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Clip-in shoes. What's the difference?

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Clip-in shoes. What's the difference?

Old 04-16-13, 04:02 PM
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Clip-in shoes. What's the difference?

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Old 04-16-13, 04:08 PM
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If what you're referring to is what we call 'clipless' on this side of the Atlantic, I've heard that the mtb variants are more comfortable and a bit less prone to damage when walking around. Of course, this is all hearsay on my part, as I use grippy platform pedals exclusively.
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Old 04-16-13, 04:14 PM
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I use the same mountain bike clipless shoes for my commute and road riding. The cleats are recessed and they are fairly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I sometimes leave them all day as I mostly have a desk job.

These are the shoes I use: Shimano SH-MT33L and on my commuter I use Shimano A530 dual-sided padals.
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Old 04-16-13, 04:18 PM
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I am another that uses MTB clips on my road bike and mountain bike, for the same reason as above. They are more comfortable than road shoes, which the only time I was comfortable in them was when I was on the bike. Road shoes have plastic clips and they are easily chipped or broken where the MTB clips are metal and last for years.
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Old 04-16-13, 04:23 PM
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You probably just should have posted once; I'm just going to talk briefly about both shoes and pedals here.

IMO the best option for commuting is mountain pedals and mountain shoes you can walk in.

The biggest difference between road and mtn pedals/shoes is the bolt pattern for the cleats; road uses a three-hole triangular bolt-pattern, mtn uses 2 or 4 (most mountain shoes will have room for four bolts, some cleats will use all 4, some just 2).

For each bolt pattern, there are multiple types of pedals, and any pedals you buy (new) will come with cleats for that type of pedal. The cleats bolt onto the bottom of the shoes. I can think of 3 types of mountain pedals off the top of my head (I'm not gonna talk about Road), maybe there are more. By far the most common is Shimano SPD. Most off-brand mtn pedals (performance/nashbar, wellgo, ...) will conform to this same standard. Also quite popular are the Crank Bros. Eggbeater pedals. And on the luxury end, Speedplay makes a mountain pedal called Frogs.

My recommendation is to get pedals that have SPD-clips on one side, but when you flip them over, they're just standard platforms. That way you can ride with regular shoes whenever you want. For instance Shimano PD-M324 or Nashbar Rodeo (currently on a pretty good sale), those are just examples, others may suggest more.

And for whatever mountain pedals you get, the matching/provided cleats should mount onto any mountain shoes. I'm happy with the shoes I have (Forte Traverse, also currently on a pretty good sale).

Others may chime in with more recommendations and opinions, and perhaps even facts!
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Old 04-16-13, 04:38 PM
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+1 to SPD mountain bike style clip-less pedals with recessed cleat shoes. they work fantasticly well, last for years and years, and most importantly, allow me to walk like a normal bi-ped when i'm off the bike.

i'm also a huge fan of combo SPD/platform pedals. even though i ride clipped in 95% of the time, it's still nice to be able to ride platform in hairy situations or just grab a bike and go without worrying about putting on different shoes. however, some people find them to be the worst of both worlds. to each their own.
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Old 04-16-13, 05:30 PM
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Old 04-16-13, 05:43 PM
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There should be tons of topics on this, but I think our search function is having issues, so I'll throw some stuff out.

Spending more typically gets you better gear. Better materials, sealed bearings in the pedals, lighter, stiffer soles on the shoes, etc.

Don't buy road shoes and pedals for mountain biking. Mountain shoes have a rubber sole with lugs, and fit a mountain bike cleat.
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Old 04-16-13, 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Shocker_33
A set of pedals with both a flat side for normal shoes and SPD-clips on the other did cross my mind.
I have these and would happily trade them for spd-only pedals. I almost never ride without clipping in.
I got some new Specialized Tahoe shoes (C$130) recently and am very happy with them. They are comfortable to walk in the cleat is well-recessed. I'm sure there are other good choices. I recommend getting the multi-release cleats for commuting as they increase your chance of getting out quickly when you need to.
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Old 04-16-13, 06:06 PM
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If you want to walk off the bike in your cycling shoes for any meaningful distance comfortably you should buy mountain shoes/pedals over road. Road pedals/shoes can be a little lighter (no tread on shoe) and there's a little more surface area between the cleat and the shoe to distribute forces, and they often align the foot a little more specifically, but they're terrible to walk around in as the cleat is not recessed.

MTB pedals offer very good performance (many recreational road cyclists ride these also) but allow you to walk off the bike. Depending on the exact cleat/shoe combination the cleat may impact your walking some, not impact your walking much but make some scraping noises, or not interfere with your walking at all. For what it's worth crank brothers cleats are a bit lower profile than SPD. I've used both eggbeaters and SPDs, and frankly they're both fine (the eggbeaters do clear mud better for cyclocross/mtb but that's probably not a big concern for you). SPDs are more common and can be bought cheaper, Eggbeaters are lighter, have more entry points, and have lower profile cleats. I think they may be slightly easier to get out of. Take your pick. More money generally buys you lighter weight, but reliability and functionality of inexpensive brand name pedals are good. I don't know about offbrand stuff, probably a mixed bag with some good performers thrown in.

Shoes range from ultra-stiff carbon soled MTB shoes that are really nearly identical to road shoes with added lugs for walking and 2 bolt cleat compatibility, to much less stiff shoes that are almost like sneakers. You can walk around in a really stiff shoe some, but I wouldn't want to do it very long, whereas I've spent hours walking and standing in more flexible shoes. For what it's worth, I really like my Specialized MTB Sport shoes. They're entry level performance oriented shoes, so they're reasonably stiff while still being comfortable to walk and stand in, are actually very light, and the velcro makes them easy to take on and off (to change into normal-person-shoes.) I also really love my stupid expensive S-Works MTB shoes for my recreational riding, and they'd be totally fine commuting as long as you're not doing any more walking than, say, some grocery shopping.

I've had the SPDs with flats on the other side. They work fine, but I found I used the flats uncommonly, and they reduce pedaling clearance around corners (a fact I became more aware of after clipping a pedal turning on my touring bike, after having mostly ridden my cyclocross bike). They're heavy and more expensive. Still, if you think you'll use the flats, they're a reasonable call.
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Old 04-16-13, 06:08 PM
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I went from toe clips and straps (riding with those for the better part of 12 years) to clipless last year. I originally went with double sided pedals because they were already on my bike (double sided); I simply took the clips and straps off and bought some shoes. I never ride without my cycling shoes, so it got annoying having to ensure that the pedals were the correct side up. I was, however, used to it given that the clips and straps had to be a certain way as well.

This year, I switched to double sided pedals (Shimano M520), and I haven't looked back. It is incredibly nice not having to worry about whether or not the right side of the pedal is up after taking off at an intersection. I'll be ordering a couple more sets of those pedals for my other bikes here soon.

Given the above, I think you can guess what I will recommend pedal wise! For me, going with MTB shoes was a no-brainer given the fact that I wanted to be able to walk around in them. I might not spend much time walking in them (I rode 53 miles non-stop today, for example), but having the option to walk in them is why I prefer MTB shoes.

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Old 04-16-13, 06:09 PM
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road clipless is meant for applications where youre spending more time on the bike than off. the cleat sticks out completely from the bottom giving you essentially a reverse heel. they are stiff and light and are meant for performance on the bike in mind, not walking.

road pedals typically clip in on only one side, and can have a higher adjustable tension for clipping in/out. it is "harder" to clip in to these quickly since the pedal is one sided and is more specific about the way the cleat enters the pedal

mtb style clipless is meant for applications where youre spending more time off the bike actually walking. typically the cleat is recessed into the shoe so you can walk normally, and are not as stiff. theyre mainly meant to keep your feet attached to the pedal, not necessarily for performance (though it will help dramatically)

mtb pedals usually clip in on both sides of the pedal (or 4 sides in the case of eggbeaters) and generally have a lower tension to clip in/out. mtb pedals are generally "easier" to clip into, most of the time you can blindly just step down onto the pedal to clip in
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Old 04-16-13, 07:48 PM
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Good info here so far.

I own them all and ride clipless 99% of the time. I've used road pedals/shoes and mountain style pedals/shoes for years and years. I have a big collection for all my bikes, riding adventures, and conditions. So I'm going to state the obvious truths as I know them:

-Road bike shoes/pedals are far better for road riding than anything else, but that's all they are good for. Amazing on the bike, awful off the bike.
-Mountain style shoes/pedals are far more versatile and better suited to mountain biking, cyclocross, commuting, winter and general city riding in all conditions. You can walk in them off the bike with a measure of comfort. There are also a lot of styles of shoes for various purposes in this category. I have hard core Mtn shoes, commuter shoes, fall boots, winter boots, and sandals. All are good for different things.

In general shoes are like most things, cost = better performance, longevity, materials and fit. No matter what your budget is, make sure they are comfortable and fit your type of foot when you buy them. They are usually stiffer than regular shoes so you can't expect them to stretch or break in very easily if at all, especially the cheaper models. If they are uncomfortable off the bike they wont be comfortable on the bike either. My preference are Sidi shoes, they are finely crafted in italy and have become one with my foot and last forever. I have 3 pairs. They are stupid expensive and worth it.

Start with some mountain style SPD pedals and some comfy commuter shoes or sandals and get into it and see how you like it.

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Old 04-17-13, 08:16 AM
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A lot of people are mentioning dual SPD/platforms, how they almost never end up using the platforms.

Right now I have SPD on my commuter, and platforms on my mtn bike. Frankly, I like my commuter better (Surly CrossCheck), so if I need to jump on for a quick ride to the park or something, I'm more likely to just pedal my SPDs in tennis shoes (not that hard). And if I go on a longer ride with the MTB, I swap the pedals so I can ride clipped-in.

Pretty soon I plan to get some dual pedals for the MTB, so I won't have to swap pedals anymore, but I would never want them on my main bike. It would be a major pain to have a 50% chance of failed clip-in every time.

But it is personal preference. Surely it's a balance involving how often one is likely to ride in street shoes, and how annoyed one gets at clip-in fail.
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Old 04-17-13, 08:49 AM
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^ also, if you get good at track-standing at red lights, you don't have to clip out and in all that often. for example, on my 14.5 mile commute into work this morning, there were only 2 times that i bothered to clip-out at a red light to put a foot down. that's one of the reasons why i don't mind having combo SPD/platform pedals; i just don't need to get into a pedal all that often because i usually just track-stand at stops.
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Old 04-17-13, 08:52 AM
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I love SPD's/mountain/commuter shoe combo on all three of my commuter bikes. Wouldn't change the system, just the shoes when they wear out.
Pedals that I would recommend for commuting/touring/city use.......
Shimano A530.....roadier platform side, work well with vibram five fingers, recently moved to my univega sport our:

Shimano M324's on my mtn bike commuter:

Shimano T780, newest to me, on my Origin8 CX700:


Bunch of different SPD/mountain/commuter shoes over time, here. Use keen austin pedal for winter/business casual and keen commuter sandals in the summer, no socks.

Like a lot of the pearl izumi shoes, though, had 3 pairs. Just got these a couple of weeks ago to replace an aging pair. Found them for $39.99 in my size:

or these, newer model of same shoe:


One thing I prefer..........I use the single direction release SPD cleats(sh51), only, don't care for the multi-release. I have one set of multi-release(sh56) on my keen austin shoes, business casual, casual cycling only. If you are an aggressive rider and used to clipless pedals the single release stay put better and I still find them easy to get out of. I tend to come out of the multi's too easily, especially when worn.
Caused me a couple of uncomfortable situations when I had a lot of leg in the pedal.
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Old 04-17-13, 08:59 AM
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i usually just track-stand at stops
Haha -- that's good for you maybe, but the more balance-challenged of us will just have to manage lights so that there's enough distance to roll slowly up to the light and let it turn green. There's nothing more frustrating than losing that game of chicken with the light -- sometimes I think they have cameras that cause the light to turn green as soon as it sees a cyclist foot touch the pavement!
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Old 04-17-13, 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by AusTexMurf
keen commuter sandals in the summer, no socks
Wow, those look really cool. I'm a super cheapskate when it comes to shoes, but I scored a pair of Keen shoes for $3.50 from Salvation Army, and they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! It's like walking in kittens! Plus my feet get hot in the summer, a pair of Keen commuter sandals might just be worth the long green.

One thing I prefer..........I use the single direction release SPD cleats(sh51), only, don't care for the multi-release. I have one set of multi-release(sh56) on my keen austin shoes, business casual, casual cycling only. If you are an aggressive rider and used to clipless pedals the single release stay put better and I still find them easy to get out of. I tend to come out of the multi's too easily, especially when worn.
Caused me a couple of uncomfortable situations when I had a lot of leg in the pedal.
I bought the multi, and they only popped out unexpectedly a few times (but once was bunnyhopping a pothole, fortunately I landed OK) Probably depends on riding style.

For the OP, the difference is that single-direction release cleats disengage by kicking the heel outwards -- it's actually two directions because you can kick the heel outward or inwards, but there's less room in the inwards direction because there's a bike in the middle!

But multi-release cleats will also disengage with a sharp enough pull upwards of the heel. On the plus side, this can give more peace of mind to new clipless riders who feel trapped in the pedals; but as noted above, sometimes aggressive riding will suffer accidental release.
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Old 04-17-13, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by megalowmatt
I use the same mountain bike clipless shoes for my commute and road riding. The cleats are recessed and they are fairly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I sometimes leave them all day as I mostly have a desk job.

These are the shoes I use: Shimano SH-MT33L and on my commuter I use Shimano A530 dual-sided padals.
this is VERY sensible.

i've had a number of mtb shoes over the years, and even though many now have fancy velcro and ratcheting closure mechanisms, laces are still the best. good price too. if you get these don't be surprised if you find yourself using them for many years.

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Old 04-17-13, 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by hueyhoolihan
if you get these don't be surprised if yourself using them for many years.
I use my mtb shoes for riding, and that's it. Put them on, walk maybe a few steps, start riding, quit riding, walk a few steps, take them off. I can't imagine them ever wearing out.
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Old 04-17-13, 10:32 AM
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I also use the mountain bike shoes and pedals on both my mtb and road bike. I use the same shoes for both. The only thing I don't like about clipless pedals is trying to get clipped back in after stopping at a light. I have not been able to do it without looking down to align and only on a few occasions I hit it right on. I leave my left shoe clipped in and take off when the light turns green and put my right up on the pedal which has clips on both sides but still needs alignment. I can't imagine trying to do it with clips only on one side as I'd have to check and flip as needed after each remount. I always use the mtb shoes except in winter where you need insulated boots so the platform side isn't needed.
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Old 04-17-13, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by droy45
The only thing I don't like about clipless pedals is trying to get clipped back in after stopping at a light. I have not been able to do it without looking down to align and only on a few occasions I hit it right on. I leave my left shoe clipped in and take off when the light turns green and put my right up on the pedal which has clips on both sides but still needs alignment. I can't imagine trying to do it with clips only on one side as I'd have to check and flip as needed after each remount.
how long have you been riding clipless pedals?

i ask because it's been about 6 years for me (i use combo SPD/platforms), and even though i rarely bother to clip-out for stops, when i do i can put the cleat back in the SPD side of my pedal without looking on the first try about 90% of the time. the pedal is weighted such that it always hangs in the same direction, so my foot just "knows" what position to be in to hit the cleat recievier on the SPD-side almost every time.

i do occasionally miss, but i clip-out so infrequently as it is, that i just don't find it to be a big deal at all.
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Old 04-17-13, 11:00 AM
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Yes, like anything else, practice makes perfect. Set aside half an hour to roll around an empty parking lot, just clipping, unclipping, and you'll be fine.
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Old 04-17-13, 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
Yes, like anything else, practice makes perfect. Set aside half an hour to roll around an empty parking lot, just clipping, unclipping, and you'll be fine.
Ha! I should have set aside half an hour on a grassy field when I started. I arrived at work, my co-workers coming in from the parking lot, tried to pull my shoe off the pedal (doing it the wrong way), couldn't and fell (ungraciously). LOL

It is good to practice and be aware that when you're approaching a known stop, sign or light, unclip your right foot well before you need to and coast to the stopping point. You can always dial the tension so that it is easiest for you to unclip your shoe.
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Old 04-17-13, 12:49 PM
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Yes, and pretty soon it becomes automatic.

Kind of like we have two cars, one's a stick, one's an automatic. Once you know how to drive stick, you never (well amost never) forget to clutch in before braking to a light. (However, it is sadly frequent that I automatically "remember" to stomp on the clutch when I'm pulling up to a stoplight in the minivan -- but where a clutch should be, there's an extra-wide brake pedal instead!

I haven't noticed whether, when I ride on platforms, whether I unconsciously kick my heels out before taking my feet off the pedals...
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