Road bike shoes

lost_in_thought

I live in the vain hope that somewhere out there is a 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type road shoe that has grip on the sole. Why so slidey, road bike shoe manufacurers?

So, anyone know of one? I would like it to have the 3-hole set-up and the 2-hole spd-type set-up, and, importantly some grip on the sole.

If you can find that in a boot format, extra gold stars will be awarded.

Oh and silly peg things at either end of the shoe do NOT count as grip...

iain_j

Shimano MT31's have generous tread and take the 2-hole type SPD's. Fairly cheap too.

Don't know about 3-hole type though.

prawny

Nope sorry, you are looking for something that would be good and save people money, therefore if it is possible the manufacturers would keep it a secret

Realisticly tho the 3 bolt pattern wouldn't leave space for grip would it? I may well be wrong, i usually am

Stick with the mtb shoes if you need to walk get road shoes for long rides and lob some flip flops in your saddle pack or similar (for cake stops)

DonDaddyD

My Shimano RO85 has a minor grip on the toe and heel. This coupled with the rubber on the cleats make them briefly/mostly walkable...

You can walk on them ala high heel (don't ask how I know what high heels feel like). Or you can walk heel toe - both techniques require the cleat and the grip on the shoe.

always_tyred

No chance.

I wouldn't be commuting on a £4k road bike, so practicality shouldn't be too much of an issue for you to be honest. Speedplays sell covers for theirs (which get me as far as my trainers which I keep at work), and look type cleats supposedly have grippy bits, for tottering into Costa.

Your best compromise might be a high end mountain bike shoe. They are very stiff, and to be honest, once you get past a certain point sole stiffness, the increased platform size of a road shoe is irrelevant.

don_don

I am sure someone makes these... I'll have a look. They'll be proper road jobs though, with just a bit of grip at either end.

Your other option might be something like Sidi Dragon mtb shoes - carbon sole, nicely stiff and grippy soles but SDP 2 hole only.

prawny

I was going to say the sidi one's, proper nice, don't think they'd be much cop in the winter tho, not the ones in cycle surgery anyway.

bratboy

Not too sure why you really need to have 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type on one shoe ?

what's ya motive here ?

lost_in_thought

bratboy wrote:

Not too sure why you really need to have 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type on one shoe ?

what's ya motive here ?

Switching between commuter on SPDs and weekender on something that's not SPDs.....

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

bratboy wrote:

Not too sure why you really need to have 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type on one shoe ?

what's ya motive here ?

Switching between commuter on SPDs and weekender on something that's not SPDs.....

LiT - you have just dropped four grand on a bike. Get a £100 pair of shoes for it as well, for crying out loud.

don_don

LiT - have a look on Wiggle. They have Pearl Izumi 'Flow, Shimano RO86 and I think their own DHB shoes are all both 2 and 3 hole compatible. Not sure about boots though, or female specific shoes.

TBH though, the others have a point, probably best just to stick with one or the other. You could at least then stick with one pedal type on all your bikes, which will make life a bit easier.

Either that or just have one pair of 'best' shoes and pedals for your super-bike The newer Look and SPD-SL cleats are reasonably grippy. Speedplays will need the 'Cafe cleat covers', also available from Wiggle, or you take your life in your hands on smooth surfaces

don_don

Just to clarify, coz I think I got confused - you can't have both 2 hole and 3 hole type cleats on the shoe at the same time :shock:

Not sure if you meant this. Don't think you did, but you never know :oops:

greg66_tri_v2.0

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

bratboy wrote:

Not too sure why you really need to have 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type on one shoe ?

what's ya motive here ?

Switching between commuter on SPDs and weekender on something that's not SPDs.....

LiT - you have just dropped four grand on a bike. Get a £100 pair of shoes for it as well, for crying out loud.

Yeah, that's pretty much my view too.

Plus, you'll find the fun and excitement of swapping cleats over is greatly overrated.

bratboy

Well I guess then it might be more pratical to get some SPD pedals for the weekender. You won't want to be swapping cleats every weekend ;-)

The Time cafe cleat is reasonably stable (I have walked/run 4 miles in them when my freehub pawl spring broke), with one of the triathlon shoes which a little bit of grop at the heel and toe, but not 100%. Then there are Kool Kovers for look cleats.

But if you want one pair of shoes to wear on both types of pedals then I don't think they do them any more.

And if you want boots the Northwave do some nice ones, waterproof too. Available in 3-hole road or 2-hole MTB flavours.

Clever Pun

I thought burds liked shoe shopping?

just get the road version of your commuter shoes so it's the same feel?

bratboy

Oh - missed the fact you must have won last weekends lotto !

Get some really nice pedals to match the £4K bike - something the Time RXS Ulteam Titaniums, and go and try on some really nice Sidi or Northwave shoes 'cos you want to make sure they fit nicely 'cos they ain't all the same inside nor the same widths either

Then get some nice overshoes for this lovely weather we're having - they'll also give you a little bit of grip too ;-)

il_principe

MTFU and get 2 pairs of shoes/pedals. SPD for Commuter, Road pedals and shoes for the road bike. Road shoes and cleat covers make tottering to the cafe and back perfectly doable. Ultimately you're not going to be walking far in road shoes anyway.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Clever Pun wrote:

I thought burds liked shoe shopping?

Aye.

And IIRC, shoes are a particular weakness of l_i_t's.

Perhaps she's bumped her head, what with her not wearing a helmet and all, and isn't feeling herself...

lost_in_thought

Oh d@mn your eyes, stop mocking me, all of you!

Fine, fine, I'll buy 2 pairs of shoes to get over the 2-hole 3-hole problem. Jeeez. Or maybe I'll buy no shoes for the SPDs.

That still leaves the question though, where can I get 3-hole shoes with decent soles?

Hmmmm?

I mean, really, the cleat doesn't take up the entire sole, what's wrong with a nice grippy heel and a grippy middle bit for when you miss a clip in?

bigmat

I've got some Lake touring shoes that take spd's or Look cleats - never tried them with Look, but they have a flat sole with grip at the front / back. Fine for walking in with spd's, my query would be clipping in / out in Look cleats might be a bit tricky with the grip at the front getting in the way. I reckon that is as close as you'll get to what you have in mind though.

Why not just get some nice road pedals / shoes then pick up some spd's and a pair of the Lidl mtb shoes that are available in the next couple of weeks. They'll only set you back £20 and are decent quality, stiffer soles than the Shimano equivalent as well.

For road shoes, I've got the Diadoras like Cunego wears, very nice fit, light and stiff and nice blingy red anodised buckles.

ps. I've just got a Viner, almost finished personalising the spec but its looking great so far, can't wait to get out on the road on it.

greg66_tri_v2.0

lost_in_thought wrote:

Oh d@mn your eyes, stop mocking me, all of you!

Fine, fine, I'll buy 2 pairs of shoes to get over the 2-hole 3-hole problem. Jeeez. Or maybe I'll buy no shoes for the SPDs.

That still leaves the question though, where can I get 3-hole shoes with decent soles?

Hmmmm?

I mean, really, the cleat doesn't take up the entire sole, what's wrong with a nice grippy heel and a grippy middle bit for when you miss a clip in?

The DMTs that have my Podio cleats on them are really easy to walk in ...

I'll get me coat...

flattythehurdler

I "race" in spd's. I have then on my road bike which is very (very) expensive and on my training bike which is still dear, and on my fixie and have no problems at all either hacking to work or on long slow days in the mountains etc. I personally don't see the point of changing to other cleats.

bratboy

Ok - so just how much walking do you intend to do ?

Fast road bike (I'm guessing 'cos I don't know what it is but at £4K it must be), road shoes, no feet on the ground unless you triathleting then you leave the shoes on the bike, so you don't need grip

lost_in_thought

Hmmmmm interesting points made above.

@flattythehurdler: I don't want to put SPDs on the new bike, I'm afraid.

@Greg66 - OK so which DMT shoes are they?

@Mathammond - do you have a link for the Lake shoes? Only ones I can find are on JEJames and not available in my size (41). They are available in a 43, but no point getting them too big. Also, ooooh nice! What did you get? And custom spec? Custom paint? Care to elaborate?

@bratboy - I'm not planning anything in particular! I like being able to walk normally in shoes. Hence the question!!

bratboy

These shoes ain't normal shoes and they ain't for walking in, they's for cycling in, and cycling fast - try Bettini's gold Sidis http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/sidi_bettini_special_edition_shoes_article_224869.html

And what is the new £4k bike that these shoes need to match ?

don_don

lost_in_thought wrote:

That still leaves the question though, where can I get 3-hole shoes with decent soles?

Hmmmm?

I mean, really, the cleat doesn't take up the entire sole, what's wrong with a nice grippy heel and a grippy middle bit for when you miss a clip in?

Have a look when you get the chance - most road shoes (at least the decent ones anyway) come with a grippy rubber 'stud' on the heel. Couple that with the SPD - SL cleats for example, which have small rubber tabs on them for grip, and you can at least walk without too much slippiness.

You will still walk like a duck though, road shoes do that

You are fairly unlikely to miss a clip in with Look or SPD-SL pedals. At least you won't do it more than once... As you said on another occasion, you are a fast learner

DonDaddyD

Greg66 wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

bratboy wrote:

Not too sure why you really need to have 3-hole-type and 2-hole-type on one shoe ?

what's ya motive here ?

Switching between commuter on SPDs and weekender on something that's not SPDs.....

LiT - you have just dropped four grand on a bike. Get a £100 pair of shoes for it as well, for crying out loud.

Yeah, that's pretty much my view too.

Plus, you'll find the fun and excitement of swapping cleats over is greatly overrated.

What LiT has got the Viner and is considering using the same shoes for the Viner as the commuter. Urgh... why would you disrespect your Viner so?

Edit: - Just read the other posts, this has been addressed.

lost_in_thought

@bratboy - holy mother of god those shoes are like a hallucination!

@ don_don - I have a pair with a 'stud' on the heel, it's completely ineffective as grip! I don't mind walking like a duck, it's falling over that I dislike. And I miss clip-ins on the SPDs...

bigmat

Viner is far from custom - its the Halfords £1,000 special, although it now has carbon post / bars, light alloy stem, carbon monocoque fork, Xero XR 1 wheels and a Flite titanium saddle bringing the weight down to around 7.5kg for a size L. Looks lovely too.

As for shoes, mine are a few years old now but the current women's equivalent would be these:

http://www.lakecycling.com/road-tour-c-2_22_29.html

Cleat goes in the middle (obviously) and front / back grips allow you to walk pretty much as normal, except the sole is very stiff (fibre glass I think). They come into their own for events like the Fred Whitton where you want something that looks like a road shoe, but you fear that you might just end up walking further than would be comfortable in regular road shoes / look cleats!

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

@bratboy - holy mother of god those shoes are like a hallucination!

@ don_don - I have a pair with a 'stud' on the heel, it's completely ineffective as grip! I don't mind walking like a duck, it's falling over that I dislike. And I miss clip-ins on the SPDs...

You'll be needing a walking helmet then.

bratboy

Now I guess Bettini used those shoes to his great advantage during his illustrious career, blinding most of his foe in the process, however I don't recall seeing him ever walking in them