay w/ Look pedals that kept me from riding for six weeks.
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Old 05-20-16, 11:29 PM
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Artfahie,

Cycling shoes have a much stiffer sole than regular shoes. This helps apply more power to the peddles more effectively and efficiently. Are they required? No. Are they recommended? Yes, I believe they are. Do you need to spend a lot of money? No. Cycling shoes will help you enjoy cycling more because you will get better at it the more you cycle and your equipment will support that...and that feeds the desire to spend more and more time riding.

I have a dedicated pair of ~25 year old Diadora road cycling shoes than I wear with my Look pedals but I don't use those when commuting to work. I wear a pair of Shimano MTB shoes for my commute and any ride on my fixie or just going around town. The cool thing about them is I can wear them around off the bike. Would I walk a mile in them? No. But for beating around they work fine. I got them at REI. They are bright blue and were less than $100. High quality shoes.

I would get cycling shoes before a buying a jersey but after buying some padded cycling shorts. Cycling shorts, in my opinion makes a HUGE difference. Cycling shoes rank right up there though. The next progression would be toe-clips. Once you go there you'll be hooked for life. You have been warned.
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Old 05-21-16, 11:26 PM
  #53  
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Short rides (10-20mi) just a pair of running nikes. Long rides (50-125mi) SPD.
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Old 05-22-16, 12:29 AM
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Currently it's platform pedals for me and I don't feel like I'm missing out all that much. Alot of the rides I do nowadays I'm getting off the bike and either hiking, or climbing stairs or getting up/down a steep trail. Just not something I wana do with MTB shoes with spd pedals. Which I was using before platforms. I never was one for road shoes with clips. Even when I was road riding I used MTB shoes with spd clips. I liked being able to get off my bike and walk around. Walking like a duck going into a store did not appeal to me, with all respect to the duck walkers out there.

I guess I should be clear on the bike used too. I have a CX bike that's kinda setup for lite-touring. Oh and shoes are lite hiking shoes.
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Old 05-22-16, 05:19 AM
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Riding less than 10 miles - street shoes. Commuting - work shoes. Any rides longer than an hour - my ancient Specialized touring shoes.

Not mine, but they look like this:

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Old 05-22-16, 05:42 AM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
You need clipless if you want to stick to the pedals.
I have a lot of miles on good quality platform pedals with pins and have never, not once, had a slip.

Last edited by Paul Barnard; 05-22-16 at 05:57 AM.
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Old 05-22-16, 05:56 AM
  #57  
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Let me add that I have been going back and forth between clipless and platform on one of my bikes just to see if I can tell any difference. It feels different, but my average speed hasn't changed. I have a pair of Reebok shoes that have a fairly stiff sole with a thin layer of soft rubber. They stick very well to the pinned platform pedals but have very little flex. For your application there's really no need to ride with cleated shoes and clipless pedals.
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Old 05-22-16, 07:51 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I have a lot of miles on good quality platform pedals with pins and have never, not once, had a slip.
Sometimes you should not take things so literally.
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Old 05-22-16, 08:57 AM
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Originally Posted by drlogik
I would get cycling shoes before a buying a jersey but after buying some padded cycling shorts. Cycling shorts, in my opinion makes a HUGE difference. Cycling shoes rank right up there though. The next progression would be toe-clips. Once you go there you'll be hooked for life. You have been warned.
I don't doubt there is some efficiency gain with cycling shoes but have to question just how much difference there is, plus that doesn't always mean it's better. If your cycling to stay in shape like I mainly do maybe doing something with a bit more inefficiency is simply more training. Unless you're planning on winning a race I don't see the big deal. Plus some disadvantages too. Likewise people make a big deal about jerseys and shorts, and that is a topic for other discussions but I can't say I see any big advantage there either other than looking the part. I think a lot of it is simply individual preference and what your body and mind is used to.
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Old 05-22-16, 10:10 AM
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Riding around town I generally wear whatever I have on. For longer rides, I have two steel bikes with spd pedals that I ride with MTB shoes. If I'm trying to go fast (that is a relative term -- fast for me) I ride my carbon bike with Look pedals and stiff road shoes. The latter set up is not great if there is going to be any walking around to do.
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Old 05-22-16, 12:02 PM
  #61  
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Sidis road or MTB shoes. I've got 6 pairs or so in various states of disrepair.



For around the neighborhood, flip-flops.

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Old 05-22-16, 12:14 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I have a lot of miles on good quality platform pedals with pins and have never, not once, had a slip.
If someone just rides along for enjoyment and cruising, those are fine. When clipless matters is hard efforts like powering up a steep climb standing or accelerating hard. Plus the more fatigued one is, the more feet want to move around.
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Old 05-22-16, 07:01 PM
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My thoughts here:
- There's no evidence that stiff shoes are more "efficient". It is true that stiff soles are more comfortable in hour three.
- Modern massive pinned MTB pedals offer amazing grip that's close to clipless and can be used with any shoes. I'm a big believer in them.
- Clipity-clop road shoes are great for racing and long road race training rides. If you're not racing, forget road shoes.
- Mountain bike shoes are far more practical for the vast majority of people than road shoes.
- SPD pedals are terrific. SPD-SLs are terrific if you're racing.
- Crocs make great riding shoes with pinned pedals.
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Old 05-23-16, 04:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Artfahie
I'm just getting into this activity, and, of course, am discovering all of the money-absorbing... sometimes important peripheral items that so many of us "can't live without"... Well, cycling shoes or NO cycling shoes... that is the question.. Expensive ones... affordable ones... or just plain old shoes or sneakers. Personally, I purchased a Trek FX7.2 hybrid... I don't plan on cycling cross country anytime soon... but... if I'm going to stick with this activity it would be better to know how vital dedicated shoes will be over the long run. Thanks.
Yes, I wear cycling shoes.

I have been wearing cycling shoes since about 2000 when I got clipless pedals.

I like the Lake Mtn Bike shoes.
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Old 05-23-16, 04:57 AM
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Yes, I wear cycling shoes. Specialized mountain SPD with speedplay frog pedals, and road cycling shoes with speedplay zero. On occasion, I 'll go with platform with sneakers on the mountain bike for a short ride.

Last edited by Jumpski; 05-23-16 at 05:02 AM. Reason: Error
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Old 05-23-16, 05:12 AM
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I wear my Shimano SPD sandals if I am riding any of my recumbents to help keep my feet on the pedals. If I am riding an upright, it depends on how far I am going and where I am going.
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Old 05-23-16, 08:17 AM
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Going back to the original question, you can wear anything as long as you are comfortable, especially starting out. Cycling specific shoes and clipless pedals become imporatnt as your milage and speed increases, especially if you move up to a road bike.

I used to be very active in a local cycling club. The slow and easy ride category which consisted of about half hybrids had about 50% of the riders in athletic house and platform pedals. The next highest ride class had more road bikes and 3/4th of riders with cycling specific shoes. This proportion increases as the classes move up in ride distances and speed until you reach the top where 100% have clipless pedals.
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Old 05-23-16, 08:29 AM
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I use platform pedals and unless I'm wearing my Converse Chuck's.. I'm wearing these:


I like these because I don't have to change in a 'business casual' work environment.
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Old 05-23-16, 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Hiro11
My thoughts here:
- There's no evidence that stiff shoes are more "efficient". It is true that stiff soles are more comfortable in hour three.
- Modern massive pinned MTB pedals offer amazing grip that's close to clipless and can be used with any shoes. I'm a big believer in them.
- Clipity-clop road shoes are great for racing and long road race training rides. If you're not racing, forget road shoes.
- Mountain bike shoes are far more practical for the vast majority of people than road shoes.
- SPD pedals are terrific. SPD-SLs are terrific if you're racing.
- Crocs make great riding shoes with pinned pedals.
Only if you exclude sprinting, climbing short steep hills, or bouncing over rough pavement. In my experience, pulling your foot off in those situations is pretty inefficient.
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Old 05-23-16, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
Only if you exclude sprinting, climbing short steep hills, or bouncing over rough pavement. In my experience, pulling your foot off in those situations is pretty inefficient.
I do admit even though I enjoy barefoot cycling there aren't hardly any hills around here, and I typically stay to the smooth paved rail trails, and don't do a lot of hard sprinting, so in my situation I'm not really missing them. But I can see in some situations where they would be of benefit.
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Old 05-23-16, 11:50 PM
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Puma Speedcats. They are comfortable, lightweight, and look good. I can get in and out of the toe clips quickly and easily, too.
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Old 05-24-16, 01:47 AM
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I always wear them. I use SPD shoes on my commuter (which has XTR SPD pedals), these shoes are also good for walking around. On my road bike I use Shimano carbon-fiber shoes, they are more comfortable than the Sidi and Carnac shoes i used to wear. I prefer Look pedals on my road bike, not exactly good for walking, but great for power transmission.

Unfortunately, I found to get my best pedals stroke using quill pedals with clips and straps. I have not been able to duplicate the the measurements on clipless pedals and shoes. At least with clips and straps you can get away with wearing most types of shoes.
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Old 05-24-16, 05:11 AM
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Originally Posted by FenderTL5
I use platform pedals and unless I'm wearing my Converse Chuck's.. I'm wearing these:


I like these because I don't have to change in a 'business casual' work environment.
Ditto, for commuter bike and platform pedals, a pair of Nike SB in all black can go into the office environment fairly easily. And a skateboard tread is about ideal for pinned platform pedals.
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Old 05-24-16, 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by drlogik
Cycling shoes have a much stiffer sole than regular shoes. This helps apply more power to the peddles more effectively and efficiently. Are they required? No. Are they recommended? Yes, I believe they are. Do you need to spend a lot of money? No. Cycling shoes will help you enjoy cycling more because you will get better at it the more you cycle and your equipment will support that...and that feeds the desire to spend more and more time riding.
The primary purpose of clipless is to keep your feet attached to the pedals in the most secure way possible.

The myth that they significantly increase efficiency comes up again and again, but they've done studies, experiments, etc. They took pro cyclists and tested them - pro cyclist unweight the foot but don't pull up. And they feel like they're faster but they aren't according to actually measuring their speed and power output. There are limits to these studies usually being done on an indoor trainer, some other thoughts and studies have suggested there might be a slight advantage in efficiency over very long rides, or that the cyclist might pull up under less usually conditions - while sprinting or riding uphill. But any small advantage you gain for people biking commuting or just riding is lost by the extra time you spend changing shoes.

For grip, pedals with pins and shoes with flat rubber soles do an excellent job of giving your foot grip on the pedal. For regular riding I don't think clipless is better. If I was all out sprinting at 30mph like a pro racer? Sure, I think clipless would be superior. But I've owned several clipless systems, and for riding for exercise and commuting to work - I personally see no advantage.

To get grip and comfort from flat pedals, buy a pair of pedals with pins and sufficient flat support for your foot. Here's one suggestion for $42, VP Components VP Vice Pedals:
https://www.amazon.com/VP-Components-.../dp/B006ZH1H7M



They also sell a more expensive pair with more pins in the middle:
Amazon.com : VP Components Bike Pedals, Black : Sports & Outdoors

Whether it's worth it to buy specific shoes for biking is debateable.
I bought a pair of Chrome Kurk's. They've worked well.
You can also get super grippy flat shoes from Five Ten that grab onto pins on your pedal so much you have to lift your foot off the pedal to twist it to change position a little.
You can also just use anything pretty much that's flat on the bottom (flat on the bottom keeps you having grip from the pins) and has a non-compressible sole. Skate shoes work well as well and would be cheaper - like Chuck Taylor's or Van's.
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Old 05-24-16, 02:23 PM
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Note that you can use SPD-SL pedals as platforms for short, mellow rides. Any rubber sole shoe will work, but I would not recommend leather soles.

https://twitter.com/caloso89/status/734915596953878528
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