What is the worth of CARBON SOLED SHOES?

[Bigbananabike]

I have two pairs of plastic and, I presume, steel inserted soled cycling shoes. Both fit fine etc
Carbon soled, lighter weight shoes seem to be 'the' way to go. Why?
Would they really make any difference on the road?

Cheers, Paul

 

[frenchyge]

Carbon soled, lighter weight shoes seem to be 'the' way to go. Why?

Because they're typically stiffer for more efficient power transfer to the pedal, and yet lighter at the same time.

Would they really make any difference on the road?

Probably not a noticeable one -- depends on the level of riding/competition you do. Dropping about a pound of rotating weight off the bike is nothing to scoff at for competitive cyclists, and shoes are a much cheaper way to do that than a high-end set of wheels.

 

[yamaha_mike]

I have two pairs of plastic and, I presume, steel inserted soled cycling shoes. Both fit fine etc
Carbon soled, lighter weight shoes seem to be 'the' way to go. Why?
Would they really make any difference on the road?

Cheers, Paul

I just switched shoes since I think my Sidi's were too narrow. While looking at the LBS the sales guy had me demo the bend in my Sidi's VS the carbon Specialized I was looking at. Amazing!

I didn't realize how much flex I could put on the Sidi's. None on the Specialized. So I was wasting energy on my old shoes and perhaps causing foot fatigue. Can't say enough about the latter since I haven't ridden enough to evaluate fully but it makes sense on both accounts.

I wouldn't go out of my way to swap shoes but if you are in the market for a new pair check it out.

 

[hd reynolds]

I have two pairs of plastic and, I presume, steel inserted soled cycling shoes. Both fit fine etc
Carbon soled, lighter weight shoes seem to be 'the' way to go. Why?
Would they really make any difference on the road?

Cheers, Paul

........ no

 

[dhk]

Because they're typically stiffer for more efficient power transfer to the pedal, and yet lighter at the same time.

Probably not a noticeable one -- depends on the level of riding/competition you do. Dropping about a pound of rotating weight off the bike is nothing to scoff at for competitive cyclists, and shoes are a much cheaper way to do that than a high-end set of wheels.

Agree it's not going to make a huge difference for most of us, but shoe weights can vary significantly. Carbon shoes can be a good way to save rotating weight as you said.

When I bought Carnac Ellipse shoes a few years ago to replace my old (circa 1992) pair of Shimano carbons, didn't pay any attention to the weights. One day I happened to pick up an old Shimano shoe and noticed how much lighter it felt compared to the Carnac. On my kitchen scale, the pair of Shimano's weighs ~550 grams while the Carnac's are ~850 grams....that's 300 grams difference.

I'm not a much of a weight-wienie, but don't like "giving up" 300 grams of rotating weight just in my shoes. Will definitely check the weights when shopping for my next shoes this season.

 

[Powerful Pete]

I just switched shoes since I think my Sidi's were too narrow. While looking at the LBS the sales guy had me demo the bend in my Sidi's VS the carbon Specialized I was looking at. Amazing!

I didn't realize how much flex I could put on the Sidi's. None on the Specialized. So I was wasting energy on my old shoes and perhaps causing foot fatigue. Can't say enough about the latter since I haven't ridden enough to evaluate fully but it makes sense on both accounts.

I wouldn't go out of my way to swap shoes but if you are in the market for a new pair check it out.

Switching from Sidis to Specialized?

For carbon here is the answer...

http://www.sidisport.com/ita/cycling/art_d.asp?ATp_ID=C01&Art_ID=MCERGO

And in truth, for a recreational rider the benefit to carbon soles is that they are lighter, they empty your wallet quicker, and look wicked...