Shoe talk....
 

I have a road bike, and was recommended to consider mountain bike shoes, as opposed to road shoes..because of recessed cleats....So that is what I went with, so far okay...does anyone else do this, is it common? pros, or cons..I am still a bit of a noob, so still learning as I go.

I've done just that for many, many years, right after I first got clipless pedals. My first clipless pedals were Look road pedals and I bought compatible road shoes. I soon learned these were a horror to walk in or even put a foot down at a stop if the road was wet or had any gravel on it. I did get the rubber cleat covers which protected the cleat but made walking even more awkward.

After about a year I switched to Shimano SPDs and Speedplay Frogs, both of which use recessed cleats, and I got compatible MTB or "Touring" shoes. I've never once regretted the change.

For non-racers, shoes with recessed cleats are far easier to use off the bike and give up very little in riding efficiency if you get good shoes. BTW, Shimano and others make "Touring" shoes which have recessed cleat pockets but have flat soles and lack the lugs of MTB shoes. These are an excellent compromise between pure road shoes and real MTB shoes.

I also have used mountain shoes for years. I have a lovely old pair of road shoes, but the mountain shoes with recessed cleats are much more sensible when I need to walk at times.

Typically, most road shoes have no perceivable flex. Stiffer than mountaineering boots and no traction. The pedal is usually bigger and has a larger connection to the cleat. This means better power transfer with a lower chance of pulling out of the pedals.

MTB shoes are a lot more flexible and have traction. The pedals are smaller with smaller cleats, making it easier to get soreness on the bottom of the foot and to pull out unexpectedly.

In practical terms though, at an intermediate level, if you get a quality pair of shoes they will be almost as stiff as road shoes. You won't pull out of the pedals unless the cleats are worn. It'll be fine.

I never stop on my road bike. I have 3 lights before I'm out of town. I even usually drive to my ride, literally no need for feet. Racing is the same way. Otherwise, yes, get mtn shoes and pedals. You'll love them.

Your riding conditions are quite unusual. For most riders and most conditions recessed cleats are more functional.

For more typical daily rides, organized rides and tours, having to stop at lights, stop signs, for other traffic, and bathroom/food stops you do have to stop and often walk.

rwh64,

Timely post.... I am also a noobie. Been away from road riding since '83. After six month of street riding I'm seriously researching shoes and clip on's. I have replaced my stock pedals with 'Intey' flat ones. Even so there is nothing worse than leaving a stop light and trying to get your left foot correctly on the 'sweet' spot of the pedal. Embarrassing to say the least.

I was hoping that in time I'd develop mussel memory to help, but still have occasional issues. So your post and the great input from others that chimed in is a large help.

Thanks

That's very shellfish of you.:lol: (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

HillRider,,,,,,, Very Funny>>!!!! Suggest you not quit your day job.... Yuk, Yuk

It's rare that I will stop and have to walk around while wearing my road shoes. Big event rides is about the only time I do. If I want to ride my road bike, and know I'll be doing some walking\sightseeing, I swap the pedals and wear my MTB shoes. Or just use a different bike. My wife uses MTB shoes on all her bikes, road, hybrid, and commuter.

It's up to you want you use, and really no big deal.

I have 3 road bikes and 1 mtn bike.
I have used Shimano SPD mtn pedals & cleats on all of them for many years.

Touring shoes with SPD pockets in rubber soles are rare, Shops tend to stock what they can get, easily.

there is a rare customer wanting a rigid sole road shoe , with the SPD cleat , those require pontoons on either side of the cleat

Because there is no pocket edge, and the system depends on the body of the pedal contacting that..


So far those people all are in a Spinning Class, and the stationary spinning bikes are all fitted with SPD pedals..

OP may want an SPD SL cleat set, the pontoon set is the difficult thing to find .. that is only sold in a package deal ....

they are hard to walk in, so for much walking, off the bike.. SPD pedals that come with pontoonless the cleat, with MTB shoes,
are the reasonable choice..




....

True, they aren't commonly stocked in LBS's which generally have only pure road or MTB shoes. I had to order my Shimano SH-T092 and SH-R82 shoes from Amazon and Nashbar but they are available and worth the search.

One more vote for "MTB" pedals and shoes. I've got them on all my bikes. While I'm not usually going to a coffee shop on a ride, there's all kinds of reasons to walk in bike shoes, from walking out to the garage to get the bike to topping for more fluids on a long ride to ...


Sole stiffness usually comes up in these discussions. MTB shoes vary in how stiff their soles are. Some are pretty close to floppy. Some (like my current Sidi and former pair of Pearl Izumi that I wore out) are pretty darn stiff. One step stiffer than you think you need is usually about right, especially if you're every going to ride more than a couple hours in a day (think of century rides, or even a shorter organized ride). The stiff sole helps prevent hot foot where the softer sole wraps around the small MTB pedal.

Yes, everybody does this.

The potential differentiation between road and mountain shoes was predicted back in the 90's and was based on the idea that road shoe and mountain shoe technologies will go their separate ways: road shoes were expected to opt for relatively thin and soft soles for the sake of weight savings, while mountain shoes were expected to go for rigid heavier soles top improve power transfer.

In reality, with the wide adoption of more modern sole materials (like carbon, hard nylon etc.) and technologies this expected distinction between road and MTB never actually materialized. It proved to be possible to create shoes that are light and stiff at the same time, without having to make any trade-offs or compromises. The modern shoes are basically the same. One can say that there's no such thing as "road shoe" or "mountain shoe" anymore. The difference is purely superficial and boils down to the presence or absence of those walking ridges around the cleat.

The same (parallel) situation exists between so called "road pedals/cleats" and "MTB pedals/cleats". The expected distinction was expected to stem from the same principles as described above, but failed to materialize in reality. MTB shoes with two-bolt Shimano SPD cleats is already mainstream of today's road cycling.

TO 92 still in production ?

I prefer them.

I have a road "race" bike that I wear more traditional road shoes on.

I also have a touring bike I ride with Specialized mtn shoes.

When on my road bike, I only stop once I get home. I'm never going somewhere to walk around.

I take my touring bike if I'm going anywhere or will feel the need to walk around.

All that being said, the mountain shoes are much more comfortable, and it's much easier clipping in after stop lights.

All that being said, my suggestion to you would be to buy another bike.

If you have to ask, then recessed cleats (spd style) are probably the right choice. Most riders that would truly benefit from the use of a full on road shoe and cleat combo know that's what they want/need.

I don't know but a Google search did get a few hits for them. There are a couple of similar models from Shimano and a few from others.

Mine are in storage here , Since I just ride around town now opted for comfortable shoes.. concrete shop floor demands it.


It's raining now so the shoes are from LL Bean , rubber ones.





....

Thanks for all of the input!..The shoes I got , were Giant Flux Mtb..and the pedals were Origin, which have the clips on one side, other side is flat.So far the shoes have been comfortable, and for the moment seem stiff enough, certainly better than the sneakers I was wearing. Still getting the hang of clipping in and out. someone made a comment about getting a different bike, not sure why. My bike is a Specialized Allez E5, so basically a decent beginner model road bike I think.

I didn't tell you to get a different bike. I told you to get another one.

While they are called mountain bike cleats. I don't thing that was the intention. Mountain bikers just favored them because of what they allow.

1) you can walk more normally in them because they allow more area for shoe tread.
2) they shed mud better or mud is less problematic for clipping in to the pedal. Don't know this for fact. Just what I read.
3) typically they have a sole that flexes slightly more. Since the shoe has tread to let you walk, then certainly you want some flex to help make it easier.

I only ride rode bikes, but I too only use SPD or moutain bike cleats. The bikes shops around here have equal amounts of both. Some of the shoes for SPD look more like something a road biker would want to wear than a mountain biker. IMO.

+1 In the group I ride with, most of the riders who are faster or ride more distance use Look or Shimano road pedals. There is more variety among the casual riders. Personally I'm happy with Shimano touring shoes and A520 pedals.

SPD are all I need and all I ride, and I don't even have a mountain bike. I have various different kinds of SPD pedals and shoes. My favorite shoes are kind of like hiking boots but low-rise. They are for mountain bike racing. The soles are very stiff, but I don't find it annoying for walking. The cleat is recessed, so the cleat doesn't grind on the ground.