mtb clipless or upgrade to road pedals/shoes?

[dmj]

Hi all, hope all is well,

i have been now riding my roadbike for about 4 months and have been using clipless mtb shoes/pedals.

these are the first clipless units ive ever tried and i do find them comfy. i use them for commuting and weekend rides, but i do find i get pins and needles after about 20 miles.
do you peeps think this is due to the lower contact area on the clip?

and if so should i now upgrade to the road style pedal/shoe combination or will i get used to it?

i know everyone is different but was wondering what others experiences have been.

thanks in advance for any replies
dan

 

[vickster]

Why are SPD-SL an upgrade?

 

[ianrauk]

No they are not the cause.
They are probably not set up correctly for your foot/feet.
Try moving the cleats forwards or backwards, to the left or the right.
Experiment until you get it right.

You are wearing cycling specific shoes so they will have a stiff sole, so you won't notice any difference between the cleat styles. And they are certainly not an upgrade.

If you are racing and you want all the gear, then go ahead and spend some money. If you are not racing then it's not worth it.

 

[StuAff]

What Ian said. That sounds like a setup issue, you certainly shouldn't be getting problems on short rides (very long efforts might be a different matter for some, though self and Ian amongst others are perfectly happy doing centuries and more with SPDs). If you're not confident getting the cleat position sorted, go and see your LBS.

 

[vickster]

How do your shoes fit, do they get tighter as your feet heat up and swell? What sort of socks do you wear. Do you unclip both feet from time to time. I suffer similarly, but probably as I mostly only unclip the left. When I get off the bike, the right foot soon wakes up!

The learned chaps above are almost certainly right about the cleats though!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Are you racing? Are you a wannbe racer? If so go SPD-SL. If not why wear shoes designed for racing? mtb shoes and pedal systems work brilliantly well for non-competitive road cyclists.

 

[dmj]

hi all, thanks for your replies, im far from being a racer but do like to push myself, i do like having the correct gear for a percific job thats why i asked the question of the transfer to road ect, i will definatly look into adjusting the cleats. Is there a place where they are ''suppost'' to be on your foot?

as for socks, i only wear normal ones, if its cold then my big thick ones.... if its hot can be just trainer socks. do find i get a little movement when using trainer socks mind. think as i warm up, feet do swell abit but not to the point of being uncomfortable.

the experience of pins and needles isnt really bad to the point that i have to get off the bike or anything, i can just feel it and just wondered if it was the mtb kit fault, obviously not by your posts which im glad to hear as i dont have to spend more money right now!

as vickster said, once im off the bike, it soon wakes up!

thanks again
dan

 

[vickster]

I think you can get the numbness with road shoes too if the cleats aren't adjusted well

I'd get some cycling socks with cool max. Wiggle do 3 pairs for a tenner, altura, endura or dhb

That said, if you want new shoes and pedals, go for it. But you'll find walking on spdsl cleats a pain and they wear down more quickly

 

[Globalti]

Do take the advice and fiddle around with the cleat positions but in the end your feet will get used to the new position and the numbness will go away. Thicker socks might help until then.

Road shoes and predals are approximately half the weight of SPDs and the shoes with a recess in the sole, but they are awkward for walking and not as easy for clipping in so only really suitable if you plan to ride long distances without stopping or walking anywhere.

 

[Dzzi]

i've been using mtb cleats on both my hybrid and road bike for about 2 years now, i've suffered occasionally from pins and needles and to be honest i think it's been caused simply by over tightening of the three velcro straps on the shoess...as in feels ok when you start off, but once you/you're feet warm up and start to expand a little they become a little too tight, i would stop and loosen the straps for a bit see how that feels.

 

[dmj]

thanks for all the replies guys and gals, i seem to get the pins and needles in the right leg and even though the cleats are both at the same point, my left foot cleat feels like its on the ball of the front of my foot and the right feels a tad off. so going to play around and see what happens.
thanks again
dan

 

[vickster]

Which foot do you unclip - I get more niggles in my right - I unclip the left, so can stay clipped in the right for the whole ride

 

[dmj]

yep 99% of the time i unclip my left too!

 

[vickster]

That could be it then

 

[dmj]

ill have a swap around see what happens, thanks for the fast replies!