rickey13

I'm new to touring, rode a road bike for the last 25 yrs . What pedals and shoes do most people wear when out on the road.

raybo

Personally, I use SPD clipless pedals. I carry flip-flops and, usually, a pair of shoes I can walk/hike in.

bikeguyinvenice

I use crank brother pedals with a set of cannondale touring shoes, they are walkable, but wouldn't want to walk in them all day.

3speed

I use some sealed bearing, flat pedals from Nashbar. I think they were ~$40 on sale. Light weight, tough, and I can ride my bike in whatever shoes I want. I usually go for flip-flops if the weather is decent. "Skate" shoes or hiking shoes/boots with fairly low tread if it's colder out.

treal512

Shimano A530 SPD pedals have been good to me so far.

bhchdh 

These with SPD sandals.

fietsbob

Ok , Im an old guy , what I used is 'old-School'

road toe clip pedals, shoes with a slot in the sole. mine were a shoe repair shop project,
The slot is curved )( so the foot can align as it wants to ..

the shoes can be loose fitting*,(toe clips) so there is good blood circulation, stiff soles for pedaling, nice insoles

I like Birkenstock's insoles .. were imported , now you have to ship from Germany.

months long tours , no foot discomfort.

* SPuD shoes are, chosen tighter fitting on your foot, to release cleats, properly.

wahoonc

variety... longer tours, stiff soled shoes (like indoor soccer shoes) with toe clips. Shorter tours flat pedals with what ever I am wearing that day, possibly half clips.

Aaron

MassiveD

I'm a big believer in clipless, unfortunately I can't use them since breaking my ankle. So i use a pair of rat traps I put flat plates over, and I use White brothers pedals. I want to try some of the super thin pedals mountain bikers use, as they would be the ultimate for me, like the fly paper pedals. Unfortunately that tech is still at the level where no one product has everything. The main problem is the good ones only work with certain cranks, and the bad ones burn bearings.

cannondale125

What about the best pedal in the world!! My titanium Speedplays. Just kidding, but I do love my Speedplays!!

Rwc5830

I just got a surly DT and put shimano A530 on it. Really like them so far....not many miles yet. Asked several other experienced tourers and that is what they suggested.

My carbon road bike has look keo and I have around 15K miles on it but would not go that route for a touring bike.

fietsbob

Other touring Phred Forum had a few Spud sandal wearers liking them ,, GTX sock covers in the wet,
thick socks for warmth, thin ones to keep your feet from sunburning, and the straps adjust, to fit.

andrewclaus

I see all types while touring, from sandals on flat pedals to expensive clipless. I'm at the low end of the range, with old toe clips (chrome with leather straps, even) and running shoes. I put Superfeet inserts in the shoes to stiffen them a bit. I enjoy taking breaks from the bike by taking a walk every few hours, so the equipment fits my style. Some cyclists spend more on their pedals and shoes than I did on my entire bike. It really depends on one's touring style.

Tourist in MSN

You will find a lot of information on pedals by doing a search on this site. This topic has been covered at length.

I like Shimano M324 pedals, use SPD cleats on one side, normal shoes on the other.



But, you might want to start with the same ones you have used on road bikes since that is what you are used to. And plan on normal shoes for the campsite.

Mountain bike shoes are better for walking than the road racing ones, so you might want to eventually switch, but no reason to invest in new shoes and pedals right away.

A friend of mine uses only one pair of SPD type sandals for everything when touring, he leaves the shoes at home. But that is not my preference.

cyclist2000

I use shimano spd's with sidi dominators.

pataspen

Pedals - Shimano M747 mountain bike pedals. Very durable and reliable. I prefer mtn bike pedals, as I can walk normally in the shoes. M747's are great, but any quality mountain bike pedal will do.

Shoes - Years ago I tried SPD sandals and have never considered anything else. They are comfortable (after the initial break-in); they double as campsite footwear (just loosen the straps); you can wear them around town easily. An unintended bonus is that they allow your feet to "air out", so you don't get really stinky feet after a few days without a shower. Of course, everything else stinks.

They are obviously comfortable in hot weather; for cold weather I use a very lightweight pair of Smartwool socks and SealSkinz waterproof socks. On the Alaska Highway everything got soaked, but my feet stayed warm and dry.

I've used Shimano, Lake and Exustar models. Personally, the Exustar fit best and can be found on Nashbar, rebranded as the Ragster.

Obviously, for my mountain bike tours I stick with regular mtn bike shoes.

Machka 

Shimano PD M324 ... on all my bicycles.

bikemig 

I used toe clips and straps on my last tour so I could use a pair of quality low cut walking shoes. Cycling shoes aren't always the best for walking and I wanted to keep things simple. Frankly I don't think this is a big deal as long as your feet don't hurt.

Erick L

MKS Touring with Powerstraps because I hike a lot on tour and don't want to carry a second pair of shoes. If I weren't hiking, I'd probably use SPD Shimano M545 or something similar. I'll never use toe-clips again.

stevepusser

Another vote for spd sandals. Only downside is that you either have to wear socks (how gauche!) or get some funky tan spots on your feet. I go for the funky spots. I like the Shimano, since they are noticeably stiffer than the Exustar, yet still are fine for walking. Dear Shimano, they are perfect as they are now--don't mess them up again! (like make them neon orange and green, or look like Crocs)

Doug64

I've been using the Shimano 324's for the last couple of years, but I'm going to switch back to the 520 or 540's. I like the 324 fine, but they just beat up my shins. The cages have many sharp protrusions, which provide grip when using non-clip shoes. Those same protrusions seem to come into contact with my shins quite regularly when walking the bike of moving it around.

I know it is operator error, but I'm opting for pedals with less sharp edges. Having said that, my wife uses the same pedals, Shimano 324's, and does not have that problem

That is the usual state of my shins after 2-3 weeks into a tour.


All those little "shin getters"

donalson

thanks for that info... I picked up some SPD shimano sandals late in the summer, my SPD shoes where always a little on the tight side for me and i'I've been trying to figure out a way to use my sandals comfortably though the winter (as mild as a Houston winter might be)... I'll look into these types of socks

donalson

I haven't been on a tour YET but I've been happily running shimano a520 pedals... I will occasionally go with my VERY OLD m505 (entry lvl MTB dual sidded stuff back in the mid 90's... works just as good today as it did then but keep them out of the mud and they are heavy)

for my planned tour this spring I'll be using the a520 pedals... i'm not sure if it's just placebo or not but I like the extra support cage around the foot... they do take a little more work to get into because they are single sided... for shoes I plan to use my SPD shimano sandals... I've used them on all but one short ride since I've had them... they fit my feet well and my sandal personality (spent most of my life in the tropics and on the gulf coast so i'm typically in sandals/flops)

pataspen

Who you calling funky?

hybridbkrdr

The new click R is supposedly easier to clip out of and the Shimano T420 has one flat side for shoes and one side for clipping in. It also has reflectors.
https://www.xxcycle.com/shimano-click...-black,,en.php

EDIT: These have rounded out plastic on the outside edge for those who can bang their shins. (It's rare but I've done it too.)
Also, I've ordered Bush & Muller lights from xxcycle before and they delivered in case if you're wondering if they're legit or not. The delivery time from France was pretty reasonable to Canada.