Messigician10

I'm just curious how many seconds you would save on a 10 mile ride with road bike shoes vs mountain bike shoes. Are mountain bike shoes worth it if you don't count for every second on a ride and just ride for training?

02Giant 

Two...

dedhed

Depends on if I'm throwing them at the kids or the dog.

cyccommute 

But seriously folks

Honestly, there's no difference between mountain bike shoes and road shoes of the same quality in terms of speed on the bike. If you were to compare two top level shoes from the same maker in road or mountain, you'll find that they are just the same in terms of construction and stiffness.

The only real difference is in how they work off the bike. One allows you to walk like a normal person...even very long distances...and the other doesn't. I leave determining which is which as an exercise for the reader

TimothyH

Some are in fact, the exact same shoe except for cleat attachment and extra rubber stuff on the bottom for ease of walking.

kingston 

I have heard two arguments for road shoes that I find to be at least somewhat compelling.

1) With the larger cleat and contact area on road pedals, your feet are less susceptible to hot spots on long rides.
2) Retention is better with road pedals. This usually comes from the track guys. I understand some velodromes do not allow SPD pedals because they have had a problem with riders coming unclipped in mass starts.

As an aside, all elite road racers use road pedals so there must be something about them that's better when you're cycling at that level. My guess is they need the extra retention for when they sprint, and they don't care about walking. Probably for most people there's no difference.

ddeand 

I would guess that rotational mass would be less with a lighter road shoe, but that might not affect any but the most elite racers over long distances. There are so many other variables (mentioned above), that the style of shoe may not be the main element in choosing a style.

fietsbob

no faster than the feet & legs pushing them..

Moe Zhoost

I ride road bikes, but use SPD mountain bike shoes specifically because if I have a problem miles from nowhere I want to be able to walk. Also, they're universal as I use the same shoes for my commuting bike as well as the trike. They are heavier than road shoes so they probably do affect speed a bit, but with wind, road surface, etc. it's insignificant.

I do have a few pair of the old leather cleated shoes for use with toe clips. The cleats are nylon so they are a bit easier to walk in but not much.

BTW, why do shoes cost so much now. In the 80s they were much more reasonable. Marketing?

Wilfred Laurier

There may be a small comfort difference for longer rides with sustained efforts, but very rigid (ie the highest quality) soles should minimize this difference. I have very large feet (which, on paper, would maximise this effect) and I have used solely mtb shoes for the past few seasons and not had a problem.

Also, there may be a miniscule aerodynamic penalty that would only make a measurable difference for elite riders in time-trial situations. If you don't already have aerodynamic shoe covers like the pros wear then this is probably not of interest to you.

The main effect is the FF (Fred Factor) which dictates that to prevent ridicule you must dress in complete matched team kit appropriate for your brand of bike. If you are grown-up with reasonable self confidence you should not let others (including me in this comment) tell you what you should wear.

unterhausen

I have 2 pairs of shoes that are virtually identical, road and mtb. The mtb shoes are really intended for cyclocross racing, so they are high performance shoes. I adopted mtb shoes because I have to walk across the Delaware river a number of times per year, and mtb shoes make that a lot faster. I also like only having the same cleats on all my bikes.

there used to be cheaper shoes at the low end. Those were not particularly good shoes. The good shoes are about the same or maybe less considering inflation. And they are better shoes.

Homebrew01

I got very nice Garneau road shoes for $99 on sale at my LBS 5-6 years ago. Still in great shape. (I don't walk in them)

10 Wheels

Placed side by side

same speed

AlexCyclistRoch

I would guess that for running, the MTB shoes would be faster....

FullGas

who rides just 10 miles...?

not even worth putting shoes on for that distance.

DaveQ24 

OP was hopefully just using 10 as a mathematically convenient unit of reference.

I don't want to sound judgmental of other people's habits - but I agree, I've had rides shortened due to mechanical issues or work/family problems, and it's a disappointing waste of time and effort to prep the bike, gear and myself for a ride that takes less time than the prep did.

Messigician10

Yeah, I just said 10 miles to see how much time would be saved over that distance lol.

gsa103

1-2s max. Just because road shoes are typically 50-100g lighter.

longbeachgary

Can you let us know what the minimum distance is that we are allowed to ride so that we are not wasting your time in putting on our shoes?

John_V 

Well, I'm sure there's going to be criticism over my post but so what. Cycling shoes are made for only one purpose and that's shoe retention. Unless you are going to receive a medal/trophy or stand on a podium after your ride, does it really matter that the shoes you're wearing are a few grams heavier or a little less stiff if you aren't a professional grade rider? It's the engine that matters - not the accessories.

I wear $100, MTB shoes on my road bike and have done so for 5 years. I have no intentions of changing to road shoes. I've never had them made a difference on my group rides nor on my long distance rides. If you're worried about being criticized for having MTB pedals on a road bike, go with the road shoes and pedals. If not, find what is comfortable for you and within the price range you want to spend on them and go for it.

brianmcg123

.01 faster.

DaveQ24 

42.8674 miles. Or 0.1876 feet. Your choice.

I forgot - the US is a hyper-sensitive culture where almost any comment, no matter how trivial, offends someone. So I will rephrase my original response to be as inoffensive as possible:

To me, and only me, as this statement is not to be interpreted in any way to apply to any other cyclist on the planet, a ride of 10 miles isn't worth the time and effort it takes to prep my bike, gear and clothing. Other cyclist's experiences and opinions may vary.

longbeachgary

Thank you. My one feeling is restored.

fietsbob

I will wait for your test reports..

rmfnla

Oh wait, were you serious..?