Light 2 hole road shoes

edeverett

Can anyone recommend some 2 hole (SPD) shoes?

I've currently got some old Nike Gran Fondos which suit me well for commuting and day-rides but are rather weighty. So I fancy some new shoes for the summer - stiffness and lightness the priority. I don't want to change to three hole cleats as I use the bikes for all sorts of stuff and I need to be able to use shoes with good walkability (I don't expect the new shoes to have this).

Budget? Not more than £100 probably.

Fit? Erring towards wide.

Thanks for any suggestions.

maddog 2

Spesh BG mtb shoes. The carbon ones are good if you can stretch the budget. I picked up both my pairs s/hand so got round that problem.

If you still want a 'roadie' shoe, then you can get cleats with two small rubber 'wings' that protect the floor from the spud cleat, and they work fine. The low end spesh roadie shoes have both 2 and 3-bolt fittings but the higher end ones don't. I noticed that the Mavic roadie shoes that came out top in this months C+ had 2 and 3-bolt soles. The Avenir I think they were called.

edeverett

Thanks Maddog - those Mavic Avenirs look like they might fit the bill. I'll have to see if I can find that test.

I've got some of those cleats with the rubber bit lying around but unfortunately I'm using Ritchy pedals that don't (quite) take Shimano cleats.

Any other suggestions for 2 hole road shoes?

(BTW, I'm sure there is room for someone to develop a cleat/pedal system with the support of road pedals AND decent walkability - they don't seem to be mutually exclusive and surely there is demand there.)

maddog 2

the Spesh carbon MTB shoes are as good as roadie shoes. I have some BG PRo MTB shoes and some BG Pro road shoes and the only difference is the roadie shoes are a tad lighter. No diference in riding performance, or fit, or anything. Maybe the MTB shoes are a few mil higher in the pedal but not so you'd notice on the bike.

Ash_

Assuming the Grand Fondos fit you OK. Why not stick with Nike? I've got some Nike Altea II road shoes. They take SPD fittings, have a full carbon sole and, if you can find them in stock somewhere, should come in comfortably under budget.

N4PALM

I use Shimano M076.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... e-09-34115

PeteinSQ

edeverett wrote:

(BTW, I'm sure there is room for someone to develop a cleat/pedal system with the support of road pedals AND decent walkability - they don't seem to be mutually exclusive and surely there is demand there.)

Crank Brothers Quattro.

N4PALM

edeverett wrote:

(BTW, I'm sure there is room for someone to develop a cleat/pedal system with the support of road pedals AND decent walkability - they don't seem to be mutually exclusive and surely there is demand there.)

I dont think the problem is lack of pedals but the lack of road specific shoes for those pedals.

Apart from a couple of obscure designs the only 2 choices are MTB shoes with all the grippy, chunky soles or road shoes that leave you still walking on the cleat.

AFAIK the only shoes that fit the "road specific SPD cleat shoe" role is Shimano's RT51 but IMO it could do with a serious style redesign. Surely there is plenty of market for more shoes like this.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=15397

edeverett

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Unfortunately Nike cycling shoes are hard to find these days. It's a shame they were discontinued as they seemed to be onto a good thing.

The Specialized MTB shoes are an option - I've had good shoes from them before, but I don't like the price/weight ratio too much.

The Shimano shoes just don't do it for me - I want something a bit racier and prettier (am I being too picky?).

Results of my Googling so far are:

-> 2008 Adidas range ( http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/108441.html )

-> 2008(?) Pearl Izumi range ( http://www.pearlizumi.com/product.php?m ... _id=198443 )

-> Exustar range ( http://exustar.com/sr243.php )

I'm particularly interested in the Exustar shoes. Does anyone know anything about them? There seem to be fewer and fewer manufacturers making SPD compatible road shoes :-(

@N4PALM You're probably right about the problem being a lack of shoes rather than pedal designs. But is the width of three bolt designs an advantage with stability?

@PeteinSQ I tried Egg Beaters but found the connection and float much too lose. Top quality pedals, but I just didn't get on with the action. And they still have the hard to find shoe problem.

PeteinSQ

You can get three hole cleats for the quattro pros and they have a greater surface area of contact than the egg beaters.

FSR_XC

I have a pair of Specialized BG Comp MTB shoes and a pair of Exustar triathlon shoes (here)

Neither the most expensive shoes. The Exustar are pretty light & can be worn without socks. Being tri shoes, they also have vents that allow air to pass under the foot. Great if it's hot, but it means I normally wear socks and overshoes.

I am amazed these are as comfy (poss more comfy) than the specialized as I paid half as much for them (got for £35 in sale).

The sole is not as stiff as the Spesh and pushing hard I can feel where the cleat is fitted. It is not uncomfortable, just noticeable.

edeverett

Hi FSR_XC,

Thanks for your thoughts. How would you rate the quality of your Exustar shoes? Given the price they're I'm not expecting them to compete with top end stuff but knowing they're not going to fall apart after a few rides would be good.

Also are they are similar fit/size to Specialized shoes (Do your have the same size in both makes?). I know that Specialized fit me well enough.

Exustar are looking like the winners so far, if I can find a shop with stock in my size.

wiffachip

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... s-09-33900

don't know about the weight, but classy looking in an understated sort of way

FSR_XC

edeverett wrote:

Hi FSR_XC,

Thanks for your thoughts. How would you rate the quality of your Exustar shoes? Given the price they're I'm not expecting them to compete with top end stuff but knowing they're not going to fall apart after a few rides would be good.

Also are they are similar fit/size to Specialized shoes (Do your have the same size in both makes?). I know that Specialized fit me well enough.

Exustar are looking like the winners so far, if I can find a shop with stock in my size.

I would say the Exustar I have are of similar quality to my Spesh. Had them 4 months now. They were initially a bit tricky to get on, but being Tri shoes they are more of a 'slip on' than a shoe you 'do up'. After wearing 3-4 times they became noticeably more comfortable (or I got used to them).
Given the choice I always pick up the Exustar when using the road bike. My only concern being if I am walking about a bit. I was looking to buy some Shimano SPD SH70 cleats (with rubber sides), but managed to buy the equivalent Wellgo model today.

As you say, they are not as light a shoe as a proper carbon soled model, but they are exceptional value, light enough to hardly notice you are wearing them and a good & comfy enough fit to not hinder pedalling.

Size wise. I normally wear a size 10 shoe. The Spesh are a 45, yet the Exustar are a 44. They are probably a little narrower a fit though.

I would definately buy another pair. Remember mine are the Tri shoes and may not be the same as you are looking at.
Both Chain Reaction and Wiggle sell a few different pairs.

Hope this is useful.

edeverett

@FSR_XC Thanks loads for your very helpful reply. It looks like I'll have to give Exustar a go - I'm trying to find a shop in London so I can try some on.

@wiffachip Thanks for the tip, Bontrager have a few shoes with SPD fittings that look worth a look.