SPD-SL shoes

foxydan

Dear all,

I have decided to go for some cleats and shoes as been using the caged pedals for a while but really do not like them.
Can anyone recommend some shoes...seems there are so many. I've been looking at the shimano R106's but they are pricey.

Cheers

Gizmodo

foxydan wrote:

Dear all,

I have decided to go for some cleats and shoes as been using the caged pedals for a while but really do not like them.
Can anyone recommend some shoes...seems there are so many. I've been looking at the shimano R106's but they are pricey.

Cheers

There are generally 2 types of shoes, 2 hole (SPD) and 3 hole (SPD-SL, Look and Time). The stiffer the sole the better (generally).

Which shoe to buy is best decided by going to your local bike shops and trying on as many pairs as you can based on your budget.

Personally I have Bontrager shoes, but honestly buy what you can afford, that fits your foot (width mostly) and that looks cool.

meursault

I bought these recently, very happy with both.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-r540-spd-sl-sport-pedals/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-r10-road-cycling-shoe/

simon_masterson

What's 'a while'?

But seriously, I'd recommend you go to a shop and try some on; I daresay they can guide you to a sensible choice. You shouldn't be needing to spend above about £80 or so; I daresay that carbon fibre soles and the rest are lovely, but you'll know if you need them!

pinno

Can't fault Look Keo's and they are available to suit almost every budget. Good shoes can cost a fortune but the stiffer the sole the better. Try classifieds here and you may pick up a decent pair inexpensively. Thats where the trade off between price and efficiency comes in.
I like Sidi's, never had a problem with them and I have wide feet. However, I use breathable insoles with them so I don't feel welded to the bike !

teisetrotter

I bought new shoes a week or so back. Was determined to buy something different. In the end though the R106's had the stiffest sole. Appreciate if you don't want to pay that much, but they were the best IMHO.

One I wish I could have looked at was Ribble's dhb carbons, £30 less and a lot of good reviews.

Anonymous

meursault wrote:

I bought these recently, very happy with both.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-r540-spd-sl-sport-pedals/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-r10-road-cycling-shoe/

This.
Both very highly rated. I nearly did the same, but I am a tart and wanted pedals to match my bike so shelled out for ultegra pedals and the bikeshop offered me R077s for 45 quid so I took them.
They are great pedals, and personally I prefer shimano to Look (which are suicidal for walking in, whereas shimano are ok)

unixnerd

I have the Shimanos, R086s I think. I wanted the dearer carbon soled version but my LBS didn't have my size. Don't buy these online, try them in a shop.

They have a mesh top, overshoes are a must with them once it gets chilly. They have no water resistance either.

If this bike is going to get a lot of town use think about SPDs instead. I find SPD-SLs much harder to clip into which can make junctions interesting if you make a hash of clipping in. Once I'm pedaling I can't tell the difference between the two types. I'd love to see a study that shows how much of a power gain mere mortals get from SPD-SLs over SPDs.

BlakeysFC

I was nervous about getting SPDs, so did some research and recently got some Shimano SPD A-530 pedals that have a big surface on the opposite side so it's easy to get purchase on the pedal with your foot when pushing off/stopping at a junction.

You can also ride them without SPD shoes, just using the opposite flat site with normal trainers etc. just for popping out to the shops etc.

As for the shoes, I bought some Louis Garneau Revo XR3 shoes from Evans Cycles online, purely on user reviews on the site and other reviews I'd found elsewhere on the web. I've yet to use them yet as I haven't yet had my SPD pedals fitted (didn't want to try and fit them myself, as I've heard if you fit them wrong you can get chronic knee/leg pain) but they fit me like a glove and feel great to wear.