bikerjp

I am just getting into road cycling (have been riding a mtb) and when I bought my caad I went ahead and put some spd pedals on it since I already had shoes that would work. I over spent my budget on the bike so I was trying to save on not having to buy new shoes too. Well, that might have been a bad idea. My spd shoes are lower end and have a bit of flex. After an hour or so of riding, especially with lots of climbing, the bottom center part of my foot gets sore. I'm guessing it's from the flex in the shoe.

So, I'm wondering if it would be smart to just invest in a road pedal (maybe an spd pedal with a platform) or go with new shoes. There are road shoes that take spd cleats and there are much stiffer spd shoes as well. I'd like to try and cut my losses and keep using the spd pedals, but if a new, stiffer shoe is not going to make a big difference without going with a road pedal then maybe I should look into a whole new pedal system.

Does anyone else ride with spd pedals? The M770 is what I have so not the ones with a platform. Do you have any foot pain issues? Do you find a very stiff shoe compensates for the smaller platform? I mostly do 1-2 hour rides now but come summer I'll bump that up to 3-4 hours. Thanks.

Seattle Forrest

Stiffer shoes, and keep the pedals you've got. In fact, before you do that, look around for stiffening inserts. ( I'm assuming the cleat position is "correct." )

I use A-520 SPD pedals. I occasionally get the type of pain you're describing with the flexiest pair of shoes I've got for it. It's never happened with the carbon sole shoes I have. I have a second bike with pedals that might be M-770s, or basically the same thing, and they annoy me by letting go easily ( no matter where the tension is ), but otherwise they feel basically the same, and I have the same results with them with the two pair of shoes as with the other pedals.

Shimagnolo

Flexy shoes = bad.
Stiff shoes = good.
I use spd mtn pedals exclusively and have never had a problem, even on all-day rides, but I use shoes with soles that are absolutely rigid.

bikerjp

Hey, thanks for the quick feedback. I think the cleats are "correct" as I've been riding them a long time and my lbs said they looked good when fitting the bike. New shoes I can live with I guess (not a bad thing to have new shoes). I have a stupid preference for spd and kind of wanted to stick with them. I used time pedals like 15+ years ago and hated them but I also was even more of a noob then.

kayakdiver

I use both systems... Prefer an all road system on my "road" bike. The more solid feeling is worth the walking penalty. For touring I use M520's along with Sidi Mountain shoes. The cheaper mountain shoes tend to have a pretty flexy sole so stick to the better quality ones.

And if I stand a good portion of the time on my touring bike I do get hot spots but nothing sitting for a few minutes doesn't cure... This doesn't happen with my road shoes and pedals.

Seattle Forrest

I typed "carbon fiber insoles" into Google and got a few decent looking hits, but they're expensive. I'm sure there are other materials that are pretty thin and also very stiff, although I don't know how they'd do in cycling shoes.

Wesley36

If I am not mistaken, in the insole world carbon fiber is generally referred to as graphite. "Graphite insole" should turn up less expensive options.

bikerjp

I think most insoles are for improving walking comfort and not really to make a shoe more stiff - at least to the level of stiffness of a cycling shoe. There may be some out there but my brief searching turned up "comfort" inserts. I think new shoes are the way to go if I can find something stiff enough without spending $200. I did find some lake shoes for $150 with their boa? system, but they hit weirdly on the outside of my foot.

Thanks for the feedback.

Seattle Forrest

One more option, but this requires patience. I got my carbon fiber SPD shoes for $45 on Craigslist. They were half a size too big for their previous owner, who tried thick socks and tightening them down, but said his feet hurt where the velcro was. They were obviously a bit used, but pretty lightly. I've been looking for a deal on a pair for my girlfriend for a couple months, though.

catonec 

road shoes dont need to be made of carbon to be stiff. I have a pair of $50 nylon soled diadoras and they are plenty ridgid.
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_200384

pgjackson

You can also try different socks. I was using regular cotton athletic socks and my feet hurt. Switched to some Under Armor sock and they feel much better. Might be worth a try...and its a lot cheaper than buying new shoes and pedals.

v70cat

You can get a nice carbon fiber Sidi road shoe for $200+/- and you will be good for a long time. Inserts cost $50+/- and will not really solve the problem.

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...i+5.5&x=28&y=9

roadiejorge 

It could be the shoes but it could also be a matter of cleat adjustment as well. Did you leave the cleats in the same position you had them when used on the MTB? If so that might be the problem since the Q-factor on both bikes could be different, so the cleats would have to be adjusted for the CAAD. I'd experiment with the cleat position first if you're determined to keep the shoes you have; many people use MTB shoes on road bikes with no problem. Road shoes would be a nice upgrade since they are stiffer, but it's not as if MTB shoes are as flexible as sneakers so see what's most practical for you and your budget.

Wesley36

FWIW, Sidi Dominators are MTB shoes that are the same stiffness as road shoes. It is my understanding that the difference between the SIDI Geniuses and Sidi Dominators is that the Dominators have more in the way of tread, and a recessed cleat. The Geniuses are a touch lighter, because they have less tread.

AngrySaki

It doesn't sound like your pain is the exact same thing that I had, but I had mountain shoes and my feet would sometimes get sore. I bought Sidi road shoes and pedals and they were 10 times worse.
Then one day I tried taking the insoles out of them and it solved my foot pain for both my shoes. It took a few days to get used to the hard contact surface, but it's fine now. Might be worth trying if you're trying to save money.

bikerjp

Those look pretty nice. Might need to look into those. Problem I also have is my feet are a bit wide and a lot of cycling shoes are kind of narrow. Thanks for the tip though.

I can check that, but the lbs did say they looked fine when they fit the bike. I was thinking of moving the cleat back just a bit though. I'll see how that goes. Thanks.

v70cat

For $200 you get a top quality shoe and a carbon sole why mess a around with third best? Buy Sidi or other high quality shoes and you are set for ten years plus.

This reminds me of my Dad he always went on the cheap, we both purchase gas grills one year; I purchase a Weber for $400 he purchased a Sears grill for $150+/-, well over the next 10 years he purchased two more grills because the burner would rust out and the grill rack would rust. After the he purchased the third "cheap" grill I asked him who spent more money, he just look at me knowing that I maybe I was not crazy buying quality. i did replace my Weber grill after 20 years with another Weber.

I had a pair of Sidis that lasted me for 10 years and now they are a little stretched out, because they were made with real leather back then. Why go cheap when quality will cost you less in the long run and give you better fit/comfort.

catonec 

when I need to replace them, I will definately look at some higher end sidi's, the op was concerned about cost so I though this may be a good option for him. My grill is a weber Q 320, it cost $350.