I ride with toe clips/straps and have been planning to go clipless. The decision to do this ASAP was made when I returned from picking up lunch. Due to the cold weather, I am wearing my hiking boots rather than my Converse. As you may have already surmised, upon stopping, my foot did not come out of the toe clip in a timely fashion and I did the slow-motion, panic-faced, cursing-on-the-way-down pavement dive.

So here is my question:

Can I attach cleats to my hiking boots?
These boots are plenty warm and quite a bit stiffer-soled than my Converse. I do plan on buying a "real" cycling shoe for the warmer months. However, considering the brevity of the cold season down here, I just can't see spending the money on a pair of summer shoes and a pair of winter shoes.

I don't have an answewr on the question of attaching cleats to boots, but I have ridden different shoes on Shimano (SPD) pedals. You can buy pedals like the Shimano M424 and use them year round with both clip style biking shoes and winter boots.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...24+Pedals.aspx

My intended solution to this problem is to use Candy pedals. i.e. eggbeaters in the middle for your shoes with clips, but surrounded by a platform for your shoes w/out clips.

edit: though now that I see the shimano version above, will have to consider that alternative...

Anyone using those? Care to comment on how well they work with recessed cleats?

Unless your boots have a steel shank you just risk ending up with a ruined pair of hiking boots. At the very least work with a good cobbler. Unless the cleats are mounted securely, in steel or hard plastic, they will tear out just from clipping in and out.

I can't imagine that it is all that cold in Dallas, a bit above freezing. I would go for a nice pair of Answers with a good wool sock, and maybe some booties. Then you'll have a setup for summer without ruining a good pair of hiking boots.

Good point. I think that rules out cleating my boots. Now, if I could get my hands on a cheap pair of steel-shanked boots...


Temp range on my commute, this morning: 13°F to 20°F. We don't have a lot of days that are this cold, but it will likely stay fairly chilly until March.

I just checked. Steel-shank boots cost more than cycling shoes.

I tried to do this, and failed. Here's what I learned:

Usually when you buy SPD cleats, they come with a mounting kit -- a metal backing plate -- that allows you to mount them on a suitable shoe. To do so, you would just drill two 1/4" holes in the proper place.

The problem is the "suitable shoe" part. In order for the cleat to work, the area around it has to be smooth for a large enough area so that the pedal doesn't catch up on anything when you pivot to release. The material of the sole has to be incompressible enough that the cleat doesn't sink into the sole when the screws are tightened. Also, the sole of the shoe has to be thin enough -- about 1/4" or less -- so that the screws can reach the backing plate.

My hiking boots failed on all three counts, but it took a lot of hacking at the sole to find out. While I never got the chance to try it out on a bike, it did seem like the backing plate did a good enough job of spreading the force to keep the cleat in place against twisting forces.

I have pedalswith SPD on one side and platform on the other. Is it really that cold it Dallas?

Joe

You can get clipless pedals that have one side a platform. Also, you can buy platforms that clip into one side. Platforms are fine for most commuting needs.

I am not sure how cold it gets in Dallas, but I think you would be fine in regular clipless shoes year round. Just get a few pairs of synthetic fleece socks. I have espoused more than a few times the joy of winter sandal wearing, and if I can wear sandals in Sweden I am sure you can pull off regular shoes in Dallas.

Here's a "what if":

Would it be workable to cut out pieces of sheet metal to go under the insole of the boot? The insole comes out and is thick enough to keep the nails/staples coming through the edges of the sole from from sticking me in the foot. Wouldn't this allow me to "thin-down" the sole and screw in the cleats? The area under the front part of my boot has a fairly large, open area, (only two small "knobbies" need to be removed).

I'm really not trying to be difficult, but I have become accustomed to having my feet attached to the pedals and using that attachment to conserve energy. So accustomed, in fact that when I get on my "shopping" bike at home, (flat pedals) my feet come off on nearly every upstroke. It takes me a little while to stop my feet from flapping around like I'm some sort of injured duck. I'm not fond of the idea of riding 36 miles without being anchored to the pedals in some way.

As I posted above, 13°F when I left the house this morning. I switched from shoes to boots because I was unable to keep my toes from aching, even at 38°F, with a pair of thermal socks over regular socks. I am a big wuss when it comes to cold weather. I am far better acclimated to 100°F temps than much of anything below 40°.

Maybe the answer isn't boots, but socks. You could try SealSkinz or some other cold weather sock. I don't know if they will fit in regular shoes, but that would be a lot cheaper than a new pair of shoes.

one of the mechanics I worked with years ago swears he attached cleats to his Teva type sandals. This was years before Shimano ever made an spd sandal. If he can do it with a sandal it shouldn't be "impossible" to attach them to boots

Just buy bike shoes and a set of shoe covers to keep your feet warm in the cold.

Here's one way to convert boots to clipless:

https://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/boots.html

I have biked in hiking boots with toe clips without any particular problems. I bend the metal clips to a wider opening and keep the straps very lose.
The problem with cleats is that you have to drill right through the sole so your boots are no longer waterproof. No sealant will hold in the most highly stressed part of the shoe. If you dont have mud and puddles you may be OK with that.

Shimano makes a heavier boot with SPD cleats, but it's apparenly not imported to the USA. You could order from the UK but shipping will be high.

Google Shimano MT90.

I was poking around Performance and saw these:

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...&estore_ID=519

It looks like just what you want.

Or these:

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...&estore_ID=519

Those look great, but out of my price range.

Thanks everyone for your input. It's considerably warmer now, so I'm going to continue with the toe clips. (Also, a little birdie told me to wait until after X-mas to make any more bicycle purchases.)

first decide which type of clipless pedal you want

then get one of these to match

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5245




https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5245

Just spend $40 and get a pair of hiking style shoes with recessed cleats on sale at REI and a some wool socks. If it's still too cold, throw some sandwhich baggies over your toes.

I have the Shimano M424 SPDs on my bike and I rarely wear clipless shoes. In fact, I more often wear Columbia hiking shoes, sneakers and Skecher shoes & boots. I've also worn Caterpillar boots, all while riding on those pedals. The only caution I have is when it's wet, the pedals will feel slippery and make you feel less confident or secure, but I've never had a problem w/ my shoes slipping off the pedals when they're wet.

The platform part of those pedals is big enough to support your shoes and boots so you'll be fine.

SPD on one side and platform on the other. I love these and have them on several of my bikes.

You can catch them on sale sometimes for $20 [but not today]
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slitrk=search#

I recommend getting a set of clipless pedals and a pair of summer cycling shoes now. Get a pair of shoe covers for the occasional winter day. Louis Garneau WindTex are quite nice and work well down below freezing. Wool socks will also help on really cold days (Texas cold, not Yankee cold).