Mehh, another noob question or two

[Keeno]

Lo all

Hope you can help with this as I haven't had the time to go back to my LBS to ask for advise. When I purchased my bike I had to get everything to go with it, shorts, helmet and so on.

The bike I purchased was a giant SCR3, I am happy with the bike although it was not set up properly by the shop, gear changing was terrible until a friend set it all up properly. Anyways, while in the shop I explained to the guy that I was totally new to all this and would go with whatever essentials he recommended. To be fair the shop was busy but I still felt a bit rushed, especially after spending over £500.

At the time I was sold these shoes, this is not the shop btw just a link to the shoes:

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=4541&xSec=4115&jssCart=e63b6b9d16441818f330b9065d7d96c7

I've been reading a lot on the forums but I am still lost on many aspects of this sport. What pedals are these shoes suited to? The pedals I have atm have straps on, with the hard smooth sole on these shoes it is almost impossible to get any kind of grip to spin the pedal and get the shoe into the straps, i've actually had a nasty fall trying to do so.

Was I mis-sold these shoes or is this something I have to get used to???

Thanks in advance.
Keeno

 

[ASC1951]

The shoes are fine BUT they look as if are really designed for cleats and clipless pedals. You can use them with straps and flat pedals, I suppose, but they will skid about as you have found.

Spinning the pedal does take a while to master. If I were you I would get them to swap the pedals for double sided SPDs and have them put cleats on the shoes. SPDs aren't really a beginner's piece of kit either, but they are so much better when you do get the hang of them that it's worth learning IMO. It's nowhere near as hard as learning to ride a bike in the first place.

 

[spandex]

For thos shoes you you will need a set of road pedals ie Time, Look.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Lo all

Hope you can help with this as I haven't had the time to go back to my LBS to ask for advise. When I purchased my bike I had to get everything to go with it, shorts, helmet and so on.

The bike I purchased was a giant SCR3, I am happy with the bike although it was not set up properly by the shop, gear changing was terrible until a friend set it all up properly. Anyways, while in the shop I explained to the guy that I was totally new to all this and would go with whatever essentials he recommended. To be fair the shop was busy but I still felt a bit rushed, especially after spending over £500.

At the time I was sold these shoes, this is not the shop btw just a link to the shoes:


I've been reading a lot on the forums but I am still lost on many aspects of this sport. What pedals are these shoes suited to? The pedals I have atm have straps on, with the hard smooth sole on these shoes it is almost impossible to get any kind of grip to spin the pedal and get the shoe into the straps, i've actually had a nasty fall trying to do so.

Was I mis-sold these shoes or is this something I have to get used to???

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=4541&xSec=4115&jssCart=e63b6b9d16441818f330b9065d7d96c7

Thanks in advance.
Keeno

The shoes are designed to work with Shimano SPD-SL pedals. They need to have SPD-SL Cleats attached to fit.
The pedals are like this:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/categ...product/ultegra-6620-spd-sl-road-pedals-16856

Look on wiggle, you can get the '105' pedals for a reasonable price.

The cleats that attach to the shoes look like this:
http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/products/SPDSL_Cleats_(road).aspx

The shoes, pedals and cleats are designed to work together and "Clip" you into the pedals.

Does this help?

By the way, the SCR is a great bike.

 

[Keeno]

Thats cleared it up for me, cheers. I take it that it is almost impossible to walk on the shoes when the cleats are fitted?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Thats cleared it up for me, cheers. I take it that it is almost impossible to walk on the shoes when the cleats are fitted?

not impossible (i've even run in them!), but you do look silly…

 

[Aperitif]

Easy enough if you have cleat coversKeeno...rubber bits that clip onto your cleats! Not as easy as spd though, which has the benefit of clip-in AND walking tread on the shoes - as you now know!!

Better add this as I was thinking of Looks - not spd-sl

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=24394&item=50-6873&slitrk=schamp&slisearch=true

 

[rich p]

Keeno, I realise you already have the shoes but these are a good beginners set of shoes and pedals for only £45. The shoes are strictly speaking for mtb's but they fine for leaisure cyclists and they are recessed cleats so you can walk around in them.
http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/products/MT20_Shoes__M520_Pedals_Combo.aspx

 

[Joe24]

Go clipless. The straps arent as good, harder to get into i thought.
I had Look Keo's, but they broke. The cleats you could walk in, but you did sort of look strange. But if your with a load of other road bikers you just blend in.
I have Shimano 105's(SPD-SL) now and the cleats are wider, but easier to walk in i think.
Once you are used to them you can clip in easy and have more control over the bike and are easier to get out of.

 

[Tynan]

what LBS would sell someone cycling shoes and not cleats and pedals?

 

[Keeno]

what LBS would sell someone cycling shoes and not cleats and pedals?

The guy that set my bike up for me actually phoned them up and gave off about the way the bike was sold, he knows the owner and the guy was furious that one of his staff let me walk out with it.

Ill not give out the shops name as it wouldnt be fair, but I dont think I would go to the same member of staff again