Mtn Bike Shoes vs Road Shoes

[Aint Doody]

Today 4 of us were riding together. One of the ladies had her tire to blow totally. It had a gaping rip in it. The other 3 of us hopped on bikes to get to a convenience store about 3/4 mile away. She started walking. She has MB Sidis. Amazingly the man in our group fashioned a boot out of a piece of a Coke can and some strong tape! A dollar wouldn't have worked. She said a couple of times she was soooo glad not to have on road shoes. The boot held long enough for us to get back to her car--6 miles.

[Grog]

Today 4 of us were riding together. One of the ladies had her tire to blow totally. It had a gaping rip in it. The other 3 of us hopped on bikes to get to a convenience store about 3/4 mile away. She started walking. She has MB Sidis. Amazingly the man in our group fashioned a boot out of a piece of a Coke can and some strong tape! A dollar wouldn't have worked. She said a couple of times she was soooo glad not to have on road shoes. The boot held long enough for us to get back to her car--6 miles.

A friend of mine had a similar thing happen to her. She was on a really nice, fast bike-only road that no cars can get to. She had to walk over 2 miles in her socks. I think I found road shoes to be too limiting for me, and making me more vulnerable.

[Bluetree]

You're getting differing opinions here, but before you buy, you should take stock as to what kind of person you are.

If you truly want to race, you will want to get the stiffest and highest quality road shoe you can afford. The female racers I know have a greater sense of fearlessness than non-racing women, and are willing to put performance over practicality. Are you that type of person? Do you see yourself becoming that way?

If you are a more cautious type, and see cycling as more of a way to get from place-to-place (and see yourself walking around in stores) then maybe your needs are different. Are you the type that is very concerned about everything that can possibly go wrong in a ride? If so, perhaps MTB shoes are for you.

[Grog]

+1 what Bluetree said. Very wise.

[supercutie]

I have been riding for a decade or so now...on and off. I have a Road bike and a Mountain bike, I have road shoes/pedals and SPD's. After riding my second El Tour de Tucson, which includes a couple of wash/ "river" crossings (I say "river" because they are rarely running so it's a hike through 4-6" of sand) I decided to put SPD peddles on my Road bike. I've never gone back. I have the Sidi Dominators, my only complaint; they're black and in the Tucson summers black is not a shade of choice.
I too had problems with pain in the balls of my feet. It all comes down to how much pressure you apply to the ball of your foot while riding. I have learned to ride as lightly as possible. This means using the connection of the shoe to the peddle to my advantage. When you pull up and scrape back for peddle strokes, you do no need to apply much pressure with your foot. In fact, the only time you need to apply the full pressure of your foot is out of the saddle, you have no choice.
I also make sure my foot has some wiggle room. I wear a size 6 street shoe, which translates to a 38 cm. I wear a 39 cm in Sidis. This way I came accomidate expansion of my foot during long rides and summer heat; not to mention thicker socks in the winter.
Hopefully by now, you have already been taught this by a good coach. I am fortunate enough to be married to a world class bicycle mechanic and coach.
Supercutie

[jodz1984]

Hi, i got some shimano road shoes, and pedals, and they are awesome, i have changed my pedaling style, so i hardly push on the pedals and don't have the same problem anymore, but i find there is no comparison with the being able to be out of the saddle going up a steep hill with the amount i can pull up on the pedals without thinking my feet are about to slip out. the only time i put much pressure downwards of the pedels is when i am sprinting or out of the saddle riding up a hill. so i probably wouldn't have the same problem with the old pedals and shoes now, but i do prefere the road shoes and pedals.

I have got a coach since making this tread and have improved a lot of aspects of my riding since then. still a long long long way to go though. i have just started racing on the track (went up a grade after only 1 week and still won races) then next road season i'll be racing that. i beat a lot of the guys i ride with which doesn't impress them at all.

Thank you for the reply, and good luck with your cycling

[ChillyWilly]

I'm doing my research and reading everything I can about which way to go when I buy my first clipless setup. From this forum, I am beginning to see that mtb clipless might be the best way to begin. Easy in and out for my Fear of Falling problem, and a better way to go when the need to walk arises.

With that in mind, I'd love to hear your thoughts on which brand to buy. Shimano gets alot of coverage, as does Crank Brothers. I've heard Shimano quality far outreaches Crank Brothers, but Crank Brothers eggbeaters (are they mtb style?) gets the nod on easy to use?

I'm so overwhelmed with everything my little brain is trying to absorb on my journey into road biking.

I'm off for another bike fit Monday (second fitting on a new bike just purchased last week. Severe hand pain while riding and hard to brake!!) so I thought that since I"m paying for a fit, and fittings are all about getting the clips right, I should go in there ready to do just that, go clipless. And with your help, I'll arrive knowing just what shoe and clipless system I want to be fitted too.

Thanks All

[jodz1984]

i ended up with shimano spd road shoes and pedal's, i use them on 3 bikes and love them, i don't notice much difference with clipping and unclipping between my mountain bike pedals and these road pedals. i even use them on my mountain bike because i started training on my mountain bike on the road for more toughness and i was getting sore knee's with the other ones. so i use them on my road bike, track bike and mountain bike. walking i don't find a problem in them just have to walk a bit weird but never felt like i was going to slip or anything like that.

i think i am extremely lucky with the bike shop i go to, coz i ride with them they fit me on the bike for free and keep adjusting whatever needs adjusting, which at the moment is constantly since i am pregnant and with the changing body there was even parts he changed for me and lent me the parts while i'm pregnant, like head stems on the road bike and mountain bike as well as a different saddle for the road bike too.

[Dog]

I've only ridden with MTB shoes (including teaching Spin classes). I've looked at RB shoes, but haven't seen the need to change. I've done several century and century plus rides and never experienced problems. Also used them for a 4-day fully loaded tour and didn't have a problem. Sometimes ignorance is bliss

[jodz1984]

hi guys, thanks for the info, i decided on road shoes, and i found a huge difference with them especially that i started racing track too, i wouldn't have been able to do that as good in mountain bike shoes i don't think. i am about to purchase my 2nd pair of road shoes, but because of the ones i have been ruined but because with the amount of riding i want an upgrade. i am about to buy some specialized s works carbon road shoes, can't wait.