Newbie pedal/shoe question

Hornetto

Hi everyone,

Have been browsing the forum for a few days and decided to take the plunge and join in! Having had a reasonably cheap MTB for years which I've ridden more and more on-road, and decided that I want to commute the 25 miles each way to work on a more regular basis (having done it for 5 days for "bike to work" week a couple of weeks back), I felt that a better bike was required (for a start my MTB is really heavy!!). You've already given me enough advice to get me started - I've just ordered a Specialized Allez Sport double (07), which I can't wait to get going on as my first road bike. Maybe even join a local club if I feel brave!

So, anyway, I have a couple of questions (of course!!):

I think my first upgrade to the standard bike will be clipless pedals and shoes - but is it possible to get 2 different sets of pedals (1 for the MTB and 1 for the road bike) and only 1 pair of shoes to fit both without major adjustment?
I'd prefer to get some shoes that I can walk in for short distances rather than the 'pure' road bike shoe, and was hoping that I could use the same shoes for both bikes. I quite like the look of the dhb M1 shoes from wiggle at £40. Would these be OK for both road and MTB?
Also, can anyone tell me which pedals they'd recommend for both road and MTB if it is possible to use the same shoes?

Sorry for the multiple questions! Cheers in advance!

biondino

Hiya,

I have two road bikes, one with SPD pedals and one with Crank Brothers Eggbeaters. Both are traditionally MTB shoes, but the big plus is that both systems work with MTB shoes WHICH YOU CAN ACTUALLY WALK IN. Ideally, I would have both the same so I can use just the one pair of shoes - I have a decent pair of £70 Specialized BG MTB shoes which look and ride like road shoes but have, like, a sole with grip and everything. But you can also get shoes that not only have proper soles but actually look like regular shoes, which means you don't even need to change out of them when you arrive at your destination.

Of course, there are compromises - weight distribution across the shoe, which affects the application of power to the pedal, might be compromised, along with stiffness and weight. But the ability to walk in them, for a non-racer like me, is massively more important.

As I understand it, DHB do the same kind of shoe I have, which will fit both Crank Bros and SPD cleats. On balance, I'd recommend SPDs, 2-sided ideally, as my eggbeaters seem too easy to slip out of almost without noticing. There really is no need to use hardcore road shoes with SPD-SL cleats unless you're racing.

Hornetto

Cheers for that biondino, exactly the kind of advice I was after! I was hoping that the same shoes could be used with two different pedals.

The DHB shoes I was looking at do sound similar to your Specialized ones (although I expect not quite as good!) - they have a tread and claim that you can walk on them easily. Thanks for the tip about not needing the SPD-SL cleats unless racing (which I won't be doing any of!).

I'll keep my search narrowed to SPDs! Cheers!

keef66

I've got a pair of Nike touring shoes with SPD cleats; easy to walk in. At the moment I ride a light, rigid MTB with slicks, and it has shimano pedals with SPD one side and a plain platform on the other. That way if I'm just popping down the shops I don't need to bother changing footwear.

When I get my road bike I'll be fitting either double sided spd pedals, or the single sided spd touring pedal so I don't need a different set of footwear.