Should I switch from road clipless pedals?

[lisacohen]

Hi there,

I current have a road bike with road clipless pedals. I also had neuroma surgery on my right foot in May to remove two neuromas I had (which is taking WAY longer than has been expected in the recovery phase of things, probably because the dr. took out 2 neuromas that were so large compared to my small size 7 feet that he took a photo of it and keeps it on his iPhone to show his colleagues as in "Can you believe the size of those!?") and I still have two neuromas hanging out in my left foot but you couldn't pay me enough to get surgery any time soon based on my experience. I'm still doing physical therapy and need a cortisone shot but I am almost back to normal.

Needless to say this year has been a rebuilding year in terms of cycling. I wasn't able to complete the century I had registered for but I still was able to get out on some rides and enjoy the outdoors. I'm currently riding on my indoor trainer and so am starting to look at my pedal options to give me the winter to get used to them.

My feet still go numb in my road shoes after about 30-45 minutes depending on how hard my route is and a few weeks ago I took my mountain bike out (with toe clips) and was wearing my Keen newport h2 sandals and when I got back I realized I had been out biking for 90 minutes and didn't have any foot numbness or pain at all(!!). So it got me to thinking about changing my current pedal setup.

So I have a few questions:
1. I was wondering from everyone's experience here what is the widest woman's road shoes? Is there a brand that tends to run on the wide side (or ones that run narrow that I should avoid?)

OR
2. Should I try switching to mountain biking clipless pedals (on my road bike) because I've heard that the shoes are more comfortable to wear (not to mention to be able to go into a store or restroom without nearly killing yourself in road cleats)?

2A. If I should switch what are the recommended pedals that I should check out and what are the pros/cons of them?

2B. Does anyone have good, comfy mountain bike shoes recommendations? I am eyeing the Keen cycling sandals for when I'm using my bike for more recreational rides (though I guess they are all kinda recreational). I will be primarily riding on roads and paved trails.

I would like to do triathlons - eventually - but I will need to get my foot back in working order because right now running is out of the question (I'm just working up to being able to walk on my hard floors without needing the cushioning of a shoe... apparently the surgeon took out some "mass" on the bottom of my foot - i.e. padding in the ball of the foot while removing the neuromas. Grrr!!)

[TsPoet]

Sandals might be a good idea?
One example (there are other brands, Keene and Lake are the two I think of first)
http://www.veltecsportsusa.com/default.aspx?tabid=558&itemno=LXSDL_10&clr=BKGY

I find the sandals to be pretty much the same as shoes as far as power transfer, but I'm a slow rider so non-optimal shoes make little difference to me.
and a pedal with float. I like eggbeaters, but there are other brands/types that people will recommend.

[Tri Girl]

what about just using the cages on the road bike with the comfy sandals?

[invsblwmn]

Men's shoes tend to be wider. I like Sidi Megas.

[JennK13]

I have wide, flat feet, and wear Specialized Comp MTB Shoes (http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=39460&menuItemId=0&eid=0) with SPD cleats on my bike. They are part of the Body Geometry line of shoes. I love these shoes, and wear them on every ride, including triathlons/duathlons - makes running out of transition to the mounting area easier for me :)

[LivetoRide]

Sidi has "Mega" shoes as someone else mentioned, which are wider, and men's shoes in general tend to be a little wider than women's. Some say Sidi's regular shoes run narrow and I've heard the same remark about Shimano's road shoes. At least in men's sizes, Diadora's shoes run on the wide side per what I've heard friend's say. I know nothing in regards to mtb shoes so no help there.

If you stick with road shoes or when you go back to road shoes (if you switch to your mtb setup for now on your road bike - which isn't a bad idea if it helps your pain) you may want to look at Speedplay's pedal system. I personally have Look's traditional Keo pedals and like them (their new "Keo 2 Max" pedals have an even larger surface area though, btw) but know that Speedplays have worked well for many people who have had some type of physical problem (knee pain, foot pain, etc.). Good luck!

[ny biker]

What kind of shoes and pedals do you currently have on your road bike?

If you just want to switch to mountain bike shoes, you might be able to use your current pedals with different shoes. I used to have SPDs on both my road and mountain bikes, and I used the same type of cleats for both pairs of shoes.

Recently I switched to Speedplay pedals on my road bike to fix problems with knee alignment. I live in NoVa, and the new pedals were recommended to me by the manager of The Bike Lane in Reston, VA. Since you're in the DC area, you might want to stop by if you're not too far from there to talk to them about pedals that would be good for your feet. I've found them to be very helpful in solving problems with bike fit.

[GLC1968]

I have wide, flat feet, and wear Specialized Comp MTB Shoes (http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=39460&menuItemId=0&eid=0) with SPD cleats on my bike.

This is the set up I have on my commuter/rain bike. I too have wide, flat feet.

I also wear Specialized Comp Road shoes (the mens version) on my road bike (with SPD-SL cleats). I'll be using this set up on my tri bike as well. So far, it's the best I can do in terms of width for my small feet.

The Sidi Megas don't come smaller than a men's 40, so you are out of luck if you wear a woman's 7. They'll be too big. That's my issue too (I'm a 6.5).

Oh, and the Keen cycling sandal is actually narrower than the Keen regular sandals. I wear a lot of Keen shoes in my day to day life, but the cycling sandals are too narrow for me (I keep trying because I really want a pair!).

[OakLeaf]

I have wide feet, and I wear Specialized Torch. They could be a *bit* wider for me, but on the bike I don't have any issues. I definitely need wider for running than for cycling.

[smurfalicious]

If you're experiencing numbness both before and after you got yourself "fixed" it could be a fit issue or an issue with your pedaling technique (that could be attributed to fit).

First, if you're feeling tight in your shoes, check out NorthWave. They come down to a 38 which might still be a bit big for you though. I've been told they're the widest Italian road shoe out there.

Second, I can't recommend Speedplay pedals enough. I LOVE mine and would never go back to anything else. The range of float is awesome and they allow for all sorts of shimming. Mine are currently blocked up with all sorts of neato shims for both length and leveling. The 1/4 shim for my "gimpy leg" has had an impact throughout my body. No more skootching in my saddle, no more ouchie lower back.

Speedplays also have a "cafe cap" you can get to cover the cleat. I carry them with me if I think I'm going to be stopping a lot or when commuting. I just walk sort of on my heels, don't try to roll over the balls of my foot. Never crashed on um.

I would really look at your fit though. As I mentioned I have a limb length discrepancy and the bulk of my hours long fit was spent tinkering with my cleats. If you're not in a position that allows you to pedal correctly then you're fighting a losing battle.

If your fit is fine, see if you can't get someone with expertise in the area, maybe a fitter, to watch you ride and see what your pedal stroke looks like. If I get tired I know mine gets sloppy and that's when I sometimes get that numb not fun feeling. A newbie friend of mine was having that, we worked on her spin and over time she was doing much better.

[Crankin]

MY DH had surgery for a neuroma about 8 years ago. He had no issues with numbing when riding after the surgery, although his foot still is "sensitive" when doing other activities, especially walking. In fact, the neuroma was caused by walking 50 city blocks in NYC in dress shoes. He was back on the bike about 6-8 weeks after the surgery and did the cycling leg of a pentathalon about 3 months after the surgery (it involved cycling up a mountain in NH), after little training.
I'm wondering if the numbness has to do with other things, as stated above. Your pedal stroke might be different now that your foot is "fixed."

[PinkBike]

No one's mentioned yet that road shoes have VERY hard soles. This could be your problem as you said it was hard to walk on a hard surface. Nothing wrong at all with switching to mountain bike shoes and pedals for your road bike. The shoes are much more comfy and easier to walk in. I see people with mountain bike pedals on their road bikes often. I had Shimano SPD's when I first got a road bike so I could alternate and wouldn't have the expense of 2 sets of everything. When I decided I was 100% roadie I swapped for Speedplays and sold all the mountain stuff.

[jennyrc]

So...this is a little off topic but I'm hoping someone here can help me. I just ordered a pair of Sidi shoes (women's genius 5 pro carbon if this matters) and now I'm trying to figure out pedals.
Right now I use shimano spd's with mountain bike shoes. From my initial understanding, I'll need to get new pedals/cleats for these shoes (SPD-SL). I also thought that Look and Shimano were the brands that had these type of pedals. However, after reading through this forum, it sounds like speedplay might be pedals I would like (I specifically like the idea of having a wide range of adjustments that can be made, as well as their ease to get in and out of).
So first question...are speedplay's compatible with the shoes I just bought?
Second...Is there some sort of adapter I can buy to make my current pedals compatible with my new shoes, or does that just add too much bulk, etc. (I currently have my pedals set so they are very easy to get in and out of...which I love)
Thanks for input!

[Owlie]

So...this is a little off topic but I'm hoping someone here can help me. I just ordered a pair of Sidi shoes (women's genius 5 pro carbon if this matters) and now I'm trying to figure out pedals.
Right now I use shimano spd's with mountain bike shoes. From my initial understanding, I'll need to get new pedals/cleats for these shoes (SPD-SL). I also thought that Look and Shimano were the brands that had these type of pedals. However, after reading through this forum, it sounds like speedplay might be pedals I would like (I specifically like the idea of having a wide range of adjustments that can be made, as well as their ease to get in and out of).
So first question...are speedplay's compatible with the shoes I just bought?
Second...Is there some sort of adapter I can buy to make my current pedals compatible with my new shoes, or does that just add too much bulk, etc. (I currently have my pedals set so they are very easy to get in and out of...which I love)
Thanks for input!

Here you go: http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=shoeguide.searchroad
Just select your shoe manufacturer, then the type of sole (Millennium III, I think).

[hulagirl]

So...this is a little off topic but I'm hoping someone here can help me. I just ordered a pair of Sidi shoes (women's genius 5 pro carbon if this matters) and now I'm trying to figure out pedals.
Right now I use shimano spd's with mountain bike shoes. From my initial understanding, I'll need to get new pedals/cleats for these shoes (SPD-SL). I also thought that Look and Shimano were the brands that had these type of pedals. However, after reading through this forum, it sounds like speedplay might be pedals I would like (I specifically like the idea of having a wide range of adjustments that can be made, as well as their ease to get in and out of).
So first question...are speedplay's compatible with the shoes I just bought?
Second...Is there some sort of adapter I can buy to make my current pedals compatible with my new shoes, or does that just add too much bulk, etc. (I currently have my pedals set so they are very easy to get in and out of...which I love)
Thanks for input!

Speedplay cleats are compatible with 3 and 4 hole shoes. They won't fit on 2 hole shoes.

And again - another vote for Speedplay. I went from SPD pedals to Light Action due to the constant force of the spring turning my foot. Speedplay has no spring force to fight against and the float is amazing on the Light Action. Like ice skating at first, but now I'm seriously in love with them. And SOOO easy to maintain!

[hulagirl]

Oh and one other thing Lisa - I had foot numbness and pain issues that I fixed with a saddle change. My saddle was too narrow and I was cutting off circulation. Not fun!

[alice]

I can't give advice on road vs. mtn pedals or what will work for you, but if you go the mountain pedals route, I can heartily reccommend the Keen cycling sandals. I find them to be a little stiffer in the sole than the identical looking Keen non-cycling sandals, but equally comfortable; wearing socks warms them up, not wearing socks lets you feel the wind on your toes. ^_^