Well finally, with any luck, my MTB will make its way to its new owner sometime this week, and along with it, all the bits including SPD pedals and a set of shoes.
This presents an opportunity for me to upgrade to some 'proper' road cycling shoes
but I have a few questions to ask so I don't end up having to upgrade again too soon.
First of all, my feet are big (metric size 48.) The only shoes that I seem to find that are available in this size are Shimano. (IMO not a bad thing, as I want to get a shoe that's as cleat-compatible as possible, i.e. SPD, SPD-R, SPD-SL, and Look -- which most/all Shimano shoes allow.)
I've been looking at two in particular; the R097 (~AU$180) and the carbon-soled R150 (~AU$245). There's also the new R125 which is the same price as the R150. But the 150s look more, er, carbon-y
From what I gather (and from a past discussion thread on cleats) the carbon soled shoes are probably worth getting.. right?
Initially, I'll be using these shoes with SPD pedals, and then once the cleats wear out/I need some retail therapy, I'll move onto some 'proper' road pedals, probably Looks (herd mentality at work here I admit -- x million cyclists can't be wrong, can they
) Is there anything compelling about SPD-R or SPD-SL which I should know about? Are some more 'walkable', comfortable or otherwise more user-friendly than others?
How much easier/more difficult is it to clip in and out of road-style pedals (in traffic/urban situations), than the double sided SPDs I have now? I know they are weighted to 'fall' the right way, but if you 'miss' clipping in on the first revolution, is it difficult to try again when you're on the move?
The bike store near work (Cecil Walker's) have PP296 pedals on special for $190, which seem like a good deal. The twisty-float-selector thing aside, what is the difference between the various Look pedal models? Looking at the range, it doesn't seem to be weight..
This presents an opportunity for me to upgrade to some 'proper' road cycling shoes
First of all, my feet are big (metric size 48.) The only shoes that I seem to find that are available in this size are Shimano. (IMO not a bad thing, as I want to get a shoe that's as cleat-compatible as possible, i.e. SPD, SPD-R, SPD-SL, and Look -- which most/all Shimano shoes allow.)
I've been looking at two in particular; the R097 (~AU$180) and the carbon-soled R150 (~AU$245). There's also the new R125 which is the same price as the R150. But the 150s look more, er, carbon-y
From what I gather (and from a past discussion thread on cleats) the carbon soled shoes are probably worth getting.. right?
Initially, I'll be using these shoes with SPD pedals, and then once the cleats wear out/I need some retail therapy, I'll move onto some 'proper' road pedals, probably Looks (herd mentality at work here I admit -- x million cyclists can't be wrong, can they
How much easier/more difficult is it to clip in and out of road-style pedals (in traffic/urban situations), than the double sided SPDs I have now? I know they are weighted to 'fall' the right way, but if you 'miss' clipping in on the first revolution, is it difficult to try again when you're on the move?
The bike store near work (Cecil Walker's) have PP296 pedals on special for $190, which seem like a good deal. The twisty-float-selector thing aside, what is the difference between the various Look pedal models? Looking at the range, it doesn't seem to be weight..