non-clipless decent bike shoes?

Bike-Rich

Hi all,

Anyone know of any decent trainers for bike riding?
I expect most of you have clip-less? I don't really want to go down this route as I often like to park up so that would mean taking another pair of shoes with me.

Many thanks,

ShutUpLegs

A decent pair of tennis shoes? Unbelievable foot & ankle support

Wacky Racer

Five Ten MTB shoes are very grippy, and very supportive.

sungod

^^^^ this

mtb shoes with spd pedals

you can also get spd pedals that are dual-use, then you can still ride in trainers when you want, some of the ones here are like this...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano/mtb/clip-in-pedals/

m324 for instance

Bobbinogs

My wife has a pair of the Tahoe shoes which she uses with toe-clips (as in, without cleats). They are well made and if you do want to go clipless then just remove the small rubber covering and stick some cleats on (combine with A520 or M520 and bob's your uncle)

Applespider

I'd fourth the MTB with SPD pedal

But if you're really deadset against them, you want shoes without cushioning. Most trainers are built with lots of it since they're designed for running or impact. You want as firm a sole as you can get - Vans or Converse can work but depends on what pedals you currently have since they can be slippy if it's wet.

andy46

DMR V8's with Specialized mtb/trail shoes, very stiff sole and sticks to the pedals well.

Bike-Rich

Cheers guys, great helpful place this is.

When I first herd about 'clip-less' I thought it might have been bit of a gimmick but it seems by the recommendations here and, what seems, wide spread use of them they are actual worth having?

I take if the main purpose of clip-less is that the energy used when you bring your leg up is not being wasted?

So just to confirm, there is only one type of clipless shoe? i.e all clipless pedels will fit all clipless shoes? What is a cleat?


Kind regards,

RDW

Bike-Rich wrote:

So just to confirm, there is only one type of clipless shoe? i.e all clipless pedels will fit all clipless shoes? What is a cleat?

No, there are quite a few different systems. The Shimano SPD system mentioned above is one of the most common, though perhaps used more on MTBs and hybrids than on road bikes. Various styles of SPD-compatible shoe are available, from full-on road shoes that are hard to walk in to more flexible trainer-style gear. The cleat is a metal plate that screws on to the sole of the shoe and engages with (clips in to) the pedal. SPD cleats are usually recessed into the sole, which means you can walk in the shoe without scraping the ground with the cleat. You can buy pedals like the Shimano A530 with one flat side and one clipless side, suitable both for casual use with trainers and longer rides with an SPD shoe. You can also buy one of the trainer-style SPD shoes, not install the cleat, and use it with flat pedals - this will give you a stiffer sole than a running shoe would.

tom_howard

Bike-Rich wrote:

I take if the main purpose of clip-less is that the energy used when you bring your leg up is not being wasted?

Comfy chair? check
Beer? check
Popcorn? check

touch paper lit, have at it folks...

Anyway, if you arent wanting to be clipped in, i really cant recommend 5:10 shoes enough for stiff soles and great support, doesnt realy matter which pedals you use as they are that grippy they make up for anything the pedal might be lacking.