About to dip my toes into cross

[pll]

So I am about to buy a Focus Mares CX 2 and I will do my first cross race on Sunday (which is crazy, since I am probably riding 100 miles on Saturday morning).

What do you recommend for shoes and pedals? I have some old pair of Lake MTB shoes that I will use initially, until my wallet recovers a little bit. A friend has an extra paid of Crank Brothers Candy pedals, which I wanted to try. I used Shimano SPD for ~7 years with my road bike.

[SheFly]

The answers to this question vary, depending on personal preference . Personally, I ride Shimano SPDs - always have, and always will. I don't have an issue clearing mud, and I can ALWAYS get out of my pedal when necessary! A good stiff-soled MTB shoe with some tread is a must, as you will be doing some running in said shoes as well as the riding. Toe spikes are good, and can be gotten pretty cheaply if they didn't come with your shoes. These will help on steep uphill runs, or in the mud.

Have FUN! CX is a blast, and my first race of the season is also this weekend!

SheFly

[Becky]

I'm looking forward to trying my first cross race this year as well! Unfortunately, the first one I can attend is in November....I can't wait that long!

[zoom-zoom]

I also ride with Shimano SPDs, as does my hubby. A few of our friends swear by Times.

[pll]

Thank you!

I am also looking forward to finding some gravel rides. I am not good an anaerobic efforts, so this cross thing will be about fun and gaining bike handling skills for me.

Shimano SPD it might be then. I'll try the Candy for a while. What I liked about the SPDs on my road bike is that I could clip in very quickly (still does not happen nearly as fast with the Look Keo), but they made my feet hurt in longer rides. Should not be an issue in CX, I hope.

What are your thoughts on the upper of the shoes? I saw that for men's SIDI MTB shoes, some are 100% "lorica" and others have some mesh. Presumably the ones without mesh might be better?

[SheFly]

I'm guessing that your feet hurt because the soles of your shoes weren't stiff enough. Also, depending on the length of the ride, the platform of the SPD doesn't rally provide as much support as a true road pedal. You won't have this issue in CX, as the races are quite short. You do still want a reasonably stiff shoe.

I wear a Pearl Izumi shoe to race in. I have both of these: http://www.pearlizumi.com/content/pe...wear-5778.html and http://www.pearlizumi.com/content/pe...wear-5779.html. Don't let the prices get to you - you can find them for less on sale quite often. Both are comfortable for me to ride long distance (we have been doing quite a lot of gravel road riding), as well as racing and running when necessary. I am showing you these only so you can see what the shoe is like - there are lots of brands out there that are less expensive and just as good.

Stay clear of a mesh shoe - CX is done in colder temps, and your feet will be cold regardless of the shoe, but worse in something with mesh.

CX is definitely fun! You will have a blast.

SheFly