Thread started by digablesoul at 01.27.07 - 1:22 pm

Alright... My feet were getting numb on the Ninja Ride and so I wondering if you guys have any good recommendations for shoes. For toe clips/platform pedals.What do most of you guys use? Skater shoes? Nothing expensive. The whole point is to have a flat, stiff shoe... right? I also want something that I can walk around in at the same time still look good. I heard that indoor soccer shoes are good. I was thinking about the Adidas Samba... Thanks in advance...

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I've been riding bicycles in the dirt for 21 years and have never used cycling specific shoes, the past eleven riding in toeclips/straps. The best shoes I have used for longer rides (up to 65 miles in a day on the trail) are light hiking shoes with some kind of shank support. Steel shanks are an issue in colder weather, so that makes them fine for use in Southern Californmia. My current shoes used for dirt and higher mileage rides are Merrell approach type shoes with a nylon shank and give plenty of foot support. The best place to score a set of light hikers I have found is http://www.sierratradingpost.com as long as you know what size fits you best in the brand(s) you intend to purchase.

Now go ride your bike.



Jeronimo
01.28.07 - 12:18 am

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Sweet Jeronimo... thanks for the advice... I will check out that link you posted.



digablesoul
01.28.07 - 1:17 am

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De nada, man.

I've been buying from Sierra Trading Post for about 14 years now and have never been dissatisfied with anything purchased from them. They do have a bit of a bend to the religious right, but being discriminatroy about something like that would be just as wacked out as any extremist psycho on either side of the fence. Good name brand equipment at great prices is hard to beat.



Jeronimo
01.28.07 - 9:18 pm

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i swore by lowtop chuck taylors for years and years and years until i finally got some spds. now i just wear my converse when im not riding.



ruinedbyidiots
01.28.07 - 9:29 pm

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There is a pair of biking shoes at the REI outlet store. Item 739446



User1
01.29.07 - 1:31 pm

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Thanks for the advice on Sierra. They've got a lot of stuff there.The light hiking shoes are cool.

RBI... I was also thinking of the Chucks but you switched to 'spds'...???

User1... I checked the sizes for those shoes on the REI site and it's numbered 36, 37... are cycling shoes sized differently?

Thanks again everyone....



digablesoul
01.30.07 - 9:43 am

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"spd's"

Shimano lingo for "clipped" pedals ... SPD = Shimano Pedaling Dynamics

this is not a toe clip and strap...rather a cleat that clicks into the pedal...

I've ridden with all kinds of setups...skate shoes, old style cleats into toe clips and straps, sneakers into clips and straps, LOOK pedals, Shimano SPD pedals...etc...

it all depends on what you're going to do, and how you're going to do it, and how you want to look doing it...

there's a reason mountain bikers use a certain type of pedal, and there's a reason why professional cyclists use another type of pedal, and why a lot of other people just ride with sneaks...

if you're going to cruise around...by all means use a soft sole...

but if you're planning on hammering your pedals or planning on going up some big hills or planning on going for some LONG distances, I'd highly recommend something with a stiffer sole, whether it be a mountain bike shoe, or a hiking shoe (although those tend to get HEAVY), or a cycling shoe that is designed to look a little more casual...

unfortunately a lot of the stuff designed for cycling doesn't look like regular casual wear, so you'll have to do some searching

and the whole professional road pedal is the LEAST designed for WALKING after riding, so keep that in mind...although it certainly is THE best for efficiency and keeping hot spots from your sole...



adrian
01.30.07 - 6:24 pm

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i use platforms

http://images.puma.com/usstore/catalog/products/34240104.jpg

puma metro

comfy
fits like a glove
some reflective bits







bicigol
01.31.07 - 5:43 pm

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I just use a pair of Vans slip-ons with either Power Grips or toe clips. Power Grips are so dorky that they're kinda cool. If I was racing or riding cross-country I'd think about clipless pedals, but for everything else these combos works well.

Lots of folks use Sambas. Converse All-Stars would work well too. But I think slip-ons have the edge because they are stiffer than Cons and cheaper than Sambas. Whatever you choose the key to avoiding numb feet is to make sure the shoes fit well and to wear some nice warm wool hiking socks if it's cold.





cabhauler
01.31.07 - 7:20 pm

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Cut sandwich bags shorter and put them in the toes of your shoes...



QuatroAss
01.31.07 - 10:23 pm

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The size listed on the REI site is European size. You can use this chart conversion to find your size.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing_shoes_mens.htm

Good luck



User1
02.1.07 - 1:32 am

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sandwich bags... that's interesting. I was thinking of using packaging tape on my shoe just like I use on my helmet.



digablesoul
02.1.07 - 11:10 pm

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Just thought I would give a heads up on what I got yesterday at REI. I was there to pick up a lite I ordered and was looking around at their current sale items. This one sales woman told me about some cycling shoes when asked what they had on sale. She mentioned some Shimano shoes, model MT30 on sale for little less than $20! She was able to track down my size from another store. I have to pay shipping which about $5. Still not a bad deal, $25. Review can be found here,

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Shoes/product_126458.shtml

One more thing I really like about these shoes is that they look like casual shoes and not racy bike shoes.

If you contact someone at REI, make sure you get someone that knows their stuff. They can track down your size if they know what they are doing.

Good luck,



User1
02.11.07 - 12:58 pm

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I rode on platforms with cages for a long time. Then, on the advice of a friend, I got cycling shoes. I bought them on closeout for like thirty bucks. They were shining red blue and silver. I looked like Captian America. So, I went directly home and found a can of spray paint...army green...and hit them up.

Just recently, I found a pair of cycling shoes that were donated to bike kitchen. I bought them for around twenty bucks....whatever I had in my pocket. These too are pretty racy looking, but they're mostly black with silver. They have carbon soles. The funny thing is that they feel heavier than my older plastic soled pair. Maybe I should hit up the carbon soles with some green paint. Ehh, I'm not too worried about it, I guess...I'm not a fashion leader.

On Saturday, I did my first big ride with the new shoes--the Bike Winter Metric Century. The shoes were so comfortable the whole way through.

I don't mind walking around in cycling shoes...but if I know that I will be doing a bunch of walking in between riding, I do one of three things: the easiest and least efficient is using my shimano road pedals like platforms with whatever shoes I happen to have on at the time. This is fine for MR rides usually. If I am commuting, I bring regular shoes along with me. Sometimes, if I am going to some place where I will be spending a bunch of time off of my bike, I switch friom road pedals to the old pedals with cages. That way I don't have to carry along walking around shoes.

I have pedals with cleats for my mtn bike too. The shoes I have for these pedals are easy to walk around in and they are still pretty stiff. They look like light hiking shoes.



tern
02.11.07 - 2:03 pm

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I wear these so I don't have to worry about anything getting caught.



monovsstereo
02.11.07 - 5:43 pm

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monovsstereo
02.11.07 - 5:44 pm

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hey all... I just wanted to update you guys w/ the cycling shoes. I picked up an Answer palisade shoes at Bicycle John's w/ some Wellgo clipless pedals and the thing is like day and night. Took some practice to get in and out but the pulling up of the pedal is just great. Thanks for all your help.



digablesoul
02.17.07 - 9:06 pm

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Not sure if anyone is still looking for shoes or not, but just ran across some shoes that are $20. They got the mac daddy color too.
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&sku=18965&brand=
or Item No. » YS-MINN @ bike nashbar




User1
03.7.07 - 1:43 pm

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