MTB Shoes on SPDs for road cycling

badgerjockey

OK, hopefully won't rattle too many cages with this one so be gentle!

I am new to road cycling having been MTBing for years. Some friends got into road bikes in the last year or two and it began to tickle my fancy... I fell in love with a Genesis Equilibrium 20 and recently took the plunge...

I have the plan to work up to joining Audux rides in my local area (Bristol and Somerset) as there is some lovely looking riding territory down here. The bike came with the shimano A520 SPD single sided touring pedals with the support frame. I decided I might as well keep them rather than changing to Looks etc as I am only starting out. Plus, I still want to be able to walk around without teetering about or tapping everywhere, so I thought I would go for an MTB shoe as my first foray into clipless.

I know its a bit unconventional, but does anyone have any recommendations for MTB shoes which are up to the job of road cycling? I reckon in a day's ride I would spend 80-90 of the time on the bike, the rest will be at a pub or shop for a stop/rest etc. I suppose I am particularly worried about the possibility of hot foot but I have no idea if I am susceptible to that as yet.

I have thought about the Specialized tahoe or the Shimano m063 but not tried either and would prefer anyone's thoughts on the matter.

Cheers,

H

CrackFox

I'd be inclined to change those A520s for a pair of double-sided M520s if you're new to road cycling. Stick another pair on your MTB - they're inexpensive and very durable. You'll quickly get used to them.

WRT shoes, I have an old pair of basic Sidi Bullets that I've worn almost daily for a few years. They're extremely comfortable and very resilient. I've used them in combination with M520s on road bikes in the past and had no problems on rides of 5+ hours. The soles aren't as stiff as those on my road shoes but they're stiff enough, and the walkability is a big plus.

Edit: I think the Bullets have been discontinued but the Giau looks almost identical.

night_porter

A friend of mine bought a pair of Shimano RO77 road shoes and SPD-SL pedals and I thought they looked pretty good but because I commute by bike I will only use SPD's so I got the MTB equivalent - MO77's.

They look exactly the same except for the soles of mine which have 2 rubber grips alongside the cleat so that the cleat does not touch the ground.

The only differences are his are silver and mine are black and I can walk like a human being while he waddles like a duck - Sorted!

CRAIGO5000

I'm new to road too having swapped from a hybrid. After tomorrow Ill have 500 miles under my belt on M520's and cheapo Lidl MTB SPD shoes. The upside for me is commuting as I need to walk and climb stairs at the other end and as the cleats are recessed level with the tread, they work very well as a walking shoe too.

StillGoing

I don't understand this. I'm on the bike so don't want or need to walk around. Sure there may be times at a sportive or something that I have to go through signing on etc but generally you'll arrive by car with spare footwear to get that business done. Countless other road riders and the vast majority manage perfectly okay with SPD Sl and Look pedals and cleats and they mean less flex in the sole of the shoe putting more force through the pedal instead of wasting it. SPDs are for MTB where the foot may go down for stability without covering the cleat in crud. You don't do that on a road bike or at least I don't.

griffsters

Depending on the person and type of riding they do tho it isnt always about optimum power transfer.

For a commuter for instance there is likely be a walk from bike storage to lockers or showers etc where it is easier in SPD shoes. Buy a decent pair of SPD shoes and the minimal difference is far outweighed by the practicality of walking and / or negotiating stairs easier.

Horses for courses. I use Specialized Comp SPD shoes and they are great, well recommended! I found Shimano fitting too narrow

kingrollo

On my best race bike I have SPD/SL - and love the solid clipped in feel in.

However if you are not confident clipping in and out - SPD is still a feasible option. Plent of folk on our club run have this set up - and I use if for commutting.

I have wellgo pedals which are flat one side - and spd the other. This gives me the security that if I have to negoitate a hill start then a traffic roundabout - I can pedal not clipped in. Sure it doesn't look as sexy - but it works for me.

outcastjack

I havn't yet gone clipless (student, saving up for shoes now) but these are the shoes I havebeen advised to get by a number of people.
http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/produc ... ?&id=15317
as far as i can tell it is the same as the BG road shoe but has tread on the bottom and wont take SPD-SL cleats.

briantrumpet

hazzeryoda wrote:

I know its a bit unconventional, but does anyone have any recommendations for MTB shoes which are up to the job of road cycling?

Shimano RT81s do the job nicely for me on SPDs. Stiff soles, no hotspots, and I'm quite comfortable doing rides of 100+ miles.

Strangely, all the energy I put into pedalling goes into making the bike go forward. The 'better power transfer' is marketing hype, IMHO. Unless energy is dissipating through heat or light, SPDs can't make energy disappear.

SPDs look rather similar to me, in concept, to Speedplay Zero pedals (which have a fairly small patform, and allow for float), and they are used by professional road racers: you can see them being used in the Tour de France. They don't seem to have any 'power transfer' problems.

badgerjockey

Thanks guys for all the help on this one.
I guess it's a case of stop trying to make my mind up a just buy something. Then learn by experimentation... I am not looking for maxiumum efficiency but good stiffnes will be desirable.

I like the look of the Specialized tahoes because they are a bit more causal and when I'm riding to work (25mi each way) I probably won't have to organise it so there's a pair of shoes already there. Plus when I go for long rides, I'll be visiting shops, cashpoints, pubs etc or generally walkng about towns... Maybe even pushing up the odd hill - hopefully not!

However, I don't want hotspots, foot paind or too much flex while on the bike... which may well be the case with the tahoes!

I think I'll just have to go into Bristol and try on a load in the many bike shops there...

Cheers,
H

andrewjoseph

Time SPD's on mtb and road bike. Same shoes for both, shimano M183's with a good stiff sole.

Spesh boot's for winter.

fat lad in lycra

i use the shimano 063 shoes, bought them as they were cheap and it was my first venture into clipless, had no problems with them, ideal for commuting to work and for my evening and sunday rides out

andy46

outcastjack wrote:

I havn't yet gone clipless (student, saving up for shoes now) but these are the shoes I havebeen advised to get by a number of people.
http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/produc ... ?&id=15317
as far as i can tell it is the same as the BG road shoe but has tread on the bottom and wont take SPD-SL cleats.

I use the same pedals as on my mtb... flat DMR V8's as I have limited movement in my left ankle and I'm not too keen on getting caught out on the road.

Sure, some would say they look a bit odd on the bike but you can't see them when your feet are on the anyway.

I do have some double sided shimano spd's, I may try these out on the road bike over winter on the turbo trainer.

badgerjockey

Right, some great advice here, thanks to everyone. I have gone out to my LBS and tried on a few pairs.

The Tahoe were too soft for my riding so I went for the m077. They even said that they will match online and other shop prices so I had a quick check on the internet via my phone and found fatbirds.co.uk doing them for £48.99 - the LBS had them for £69.99. So a bargain and a happy customer.

I've only been round the block a couple of times but they feel very comfortable, well ventilated and sufficiently stiff (although no carbon sole etc).

Not sure how much extra contact there really is with the A520s but we shall see. Now time to fiddle with the cleat settings.

Cheers again.

H

John.T

The A520s will feel a little more stable than the M520 at the expense of only single sided clipping.

optimisticbiker

I have the Specialized Sport Touring shoes for commuting..

They look like something like a trainer without the chunky sole of a MTB shoe and are easy to walk in but clip in well to SPD pedals. They are almost as good, stiffness wise, as my Shimano R109 road shoes I use on the weekend bike... but a lot more convenient for negotiating the stairs at work and once or twice, when I've brought my work shoes home and forgotten to take them back, I've worn them all day with no real probs.

niblue

I run SPD's (mostly M520's) on my mountain and commuting bikes and did the same on my road bikes until recently when I switched to SPD-SL's. The SPD-SL's definitely feel a bit more securely attached but I'm not sure how much difference it really makes in effeciency etc.

I've got a set of the single sided SPD's (A530's) but soon switched that bike back to M520's as I didn't get on well with the single sided option. I'd bought them so I could occasionaly ride in normal shoes but found that I never actually did that. The SPD-SL's are also single sided so not as fast to get clipped in compared to the double-sided SPD's, however I don't unclip often on the road bikes so it's not been an issue.