shoes

[Jen]

I want to get a new pair of cycling shoes. I have a road bike but wondered it it matters if I wear Mt. Bike shoes. They have a rubber sole which makes it a tad easier to walk in if you should get off the bike to walk. I wonder it the road bike shoes would work better on a road bike. Also, what is a good feature to look for . I don't want to spend over $100. Just got the bike a month ago and have been using my Mt. Bike shoes that I have for spinning.

[Jen]

I saw some Chili's on sale on the TE website. Are they any good?

[DeniseGoldberg]

Jen -
I only ride road bikes, and I only wear mountain shoes. It really is up to you (and your riding style) which type of shoes you wear. I tour on my bike, and it's very important to me to have recessed cleats in case I need to walk anywhere.

My choice of shoes is out of your desired price range though - I wear Sidi Dominators. The shoes have a match in the Sidi road shoe line with the difference being not the structure of the sole, but the addition of lugs on the soles.

Good luck with your shoe shopping!

--- Denise

[Sparky]

I also wear mtn shoe on a road bike. Walkability was the issue for me too. I have a pair of specialized that I liked best of the ones I tried ($75-$100 range). Had them couple years I don't remember exactly what they were called, but I did get a womens shoe. Cost was about $90.

[Grog]

If you do a lot of climbing, you might appreciate a pair of road shoes.

I have had mountain or rather cyclo shoes with a rubber sole since I started cycling on the road last Spring. I am now getting a pair of (awfully expensive - big gift to myself) Shimano road shoes with carbon soles, and Shimano 105 pedals. Force transfer from leg - foot to the pedal is much more efficient with stiff soles. Probably not a very significant difference in terms of speed though. But I hope them to make climbing less tiring for my ankles in particular. Not good for walking a mile, but okay for hopping off the bike to the washrooms and convenience store and back up that hill! But I will keep the other pair for commuting and any activity where I might have to walk with the bike up or down stairs.

Otherwise, it doesn't really matter.

[Jo-n-NY]

I also ride a road bike with mtn shoes, Specialized. I don't know which model or the price as my husband got them for me. Like Denise and Sparky, I got them so it is easy to walk in when off the bike.

~ JoAnn

[DeniseGoldberg]

If you do a lot of climbing, you might appreciate a pair of road shoes.

.... Force transfer from leg - foot to the pedal is much more efficient with stiff soles.

You're right there - but you can get mountain shoes with very stiff soles. My Sidi dominators are an example.

--- Denise

[Nanci]

Another vote for MTB shoes on a road bike. I hate walking in road shoes, and if you're riding a hundred miles or more, it's nice to walk around once in a while. Another thing is road crossings. If you have road shoes, you'd better hit the cleat right the first time, or you get racked when your foot slides off. Painful, plus there you are in the middle of the road fumbling around. MTB shoes, OTOH, stick to the pedal no matter if you're clipped in or not, so you can clip in when you are out of harm's way.

That said, my Sidi Lightnings (road) are feather-light, soft, comfy, with nice stiff soles.

Nanci

[Eden]

One thing to think about - I switched from mtb to road shoes last year. I figured that I would be able to wear either pair of shoes depending on my mood or what type of riding I was doing. Well it turns out that I actually had to move my saddle because of the difference in the shoes - and its now not entirely comfortable to wear the mtb shoes with the road bike. I don't regret changing the shoes though and I wear the road shoes all of the time now.

[SpinSis]

I also ride with mtb shoes. I only started riding last summer and I wanted affordability and ease in walking when I commute with my bike. The LBS set me up with my shoes (a pair of Specialized, black with pink stitching, no clue of the name). The thing I recommend is to hit your LBS(s) in the coming weeks because they are going to be interested in moving out last year's stock (ie. SALES!) and it gives you an opp. to try some things on.

I also found it extremely helpful to have done a Fit Kit when I got my new bike (ie. you ride on trainer, on your bike with your shoes and pedals, and your are measured and fit to your bike and clips) As a new rider, I appreciated the chance to have a professional set me up right on seat height, cleat adjustment, reach to the handlebars and shifts/brakes. Well worth the expense. I may even go back this spring to reassess (the LBS has my measurements on file.) I'm sure many others on this website have more expertise in explaining Fit Kits than me.

Good luck!
S