Do you Bike in Bike Shoes or Running Shoes?

[ptsheridan]

My first sprint tri is at the end of June. Forums like this have been so invaluable to me. Thank you all for sharing so much. Such a supportive environment. My question..

What do you wear on your feet for the bike portion? Do you wear bike shoes and then change to running shoes for the run? At the moment, I was thinking of biking in my running shoes but thought I would ask for your experience. I am a novice bike rider so I am just working on staying on my bike and shoes haven't been that important to me until now. I have gotten a lot of advice regarding what to wear for the different portions of the Tri that has been so helpful. Now I have to figure out what to put on my feet!

[Lise]

Hi--great question. I love riding clipped in, because it gives me so much more power. So I ride in my bike shoes, and change into my running shoes in T2. Any time I "lose" by changing shoes is negligible. If you go for bike shoes, get them now, train in them. There should be nothing new, no surprises on race day.

[KSH]

I have to bike in my road shoes, because I have SpeedPlays and I can't pedal with running shoes.

You get more power on the bike with clipless pedals.

So, I wear my bike shoes out of T1 and my running shoes out of T2.

It's all about what you are comfortable with though. I see many people who use their running shoes on the bike and run.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.

[ptsheridan]

Thank you for your advice. I am going to take a look at bike shoes and consider going the clipless route. I think it will help me be more consistent in my bike performance.

Really appreciate your posts. WIll let you know how I make out.

[Tri Girl]

And if you get elastic laces for your running shoes, then changing from bike shoes to running shoes is REALLY fast!
I like the power of my bike shoes on the bike- I just feel more "connected" to my cycling with my bike shoes.