Advise needed. What shoe to get?

digdeep

Sorry folks, this has probably been done to death but i'm going to post it again.

I'm new to cycling, started in March and I have a road bike but use runners. I have done a few duathlons and try to cycle 25-30km's twice a week. I'm hoping to up this to 50k-75k so am looking at getting proper cycling shoes and pedals.

What should i be looking for?

Budget is €150

camaghead

Its all down to personal preference, however the Speedplay Light Action would allow some float to protect your knees and not be too troublesome to get in and out of.
Your budget will only cover the pedals and cleats though - shoes would be extra.

petethedrummer

Pedals
Shimano have two main types of pedals MTB (SPD) and ROAD (SPD-SL).

The Road pedals feels like they click in tighter and provide a more solid feel to pedalling.

The MTB pedals offer way more flexibility (i.e. you can walk in them) so they are handier for Mountainbiking, touring, commuting and walking into the bun shop on training spins. And you can get dual sided pedals that are flat on one side and SPD on the other.

Unless you plan to go road racing in tight bunches, where a shoe popping out of a pedal could cause carnage, I would go for MTB pedals and shoes.

Brands
I wear Specialized shoes for MTB and road as the sizing seems to suit my foot. I found SIDI's too narrow. I haven't tried any other brand.

AGC

Apologies if hijacking thread but with those MTB pedals pictured is it a case of screw the standard pedal out and that one in or would you be better off getting it done down in a shop?

petethedrummer

AGC wrote: »

Apologies if hijacking thread but with those MTB pedals pictured is it a case of screw the standard pedal out and that one in or would you be better off getting it done down in a shop?

You probably just need a 15mm spanner and to know that the left pedal is reverse thread. Some pedals need allen keys to remove.

If the pedals weren't greased when installed, it can take alot of effort to remove them.

Hatcho

I had been using my MTB shoes for road cycling a good bit and then I went and bought a pair of these - linky

The latching ratchet top strap helps get a good tight fit when you wear them and they are also bit lighter than my MTB shoes. Walking around is a bit of a pain as the cleat stands proud of the sole of the shoe.

For pedals I went with these - linky

They are single sided so you can also use normal shoes on the other side. Handy if someone wants to borrow your bike or if you just want to nip out yourself without having to 'gear up' foot wise.

These are the cleats I use with the above - linky

Happy enough with the whole setup - you can spend lots more and save a few grams in weight but for the level of cycling (commuting/leisure) I do its perfectly adequate...

dermur

petethedrummer wrote: »

If the pedals weren't greased when installed, it can take alot of effort to remove them.

Don't be afraid to get a rubber mallet out...

rich.d.berry

I bought a pair of these shoes and these pedals.

Even though they are SPD, they are not MTB shoes and the shoes are good for walking in (except on wet tiled floors or metal drain covers).

The easy thing to remember when removing pedals is that you always turn the top of your spanner stroke towards the rear wheel.

kincsem

Specialized shoes for about €80 and Look Keo Easy pedals for about €40.

from Cycleways Parnell Street Dublin
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/shoes/roadshoes/sportroad

Pedals
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28263
Cleats (get the red ones)
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23668