Footware dilema
Discussion
Getting ready to purchase some shoes and pedals to go with my road bike and am in a right pickle.
I have read many reviews regarding road shoes and have tried some on that did not have the cleats fitted and am fearing they may be tricky for walking on should the need arise. I also have a MTB which I currently use with standard pedals and trainers.
My question is should I go for the mtb shoes and get the same pedals for both bikes or leave the mtb as it is and just get road bits.
I have narrowed the choices down to these 2 options:
Shimano M520 SPD pedals and Shimano M087 for mtb and road bike or
Shimano PD 5700 150 SPD-SL and Shimano R087 for road only
Im sure I have read that mtb shoes have the cleats within the soul rubber making them easier to walk on, is this correct?
Would like to point out I am not a serious road racer and just ride for pleasure...
I have read many reviews regarding road shoes and have tried some on that did not have the cleats fitted and am fearing they may be tricky for walking on should the need arise. I also have a MTB which I currently use with standard pedals and trainers.
My question is should I go for the mtb shoes and get the same pedals for both bikes or leave the mtb as it is and just get road bits.
I have narrowed the choices down to these 2 options:
Shimano M520 SPD pedals and Shimano M087 for mtb and road bike or
Shimano PD 5700 150 SPD-SL and Shimano R087 for road only
Im sure I have read that mtb shoes have the cleats within the soul rubber making them easier to walk on, is this correct?
Would like to point out I am not a serious road racer and just ride for pleasure...
Rouleur said:
... and will get you away from using flat pedals and trainers, which are no good at all really.
This, I suspect is coming from someone that has never ridden properly offroad... MTB's are complete different animals - there is no way I'd want to be attached to my bike in some of the offs that I've had...DMX and sneaks/rock climbing hoes... perfect.
BPC7 said:
Getting ready to purchase some shoes and pedals to go with my road bike and am in a right pickle.
I have read many reviews regarding road shoes and have tried some on that did not have the cleats fitted and am fearing they may be tricky for walking on should the need arise. I also have a MTB which I currently use with standard pedals and trainers.
My question is should I go for the mtb shoes and get the same pedals for both bikes or leave the mtb as it is and just get road bits.
I have narrowed the choices down to these 2 options:
Shimano M520 SPD pedals and Shimano M087 for mtb and road bike or
Shimano PD 5700 150 SPD-SL and Shimano R087 for road only
Im sure I have read that mtb shoes have the cleats within the soul rubber making them easier to walk on, is this correct?
Would like to point out I am not a serious road racer and just ride for pleasure...
I can only reiterate what I said on your other post in that this is the set up im going for. My friend at work who rides has MTB shoes and says they're a lot more practical. You know what pedals ive got and those shoes you mention are exactly the sort I'll be getting.I have read many reviews regarding road shoes and have tried some on that did not have the cleats fitted and am fearing they may be tricky for walking on should the need arise. I also have a MTB which I currently use with standard pedals and trainers.
My question is should I go for the mtb shoes and get the same pedals for both bikes or leave the mtb as it is and just get road bits.
I have narrowed the choices down to these 2 options:
Shimano M520 SPD pedals and Shimano M087 for mtb and road bike or
Shimano PD 5700 150 SPD-SL and Shimano R087 for road only
Im sure I have read that mtb shoes have the cleats within the soul rubber making them easier to walk on, is this correct?
Would like to point out I am not a serious road racer and just ride for pleasure...
If youre only riding for pleasure then what does it matter? Surely its best to be comfortable? If you're worried about what they might look like on a road bike then if my friends are anything to go by they look fine
I believe road-specific SPDs allow a bigger interface between pedal and shoe and are supposedly comfier as a result, but I'm no expert on that. I briefly used road SPDs for commuting and quickly changed back to MTB SPDs (M520s) as the road ones - being one-sided) were more fiddly to engage.
For a non-serious road-rider I'd go MTB SPDs - same pedals on both bikes, same shoes, and keep the spare set of cleats (which come with pedal) as spares.
DMX and sneaks/rock climbing hoes... perfect.Depends on type of riding. On normal XC stuff and singlespeeding I ALWAYS ride SPDs, but on DH/jumpy stuff flats are better. It's great to be able to swap between both as it keeps your skills up: I only learned to jump properly once I swapped to flats, and it's made me a better rider when I'm clipped in too.
For a non-serious road-rider I'd go MTB SPDs - same pedals on both bikes, same shoes, and keep the spare set of cleats (which come with pedal) as spares.
FWDRacer said:
Rouleur said:
... and will get you away from using flat pedals and trainers, which are no good at all really.
This, I suspect is coming from someone that has never ridden properly offroad... MTB's are complete different animals - there is no way I'd want to be attached to my bike in some of the offs that I've had...DMX and sneaks/rock climbing hoes... perfect.
FWDRacer said:
Rouleur said:
... and will get you away from using flat pedals and trainers, which are no good at all really.
This, I suspect is coming from someone that has never ridden properly offroad... MTB's are complete different animals - there is no way I'd want to be attached to my bike in some of the offs that I've had...DMX and sneaks/rock climbing hoes... perfect.
I've been riding MTBs since 1989, including lots of DH racing on SPDs. Some of us just prefer them. I don't take hoes when I'm riding either
There are loads of roadie clipless pedals to choose from.... Speedplay, Time, Mavic, Look and Shimano amongst others.
the shimano sl spds have a bigger platform and for humble amateurs (me) offer marginally better power transfer and are far comfier, especially with stiff soled shoes than others. i've used 105 pedals for the last 3 years and had no complaints.
with regards to engagememnt, the idea being once clipped in on a road bike, you dont unclip for a few hours unlike moutnian bikes where you stop after each sectin to discuss how gnarly it was i'm pretty sure Time pedals have a little spring in them which keeps them at an angle favourable to clip in quickly if you do unclip a lot.
that all said the speedplay pedals are by far the easiest to clip in being double sided but they are costly and stiff soled shoes are essential. they look like the old round lollipops on a stick.
the op would probably be best off with single sided spds, the flat side isnt great on grip but for versatility they are brilliant.
the shimano sl spds have a bigger platform and for humble amateurs (me) offer marginally better power transfer and are far comfier, especially with stiff soled shoes than others. i've used 105 pedals for the last 3 years and had no complaints.
with regards to engagememnt, the idea being once clipped in on a road bike, you dont unclip for a few hours unlike moutnian bikes where you stop after each sectin to discuss how gnarly it was
i'm pretty sure Time pedals have a little spring in them which keeps them at an angle favourable to clip in quickly if you do unclip a lot. that all said the speedplay pedals are by far the easiest to clip in being double sided but they are costly and stiff soled shoes are essential. they look like the old round lollipops on a stick.
the op would probably be best off with single sided spds, the flat side isnt great on grip but for versatility they are brilliant.
If you can I'd buy separate shoes for road and MTB, I know this may not be ideal as it's double the expense but in the long term you will be glad you did. I bought both my road shoes (Sidi Energy 2 Carbon) and MTB shoes (Mavic Razors) in the sale and saved about £100 in total. I also searched the interweb for the best deal on the respective pedals and again saved about £100 in total.
Do your research and try on shoes where you can, then find them on the interweb and either get the shop to price match or buy direct from the web, that's exactly what I did and genuinely saved the amounts mentioned above.
Do your research and try on shoes where you can, then find them on the interweb and either get the shop to price match or buy direct from the web, that's exactly what I did and genuinely saved the amounts mentioned above.
If your only starting out and not doing masses of miles on the road then shimano spd's are fine, most people start out with these for ease of use and the ability to use the same pedals on both road and trail - i did exactly this. However once you up the mileage then you quickly realise that the benefit of the larger interface gained using something like a Look Keo gives you a much improved and more secure power trasfer. In my experience its therefore well worth the hassle of getting in and out of them at traffic lights - which can be a pain in the arse. You'll soon get used to it though!
MTB is shimano spd all the way for me, its a personal choice but i much prefer the feeling of security when blatting around trails clipped in, rather than on flat pedals and trainers.
MTB is shimano spd all the way for me, its a personal choice but i much prefer the feeling of security when blatting around trails clipped in, rather than on flat pedals and trainers.
As always some really helpful and useful advice from you guys, cheers.
After searching on line have com eup with this as my first steps in to clipless cycling.
New pedals for the mtb, Shimano M324 SPD, (this will give me the best of both worlds as willl be able to jump on with standard trainers).
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m324-s...
New pedals for road, Shimano M540 SPD
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m540-s...
Shoes suitable for both, Shimano M087
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m087-2...
Does this look about right?
I value all the comments about better quality units but feel as this is my first step into this type of cycling.
After searching on line have com eup with this as my first steps in to clipless cycling.
New pedals for the mtb, Shimano M324 SPD, (this will give me the best of both worlds as willl be able to jump on with standard trainers).
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m324-s...
New pedals for road, Shimano M540 SPD
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m540-s...
Shoes suitable for both, Shimano M087
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m087-2...
Does this look about right?
I value all the comments about better quality units but feel as this is my first step into this type of cycling.
Run SPDs on my (road-going) single speed/fixie, SPD-SLs on my "proper" road bike and flats on my MTB. Fairly broad spectrum!
Outside of the pro pelaton there's very little difference in everyday performance between SPDs and SPD-SLs. If you get a sufficiently stuff shoe there's virtually no difference in comfort: barely anything - if at all - in the way of hotspots with SPDs.
SPDs are easier to walk in, with the recessed cleat. The stiff soles still make them "make do" at best for walking. Mind you, SPD-SLs aren't much harder to walk in, IME. Plus with both you look and sound daft.
SPDs are easier to use being dual-sided. Cleats and pedals are cheaper.
SPD-SLs seem to hold tighter. They also "feel" better in that there's an almighty BANG! when you do clip in, so you know when it's worked.
I run SPD-SLs on my road bike 'cos with that, I'm riding, not walking, so I don't care.
I run SPDs on my SS/fixie as it's less faff engaging in traffic and I can use my "trainer" SPD shoes (DZRs: brilliant for riding and walking!). If I want to go on a proper ride, I use proper SPD shoes.
If you've got money to spend and want something new, then yes, may as well do a proper job. Other than that, there's no real "need" for SPD-SLs. Less faff WRT shoes and spares too!
Outside of the pro pelaton there's very little difference in everyday performance between SPDs and SPD-SLs. If you get a sufficiently stuff shoe there's virtually no difference in comfort: barely anything - if at all - in the way of hotspots with SPDs.
SPDs are easier to walk in, with the recessed cleat. The stiff soles still make them "make do" at best for walking. Mind you, SPD-SLs aren't much harder to walk in, IME. Plus with both you look and sound daft.
SPDs are easier to use being dual-sided. Cleats and pedals are cheaper.
SPD-SLs seem to hold tighter. They also "feel" better in that there's an almighty BANG! when you do clip in, so you know when it's worked.
I run SPD-SLs on my road bike 'cos with that, I'm riding, not walking, so I don't care.
I run SPDs on my SS/fixie as it's less faff engaging in traffic and I can use my "trainer" SPD shoes (DZRs: brilliant for riding and walking!). If I want to go on a proper ride, I use proper SPD shoes.
If you've got money to spend and want something new, then yes, may as well do a proper job. Other than that, there's no real "need" for SPD-SLs. Less faff WRT shoes and spares too!
Quick update on my spending yesterday...
Bought pair of M087 black 2012 mtb shoes as wasn't so keen on the grey 2011 design when I put them on, M545 SPD for the mtb and M540 SPD for the road bike.Also got some overshoes too to keep me toes warm. All in all great service from Evans again and saved myself over £65 with their price match scheme
Thanks for all your advice guys
Bought pair of M087 black 2012 mtb shoes as wasn't so keen on the grey 2011 design when I put them on, M545 SPD for the mtb and M540 SPD for the road bike.Also got some overshoes too to keep me toes warm. All in all great service from Evans again and saved myself over £65 with their price match scheme
Thanks for all your advice guys
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