road shoes vs mountain bike shoes

[Julia9054]

Ooh - @cyberknight what are those last ones? Can't quite make out the brand on my iPad.

 

[cyberknight]

Ooh - @cyberknight what are those last ones? Can't quite make out the brand on my iPad.

I went 1 eu size up , like shimano sizing as recommended by high on bikes customer service email.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XLC-CB-M0...hash=item48832e2c38:m:mjFPXdm8EWnTWeS7jmRQqyA

 

[Globalti]

Hell's teeth, there's some fusty old advice being handed out in this thread. If the chap wants to try road shoes, why discourage him?

Let's start from the basics.... why do we think professional cyclists ride around in slim, lightweight road shoes and not clumpy old SPD mountain bike shoes or even clumpy SPD road shoes? Firstly because they are stiff and they make a nice comfortable platform for your foot over long distances. Secondly because a road shoe, cleat and pedal setup weighs approximately half the weight of an SPD setup. Thirdly because clumpy mountain bike shoes are for clumpy old mountain bikes, not refined racing greyhound bikes. Fourthly because when it's hooligan time and you are racing your buddy, gasping for oxygen as you attack that short hill or sprint for the pub, you will realise that for the brief few seconds of that balls-out effort, a shoe that grips your foot securely against upward movement as well as downward is the right shoe for the job.

Finally, riding a road bike isn't just about the speed, the out-of-the-door convenience and the cleanliness, it's also about aesthetics and the look; if you turned up in a professional peloton wearing mountain bike shoes or with your legs unshaven you'd be laughed off the road.

SPD shoes, whether road or mountain, need a deep well in the sole for the recessed cleat, which means a lot of extra rubber and extra weight. SPD pedals are also made to bear huge stresses from two sides so they are necessarily heavily built. However they are designed for easy walking and easy clipping in and out so they are perfect for mountain bikers and commuters. Road shoes and pedals are not as easy to clip but then if you are only clipping and unclipping once an hour, does it matter?

 

[Drago]

Why do professional mountain bike racers ride around in MTB shoes? Because they're stiff and make a nice comfortable platform for the foot...

And as for road shoe and cleat set up.weighing half that of an MTB one, I would suggest that matching approximate price for price that is simply not true. Mine certainly don't, not by a country mile and then some.

MTB shoes are aimed at, erm, MTB riders, yet how many road riders actually need or benefit from road shoes? Why not swap, mix and match with the weather, or split the different and wear touring shoes? One thing is for sure - they're more versatile than road shoes, which fare not well at all on an MTB off road.

No one's saying don't do it. We're simply suggesting that our hero won't go any faster, be any more comfortable, or pull and more fadge - the absence of improvements in these regards will be a certainty.

 

[Accy cyclist]

My mountain bike shoes have mesh bits on the side which are annoying as i'm not a sweaty type so i don't need them, but on cold days i can feel the wind blowing through them. Be careful with mountain bike shoes when pushing off the ground with your bike between your legs. Rubber soles might be ok but mine are a kind of hard nylon. Push too much and they tend to slip sending you reaching for your balance. Dodgy when traffic's approaching!

 

[Julia9054]

I went 1 eu size up , like shimano sizing as recommended by high on bikes customer service email.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XLC-CB-M0...hash=item48832e2c38:m:mjFPXdm8EWnTWeS7jmRQqyA

Bugger! These look great as I hate having cold feet but being a girlie with size 5 feet, too big for me.

 

[vickster]

Nothing in the first post suggests that the OP is going to be joining the pro peloton anytime soon

I have wide feet, I looked at SPD-SL and tried on probably a dozen or more pairs of shoes. A range of brands and price points, not one pair felt like they would be comfortable for more than 5 minutes and they and me would be destroyed during the walks I tend to take when out on a ride of any distance, or indeed any ride!

If the OP wants to try them of course it's up to him, but they aren't an upgrade, just different. Of all the ones I tried, I have to say some DHB ones with a carbon sole at around £70 were the nicest feeling and looking, not shiny and plasticky unlike lots

 

[Globalti]

So what contributors to this thread seem to be saying is the equivalent of:

OP: I'm getting quite into skiing and feel I'm improving, would it be worth upgrading my ski boots from these old Salomon rear-entry jobs, which are OK for getting in to but don't seem to hold my feet very well - would a more serious, stiffer four-clamp boot help me to improve my technique?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy downhill boots, save yer money and stick with the old Salomons, you'll be reet.

OP: I'm getting into rock-climbing and I'm finding that these old Dunlop Green Flash trainers don't give me much confidence - would it be worth upgrading to proper rock shoes with sticky rubber soles?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy rock slippers, save yer money and stick with the old Dunlops, you'll be reet.

OP: I've been running on road for a couple of years and have tried fell running and really enjoyed it. Should I stick with my old Nike trainers or splash out on a serious pair of Walshes with better grip and support?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy Walsh things, save yer money and stick with the old Nikes, you'll be reet.

And so on.

 

[Citius]

Not really. Cycling shoes are still cycling shoes - I think that's all people are saying. While it might be a bit tricky riding road shoes off the road, there is no issue with riding off-road shoes on the road. And no particular disadvantage either.

 

[thunderlips76]

Can anyone recommend decent over socks for Mtb shoes?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

mtb shoes for me every time. shimano goretex lined boot style ones for winter use, and spesh light(er) weight ones for the rest of the year.

that said I've spent the last four months riding every day in a pair of Churchill's.

 

[vickster]

Can anyone recommend decent over socks for Mtb shoes?

Why not get winter boots? Assuming it is cold wet feet you want to address and not just having hi viz feet

On the overshoe front, BBB seem to fare well . Buy at least one size up if not two. I like the mavic toe covers to keep tootsies warmer and drier

 

[Profpointy]

So what contributors to this thread seem to be saying is the equivalent of:

OP: I'm getting quite into skiing and feel I'm improving, would it be worth upgrading my ski boots from these old Salomon rear-entry jobs, which are OK for getting in to but don't seem to hold my feet very well - would a more serious, stiffer four-clamp boot help me to improve my technique?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy downhill boots, save yer money and stick with the old Salomons, you'll be reet.

OP: I'm getting into rock-climbing and I'm finding that these old Dunlop Green Flash trainers don't give me much confidence - would it be worth upgrading to proper rock shoes with sticky rubber soles?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy rock slippers, save yer money and stick with the old Dunlops, you'll be reet.

OP: I've been running on road for a couple of years and have tried fell running and really enjoyed it. Should I stick with my old Nike trainers or splash out on a serious pair of Walshes with better grip and support?

Forum: Nay nay Lad, don't be worrying about them fancy Walsh things, save yer money and stick with the old Nikes, you'll be reet.

And so on.

oi, I resemble that remark ! Nowt wrong with my leather ski boots - much more comfy than the plastic scarpa ones I tried. Certainly wouldn't want to downgrade to plastic ones - not sure if Alico still make my leather ones.

And I've rock climbed in my office brogues (commando soles so quite grippy to be fair) - admittedly rock shoes are alighly better but only by maybe half a grade. A mate went to one of the indoor climbing walls and they chucked him out for wearing wellies - he wanted to practice for caving .

Slighly more seriously, I went for mtb fittings ao I could walk around in the shoes - I'm normally cycling to somewhere - even if it's just a tea shop stop or wander round as a 2ndary activity to cycling - thus "road" shoes are out. Regarding weight - my shoes are available in road, mtb, or flat soles (for clips & straps) and I imagine my crank bros pedals are lighter than most so if anything I'm saving weight. To be fair, never tried road cleats, but can't imagine it would be worth it for me - and I certainly don't want two systems on the go.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Any recommendations for good recessed cleat shoes that look more like 'normal' trainers?

How about these Bontrager SSR shoes

I wrote a review of them here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bontrager-ssr-shoe-review.180678/

I've been riding with these all year, and I'm very happy with them.

I've never ridden with road shoes/cleats so I have nothing to add to the debate. Apart from "you'll be reet"

 

[Dogtrousers]

if you turned up in a professional peloton wearing mountain bike shoes or with your legs unshaven you'd be laughed off the road.

I fear I would be laughed off the road if I turned up in a professional peloton, full stop. Regardless of my legs and shoes.