MTB pedals and shoes on Road Bikes

JustRidecp

Right, as I use my road bike for everything - commuting, going to the shops, club rides - I use 2 sided Time ATAC mtb pedals that I've had for donkeys since my pre tarmac days. I find them fantastic in the city as they're super easy to clip in/out and means I can walk about in mtb shoes all day when at uni.

Now the problem is, when I go for longer runs I experience numb soles in my feet and I'm guessing the shoes maybe flex too much or that the power is being distributed over the small area of the pedal. I'd like to keep using the pedals but top end road shoes aren't compatible with the two bolt Time cleats.

Does anyone here use mtb shoes and mtb pedals on their road bike and whats their experience of it? Is there any fundemental difference between road and mtb pedals apart from rubber grips on mtb shoes? Also, does anyone else know if the numb feet is likely to be pedal or shoe related? (Sorry for the questions folks!)

In an ideal world, I'd get speedplays but I'm a skint postgrad and sadly funding doesn't cover things like that!

craigwend

I use Shimano M520 SPD on road, commuter/tourer and mountain bike, with no problems or 'ache' compared to wearing traditional pedals and straps, always get very good reviews (M520) and easier to use one pedal for all types of bikes, use both shimano and ultra expensive ‘aldi’ shoes’ no problems.

alfablue

Although spd's and ATAC's have a smaller platform than road pedals, I think it is largely an issue of the stiffness of the shoes - I have some Specialized Taho shoes and some Shimano MT90's - the latter are noticeably stiffer, though I don't have foot problems with either.

rohloff-rich

JustRidecp wrote:

In an ideal world, I'd get speedplays but I'm a skint postgrad and sadly funding doesn't cover things like that!

I've got a set that are yours for £25 posted?

Rockhopper

Interseting problem. I ride an MTB with flat pedals. I've tried SPD's with two different types of shoe, both of which resulted in numb toes etc. One pair were very expensive specialized body geometry shoes. I tried all sorts of different positions for the cleats but it made no difference.
Now i'm thinking about buying a road bike but i really don't want to find I've got the same problem. Will road shoes and pedals be different? Do people still ride with flats and toe clips and straps like my dad suggested i do!

alfablue

Rockhopper - the Specialized BG shoes have a bulge in the in-sole - supposedly to relieve pressure on the nerve's however this may also be unsuitable for some people - could this be a problem?

Rockhopper

I wondered that myself, trouble is that its getting a bit expensive to keep buying different shoes! They went on Ebay eventually.
I wouldn't go back to SPD's for MTB'ing but for road use then its a must i think.

Paul.

alfablue

ah - too late now, but just replacing the insoles may have helped - worth a try.

Lagavulin

I'm using Spesh BG MTB shoes and Shimano PD M520's on my hardtail and PD M540's (basically 520's without spanner flats) on my roadie.

I ocassionally get numb toes but I think thats really my own fault from doign the straps up too tight. A slight on the fly adjustment and all is well.

At the time (a year ago) a bloke at Edinburgh Bicycle advised me to use MTB shoes in the short term as I'd never used clipless before and he said the jump from flats and/or toeclips can be quite a big one. I'm 12 months down the line with them and I'm hapy.

What are the real benefits of road shoes? I might consider getting some in the sales but I only really use my roadie in the spring and summer.

alfablue

I think the advantage of road shoes is greater stiffness and lightness - these for me (as a tourer / comuter) are not great benefits weighed up against walking limitations, so it depends on your style of cycling.

JustRidecp

Lagavulin wrote:

What are the real benefits of road shoes? I might consider getting some in the sales but I only really use my roadie in the spring and summer.

Only thing I can think of is that road shoes are designed only to be use on the bike and are not meant to be walked in. MTB shoes are designed to be a bit more practical in that you'll probably have to carry your mtb at some point and trudge up muddy slopes. As a result, they have aggressive treads for cutting through mud and have slightly more give meaning you can walk in them.

piedwagtail91

i use shimano 959 spd's and diadora shoes on both my bikes(geared and fixed) and haven't had any problems on rides up to 200 miles. the shoes have very stiff soles which i think helps a lot.
the uppes on my diadora mtb shoes look very much like the road version but with a mtb sole.

manick0de

I've found Carbon soled MTB shoes are great for longer distance road riding and touring.
I recently thought about switching to SPD-L or Look, but MTB pedals are more practable.
I don't buy into the weight thing, surely the small difference won't have any effect.

maddog 2

I use 540 spuds and Spesh carbon mtb shoes

tried SPD-SLs but didn't get on with them and their benefits over spuds didn't outweigh their limitations.

I've done 150 miles in a day without shoe issues, so they're fine for me.

madmole

Try moving the cleats back towards the rear of your foot a mm or 2, that cured my toes going numb in Spesh BG shoes, oh and loosen the fastenings a bit

jedster

I use SPDs on my roadbike for the same reasons as you and I also begin to get a bit of numbness if I ride for more than an hour.

Quite a lot of shoes are made in road and MTB variants - same shoe apart from the rubber - so I don't think that need be the issue. I suspect its simply the smaller platform area.

I'm contemplating buying myself a nice bike for longer rides (i.e. so I can lose guards, rack, dynohub, lights, etc, etc) and I'm pretty sure I'll buy a different set of pedals and shoes for that bike.

JustRidecp

madmole wrote:

Try moving the cleats back towards the rear of your foot a mm or 2, that cured my toes going numb in Spesh BG shoes, oh and loosen the fastenings a bit

Yeah. Spot on, I did this and it helped allieviate the problem - I managed 3 hours in reasonable comfort. Before I had to stop after 2 because I'd lost all feeling in my left foot toes! I think another factor is that there's quite a bit of size difference between my feet - about half a shoe size!

Thanks for the responses guys - going to get new pedals and invest in a good stiff soled shoe for long rides.