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Cycling Shoes Advice

Hi All, im new into biking and have got a Giant Fastroad SL1 hybrid bike.  I generally use it for social rides <100km where id like some clip in cycling shoes, and also use it for social riding to the shops etc, where id probably just wear some normal trainers.

Id need some pedals which were suitable for both clip ins and normal trainers

As for shoes, I think that road cycling shoes would be too rigid and id wreck the bottoms walking in them.  Would gravel or MTB shoes be better ? if so then can anyone recommend any ?

Hope you guys can help?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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15 comments

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stomec | 1 year ago
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I would strongly recommend something like the Shimano PD-T421 CLICK'R Pedal.

It is flat one side and the clip in section on the other is part of the click'r range which is a much lighter release mechanism and comes with multi-release cleats.  This means that you can pull up hard on the pedal and disengage, for instance.

They are an excellent beginner pedal because of this but also I think the click'r range is ideal for commuting as well - they have saved me from falls 3 times over the years when a (always white) van has pulled out without warning and I've had to brake suddenly to a full stop.

I have had a few accidental disengagements on big hills when really pulling up, so I stick to SPD-SL on the road bike but for a more leasurely ride or a commute I think they are ideal. 

Shoe wise you can now take your pick as others have said, from a cross/gravel carbon soled stiffer effort for your long rides to a trainer style shoe with a recess for shorter trips.  

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HoarseMann replied to stomec | 1 year ago
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Those look ideal. I'm not sure there's anything special about the pedal SPD binding. I think the easy release is down to the SH56 cleat rather than the SH51 cleat. (edit, just checked and they do have a lighter spring in the pedal)

You could change over to the SH51 cleat once you got used to being clipped in, if you were suffering from accidental releases.

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vthejk | 1 year ago
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+1 for double-sided SPD pedals and shoes that take two-bolt cleats. My only advice would be to stick to something of a 'MTB' construction rather than something that is trying to emulate a road shoe. This seems a bit artbitrary, but I own both Shimano M089s and DHB Dorica SPD shoes atm. The Shimanos, the more 'MTB-esque' in my mind, have significantly more hard plastics and rubberised materials on the upper and reinforced flat textured rubber soles, all of which do look utilitarian but have withstood years of abuse on commutes, ultra races and off-road riding now. The DHBs on the other hand have a smooth synthetic leather upper and a reinforced plastic sole - like a typical road shoe - which looks great at first but they are literally falling apart at the seams after half the use. I know people have worn Quoc shoes with similar, if not quite as extensive, complaints.

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kil0ran | 1 year ago
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Shoes are quite a personal thing but I've always found Shimano's MTB SPD shoes to be good for long rides. Still have and use occasionally a ten year old pair of M088s which have done about 5000 miles in all weather. My go-to pedal is the Deore XT T8000. Double-sided - flat with pins one side, SPD the other. Don't look out of place on a road bike and also have removable reflectors. It naturally hangs with the SPD cleat uppermost and the technique for riding them in flats is to enter them from the front with a pawing motion, like a bull preparing to charge. Easy to service and durable.

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IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
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Another vote for SPDs. Check out the sole. There are two main types of walkable soles, rugby boot-like pegs and more or less flat with recess.

The designs are evolving at the moment as gravel us becoming a thing. Cross-bike/MTB ones have pegs to dig into mud, whereas gravel seem to assume you are thinking about walking and have a smoother sole with a recess for the cleat.

My tip is set the cleat as loose as it will go, and the chances are that you'll never need to tighten it - also get the multi-way release version of the cleat, you'll soon get the knack of releasing your foot without thinking... do practise on a quiet road before going into traffic.

The one-sided cleat seems like a good idea but in either use you end up needing to flip the pedal. Surprisingly you can get a good grip on an SPD unclipped so you can still panic at junctions when something surprises you. This is not the case with race pedals.

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mdavidford replied to IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
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IanMSpencer wrote:

The one-sided cleat seems like a good idea but in either use you end up needing to flip the pedal.

I've never found this to particularly be a problem, and for me the minor amount of getting used to this required is more than outweighed by having the flexibility that it provides.

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IanMSpencer replied to mdavidford | 1 year ago
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Agreed not a big deal, and if the OP really does want to use ordinary shoes to nip down the shops then the one sided clip is a better solution. I guess the point is that there is no partiucular benefit to having the flat pedal other than being able to use shoes without cleats sensibly.

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Steve K | 1 year ago
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Another vote for just going for SPDs and getting some not-very-obviously cycling shoes.  My current choice are the Adidas velosambas.  Whilst I can see the benefits of the spd one side/flat other side pedals, you lose the advantage of being able to clip in from either side.

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wtjs | 1 year ago
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SPDs are the only way to travel! If a shoe takes SPDs and is relatively flexible, it will do. One useful dodge I learned many years ago is to get double sided pedals and on the other side fit the bits of plastic which fit into an SPD clip and convert that side of the pedal to a flat- these used to come on new bikes to allow people to try them out, and I got a large supply from a bike shop as they were otherwise being thrown away. Maybe these aren't supplied with new bikes any more?

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wtjs replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
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I see these are now advertised below as SM-PD-22 and cost £11!

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OnYerBike | 1 year ago
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I have the Shimano Deore XT Trekking pedals (see link in John's post) on my gravel bike and am very happy with them. They're not the lightest or the cheapest but they do just work - one side for SPD and the other for flats/normal shoes.

Those pedals are for SPDs so you would be restricted to two-bolt cycling shoes which are typically labelled as gravel or MTB - although you can get "gravel/MTB" shoes which are very similar to "road" shoes, and there are a handful of "road" shoes that have two-bolt attachment (or both two- and three-bolt).

That said yes, if you're planning in walking any significant distance you will wear out road shoes/road cleats very quickly so a gravel/MTB shoe is probably the way to go anyway.

As for which shoe to go for, it depends on your preferences and foot size/shape. Do you want something that looks like a fairly normal shoe and is relatively comfortable to walk in? Or do you want something more obviously a "bike shoe" which will probably be stiffer (better for cycling; worse for walking). It would also be worth researching different brands size and fit - it does seem to be a bit hit and miss what size to go for. Ideally try a few pairs on in store or order from somewhere with free returns! I have Giro Gauge shoes as "intermediate" shoes (i.e. have SPDs and a bit of stiffness so better than trainers for cycling, but also look fairly normal and are relatively comfortable for walking) and would recommend them if they fit you.

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mark1a | 1 year ago
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Certain SPD pedals can be temporarily converted to flat pedals, depending on how much you want to ride in flat shoes, probably OK for infrequent use:

Shimano SM-PD22

https://www.bikester.co.uk/shimano-sm-pd-22-pedal-attachment-pedal-attac...

BBB version

https://www.merlincycles.com/bbb-bpd-90-feetrest-spd-pedal-adaptors-8684...

 

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HoarseMann replied to mark1a | 1 year ago
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I've tried both. The Shimano worked better for me than the BBB. However, I would not recommend either for riding any distance on. They eventually unclip themselves and fall on the floor!

But they are ok for adding legally compliant reflectors, whilst still clipping in the other side with your SPD's, which is what I used them for when commuting during the winter. 

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John Stevenson | 1 year ago
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Welcome aboard!

Shimano and others make pedals that have a clip-in mechanism on one side for use with cycling shoes, and a flat platform on the other for use with regular shoes.

Almost all such pedals work with mountain bike-style shoes that have recessed cleats and are therefore fairly easy to walk in.

We like Shimano Deore XT Trekking pedals and the PD-EH500 pedals look good too.

If you want a very light attachment to the pedal, check out the PD T421 Clickr pedals.

Here's a full guide to Shimano's clipless pedal offerings.

As for shoes we like the Giro Berm and Bontrager SSR in sub-£100 SPD-compatible kicks.

If you don't want tospend quite that much, take a look at Decathlon's shoe range - always good value.

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Simon E | 1 year ago
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I'd go with double-sided SPD pedals. Road shoes with SPD-SL/Look type cleats are a nightmare to walk in. I only wear them for racing. It seems that items marked 'gravel' shoes cost 50% more than the equivalent ones without the moniker.

I have 2 pairs of MTB-style SPD shoes. They're not specifically designed for walking lots but I never have an issue walking in town, around supermarkets, up stairs etc.

There are single-sided SPD pedals such as Shimano PD-A530 and PD-M324 with a reverse side suitable for flat shoes.

I have used Shimano A530 single-sided pedals but the non-cleat side is smooth and not practical. I'd wear trainers with double-sided SPD pedals before trying flat shoes with the A530s!

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