Mountain bike shoes on a road bike

dg lander

What do you think about people who wear mountain bike style spd shoes on a road bike?

I have a road bike and got given a pair of a530 pedals for xmas so had no choice to go for spd. If i was to have chosen myself I probably would have gone for the racing type just coz it's proper innit.

So I ordered a pair of specialized BG expert MTB shoes which I got from evans on offer. They fit like a glove but they look like football boots and even come with 2 studs you can screw in the toe.

Will I look like a newbie and what do people think of this shoe choice? Be honest.

ashleymp777

Well I'm hoping people will think its ok as I wear my SIDI MTB Dragons when using the road bike. Although I did take the studs out.

Hoopdriver

Who cares?

Wear what is comfortable and what you like.

Fenred

I wear my speshy tahoe's on both my MTB and road bikes, and yep they have ingrained mud on them and I use mtb spd's on the road bike too! GULP!!

Who care's what the rest of the population think? I'm comfortable and everything feels right and dont want to be changing shoe's/cleats/pedals everytime you go out so can honestly say I'm happy doing what I'm doing.

Just to add to this, I sometimes wear mtb branded clothing whilst on the road bike and vica-versa - Doesn't seem to have effected my cycling in any way!

ProfPing

if you're that bothered put a pair of overshoes on. I see lots of people wearing MTB shoes with road bikes, especially over winter. I am still using mine as I don't want to get my s-works shoes dirty just yet!

cougie

I wear my MTB shoes when I'm on my winter bike. They're warmer than my road shoes, and better for getting round at cake stops.

lostboysaint

I'm afraid I'm another one that uses MTB shoes and SPD on the road bike. In my case it's Shimano AM45s. So not only are they MTB shoes but they look like trainers/football boots!!!

I'm afraid I can't get my head around the idea of wearing different kit on each bike so I look like a big bloke in MTB kit on any bike that I ride.

maddog 2

I ride in my Spesh BG mtb shoes all the time. It's the roadie shoes you should avoid!

alfablue

I use my Shimano MO 76 mtb shoes for all my road riding. I bought them specifically for that, they look much like the equivalent road shoes, just have a walkable sole - makes a lot of sense!

markos1963

I ride all winter in MTB shoes, more comfort, warmer and better grip whilst walking into the cafe.

Bobbinogs

Lot's of threads on here about MTB/Road shoes.

I also have Spesh Sport model MTB shoes and match these with M540s as a good VFM option. Didn't have any feet problems (hot spots, etc.) doing some long rides at the end of last year and those folks that passed me probably did so because of other factors than the shoes they were wearing (on one ride a bloke passed me on a hybrid wearing trainers and proceeded to drop me and most of the others around, spinning for England he was..and smiling, b*stard ).

unixnerd

I also use A530s on my road bike. That way one pair of SPD shoes does all three of my bikes.

Buckled_Rims

I bought a pair of Time RXS MTB with SPD and they're great. They are heavier, but by God I can actually walk in them compared to road cleats/shoes

In the future, I'll probably settle on SPD pedals for all my bikes. Although road shoes/pedals are comfortable I hate the one sidedness and inability to walk in them cleats.

FransJacques

No one has said it outright but nothing feels as secure as a nice low profile, large area road cleat for power delivery, feel, the lowest-possible foot position, and controlled float.

With my Atacs on my road bike I never liked the lateral migration you get when pedalling hard over a long stretch. You have to keep recentering your shoe inwards to reduce Q-factor. SPDs don't have this issue b/c they don't offer lateral movement.

I'd get the stiffest soles you can b/c with just 2 bolts there more leverage (in other words a longer span) of unsupported sole. I've got the Spesh Carbon shoes with the 3 velcro straps - think they're 3 from the top and they're impressively stiff.

And yes you can walk around in them if you're a cake-stop sort...

FransJacques

OK, the shoes are called the expert. Get the 2010s because the 2011s are supidly priced at £150 at Evans - for a velcro shoe. WTF? They price has climbed almost £20 a year, I got mine for £69 on sale 2 years ago.

Don't fret tho, b/c the BG Comp at £75 is stunning value: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... s-ec017522

The closurs is as good as a Sidi Genius road shoe and the sole is the sale as the Expert and almost as stiff as the S-works.

A real sleeper hit of a shoe IMO. Note that the Comp in 2011 loses the carbon for a plastic sole. Cheaper and less stiff...

FransJacques

Shoot, sorry, I talk poop. The PRO is the one i thought I was reffering to - looks like Evans' do not stock it; http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBC ... spid=57449

Any more that is. Sorry. I better go home now, long day.

Ici la modele route, toujours a Evans: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... s-ec017516 Il reste malheureusement peu de pointures...

ravey1981

Can I just ask why you didn't buy a pair of spd compatible road shoes instead of buying mtb shoes?

To answer you're question though, doesn't really matter what you wear, if you find it comfortable then go with it.....

pianoman

If the weight bothers you that much there's plenty of lightweight SPD pedals such as Wellgo MG8's. I think XPedo and Exustar do something similar.

Road shoes are marketed as having better "power transfer" but surely that's only true if the shoe fits perfectly? The only road shoes I ever used were some crappy flat-footbed carbon jobs from a brand who can only dream of being half as good as SIDI. Now I use SIDI Dominator's, and even without overshoes I still went under 26 minutes for a 10 mile TT........as part of a duathlon no less. So it's hardly a big selling point in the real world.

Try both types on and see which feels the best - but don't fret about weight or stiffness if, as is more than possible, the MTB shoes suit you more.

Fixxxer87

I wear my mtb shoes on both my bikes. I use crank bros egg beaters - on the mtb, they don't get full of mud. On the fixie, they don't release unexpectedly when you pull your leg up to brake - the pedals just get tighter.

I'll be buying a light tourer for touring (duh) and winter training and unless mtb shoes give me any significant problems with my legs or feet I won't be moving to road shoes. Why maintain two systems when there is no noticeable difference between them - at least at the level I'm at.

Essex Man

Another one using SPDs on my road bikes here. Don't listen to anyone harping on about road pedals/shoes having better power transfer, it's bull when you think about it.

pianoman

I think it's more about the road pedals "being bigger". Well, try telling Fabian Cancellara and his lollipop pedals :idea:

Evil Laugh

I'm very happy using my mavic furys. Fantastic lightweight race shoes and I can walk in them. Super comfy, forget they're on once the ratchet is tight.

BRIDKID

I'm another one using SPD's and MTB shoes - in my case gaerne Lupo's.
You need road shoes for racing, which I don't do. I think road shoes are better over longer distances/times as SPD's can give you a hot spot pressure problem. I have not yet encountered it as I have not been out over 3 hours as yet.
My MTB shoes allow jumping over farm fences for 'behind a hedge stops' , nipping in a shop without falling over etc.

thiscocks

alfablue wrote:

I use my Shimano MO 76 mtb shoes for all my road riding. I bought them specifically for that, they look much like the equivalent road shoes, just have a walkable sole - makes a lot of sense!

Same as (but I have the older MO75). Great shoes which I have used for everything on the bike in the last 2 years (racing, long distance, commuting, and TTs) plus you can walk comfortably in them. Have just bought a pair of RO97s to use in the summer on the same SPD pedals but having a stiffer sole than the MO's.

I tried SPDsl and although maybe slightly more planted when clipped in I hated the one sided clip-in around town and walking in SPDsl I felt (and probably looked) retarded.

dg lander

wow thanks for all the replies. The general consensus seems to be that it doesn't really matter, which is reasuring. Although I'm sure there a some out there who will look down on me.

I can't respond to everyone but...

@alfablue - that's what I was thinking, they look very similar but more practical. The only downsides seem to be extra weight and smaller cleat/ contact with pedal which I doubt I would notice seing as I don't race.

@FransJacques - good point about the 2 bolt system which maybe prefers a stiffer sole. The shoes I got are the spesh experts which have carbon soles and are pretty stiff whilst still being able to walk in them.

@ravey1981 - doh! that probably would have been a good idea. Nevermind.