time benefits of cycling shoes



bfra6229

New Member
Oct 30, 2003
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hey

i do the odd triathlon but am on;y a student on limited budget. i have bought a bike for about a 1000 dollars and am wondering about buying shoes.
how much difference in time do the shoes make. i know you can pull up with the clip ins but does anyone have a exact time/speed benefit.
i tried searching some for some articles and studies done on it but didn't find any,

if you know any articles or just know form personal experience you help would be appreciated

cheers

ben francis
:)
 
Well, in my opinion, it would be a shame not to get good clipless pedals and cycling shoes; especially after spending a grand on a bike. ;)
 
Shoes, like bibs, are things you don't realize the benefit of until you try them. With your foot clipped in you get a big power boost on the upstroke because you use your hamstrings primarily instead of your quads. Additionally, being clipped in lends intself to a smoother pedal stroke.

Cheack out the mail order places like Nashbar, Performance and Supergo (same parent company). You can get into a house brand of shoes and pedals (usually Look style) for under $100.
 
capwater said:
Shoes, like bibs, are things you don't realize the benefit of until you try them. With your foot clipped in you get a big power boost on the upstroke because you use your hamstrings primarily instead of your quads. Additionally, being clipped in lends intself to a smoother pedal stroke.

Cheack out the mail order places like Nashbar, Performance and Supergo (same parent company). You can get into a house brand of shoes and pedals (usually Look style) for under $100.
I was able to find a set of pedals and shoes for $50 a few months ago - Nashbar is having another pedal and shoe sale now.

Robbie
 
When I first got my cycling shoes and clipless pedals, they increased my average speed by about 10%. While I wouldn't use that as a concrete number, I have had other people tell me the same thing.
 
bfra6229 said:
hey

i do the odd triathlon but am on;y a student on limited budget. i have bought a bike for about a 1000 dollars and am wondering about buying shoes.
how much difference in time do the shoes make. i know you can pull up with the clip ins but does anyone have a exact time/speed benefit.
i tried searching some for some articles and studies done on it but didn't find any,

if you know any articles or just know form personal experience you help would be appreciated

cheers

ben francis
:)

I can't give an exact number, but my approximation is "noticeably faster". Apart from pulling upwards on the pedal, which doesn't really generate much power, clipless pedals stop your foot from lifting off the pedal (which would reduce power). Cycling shoes also have a much stiffer sole than running shoes, which is more comfortable on a bike (trust me). Buy a cheap pedal/shoe combo and try it out...

Ritch
 
I'd say 10% is about accurate for an immediate benefit. That's mostly from the additional comfort and stiffness. It takes a little while before you get used to effectively lifting the pedals with them. As you log more miles, there's an even more significant increase. The big thing for me was not having to think about where my feet were any more. Once you get the cleats dialed into the optimum position, you're always there.
Also, as soon as you put the pedals on, spend at least a half an hour leaning up against something practicing getting in and out of them. Twisting your heels out to unclip takes some getting used to, and you may have to adjust the binding tension.
 
I was using runners and straps for weeks and my version of a saturday morning time trial was 60 mins out and 60 mins back.
If wind was on my back maybe 58 one way and 62 the other. If wind interfered then the gain in one direction was noticed by a loss in the other.

Then I got cycling shoes, cycled like a nut and was out in 56 mins 45 seconds. Couldn't believe it. So the test was on the way home, did the wind blow me out? My return time was 56 mins 50 seconds. Therefore the wind had no bearing and the shoes increased my performance by 5%.

Done on a very hilly up down route by a very good cyclist.
 
I just went from a 34 lb Walmart road bike to a 20 lb Trek 1.5 Triple about a month ago, and I am amazed. I bought clips with the Trek too. I wish I could say it was just the weight of the bike, but I have to say that upstroke is awesome with clips! You work a completely different muscle group, you get more power, and your foot stroke is a lot better.

Pretty much everything that has been said here is spot on. As far as numbers, my average speed on a 20 mile ride has gone up from 14-15 mph on my old bike to 18-19 mph on my new bike. It is a significant difference, and they really help! Some will say I have NBS (New Bike Syndrome), but I doubt it. I haven't seen any decrease in numbers since I got this bike. My average speed is here to stay!
 
i agree with the different estimations given, advantage would be in minutes not seconds !
the stiff sole is crucial because they will transfer all your power to the pedal and drivetrain, without flexing and losing it,
remember in the past soles were also stiff, made of wood,