New shoes - which one

[firemac71]

Hi im new to road cycling and after some advice on shoes. Do i go road shoes or mountain bike shoes? Where would be the best value, i have a budget of $100 for shoes and $60 for pedals, im in Melbourne, any advice would be great.

[Rioli2Gunstall]

When i started i went with shimano spd 540 pedals and shimano ro87 shoes (wide fit), the combo is about 130, 140 and they served me well for 5 years. Only just upgraded my pedals

[AndrewCowley]

When i started i went with shimano spd 540 pedals and shimano ro87 shoes (wide fit), the combo is about 130, 140 and they served me well for 5 years. Only just upgraded my pedals

+1. It's good to start on double sided MTB pedals IMO.

If you want shoes that are a bit more road like then look at the Shimamo's RT82. Good price at Wiggle at the moment.

[open roader]

+1 for starting on SPD MTB pedals.

I started road riding on Shimano SPD pedals with MTB shoes. Most MTB shoes have a 'walkable' sole ie) the cleats are recessed and the soles grip the ground more like a regualr shoe and many MTB shoes have more padding in the upper part of the shoe which is not so much of a shock to the feet for a beginner.

You should be able to purchase some Shimano MTB shoes with pedals and cleats for $160. Just make sure you get some that actualy fit

[firemac71]

I have been to a few stores and tried on some shoes to get the right size, now to order them online!

[MattyK]

You realise that's pretty poor form right?

That said, if you're not sure about going for road cleats because you might have to walk in them, maybe consider Shimano A520 pedals and RT82 shoes? Under $150 for the lot from wiggle. Otherwise, the same supplier for some cheap Shimano road shoes and 105 pedals will be in your budget.

[mikesbytes]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

[Rioli2Gunstall]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

+1 fair enough with clothing if you can measure yourself and dont need the LBS. But trying something on i think you owe them for the service. I would never buy shoes online. I did just buy a full new kit online and with a measuring tape was able to get the right sizes but i wouldnt risk it with shoes.

[cyclotaur]

"Re: New shoes - which one" - you will generally need two shoes...

Another vote for Shimano RT82s here - and double-sided SPD pedals.

Unless you really need (...or want) road shoes and pedals the comfort and practicality of SPDs is fantastic.

[Zippy7]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

+1 - Agree. I tried shoes and pedals at my local 99 bikes. They were nice enough to fit the pedals and cleats for me.
I promptly rode down the road and clipstacked about 200m away

[Arbuckle23]

Going through the same process myself.
Pros and cons of both.
Only ridden flat pedals before.

For a bloke riding for pleasure and fitness it is hard to know which way to go.

[DG1984]

Going through the same process myself.
Pros and cons of both.
Only ridden flat pedals before.

For a bloke riding for pleasure and fitness it is hard to know which way to go.

Pick based on comfort. Try both MTB and road variants in your budget and go with whichever feels better.

[Duck!]

Road pedals and cleats have a larger contact area which improves stability of the feet on the pedals and also spreads the contact stress better. The downside is the single-side mechanism is a bit trickier to get lined up to get into.

Double-sided MTB pedals are a lot easier to get into because you've got much more ready access to a cleating face, just stamp & go! The smaller cleats don't offer the same stability, and with cheaper, softer-soled shoes the small cleats can cause "hot-spotting" and discomfort in the feet in the contact area on longer rides.

The clipping in/out principle is the same for both types, so once you're familiar with the action it's easy enough to switch between the two.

The fit of the shoes will vary between brands more than between road & MTB models from one brand, so try several to decide what's the most comfortable for you.

[ball bearing]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

While I understand the reasons why this may bother some people I really don't see the problem. When I shop for a new car I will visit a dealer and probably go for a test drive. This does not make me feel as though I am obligated to buy from that dealer if I find a better deal at a different dealership.

I should add that the biggest challenge for any bricks and mortar retailer is to get individuals into the shop. The odds are that the person coming in to try on shoes will see something else that might prompt him to pull the wallet out, or at least least leave with the notion that that particular shop made him feel welcome to come back.

[DG1984]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

While I understand the reasons why this may bother some people I really don't see the problem. When I shop for a new car I will visit a dealer and probably go for a test drive. This does not make me feel as though I am obligated to buy from that dealer if I find a better deal at a different dealership.

I should add that the biggest challenge for any bricks and mortar retailer is to get individuals into the shop. The odds are that the person coming in to try on shoes will see something else that might prompt him to pull the wallet out, or at least least leave with the notion that that particular shop made him feel welcome to come back.

If you have no intention of ever buying from that retailer, and are just using them as a fitment service then it's poor form. They are providing you a service, but not getting the benefit of that service because you want to save $5 by buying online. Is the service of trying before you buy not worth the small difference in most cases?

A car isn't the best comparison either - you're not exactly going to buy it from a dealer overseas are you? You may go to the next suburb to buy it, where you also have the option to road test it if you want. It's a like for like business model.

[ball bearing]

I agree, I would buy them from the shop if you tried them on in the shop

While I understand the reasons why this may bother some people I really don't see the problem. When I shop for a new car I will visit a dealer and probably go for a test drive. This does not make me feel as though I am obligated to buy from that dealer if I find a better deal at a different dealership.

I should add that the biggest challenge for any bricks and mortar retailer is to get individuals into the shop. The odds are that the person coming in to try on shoes will see something else that might prompt him to pull the wallet out, or at least least leave with the notion that that particular shop made him feel welcome to come back.

If you have no intention of ever buying from that retailer, and are just using them as a fitment service then it's poor form. They are providing you a service, but not getting the benefit of that service because you want to save $5 by buying online. Is the service of trying before you buy not worth the small difference in most cases?

A car isn't the best comparison either - you're not exactly going to buy it from a dealer overseas are you? You may go to the next suburb to buy it, where you also have the option to road test it if you want. It's a like for like business model.

Like I said earlier - the biggest hurdle for any storefront business is to get people into your shop. Loss leaders, sales, closeouts, or even shoe fits, whatever. A body in the shop is a potential customer.

And just for the record, I have never tried on shoes to find my size in order to buy online - I bought a Brannock Device with euro sizes to accurately measure my own feet. How many bike shops have a Brannock Device for sizing their customers?

[Duck!]

Like I said earlier - the biggest hurdle for any storefront business is to get people into your shop. Loss leaders, sales, closeouts, or even shoe fits, whatever. A body in the shop is a potential customer.

Tyre-kickers (shoe-tryer-onners) don't pay the bills though. There's a difference between shopping around to try a range of products to determine the correct one for you, and using a business, or collection of them, as a fitting service to then go & take your ultimate purchase somewhere totally different.

[Ross]

As for actual brands, I have Shimano, Specialized and Louis Garneau. I find Shimano to be good value, reasonably comfy and good wearing; Specialized to be more expensive than Shimano, arguably more comfortable and stiffer than Shimano but only about the same wearing as Shimano; LG to be extrememly comfortable (especially MTB shoes), very reasonably priced (picked up some super specials at Pushys carpark sale) but haven't owned them long enough to comment on the wear but expect them to be similar to Shimano.

[Ross]

This may help also - https://intheknowcycling.com/2016/07/29 ... ing-shoes/

[trailgumby]

If you want double-sided road pedals, try Speedplay Light Action. It provides the best of both worlds: easy entry and exit, double-sided pedals and with the optional Keep-on Koverz, even better walkability than mtb pedals, all with class-leading foot-stability. The float is also adjustable.

[Arbuckle23]

Update for me bought some M540 pedals and some M089 shoes.
Seem to do the job for me so far, although only on the hybrid still as still sorting out a road bike.

[Arbuckle23]

May as well continue on this tread seeing I was the last to comment.
I have been happy with my MO89 shoes and SPD's, up till now.
As my cycling has turned upward I am riding a lot longer than I was six months ago and I am feeling what I suppose you can call hotspotting on the longer rides.

I am thinking of going to road shoes and SPD-SL pedals.
Bit of looking around leads me to the Shimano RP5 shoes at a price point that attracts me.
Any views on these shoes?
I am not a racer, just a recreational rider, looking to do some fondo's later this year when the fitness gets further along and I feel more comfortable riding 100 km and above.
Or any other recommendations? I know my size in Shimano which is why I am looking at that brand (I can buy online).

Edit : And Black or White, what is the preference

[Defy The Odds]

When I first bought my road bike, I rode on flat pedals for about a year... no cleats.

After about a year I finally shelled out for pedals and shoes. I went to the local bike shop, had a look at what they had, told them what I wanted to spend and they gave me a cheap set of Shimano SPD-SL pedals and Shimano RP3 shoes.

Been very happy with the setup and cost me around 180 in total. Ridden a 100km ride in them no problems. A bit harder to walk in but I got used to them fairly quickly.

Personally, I think there is alot of value in building a relationship with the local shop. Their advice and assistance is well worth it. One example of this is that I needed a part changed on my bike, went to my local shop and told them what happened. I had my bike back the same afternoon (within 2 hours)....

[baabaa]

I am thinking of going to road shoes and SPD-SL pedals.
Bit of looking around leads me to the Shimano RP5 shoes at a price point that attracts me.
Any views on these shoes?
I am not a racer, just a recreational rider, looking to do some fondo's later this year when the fitness gets further along and I feel more comfortable riding 100 km and above.
Or any other recommendations? I know my size in Shimano which is why I am looking at that brand (I can buy online).

Some shoes like the Giro Treble (maybe the version II) now have attachment plates for both two and three screws so you can keep your old pedals and swap between old and new shoes. I do use them with spd-sl Ultegra pedals, but really compared to any two screw system, the spd-sl cleats are a pain as they just wear out and are not much fun to walk in. If you do any bike pushing up hills the two screw cleats is what you need.
I like these shoes for fit and function and while they may not look to be top of the line in euro fancy, I also think the smell of any well used bike shoe is as close to hell as I wish to get at the moment so consider bike shoes should live outside the house.

[RobertL]

May as well continue on this tread seeing I was the last to comment.
I have been happy with my MO89 shoes and SPD's, up till now.
As my cycling has turned upward I am riding a lot longer than I was six months ago and I am feeling what I suppose you can call hotspotting on the longer rides.

I have a pair of M089 shoes, and I use them for everything including 100km mass charity rides. I have never had a problem with hot spots, but I do use Shimano M424 pedals, which have quite a large plastic "platform" on them. Not as big as a flat pedal, but bigger than some. So that might be an option for you, too.