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Pedals/cleats/shoes.

Jules

Speeding Up
Nov 8, 2009
143
21
Gagging and near-expiring for 2 hours behind Deej, and eating his mud, with cold wet sodden sneakers jammed into toeclips helped me see that real pedals would be a first step towards real cycling. I would very much appreciate advice and recommendations of shoes/pedal for road and climbing (stop larfing Deej). Good experiences/buys, bad experiences and some advice on how to setup and use or get fitted to the shoes would be super. Thankyou, Junior Cyclist Jules.
 
is there a reason why the louis garneau are so super cheap? are they rubbish?
http://ysroad-charley.com/04/21/

I have got a pair of LG triathlon shoes that look very similar to the LOUIS GARNEAU ROADY AIRs, that I am very happy with. I suppose the main issue is if you want carbon soles or plastic soles like these have. I have had mine for nearly three years and they still look like new. Look to be a great deal for the price to me. And I have a bunch of LG stuff including a helmet and clothes and to me they are long wearing and great value.

Keren
 
Pedals:

I have had very good experiences with Shimano pedals both road and MTB. Very easy learning curve for people who have not used clipless pedals before. My wife loves her Shimano Ultegra SL pedals and I've been using different variants of the XTR Mtb range now for the past 20 years with no complaints.... in fact for offroad riding they are probably the best I've ever used.

Currently using the TIME RXS carbon pedals.... these are amazing with excellent clearance although they have a much steeper learning curve as they are so narrow and small that you have to engage the cleat in perfectly.

Shoes:

Currently using Shimano road shoes.... these are great at first but they seem to stretch very easily and off no firm support around the ball of the foot, so I have to tighten them to the point of cutting off circulation.

Now looking at the SIDI's Genius 6.6 Carbon with the adjustable heel support as they have been getting rave reports and are stiffer than something stiff.
 
Gagging and near-expiring for 2 hours behind Deej

If you ask Deej nicely, he'll take a shower :p

Mountainbike pedal designs - much easier to walk around in. The cleat is recessed into the sole and the sole itself tends to be more flexible, and has some tread that actually grips the ground. Also generally easier to get into because the pedals are double-sided.
Road pedal designs - can be awkward to walk in; walking actually wears out the cleat as it's not recessed at all. The soles tend to be stiffer. The advantage I have found is that the pedal spreads the load better so my feet are less sore after really going for it! Also there is a bit more cornering clearance which can allow you to get on the power earlier in corners. Road pedals are reputedly more aerodynamic as well but there's so much air churning around near the crankset I'd be surprised if there was any real world difference.

Italian made shoes (SIDI) tend to be narrower than Japanese (Shimano). Worth trying in a shop because the fit is crucial. You need to be able to get the shoe tight enough that you foot won't pull out (especially the heel) but still be comfortable.

Also be prepared to fall over a few times as you re-learn the release from the pedals - twist out not pull back :eek:
 
Italian made shoes (SIDI) tend to be narrower than Japanese (Shimano). Worth trying in a shop because the fit is crucial. You need to be able to get the shoe tight enough that you foot won't pull out (especially the heel) but still be comfortable.

Worth noting that SIDI shoes come in extra-wide versions of most sizes and models; they are called Mega and seem to be equivalent to EEE width. A real savior for people with duckfeet like myself...my SIDIs are my best fitting *shoes*, let alone cycling shoes.

As Alan says, fit is pretty important if you want to do any distance at all. Shoes are also one of the areas of bike gear that it's best not to skimp on (again, if you are going to be doing any kind of distance). You can get a nice pair of shoes that fit now, or buy some crappy stuff now and buy the nice shoes 6 months later... (I did the latter, btw :))
 
Clipless/platform pedals

There's also a Shimano SPD clipless/platform dual mode pedal that gives you the option of wearing tennies when you just want to ride out on a short errand. I'm considering getting it after suffering numbness from riding with toe clips.
 
I use Shimano SPD SL, because as Alan points out, one can walk perfectly normal and comfortably in the shoes and there is no damage to anything. I end up walking quite a bit, especially as I often take the bike on trains, or do the odd sightseeing on my rides.

Also clipping in is really easy, so I always have a significant head start at traffic lights. I challenge anyone to beat me sprinting from standstill at a traffic light! :p

People say the "real" systems would be tighter and better for cycling, but then I somehow managed to become JCRC and Tour du Japon Champion even with SPD SL. :p

Maybe it's the Shimano race shoes I use - I feel they are very stiff and at the same comfortable, so my feet never ever hurt or get worn out.

I have the top of the range XTR (970) version and a cheaper (540) version. There is something even cheaper (520) and something in the middle. I have to say I don't see much of a difference. In fact, the 540 gives less lateral movement, so I would recommend it and not buy a more expensive one again.
 
Spd for me

I have gone totally SPD. Because I am built for comfort not for speed. I like that you can walk in em and not clunk around. Currently my favorite shoes are KEEN SPD bike sandals. I did Nashbar and Shimano sandals too. My thinking is if it's too cold for sandals I am not going to be riding. Last winter in Japan I was just FINE even on the cold days with fat socks in. Have various pedals on bikes, I TRY to use compatible cleats. My T Ritchey I am riding here in Japan has TR Ti pedals very sweet but spendy and OK for riding to work in non SPD boots.

When I was a serious cyclist I ran Look / Shimano. I still have some FINE Italian leather LOTTO shoes too.
 
I have the top of the range XTR (970) version and a cheaper (540) version. There is something even cheaper (520) and something in the middle. I have to say I don't see much of a difference. In fact, the 540 gives less lateral movement, so I would recommend it and not buy a more expensive one again.

Kanzler, the 540 version is the XT (540) and the XTR (970) are pretty much the same pedal the 970 has a titanium spindal though, sealed bearings and a lighter weight body than the 540's. As for lateral movement you might want to take a look at the settings on the pedals, the XTR versions have 2 points that can be adjusted to meet your riding requirements. The 970 are great pedals and most places sell them for about 3,000 yen more than the 540's if you are a weight wheeny or a hard rider I would sepnd the extra.

The big difference between the MTB range and Road range is that the MTB equipment is pretty much bomb proof.

As for SPD pedals v's SL pedals they are basically the same thing and if you are using race shoes with a solid sole then you are still going to get the same benifits from a stiff shoe and the ability to lift the pedal on the up stroke.
 
Just to clarify in case anyone else is confused,

SPD = Shimano mountain bike pedals and
SPD SL = Shimano road systems

Re: the mountain vs road debate, I started with SPDs (for the usual reasons, ie easy clip-in and walkability) and then switched to SPD-SLs. (because I started racing and had read a couple of accounts of accidental clip-outs with SPDs in sprints.)

Had no problem with the SPDs, but once the change was made I grew to prefer the road pedals--they simply felt more secure and more comfortable. There was no downside, as the only time I walk on a bike ride is to get from the combini parking lot to the sandwich shelves, and if I can't see the sights from the road, I ain't sightseeing. :D

I think Thomas still rides with both on various bikes, maybe he has a different take...
 
I think Thomas still rides with both on various bikes, maybe he has a different take...

I use SPD pedals on my commuter bikes. I cannot imagine showing up at a company or in a classroom wearing SPD-SL shoes... :D

As Phil mentioned, I have had lots of accidental clip-outs on SPD pedals, usually during hillclimbs or sprints from the traffic signal. That said, I opt for SPD-SL pedals on my "serious" bikes.

I prefer the Shimano platforms over Look as they are wider and therefore more stable. Also, I find them easier to clip in and out. I have tried Shimano shoes, but honestly I cannot praise SIDIs enough in terms of comfort and durability.
 
It's funny that several users of SPD pedals are talking about accidental disenagements, this is something in about 16 years of using these types of pedals I've never had a problem with.

It sounds like your pedals need to be adjusted and/or you are using the SH-56 cleats with minimum resistance settings on the pedals. You may want toget a pair of the SH-51 cleats and take a look at the manual regarding reducing the float and also increase the release tension.
 
It sounds like your pedals need to be adjusted and/or you are using the SH-56 cleats with minimum resistance settings on the pedals. You may want toget a pair of the SH-51 cleats and take a look at the manual regarding reducing the float and also increase the release tension.

Thanks for the heads-up, James. I do indeed use the SH-56 cleats, but I always increase the spring tension. I assume that in my case accidental disengagements occured due to worn pedals and cleats as well as "overzealous jumpstarts" at traffic signals. :)
 
The SH-56 cleats are multi directional release thus the frequent release. The 51's are one way release so If its a problem I would recommend getting a set.
 
Coldness

Having used both SPD and SPD-SL (though with Look cleats on Sidi shoes), one thing I've noticed in winter is that the SPD can be a bit cold due to the holes in the bottom of the shoe where the cleat bolt attaches itself (that was with Shimano shoes). I ended up putting some cardboard under the cushion but it had only minimal effect. With the SPD-SL style there is still some coldness around that area, but it's not as bad.

Probably depends on what type of cleat/shoe combination you have. The SIDI's with neo-prene overshoes are pretty good actually.
 
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