Lividkoi

Which would you reccomend for under $200?

nomo4me

If Nashbar runs another 20% coupon you will get a top end pair of Sidi's for $183. Took me two tries to get a pair that fit though.
Nashbar helps by crediting your ground shipping on the second shipment, so 2 day air on the second try was only $3.

ckleps

hopefully the specialized carbon pros. Just ordered a pair, I'll post a review when they arrive.

Lividkoi

Yeah,
That is what I was thinking, however my lbs does not carry them so I am scared of how they will fit.

How much did you get yours for?

ckleps

hmm, funny thing I just realized is that I don't know how much I will be paying. Up until now my lbs has made me put 15% down on stuff I have them order but I guess they recognize me now. I know retail is 200 and I can't find anything cheaper online. Most of the time my lbs charges about 10% under the msrp. How well does your lbs know you. Mine was willing to order 3 different sizes and let me pick the one that fits best. I have previous experience with specialized mtb shoes, but wasn't sure if the sizes would translate exactly. Does you lbs carry any specialized shoes? I'm not positive, someone else feel free to chime in, but I think the main fit issue with specialized shoes will be the body geometry insole. If they have another specialized road shoe see how it feels, and I think the main different will just be materials affecting weight and stiffness.

jennings780

Specialized Road Comp shoes are about $125 I think. The pros are a bit higher.
I really like the Road Comp shoes. Very comfy. Very stiff. Have a little bump inside the shoe to prevent hot spots.

martin_j001

I also would vote for the Specialized Carbon Pro's. I have been very happy with mine after using them for the last few months....

Lividkoi

Yeah,
I am new biking so these will be my first pair of clipless road shoes. Is it even worth spending the extra $100 on the pro carbons rather then the pro comps even though these will be my first road shoes?

martin_j001

Thats really up to you. I believe they are the same shoe except for the carbon sole on the Pro's, but I'm not 100% positive. If you want the best for your money, the Pro's are a very good shoe at a very good price. Most likely, you may not notice much of a difference between the two--the carbon soled ones will be stiffer though, which is probably not all that important since you are just starting out with riding. Also, some people have had problems with carbon soled shoes, so it may be better to get used to a stiff soled shoe with the cheaper version, and then see if you want to upgrade at a later time when your feet are used to pedaling and all in very stiff shoes. Hope this helps....

Terex

Performance:
Shimano® R-215 Road Shoe
Reg: $239.99
Sale: $192.96

With the Performance 20% off coupon, these would be $154.37. Best deal on the planet. I may buy an extra pair.

fogrider

Shimano R151 is 170 just about everywhere...carbon sole, what more do you need?

martin_j001

Thats a very good deal too. Shimano's are supposed to fit somewhat like the Specialized's from what I've heard--a little wider in the toe box. You can also sometimes find 2004 DMT shoes on sale at Excel Sports (www.excelsports.com) for about half off, so those end up being a good deal too. DMT, Diadora, Sidi, and Nike are not as wide as some of the other brands though from my experience (although some, like Sidi, come in wider sizes).

Terex

Toe box provides good room in Shimanos, and heel fits like a glove (huh?). No hot spots or anything - and I just use the std insoles. I've tried on various Sidi's, Diadora's etc. and they just don't fit me. My mtn bike shoes are Specialized, and they fit pretty good. The carbon Shimanos really enhance my efficiency climbing, are light, well ventilated and have good adjustment. You don't want to walk much in them though.

samp02

Sounds like decent shoes. I have been using Sidi's for about 3 years and I am very satisfied.

martin_j001

I used to use Sidi's too--I had a pair of G2's up until a few years ago when I tried a pair of Time shoes (hated them) and then switched to G4's. They were very good shoes, until my foot was too wide for the toe box. Everything else fit fine except for the toe box. At that time, I tried on the Mega's, but they just didn't feel right. Then I put on the Specialized's and was sold....

samp02

Can you buy the specialized online anywhere except specialized.com???

ckleps

sort of, It seems like every LBS I find that has a website looks like they were all designed by the same company. You can buy stuff off the LBS website and have it shipped, but I don't know if its actually coming from the LBS or from some big company which was also responsable for designing the site.

examples
https://www.kozy.com
in Chicago

and https://mikesbicycles.com/site/intro.cfm
in California.

calypso50

You might try shopping all the bike shops in your local area...I just picked up a very nice pair of gaerne (french made) carbon fiber sole shoes with all leather uppers for $150...they retail for $249.

In my case, the shoes had been in the store for a couple of years, last pair of 43.5 size. I didn't even have to ask for a good deal, the store mechanic offered me the deal.

cb

Steelrider

With proper care, your shoes will likely last longer than your bike - not that your bike's going to wear out, but if you're like many others just starting out (and who stick with it), you'll feel the "need" to upgrade your bike before your shoes wear out. That being said, if you're just starting out, you'll be learning more about what works for you and what doesn't every day that you ride for quite a while. As the other posts have pointed out, there are many good shoes/shoe manufacturers out there these days and there is no one shoe that works for everyone. This means that your best bet is to try on as many as you can to get a feel for how they're supposed to fit and how different brands fit you. The best advice I can give you is not to buy a shoe that fits too closely in places, other than the heel cup, that you can't adjust with straps or buckles. Stay away from shoes where your toes are cramped in any way. And because cycling shoes fit more closely, make sure you are consistent about the thickness of sock that you wear, as this will impact the fit of the shoe greatly. If you don't own any cycling sox, the point is not to run out and buy some (although I don't personally use anything else), but just to be consistent in what you use when trying them on/riding. I wouldn't necessarily advocate buying the the most expensive shoes you can afford for your first shoes, but after trying a bunch on, you may find that less expensive shoes fit you better anyway. Just like bikes, shoes can easily be upgraded at another time when you have some baseline established for what works for you. Without endorsing any specific brands, I found that upgrading my shoes after about 10 years made a huge difference in comfort and performance - and my previous shoe wasn't low-end either.

shoerhino

I agree with everything you've said and I'd like to add three additional diffferences I've noticed between the Carbon Pro's and Road Comps. The Road Comps seem to have a wider toe box (good for wide feet) but the Carbon Pro's have a more pronouced heel cup and better "triple density" insoles.

I have the road comp's and my one complaint is that my heel tends to rub the back of the shoe and I get an aggravated spot after many days of consecutive cycling (not really painful, just annoying). Everyone's feet are different and I'm not sure that other people have had the same problems but the heel cup in the pro carbon really look like an improvement. It was much deeper and looks like it would hold your heel better. Also, the pro carbon insole have gel areas under the ball of your foot and under the heel, which may take some of the stiff feeling out of the carbon soles. That being said, I've not tried the carbon pro's but I wish I had purchased them the first, after using the road comps.

I've tried Shimano, Sidi's, Nike and Specialized shoes. The specialized shoes easliy worked the best for me!

skydive69

Specialized Carbon Pros. Of course in white. They have great engineering, and rate a 10 in stiffness on a scale of 1 to 10. If you want comfort, technology, looks, and ultimate transfer of power to the pedal, these are the shoes. My fiance's son is a pro, and he had just purchased a new set of Shimano shoes. When he saw mine, he took them back and bought a pair of the Specialized. I have been training and racing mine since I got them as an xmas present, and I can't imagine using any other cycling shoes.

ckleps

shoes arrived at my shop today and I got to get my first ride in. Wow!!! I couldn't believe the difference between them and my old shoes, Specialized comp mountain. Very stiff sole, I am a fan of the mlock buckle, had it on my old shoes and didn't want to only have velcro straps. Its nice because you can easily tighten or loosen the shoes as you ride. Avoided any buyers remorse because the previous night I had a formal introduction to hotspots, kindy funny that I never had them untill the day before I got new shoes, maybe a psychological thing. All said I would recomend the shoes.
SkyDive. I noticed that you said the shoes are a 10 on a stiffness scale of 1-10. It also says this on the bottom of the shoe. Is there actually a real stiffness scale? If so could you point me in it direction?

skydive69

ckleps:

I can't remember where I learned that. It may very well have been from simply reading it on the specs for the shoe promulgated by Specialized. The good news is that I am sure there is nothing available that is stiffer, they are incredibly comfortable, and I think they look and operate great! I'm glad that you like them!

Mirage-t

I got a set of Specialized Carbon Pro's about 2 months ago and it was the best decision to date. So comfortable I don't even notice my feet...thats a good thing, plus I just like the way they look. I got lucky and found mine on sale at the LBS for 20% off, then they were having an additional sale of 20% off any clothing and accessories for that weekend. Paid less than $150 for them.

Rain Rider

There is no best with shoes. Everyone has dramatically different foot shapes and each shoe is going to feel completely different to different people.

I really wanted a pair of Sidi's but I just couldn't stand how they felt on my feet. The Specialized Carbon Pro's felt absolutely perfect. Try on as many different pairs as you can.