Cycling Q - about to change from clips to cleats

[Scouse]

I've recently resumed cycling after approx 25 years. I initially gave it up when I developed cartilage problems. I saw a few specialists for a couple of years without success & then cars came along so nothing more was done. I started riding home from work (about 25k) in June, & since the weather has warmed up, now ride approx 150km / week.

Anyway, to my question regarding cleats. I've always just used toe clips & hard soled shoes (soccer boots with the studs cut off) but I'm doing a lot more Km than I used too these days & the pedals are wearing through the shoes after a couple of thousand km.

Rather than keep replacing shoes, I'm looking to change over to cleats, with the added benefit of increased efficiency.
My local bike shop carries road Shimano shoes & pedals & Specialised (?) for mountain bike stuff. Seeing as I just do commuting with not too much walking, should I go with the road shoes/pedals or are would the MB set up be OK for what I do?

Is there anything special I should look for when buying shoes/pedals or are they much the same these days?
My LBS has been in the area for at least 30 years that I know of (ABC Liverpool) & they seem pretty trustworthy from my other dealings with them so should I just take their advice?

Thanks.

Oh, & my cartliage problem seems to have cured itself over the last 20 odd years. I had the odd twinge/click when I started out in June but nothing for the last few months .




BTW, I'd love to put this into the new Outdoor Pastimes section but it doesn't fit in anywhere .

[Psimpson7]

I run Time ATAC pedals on my Mountain bike which are excellent in wet muddy conditions as they dont tend to clog.

My shoes are SIDI which were expensive when I bought them, but that was almost 15 years ago now!!!!!! and they still are fine!! Amazing!! (I used to ride a lot back then so they had a serious work out!)

You can reverse the cleats to change the angle of release.

If you haven't used them before when you first do unclip before you stop

[weeds]

If you haven't used them before when you first do unclip before you stop

lol....good advice, i ended up laying on the ground still clipped in with three or four other riders watching on........i never thought to test them at home prior to my first ride

[x-box]

well, you'll get a heap of replies i think, but i'll give my opinion anyway.
i also used to do a lot of road riding in my younger and lighter days, and changing from cleats to clips is a huge leap in comfort and efficiency, and nowadays with decent shoes it's even better.
road cycling shoes are great and works really well, but having said that, my mtb shoes are brilliant as well with the added benefit that i can walk with them on, where with road shoes walking is a pain, even short distances...
as you mentioned walking is not a major issue with you, so i would take the most comfortable shoe - end of story
happy cycling and stay safe

[Scallops]

Heya Scouse,

MTB shoes have recessed cleats so are much easier to walk around in. Road bike shoes and cleats are lighter and maybe more comfy - I have a pair of Sidi shoes which I've had for years and they are very comfortable, but if you need to walk they are a pain because the cleats are not recessed.

To use MTB shoes on a road bike or visa versa - you need cleats to match the pedals - so its a matter of selecting a pedal first, then getting shoes which will take the cleat.

I'm not sure what sort of bike you have - or if you do anything other than commute - but if you don't need to walk much with the shoes on, I'd go for road shoes with cleats/pedals of your choice.

For bad knees - you want plenty of "float" - which is movement of the shoe in a arc around the pedal axis.

Time pedals are very "floaty" - I love mine. Quality shoes are worth buying too, for comfort and longevity. My Sidis are 7 years old - not going to wear out any time soon.

Hope that helps - you will find a small learning curve with these pedals - adjust them to the easiest release setting at first, practise against a wall of something you can grab. The pedals will improve your efficiency greatly - think little cirlces as you pedal and you will start to pedal the entire loop.

[samuelclarke]

I have Shimano Mountain Touring SPD shoes with SPD pedals...they allow decent walking comfort and work well on and off road.

Specialized have some good gear too.

My next pedals will be CrankBrothers - sweet gear, and they work with most shoes.

[isuzurover]

Heya Scouse,

MTB shoes have recessed cleats so are much easier to walk around in. Road bike shoes and cleats are lighter and maybe more comfy - I have a pair of Sidi shoes which I've had for years and they are very comfortable, but if you need to walk they are a pain because the cleats are not recessed.

To use MTB shoes on a road bike or visa versa - you need cleats to match the pedals - so its a matter of selecting a pedal first, then getting shoes which will take the cleat.

I'm not sure what sort of bike you have - or if you do anything other than commute - but if you don't need to walk much with the shoes on, I'd go for road shoes with cleats/pedals of your choice.

For bad knees - you want plenty of "float" - which is movement of the shoe in a arc around the pedal axis.

Time pedals are very "floaty" - I love mine. Quality shoes are worth buying too, for comfort and longevity. My Sidis are 7 years old - not going to wear out any time soon.

Hope that helps - you will find a small learning curve with these pedals - adjust them to the easiest release setting at first, practise against a wall of something you can grab. The pedals will improve your efficiency greatly - think little cirlces as you pedal and you will start to pedal the entire loop.

Agree completely.

[Rayngie]

Hello Scott,

I'm using MTB Shimano shoes and pedals / cleats, i use the kind of shoe which pretty much just looks like a set of trainers, had 'em for ages and they work great, they tie up normally and have a velcroe strap over the top, very secure, but am looking to change to Crank Bro's pedals and cleats as i'm finding the Shimano SPD's clog up really badly and are hard to keep clean.

Enjoy,

Ray,

[Scouse]

Is there much of a difference between the actual cleat operation (ie, is one better than the other) of Moutain Bike & Road?
If they're going to last 10-15 years then I might need to plan a bit further ahead. If get back into touring, then MB shoes might be a better long term prospect. But if MB shoes are a compromise, then I'll stick with road shoes for the time being.


My bike is an old Peugeot & was set up as a tourer. Steel frame, 27" tyres, very old school but I've had it for 30 years now. I've stripped it down a bit (no mudguards or front rack) but she's still heavy compared to the modern bikes. No point making it easy for myself .

[incisor]

when you wish upon a star....