Spin classes and shoes....

Hi everyone

I have a couple unrelated questions. First, I started going to spin classes at the local park district. Everyone I'd talked to about doing spin classes mentioned that they have pedals where you can either use the toe clips or SPD cleats. Well to my dismay the park district only has 1 bike with SPD's and the teacher uses it, even though she doesn't clip in. I asked her about having pedals where you can clip in and she said it had been considered but nobody agreed on it. What have you all seen with spin classes/pedals? Is my PD just behind the times? I like the class because it's a combination of 40 mins of spinning and 20 mins of weights. But I know using the toe clips will work different muscles than when I'm clipped in. I remember when I finally switched to clipless a few years ago and how sore my legs were at first even though I'd ridden a while with clips.

Second question - my Lake's are cracked a bit so it's time for new shoes. What do you guys recommend for a good road shoe? Nothing too $$$. The shoes I have now are Lake's (about $75), which I really liked. I did a lot of distance riding with them, but this year I plan on racing so I don't know if I should upgrade a bit on the shoe.

Thanks much!

My frame of reference isn't huge, but my experience has been:

1. University (student fitness center) only had clipless pedals (spd) for the instructor. All others had cages.

2. Local gym has two bikes in the spin studio with clipless (also spd) -- the instructor's bike and one other. All the rest have cages.

In both cases, only a few of the instructors acutally use the clipless pedals. My road shoes have Look-style cleats, and my mtb shoes are spds. Most of the time I end up spinning in running shoes and cages because I'm not always very good about cleaning the dirt and mud off of my mtb right away!

I'm not sure how the cost compares, but I'd like to see all of the bikes with the same dual-sided pedals that the instructors' bikes have -- one side with cages, the other with clips.

That's very nice of the instructor, to show off his neat shoes... while everyone else gets numb toes.

my favorite one is actually one of the few in his class who does NOT use special shoes in a sort of down-to-earth approach. I am fortunate that all bikes have spd pedals, except when I called them before first attending, the dolt on the phone said no, they did not have hem. And it is quite a flashy new club too. just the employees are... well... (this does not apply to my fave instructor)

My spinning classes are at the new University gym that hasn't even been open a year, and all of the bikes only have cages (although they say they're going to switch and get the duals). One of the instructors brings in his own pedals and switches them out so he can be clipless, and encourages the rest of us to do the same if they want, but nobody does.

the bikes at my university (UC Berkeley) only have the cages (ie., clips).

the bikes at club sport (they charge $100+/mo) have spd on one side and cages on the other.

I think it is a good idea to spin in clipless pedals (e.g,. spd, speed play, etc.) especially if you are using this pedal system on the road. Easier to keep up with the cadence, stand up on the bike, etc.

Where I spin, every bike has toe clips on one side and spd on the other. Plus, you can release the toe clip to reveal a look pedal. So essentially every pedal has 3 options on it. It's GREAT. Most ride with spd's because then you can get a mountain shoe and walk around the gym without killing yourself. I don't think these 3 way pedals are that expensive, but it's all relative.

So it seems like you get either. I'd thought about swapping out my pedals, so maybe I'll see if I can do that. I do have a trainer at home, but I'm enjoying the spin class more than watching a DVD in the basement right now. But I think I need to balance out the spin with the cages with being clipped in the trainer.

Thanks for your input ladies!

Our Golds Gym has options for both on all bikes and what a difference in the knee area when you are clipped in. Both of my bikes have the same clips so the shoes work for both.For some reason my knees hurt worse in spin than outdoor riding.
I love my Lake mountain bike shoes because I also do a 25 minute upper body work out prior to class as a warm up. I also love those clips for outside and trail riding as it is easy to walk up to the ice cream stand and order yogert-suger free of course....(okay my nose is growing):p