Question for MTB'ers

[Dogmama]

My road shoes finally spun their last (15 year old Times, may they rest in peace.) I want to get MTB shoes because (I think?) the Schwinn spinners have SPD's on one side of the pedal. Also I can walk in them rather than clumping around with a big plastic thing on my shoe. Last, it will force me to use clip on's on my MTB (yikes!).

ANYWAY - here's the dumb question.

I'm looking at Sidi MTB shoes for women. Do MTB shoes come with a set up for SPD clips? If so, what SPD clips to I buy, or are they all the same? Nashbar advertises their own as well as Shimano, etc., but do Shimano only work on Shimano pedals?

Unfortunately, my LBS doesn't carry a good stock of women's shoes, so I have to go to mail order...<sigh...>

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've used mountain bike shoes for years on my road bike because I wanted a recessed cleat. In my experience, mountain bike shoes have a piece of the sole that you can remove (pull away) in order to mount your cleat. All you need to do is buy the cleat that matches your pedals. That said, because I use Speedplay Frog pedals - in the past I actually had to take a utility knife and carve away a little more space for the cleat. But Speedplay has since changed the cleat so that it is narrower. And since the SPD is a more common cleat, I'd be surprised if you experience any problems with your choice of shoes and SPD pedals.

I've worn Sidi Dominator shoes for quite a number of years, and they are awesome shoes.

[Irulan]

yep, mtb shoes all come set up with the OPTION to mount a clip of some sort. If the rider chooses to ride with flats, you just don't pull the little thingy out of the sole.

side rampa here.

Irulan

[SadieKate]

Yes, Sidi mtb bike shoes are SPD-compatible. However, I believe that Sidi makes more than one type of cleat. Go to your local LYS and tell them that you are using a spinning bike and that you want the most common version of the cleat. If you know the name of the pedal on the bike, it would be even better. I do not use Shimano pedals but I have helped friends who go to spinning classes get set up with clipless shoes. They've all reported success with this method.

By the way, I use Sidi Doms because the buckle/ratchet system gives the best fit. The strap can actually be moved so that the pressure point sits at the right spot on your foot - whether you have a very high or low instep. Also, they come in narrow and wide widths, so just about anyone can get a good fit.

[snapdragen]

If you get spd cleats, be sure to get the multi-directional release cleats

http://bike.shimano.com/Footwear_Pedals/SPD_Accessories/componenttemplate.asp?partnumber=SM-SH55

They are the easiest to clip out of.

[Dogmama]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I went down to my LBS to just check out MTB shoes & cleats - lo & behold they had Sidi Rampa's in my size for $74! I got the multi-directional release cleats - thanks Snapdragon! Used them in spin class today - heaven! Can't wait to get them on my mtb!