Shoe's - have I made a mistake

7jason

Hi

I have recently started riding off road and have found my trainers to be a little bit too soft and also they soak up all the mud and water.

I have had knee re-construction in the past and was warned not to use toe clips or cleats for cycling as it puts too much strain on the joint on the upward motion.

My bike came with toe clips so I took those off and have been riding with trainers and all has been fine apart from what I have mentioned above, and also I have been told by many that efficiency would be much better with shoes designed for the job.

I have been looking about for some shoes and finally went for Shimano MT 51 as from reading the details I understood these were supposed to be ok for flats aswell as SPD's.

I thought 'flats' meant not clips at all i.e straigt on to pedal - however I went out last night and it was like I was wearing a pair of ice skates - I got no grip on my pedals whatsoever, my feet kept flying off from only the slightest bump and I had 0% confidence to ride at any speed.

Should I be buying a certain type of pedal or have I simply made a mistake and thses shoes are only for SPD's?

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks
Jason

Anonymous

These appear to be SPD shoes, so not really suitable for your needs.

I'd advise you to get some flat-pedal specific shoes e.g. 5.10's instead.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... hoes-15988

stumpyjon

You may also want to consider chnaging the pedals. I'm not a flats expert as I ride exclusively SPD's but I do know that many basic flat pedals that come woth bikes aren't great. Aftermarket pedals can improve grip substantially and have replaced pins that help you keep your foot on the pedal. I think something like the DMR V8s or V12s (V8s are around £ 15 to £ 20 a pair).

The main benefit of riding specific shoes is the stiffer sole which improves pedalling efficiency. To be honest all riding shoes tend to leak like a sieve unless you buy proper waterproof ones like the Shimano MW02s.

davewalsh

I've had knee problems in the past but also wanted to try clipless pedals so decided to go for a set of Crank Brothers candy pedals which have plenty of float in them. After 6 months I haven't had any further problems and I probably ride 40 miles a week.

You've said above that you've been warned not to use toe clips or cleats for cycling as it puts too much strain on the joint on the upward motion, If you don't try to pull the pedal up then you won't strain your joints :P

clodhoppa74

i like the 661's. they may not be great for xc, but they look good!

Dazzza

I use xtr spd's and tbh i find them great for float though i do use them with the egg beater save our soles and that makes them quite loose, to the point where i had to turn the tension up on the things but certainly the best combo ive used.

sc999cs

As Stumpyjon said what type of pedals do you have? The MT51 has tread which means it should grip on to any metal pedal with a cage or pegs. If your pedals are some sort of rubber or other synthetic material with a smooth surface this might be the problem and you could get slippage with any type of sole, especially when wet. (The soft trainers may have moulded onto the pedals appearing more stable but wasting energy).

On another note be careful with the descriptions as well, from one website

Shimano R062 Road Cycling Shoes Black

* A classic looking budget SPD and SPD-SL shoe, ideal for all types of leisure riding

but looking at the picture these are very much road shoes and would be awful for any sort of 'leisure' riding and really will slide off any type of pedal unless restrained by a clipless system.

Steve C

7jason

Thanks for all your help - decided to order some new pedals and see how I go - on reflection the pedals that came with the bike have no spikes or grips at all to speak of, I suppose the supplier was relying on the user leaving the toe clips on.

Thanks again
Jason

scars

Just had a look and those are SPD specific shoes, without cleats and clipless pedals your not going to get an eighth of the benefits of having a clipped footin.

If your worried about my knees go for something like a beartrap pedal or a set of DMRs

Ironically ive gone back to flats and have a set of wellgo clipless pedals and a set of brand new cleats if you interested.

When you do first try clipless, do it on the grass its a softer fall

stumpyjon

A lot of manufacturers put on relatively cheap pedals even on fairly expensive bikes as it's one thing that main riders will have personal preference for.