In article <[email hidden]>,
(Mike Krueger) said:<< I am thinking of
new shoes with SPD pedals for my road biking. I have
been using lakes CX 100 with look pedals.
Does anyone have an op on a good pair of reasonable
priced shoes that are stiff, but could be walked
on a little bit from the bike to the Dunkin' Donuts? >>
Why not just a get a pair of rubber "kool kovers" for your Look cleats? They
cost $10 a pair. You carry them in your jersey pocket, and then snap them over
the cleats when you want to walk around. Seems cheaper and easier than
investing in a whole new pedal and shoe system just to be able to make it
safely into a donut shop for a coffee after a ride.
Kool Kovers will protect your cleats from walking damage and prevent you
from doing hilarious "walking on ice" maneuvers, but having Googled up a
picture, they won't make a set of Look shoes into anything near as
walkable as most SPD-type shoes.
http://www.excelsports.com/image/Kool%20Kovers%20Cleat%20Covers.jpg
That said, it's a matter of degree. These would get you from the bike
rack to the order counter no problem.
My preference is still to train, commute, just ride, and race with SPDs.
They are hardly hiking boots, but as I have said before, even in my
stiff-soled Axo Blackball shoes I can happily walk around the mall
without thinking about my footwear. I had a bike problem last weekend
that saw me walk two miles in those shoes. I would rather have ridden,
but the shoes worked.
That said, if I intended to walk more than a couple of blocks after
getting off the bike, I would either bring a change of shoes or take a
bicycle without SPD pedals, and wear normal shoes. The limiting factor
eventually becomes the extremely stiff sole which is ideal for cycling,
and not very good for walking. There are, however, several SPD shoes
with rather flexible soles available, including Shimano's famous SPD
sandals. Others may vouch for that product's walkability.
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.
