Flat shoes

Hi all, Try as I have I just cannot get used to cleats and mountain biking. Its stop start nature
means that I need to constantly get my feet out of the pedals quickly. So I've put some azonic
flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers etc that have hard soles?
Cheers Sean

 

"Sean" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all, Try as I have I just cannot get used to cleats and mountain biking. Its stop start nature
> means that I need to constantly get my feet out of the pedals quickly. So I've put some azonic
> flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers etc that have hard soles?
> Cheers Sean

Vans are quite good.

 

Sean <[email protected]> said:
> Hi all, Try as I have I just cannot get used to cleats and mountain biking. Its stop start nature
> means that I need to constantly get my feet out of the pedals quickly. So I've put some azonic
> flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers etc that have hard soles?

Army boots have fairly stiff soles and are relatively cheap. It can be a bit difficult to
"feel" your foot position on the pedal though I find that my new VP beartraps help with that.
The paratrooper variety are nice for cycling because of the extra flexibility at the
ankle/foot junction.

They also keep your feet cosy, are great to walk in whether up a mountain or just round town and
protect your ankles from abrasion and twisting injuries a lot better than a shoe or ankle boot.

Caveat: I'm a commuter/utility rider, not a mountain biker and have the boots for other reasons than
cycling. They just happen to be quite good at it!

Regards,

-david

 

Terry wrote:

> Vans are quite good.

They are indeed. I've got two pairs: the Old Skool vans, which I still wear day-in day-out, and a
newer pair. I ain't had a single reason to fault either of them. I run Sharkbite pedals FWIW.

In comparison, I have an old pair of Nike trainers that I used on the Sharkbites. The soles now have
bits hanging off them; the air bubble's dead; and they let in more water than passes over the
Niagara Falls. But I just can't throw out old shoes for some reason.

--
Be careful of reading health books; you may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain

 

On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 16:17:22 +0000 (UTC), David Nutter <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sean <[email protected]> said:
>> So I've put some azonic flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers etc
>> that have hard soles?

Cannondale make pretty decent hiking-style bike shoes, but they're normally fairly expensive. I
managed to pick mine up half price from a shop in town that was, according to gossip, having
problems with their suppliers due to their selling stuff off cheap. End-of-line though, sorry.

> Army boots have fairly stiff soles and are relatively cheap. It can be a bit difficult to "feel"
> your foot position on the pedal though I find that my new VP beartraps help with that. The
> paratrooper variety are nice for cycling because of the extra flexibility at the ankle/foot
> junction.
>
> They also keep your feet cosy, are great to walk in whether up a mountain or just round town and
> protect your ankles from abrasion and twisting injuries a lot better than a shoe or ankle boot.

Yep - you can also just about get away with the kind of semiserious hiking boot that has a U-shaped
gap near the Achilles tendon. I have a pair of similar, and they do work. The toes are fairly wide
though, meaning I have to fiddle with the toeclips in order to use them.

> Caveat: I'm a commuter/utility rider, not a mountain biker and have the boots for other reasons
> than cycling.

Yes indeed, Mr Nutter. I've seen the results

--
Andrew Chadwick <Soulboys on the left, bikers on the right

 

I was recently looking in John Lewis and found some shoes which would probably be very good, if you
don't mind asking for "women's yoga shoes" !! Price was certainly below £50, possibly £30, and they
seemed strong and light.

Bes wishes, Robin.

In message <[email protected]> Andrew Chadwick
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 16:17:22 +0000 (UTC), David Nutter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Sean <[email protected]> said:
> >> So I've put some azonic flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers
> >> etc that have hard soles?
>
> Cannondale make pretty decent hiking-style bike shoes, but they're normally fairly expensive. I
> managed to pick mine up half price from a shop in town that was, according to gossip, having
> problems with their suppliers due to their selling stuff off cheap. End-of-line though, sorry.
>
> > Army boots have fairly stiff soles and are relatively cheap. It can be a bit difficult to "feel"
> > your foot position on the pedal though I find that my new VP beartraps help with that. The
> > paratrooper variety are nice for cycling because of the extra flexibility at the ankle/foot
> > junction.
> >
> > They also keep your feet cosy, are great to walk in whether up a mountain or just round town and
> > protect your ankles from abrasion and twisting injuries a lot better than a shoe or ankle boot.
>
> Yep - you can also just about get away with the kind of semiserious hiking boot that has a
> U-shaped gap near the Achilles tendon. I have a pair of similar, and they do work. The toes are
> fairly wide though, meaning I have to fiddle with the toeclips in order to use them.
>
> > Caveat: I'm a commuter/utility rider, not a mountain biker and have the boots for other reasons
> > than cycling.
>
> Yes indeed, Mr Nutter. I've seen the results
>
>

--
Robin Phillips, 1, Newcastle Avenue, Beeston, Notts., NG9 1BT; Phone: +44 (0)115 922 4930 E-mail:
[email protected]

 

"Sean" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all, Try as I have I just cannot get used to cleats and mountain biking. Its stop start nature
> means that I need to constantly get my feet out of the pedals quickly. So I've put some azonic
> flats on and was wondering if there are any good shoes/pumps/trainers etc that have hard soles?
> Cheers Sean

Any SDP type shoes will do - just don't cut out the cleat bit

Cliff

 

I just want to get a pair of shoes that have hard soles and are comfortable. I have tried the SPD's
but just can't get used to them for mountain bike riding. I need to be able to think i can get my
feet out on time!

 

Sean <[email protected]> wrote:
> I just want to get a pair of shoes that have hard soles and are comfortable. I have tried the
> SPD's but just can't get used to them for mountain bike riding. I need to be able to think i can
> get my feet out on time!

Assuming this was a reply to Clifford's post, they only clip into the pedals if you put the cleats
on the shoe. Usually this means removing part of the sole to get to the mounting bolts. So simply
buy SPD or cycling shoes and don't fit the cleats.

In fact you can have the best of both worlds. Buy SPD shoes and fit the cleats. You can then use
them with SPD pedals when you are not mountain biking until (if ever) you get used to them. You can
also use them with flat pedals on your mountain bike. They work just like stiff soled ordinary shoes
for normal pedals and do not lock on.

As an aside it is worth perservering with SPDs for mountain biking. It is unnerving at first to
be "locked on" but with time you get comfortable with it and it gives you so much more control
over the bike.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn

 

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> As an aside it is worth perservering with SPDs for mountain biking. It is unnerving at first to be
> "locked on" but with time you get comfortable
with
> it and it gives you so much more control over the bike.

This has been my approach. I have used SPD's for my road bike for 3 or 4 years. With my mountain
bike I prefer flat pedals for the 'tricky bits' --
i.e. where the chance of falling is higher.

So I use twin sided pedals, one side SPD, one side flat, and unclip before (hopefully) I hit the
bits that i find tricky. Often, unclipping one side only is enough.

T

 

I wear a cheap pair of astro-turf trainers, which have a reasonably hard sole and give good grip on
the pedals.

"Sean" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just want to get a pair of shoes that have hard soles and are comfortable. I have tried the
> SPD's but just can't get used to them for mountain bike riding. I need to be able to think i can
> get my feet out on time!