Cheap Fix for Slippery Road Shoes

[RolliePollie]

Anyone struggling with slippery soled road shoes? I have a quick and cheap idea for you!

My soles aren't particularly slippery because of my Quattro cleat platforms, but I slipped trying to get started the other day because the toe area of the sole is very slippery. I took my shoes to a shoe repair place and he didn't have any suggestions. So I came up with the following idea and so far it's working well. I bought a piece of rubber stuff at Home Depot ($3.97)...it was in the flooring section next to rubber baseboard trim. I think it's a cap for the edge of each step on a flight of stairs. Then I cut it to the shape/size I needed and used Super Glue for plastics ($2.97) to stick it to my soles.

I've been on two rides since and so far, the glue is holding and I have some traction. Not bad for seven bucks! Too bad the rubber only came in brown...now the soles of my lovely Sidis are really tacky!!!

[Tri Girl]

What a clever idea! Thanks for sharing. I'll have to use that on my Sidis (why is it that both pairs I've had of those are so slick, but my other shoes aren't? hmmmm )

[Starfish]

now the soles of my lovely Sidis are really tacky!!!

Yes, and don't you know, that is the FIRST place the road-cyclist-fashion-police check!

Great idea!

PS: I don't know much about cleats and so forth...I have only had SPDs ever, and one pair of shoes. Your cleats look like SPD cleats? But, your shoes are road shoes?

[Mr. Bloom]

That's a great idea! If I have to stop on a steep hill, my concern isn't falling on the bike, it's slipping in the shoes!

[silver]

Yes, and don't you know, that is the FIRST place the road-cyclist-fashion-police check!

Great idea!

PS: I don't know much about cleats and so forth...I have only had SPDs ever, and one pair of shoes. Your cleats look like SPD cleats? But, your shoes are road shoes?

That's fairly common to use Mountain Bike pedals/cleats on road bikes/road shoes. It's the other way around that doesn't work so well cause many road cleats won't fit with the shoe cleats (the other kind of cleat as in the bumpy things on the bottom of the shoes)

[RolliePollie]

PS: I don't know much about cleats and so forth...I have only had SPDs ever, and one pair of shoes. Your cleats look like SPD cleats? But, your shoes are road shoes?

They are Crankbrothers Quattros. I love them! They are actually road cleats and pedals, but they're modeled after eggbeaters. The black plastic/rubber gasket thingie that surrounds the cleats actually makes them recessed, so you can walk around and the cleats never hit the ground. Plus the gasket thingie gives you a larger pedaling surface so it's not just the cleat itself that you're pushing down on. Here's a link to the website:

http://www.crankbrothers.com/quattro_sl.php

And a picture of the pedals on my bike:

[Starfish]

Hey, thanks Sara!!