It's time to get big girl pedals and shoes. How do I know what to buy?

[cobalt]

I still have toe clips and the girl at my lbs said I am wasting energy with them. She also said that I am not using all of my leg muscles and missing out on some great toning. :p

I ride a road bike, 10 miles on weekends, some long organized rides but I am still a newbie.

She said that Crank Brothers Candy pedals are good.

Shoes, do I want a carbon sole or not? She thought it too stiff but I read it is better to have carbon.

I would pick the closest shoe to my furry Crocs but that won't work!

She thought that the sandals and less stiff bike looking clip shoes were better but my husband thought that Keen's etc were too heavy.

Thank you!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It's great that you are looking forward to getting clipless pedals and shoes. I wish you great success with them!
-But they won't make you a 'bigger girl' than those of us who prefer not to ride clipless for various reasons. ;) :D

[hilldweller]

I'd say go for whatever feels comfortable, fits your budget and, most importantly, will be easiest to clip out of just before you topple going up a hill ;) I was told that the super rigid ones are really only necessary if you're a super-fast cyclist wanting to get that last 1% of efficiency. Once you're used to them, they're much more fun to ride in than toeclips, IMHO.

[Biciclista]

you will find a lot of people who ride road bikes do not buy road bike shoes. Road bike shoes seem to be made for racers, not for feet and comfort walking. MTB shoes are more comfortable; you can actually walk in them.
if you are doing 10 mile rides, I sincerely believe you should go with the most comfortable bike shoes. And the reason I chose SPD's for my shoes was that was what my husband and sons already had. It seemed silly to get something different from them, since at any point we might have to trade bikes for something.

[cobalt]

Super, thanks. I will look at MTB shoes for sure. I don't like anything tight on my feet. You know the pink croc clogs with the white fur? I wear them everyday. I have them in 4 colors so I am used to really "baggy" shoes. I did try to ride with them and it did not work.

[Grog]

I agree that you don't need clipless pedals to be a grown up.

I also agree with the MTB pedals suggestion.

This being said, of course you don't want your feet to be so tight they get blue and fall off... but bike shoes should be fitting, not loose, if the point is to improve power transfer. If you foot is loose in the shoe then you might as well be using loose toe clips. I'm sorry to want to be specific about this, but your furry Crocs example was perhaps a bit too extreme for me! :)

[cobalt]

Grog, no crocs for you?? Try it, you'll like it! They did not fit in my toe clips, i had to ride on top of my clips. lol

Is it ok for the heel of a stiff bike shoe to lift when walking or should it be snug? Since you aren't really using a walking motion when riding, if the shoes fits well except for the heel lift, is that ok?

We might hit 50 tomorrow and we'll be out for the first time in months!! :)

Thanks!

[Biciclista]

not sure how to answer the question. the heel of the shoe needs to stay on while you are cycling. if it's lifting out of the shoe while walking, it might COME OFF while you're riding.
You sound like a good candidate for bike sandals.

[sfa]

I wear bike shoes with my toe clips (don't really see the need to go clipless when I'm perfectly happy with what I've got!) because I like the extra stiffness, but because I'm primarily commuting, I like a shoe I can walk around it and not look like a dork, so I've got one pair of MTB shoes and I just got the Keen commuter sandals. Love them! You get used to the tighter fit almost immediately and also immediately appreciate how easy it is to slip them into the toe clips.

Sarah

[Grog]

I don't think your heel should lift off as you're walking, no.

Remember that while mountain bike shoes will allow you to walk, they have nothing to do with normal walking shoes. An important feature of cycling shoes is the stiff sole, which helps you transfer power to the pedals. The less stiff the sole, the easier to walk, but the less benefit when cycling.

It's a trade-off, I guess, but I guess what I mean is don't expect to walk for miles and miles in your bike shoes...

[aicabsolut]

Your heel can lift some in a cycling shoe when you walk on it, because the sole won't flex. It should not lift at all when you pedal.

I would not get MTB shoes and pedals for a road bike unless you need treads on your shoes/recessed cleats for some reason. A stiff, lightweight road shoe with a large platform road pedal (Speedplays count, but the large platform part is really in the cleat) are much better for more efficient power transfer and can be a lot more comfortable. It is easier to develop painful hotspots on the bottoms of your feet, for example, by having a small contact area with the pedal.

[NadiaMac]

one advantage of spd-compatable shoes not yet mentioned-- most spin bikes have spd compatable pedals. So you can use the shoes in spin class as well (and by the way, spin bikes are a good way to get used to clipping in and out in a safe, non-crashable environment).

personally, I used mt bike pedals on my road bike for a while, and still do so on longer tours. the shoes are much more comfortable for walking (hence use on longer tours) and even just for setting your foot down when unclipping when riding. Plus, many road cleats wear if you walk on them a lot (and are expensive to replace, eg, my speedplay cleats are over 25 bucks to replace). Not so much of a problem with mt bike cleats, which are recessed under the tread on the shoe.

[cobalt]

Nadia, do you mean that the shoes I buy impact the metal things that go on the bottom of my shoes? I think I get that.

"Plus, many road cleats wear if you walk on them a lot (and are expensive to replace, eg, my speedplay cleats are over 25 bucks to replace). Not so much of a problem with mt bike cleats, which are recessed under the tread on the shoe".

I found pedals! The LBS had a definite opinion. I went in for Candy and I left with Speedplay Light Action in pink. I like bike but my bike is blue, they didn't have blue but I see now that they come in blue... hmmm...

Do you color coordinate your bike gear???

Anyway, they are not on yet and I didn't find shoes but won't buy any that give me slipping heels.

Did I do ok?

DH is out on his bike with his friend, my cold is in my lungs so not much of anything for me today. I spent all excess energy on raking which was not smart.

Thanks!

[tctrek]

Nadia, do you mean that the shoes I buy impact the metal things that go on the bottom of my shoes? I think I get that.

"Plus, many road cleats wear if you walk on them a lot (and are expensive to replace, eg, my speedplay cleats are over 25 bucks to replace). Not so much of a problem with mt bike cleats, which are recessed under the tread on the shoe".

I found pedals! The LBS had a definite opinion. I went in for Candy and I left with Speedplay Light Action in pink. I like bike but my bike is blue, they didn't have blue but I see now that they come in blue... hmmm...

Do you color coordinate your bike gear???

Anyway, they are not on yet and I didn't find shoes but won't buy any that give me slipping heels.

Did I do ok?

DH is out on his bike with his friend, my cold is in my lungs so not much of anything for me today. I spent all excess energy on raking which was not smart.

Thanks!

I started out with SPDs but have Speedplay Light Action now in red on a black/silver Trek. I don't know.. I think blue would be cool on a blue bike?

I'm looking for cafe covers to put over them when I'm off the bike so that I don't walk on the cleats too much. It is tricky walking on them, especially if you are on a slippery floor like when we stop at a convenience store.

Also, the first few rides the clip in/out was a little stiff. We put a little light-weight oil in them to help me get going. But after a couple of rides I felt they were awesome.

What kind of shoes did you get? I have Sidi Genius.. it was tricky putting the cleats on as there's a curve in the sole that you have to shim up to get the cleats to align flat. But I have a very narrow foot and the narrow Sidi's really suit me.

[cobalt]

tc, I haven't found shoes yet but I was able to try several on.

I have wide feet.

How can I tell when I am looking at a mountain bike shoe vs a road shoe? Is it the sole, you can walk on a mountain bike sole but a road bike shoe sole is flat?

I'll see if they have blue in the other store. Thanks :o

[aicabsolut]

If you bought Speedplay pedals, you will be buying road shoes, or else your cleats won't fit on your shoes.

Road shoe:

http://images.teamestrogen.com/ri/650/650/2009_Spring/SD-1250776_detail1.jpg

Mountain shoe:

http://images.teamestrogen.com/ri/650/650/2008_Fall/SD-1250982_detail1.jpg

[Kano]

They're advising snug, and it looks like you're planning to do just that -- I got my first bike shoes when I was still using those toe clips/cages because "normal shoes" -- and I think crocs would fit into this category in this case -- had my feet hurting something fierce when I rode! (btw, if the shoe doesn't go into the cage and you have to be on top of the cage, then there's no point in having the clip there at all!)

DH loves the Keen commuter sandals -- he's got a pair of those and one of "regular" MTB shoes, and even in February he doesn't get out the closed shoes!

You'll find a world of differnce just wearing the hard soles, and when you can actually clip in -- whether using the cage things or the cleats/special pedals, you're going to be amazed!

(I had to get new shoes last spring, when my old ones were too big and my feet slopped around inside something fierce. Now, I can still wear the ones I bought last spring, but SIDI had those cool floral road shoes out in a pretty blue that would go so nicely with my bike and helmet, that I'm just incredibly tempted!)

Karen in Boise, who's reluctantly getting ready to put away the ski boots and get out the bike shoes -- one tight fit for another! -- for the summer season!