Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hector on June 3, 2009 at 6:24am

I can only speak for myself.
But shoes have definitely made a difference for me.
It was worth the investment.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on June 3, 2009 at 7:15am

If you are not clipped in, you can only push down on the pedal. In a roundabout sense, you are limited by your weight in terms of how much force you can excert on the crank.

With toe clips, or better yet, with cycling shoes mated to clipless pedals, you can also pull up with the opposing foot.

This substantially increases your power to power to climb, accelerate, sprint, and so forth.

Another advantage of cycling shoes is that the soles are stiff so your feet don't flex as much when pushing down on the pedal, therefore maximizing the force you exert on the crank with each pedal stroke.

In terms of riding on flat ground and cruising at a specific speed, there is a lot of debate regarding clips, no clips, the efficiency of pedaling in an arc or a full circle or whatever...and to be honest, I am no authority on the subject.

But when riding steep hills, In my opinion, there's no question cycling shoes help. I'm certain you would have had a much easier time on your ride in Tennessee.

When I switched to cycling shoes a couple years back, I purchased the pedals that were flat on one side and clipped on the other. I soon preferred being clipped in so much, I wound up never using the flat side and I replaced those pedals with dedicated clipless pedals.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gecko on June 3, 2009 at 8:09am

I second Norm on the SPD system. I've never been let down in ~5 years of riding them (for mountain, road, winter commuting, etc.). Plus, the pedal spring tension is adjustable so if you're a beginner you can ease them off and it will be much easier to clip in/out. The only downside is that if your tension is too loose, you might (as I did when I was first starting out) pull your foot out when you're pulling up too hard on your pedal stroke. And there are far more different kinds of walkable SPD shoes than any other brand as far as I know, so you should be able to find something you like.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on June 3, 2009 at 12:44pm

to echo prior content, bike shoes are more efficient because of their stiffness, your ability to pull up on the pedal, etc. cycling shoes can also help you work out your hamstring and calf muscles.

another helpful thing is that (properly adjusted) cycling shoes will position the ball of your foot over your pedal. not only is this better for your knees, it gives you more power than pushing with your arch (or, god forbid, heel)!

if you don't want to invest in cycling shoes, i recommend at least cycling in actual shoes (as opposed to flip-flops). they'll protect your toesies in the event of a spill, and they will provide far more comfort should you have to walk up a steep hill :)

(i'm another SPD fan. definitely go for a recessed cleat—it'll make the walk to and from the bike much easier!)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on June 3, 2009 at 4:31pm

I discovered this somewhat by accident, but it's worth mention that there are two types of SPD cleats.

Cleat newbies will probably want to use the ones marked SM-SH56. These have a small "ramp" on the cleat which enables you to unclip at a variety of angles. This is nice to start with.

But, as El Gecko mentioned, you can sometimes unintentionally unclip...which in certain situations can suck just as bad as not being able to unclip when you wanna.

So once you are used to the clipless pedals, switch to the SM-SH51 cleats. These cleats lack the aforementioned ramp and will only allow you to unclip by rotating your foot. It's pretty much impossible to unintentionally unclip with these, regardless of the pedal tension setting.

If you own multiple pairs of cycling shoes, don't make the mistake I made. When you switch to the 51 cleats, install them on ALL of your shoes!!!

El Gecko said:

I second Norm on the SPD system. I've never been let down in ~5 years of riding them (for mountain, road, winter commuting, etc.). Plus, the pedal spring tension is adjustable so if you're a beginner you can ease them off and it will be much easier to clip in/out. The only downside is that if your tension is too loose, you might (as I did when I was first starting out) pull your foot out when you're pulling up too hard on your pedal stroke. And there are far more different kinds of walkable SPD shoes than any other brand as far as I know, so you should be able to find something you like.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jackie on June 24, 2009 at 3:19pm

It sounds like you simply weren't prepared for that type of ride. Only an amateur would attempt a ride like that in flip-flops. You not only endangered yourself, but put other riders at risk as well.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by DC on June 28, 2009 at 8:29am

I've got an two older pairs of cycling shoes to unload. What size are your feet?

My wife also has an old pair of SIDIs if anyone is interest in size 8.5 womens shoes.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Todd on June 29, 2009 at 2:36am

I wear either 12's or 13's (U.S. size).



DC said:

I've got an two older pairs of cycling shoes to unload. What size are your feet?

My wife also has an old pair of SIDIs if anyone is interest in size 8.5 womens shoes.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page