Road shoed for beginners
- Thread starter Owsh
- Start date
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vickster
Legendary Member
It’s hard to recommend shoes, you really need to try a few on. Road shoes tend to be narrower than MTB style, so that maybe a better option.
North wave shoes tend to be a little wider while Shimano tend to be narrower (they do a wide fit but like hens teeth to buy).
Best option, assuming you have the credit, is to buy a bunch of pairs in your size and budget from retailers with free delivery / returns. (Eg Sigmasports, Halfords, Wiggle, Chain Reaction)
(£60 will be another limiting factor for cycling shoes, most cost more.
When buying, you may well need to size up from your street shoe size.
The beginner thing doesn’t really apply to shoes, fit is the main thing
(and for distances, rigid can be important, all road shoes have a hard sole, MTB or touring type more forgiving and you can walk in them!)
North wave shoes tend to be a little wider while Shimano tend to be narrower (they do a wide fit but like hens teeth to buy).
Best option, assuming you have the credit, is to buy a bunch of pairs in your size and budget from retailers with free delivery / returns. (Eg Sigmasports, Halfords, Wiggle, Chain Reaction)
(£60 will be another limiting factor for cycling shoes, most cost more.
When buying, you may well need to size up from your street shoe size.
The beginner thing doesn’t really apply to shoes, fit is the main thing
(and for distances, rigid can be important, all road shoes have a hard sole, MTB or touring type more forgiving and you can walk in them!)
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Kestevan
Last of the Summer Winos
- Location
- Holmfirth.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
What pedals do you use?
vickster
Legendary Member
Are they even open? (don't think there's a Decathlon convenient for Wiltshire yet anyhow)
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I currently use toe-clip pedals which are fine but I'd like to transition over to clipless
Deleted User
Guest
- Location
- Wolverhampton
I've got wide feet and used to size up from 8 but wore 9 to try and gain some width, just bought a pair of Lake 'Wide' in an 8 which are 15mm wider than standard and they're a lot better.
Always had numb toes but much improved.
Always had numb toes but much improved.
vickster
Legendary Member
What type?
Lake wide fit are an option but unless you get v lucky on end of line or something, you'll need to double your budget if those are all that fit (assuming you want SPD-SL)
https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Lake/CX176-Wide-Fit-Road-Shoes/L2FB
Sigma have a good range of shoes from around £60 up (some limited sizes) and free delivery & returns - not many labelled as wide (Shimano generally aren't)
https://www.sigmasports.com/clothing/shoes?sort=price_low_high&p=1
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Ours is.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
In which case you have a choice. (I'll only talk about Shimano pedals ... there are others too ...)
3 bolt or "SPD-SL" road pedals. These are big triangular cleats and the shoes are harder to walk in. If you ride in mucky conditions they are more likely to clog. These are "proper" road pedals wot the pros use.
2 bolt SPD pedals. aka MTB pedals. These are smaller cleats and you can get shoes with recesses so you can easily walk around in them. They also don't clog with gunk so easily. You can get trainer-style shoes with s bolt cleats. That's not to say that you can't get sporty looking shoes that also use 2 bolt cleats. They're not all clumpy great MTB shoes.
One advantage of 2 bolt SPDs is that you can get double sided pedals that are much easier to clip in to (there's no wrong way up) so they're good for learning.
You can also get one sided pedals for 2 bolt cleats. That @vickster hates!
See recent thread on A600 pedals. https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/scored-some-a600-pedals-plus-ocd-overview.262812/Some shoes take both kinds of cleat (2 and 3 bolt) but typically they are one or the other.
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Really open to all choices atm. I'd love to give gravel/adventure biking a go. Are there any pedal/shoe combos you could suggest?
Thanks for the overview! As above, which would gravel best sit under?In which case you have a choice. (I'll only talk about Shimano pedals ... there are others too ...)
3 bolt or "SPD-SL" road pedals. These are big triangular cleats and the shoes are harder to walk in. If you ride in mucky conditions they are more likely to clog. These are "proper" road pedals wot the pros use.
2 bolt SPD pedals. aka MTB pedals. These are smaller cleats and you can get shoes with recesses so you can easily walk around in them. They also don't clog with gunk so easily. You can get trainer-style shoes with s bolt cleats. That's not to say that you can't get sporty looking shoes that also use 2 bolt cleats. They're not all clumpy great MTB shoes.
One advantage of 2 bolt SPDs is that you can get double sided pedals that are much easier to clip in to (there's no wrong way up) so they're good for learning.
You can also get one sided pedals for 2 bolt cleats. That @vickster hates!
Some shoes take both kinds of cleat (2 and 3 bolt) but typically they are one or the other.
the_mikey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
It pays to try on some shoes, my experience with shoes has been hit & miss, even with the same brand, so one brands size 41 won't necessarily be the same as a different model by the same brand. I visited the Tredz store in Swansea when I bought my first pair of road cycling shoes and tried on Specialized, Shimano and Northwave shoes at the time.
