Touring Shoes

charlielevy81

I'm planning a long tour across France this September and I need to get some clip-less pedals and shoes for my road bike.

We're going to be spending most of our time on the bikes (130k per day) so I figure I need to get something pretty decent and stiff, but being able to walk to the bar in the evening would also be a plus!

I've been recommended these - Mavic Cyclo Tour Road Shoe 2010

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42968

I was surprised since I was expecting to be told to buy something more expensive and sporty looking, but these have the plus that I might get let into a few nice restaurants with these.

Any thoughts? Has anyone used these for some serious riding?

andymiller

Hi Charlie.

Welcome to the forum. It's probably best not to set up a poll for this sort of question when what you want/need is people to give you answers with explanations.

if you're touring you want to have cleats on your shoes which don't protrude above the level of the sole - so you can walk with a reasonable degree of comfort. These look like they are designed to work with Shimano MTB pedals/cleats - or similar designs. They should be fine, although at that price these look OK value-for-money wise but nothing special. I wouldn't attach too much importance to the word 'road' in the name of the shoe there are plenty of other shoes that would do the same job. Check out for example shoes from Specialized, Shimano, Pearl Izumi or Northwave.

Some restaurants may turn people away for not wearing a shirt/t-shirt (and quite right too) but I very much doubt you'll come across a restaurant that will turn you away for wearing cycling shoes. And if they do:

- they will probably turn you away for not wearing a jacket and/or tie;
- are probably not the sort of restaurant you'd want to eat in anyway.

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but 130kms a day is a lot. There are some people who do that sort of distance, but they are experienced riders who are used to riding long distances. If you need advice on what sort of shoes and pedals to ride with then maybe you should be setting yourself a more modest target - or, alternatively, go out on some two or three-day rides to test out in practice what sort of mileage you can maintain day after day.[/i]

blorg

Those shoes look like a good option. You basically just want something with a recessed cleat that is walkable. There is another thread here.

I always tour myself with just the one pair of shoes for walking also, although I use Shimano SPD sandals. You don't need an ultra stiff soled race shoe for touring, although I am fortunate myself not to suffer from hotspots.



As Andy says there would be a lot of options in mountain bike shoes between very stiff carbon-soled jobs to things that look more like hiking shoes. Besides the sandals I have Specialized XC MTB shoes which despite a stiff carbon sole are still at least somewhat walkable- although you probably wouldn't want to do too much on them. Certainly walkable compared to my road shoes; again the main thing is the recessed cleat.

As Andy says 130km a day is a lot. This is not to say you can't do it, it is an individual thing, but as a rule of thumb I would remove at least a third from your unloaded daily distance to get your comfortable loaded distance. Also bear in mind you are doing it day after day- this further reduces the distance. After a couple of days my speed drops by close to a third loaded on the flat compared to a day ride on my racer. There is also generally more faffing around, getting lost, looking for stuff compared to going out for a day ride on a route you know, so you will be on the bike longer.

Hills are also a big factor and are proportionally tougher with the extra weight. Try to pack as light as possible- lay everything out before you go and try to remove as much as possible. Also bear in mind it is not that expensive to post stuff home from within the EU. Despite trying to pack light I do this almost every tour!

dilemna

+1 to the above replies. As always a newbie asking for pretty basic advice, which there is nothing wrong with, but they have yet to come back to reply .................

I also see they give no indication of what cycling they have previously done, their level of fitness, what sort of bike they will be touring on or what sort of load they will be carrying, if any, as a loaded touring bike takes a lot more effort to ride, especially up a mountain col, than a light road bike.

Re the shoes. Just go into a decent sized bike shop, try a few makes of shoe that fit your needs and plump for the ones you feel most comfortable in. Simple. It's not that hard ...............

ride_whenever

i'd treat yourself to a very pimp set of black vernice mtb sidis, smart enough to wear with a suit and insanely comfortable.

Tim Farr

In my opinion (IMO) you need MTB shoes that have the recessed cleats - so that you can walk in them. After that - and Dilemna is absolutely right - try on as many as you can so that you find a pair that are really comfortable. To buy unseen and untried on or to buy a recommended model mail order wihout trying them on would be a wrong move. It's an important purchase, shoes are expensive but with any luck they'll last you years. All the best.