Shoe/Pedal Question

[Sooner93]

I am relatively new to road cycling and have a question about shoes and pedals. When I purchased my current bike a few months ago, the salesman at my LBS recommended MTB pedals and shoes due to the ease of entry/exit of the pedal as well as the MTB shoe having a sole for walking. I purchased some Shimano MTB pedals and some Sidi Dominator shoes.

I love the shoes (very comfortable) and pedals so far. However, upon talking to another salesman recently, he mentioned that some riders develop "hot spots" during longer rides due to the MTB pedal being smaller compared to a road bike pedal. I do have very flat feet and currently use a Specialized arch support as well as wedges.

Should I begin to look into road pedals and shoes as I am riding longer now? I was considering some Look Keo pedals and Sidi road shoes, but wasn't sure if this was actually a valid concern. Thanks in advance for your great advice !!! I love reading these forums....

Shawn

 

[alfeng]

Geez, unless you have money to burn, I would suggest that you wait until you actually develop some hot spots while riding rather than preemptively spending money on a problem which may never manifest itself.

The greater advantage of a Road shoe over a MTB shoe, particularly if they are made by the same manufacturer, is in the weight of the shoe -- the MTB shoe will inevitably weigh more because of the addition of the tread which is absent on a Road shoe.

Some brands of shoes have stiffer soles than others ... Shimano soles are stiffer than SIDI, but Shimano shoes weigh more because the soles are thicker.

BTW. My direct observation is that a size 45 SIDI is comparable to a size 44 Shimano ... which is to say that you want to be sure that you actually try the shoes on and not simply rely on the sizing which the manufacturer assigns to their shoes.

 

[Sooner93]

No.. I definately do not have money to burn. I guess my real question is to find out if this is a legitimate concern when using MTB pedals for road biking. The only reason that I was looking at road pedals now (vs. later) is that I may be purchasing some clipless pedals for my son's bike and could just give him my MTB pedals to use.

To me, the MTB shoe I have seems pretty stiff (and light) and I didn't know if there would be that much greater of a benefit to switching to road shoes/pedals. If there is, I'd rather switch now since I can give him my pedals and sell my shoes while they are in great condition. Thanks for the advice !!

 

[jhuskey]

The road shoe is generally lighter and has in theory better power transfer because of the stiffer sole configuration.I think they also have better ventilation also.
Shoes are one item I would never mail order unless I had tried the exact size, style and model on.
I think Sidis are a bit more narrow and Shimanos are wider just to mention two manufactures so trying these things on is essential.
Road shoes are not for walking.

 

[64Paramount]

If you're happy with the shoes and pedals you currently have, then I wouldn't mess with buying something else.

If you've been using them for a few months as you say, I would have thought any issues with them would have shown up by now.

 

[coalcoal]

A good fitting pair of cycling shoes will enhance your cycling twofold.

Cycling shoes (whether they are MTB or Road) have a much stiffer sole than trainers(you might call them sneakers). this avoids 'Hotspots' on the foot which become uncomfortable!

Secondly, its easier to cycle in circles with cleated cycling shoes as your shoes are clipped to the pedals.

As for 'The Best Cycling Shoes' - I use Shimano RO99 but it's like anything, - It may suit me but not you.

My advice: Go to a cycle shop (or two) and try some out to see what suits you, Tip- get a size bigger as feet do swell with hard cycling!

Best of luck.

 

[PeterF]

I love the term hot spot because it gives the illusion that the pain is isolated to a square cm of area. In reality, when you get them it feels like your entire foot is on fire and you won't be able to walk for a while.

I think it all comes down to the stiffness of the sole more than anything. How important is it to be able to walk well in your cycling shoes? Personally when I'm road riding, I only need to walk the bike out of my basement and maybe the occasional short walk for a nature break or to grab an extra bottle of water. I ride Speedplays which is likely the most walking-unfriendly system around. In the winter when the snow and ice become too much for my speedplays, I use my cross bike with Crank Bros eggbeaters. The road cleat for eggbeaters is very easy to walk on since it has two hard rubber stabilizers (for lack of a better term) that provide a good solid platform. I don't own them but I also like the Shimano road SPD system as those cleats look to be very coffee shop friendly.