Power Output: MTB Vs Road Shoe?

smaktardis

I am going to buy pedals and shoes soon for my road bike. Basically, i reckon all clip systems are more or less the same - once you are on the bike. I am leaning towards the MTB shoe with Crank Brothers or SPD cleats.

I see lots of posts on pedal, cleat and shoe choice but dont see any mention of power output difference between MTB and Road shoe.

What are you sacrificing by getting a MTB shoe? It allows you walk around (a bit) less awkwardly than a road shoe but has a slightly more flexible sole.

Does that slightly flexible sole make much difference on the bike in terms of power output? Has anyone experience of both?

Inquitus

smaktardis wrote: »

I am going to buy pedals and shoes soon for my road bike. Basically, i reckon all clip systems are more or less the same - once you are on the bike. I am leaning towards the MTB shoe with Crank Brothers or SPD cleats.

I see lots of posts on pedal, cleat and shoe choice but dont see any mention of power output difference between MTB and Road shoe.

What are you sacrificing by getting a MTB shoe? It allows you walk around (a bit) less awkwardly than a road shoe but has a slightly more flexible sole.

Does that slightly flexible sole make much difference on the bike in terms of power output? Has anyone experience of both?

The rigid road shows will do a better job of transferring your power to the pedals, but at the end of the day you are talking very small percentages and unless you are competing at a high level its going to make feck all real diff. Just go with whatever suits your needs.

smacl

Saw a number of lads pushing bikes up Slieve Mann wearing road cleats on Sunday looking decidedly uncomfortable, and one lad who was doing the same in MTB cleats with no such problems. Only sayin'...

Lumen

In my experience cheap road shoes feel better than cheap MTB shoes and almost as good as expensive MTB shoes, and expensive road shoes feel a bit better than expensive MTB shoes.

The MTB pedal platform also matters, even with expensive MTB shoes. SPDs and Eggbeaters don't feel quite as stable as Speedplay Frogs, but the Frogs don't feel as secure.

Basically, if you use road shoes and pedals you can cop a better feel at a lower price but with less walkability.

Lumen

smacl wrote: »

Saw a number of lads pushing bikes up Slieve Mann wearing road cleats on Sunday looking decidedly uncomfortable, and one lad who was doing the same in MTB cleats with no such problems. Only sayin'...

The obvious solution is to not walk up hills.

smaktardis

Lumen wrote: »

The MTB pedal platform also matters, even with expensive MTB shoes. SPDs and Eggbeaters don't feel quite as stable as Speedplay Frogs, but the Frogs don't feel as secure.

Stable - rocking the ankle side to side?
Secure - feel like they might pop out?

smaktardis

Inquitus wrote: »

..., but at the end of the day you are talking very small percentages and unless you are competing at a high level its going to make feck all real diff. Just go with whatever suits your needs.

thanks. have you used both for a while? i wont be competing at high level.
i'm curious to know % difference. suppose it depends on the stiffness of the sole...

smacl

Lumen wrote: »

The obvious solution is to not walk up hills.

Absolutely. You'd think they would've sussed that

Indricotherium

smacl wrote: »

Lumen wrote: »

The obvious solution is to not walk up hills.

Absolutely. You'd think they would've sussed that

Road shoes are better for the road. The soft sole on a mountainbike shoe can cause pain around where the pedal is when you get up around 3 -4 hours on the bike.

Not worth it if you don't need the grip for dabbing / walking while mountain biking.

smacl

Indricotherium wrote: »

Road shoes are better for the road.

I'm not saying they aren't. Just that they have shortcomings in certain contexts.

The soft sole on a mountainbike shoe can cause pain around where the pedal is when you get up around 3 -4 hours on the bike.

Can't say I've noticed it, though I've had 8hr+ spins for the last three weekends, and done plenty of similar spins on flat pedals and runners in the past.

Not worth it if you don't need the grip for dabbing / walking while mountain biking.

Another reason I use SPDs, outside of being used to them and too lazy and mean to swap, is that I've compatible pedal systems on both road and hybrid bikes, which means one set of cycling shoes also suffices. I also like the double sided thing, which isn't available in many road systems.

langdang

Is it the presence of that slidey bit for the mtb type spd that causes the softness in the sole?

Just wondering about road shoes that are mtb spd compatible.

lennymc

I find the spd sls on the road bike a lot better for pulling the pedal up on the upstroke, if ye know what i mean, whereas with the spd pedals on the mountain bike, I feel that i cant do that as much as the clips are a lot more likely to unclip. The spds certainly unclip a lot easier than the spd's, which is handy on the mtb as sometimes ill unclip to balance, or to prop myself up, or just when fallig over.

Lumen

langdang wrote: »

Is it the presence of that slidey bit for the mtb type spd that causes the softness in the sole?

No, it's because (some? all?) MTBers need to be able to walk up slippery slopes, so the soles are deliberately designed to be more flexible. I use the Specialized S-Works MTB shoe for commuting. It is almost as stiff as a road shoe, and some of the reviews say it's too stiff for general MTB use (and also too fragile, which is why Spesh have the bulkier Evo version).

As far as pedals go, all MTB pedals I've used exhibit either rocking instability (SPDs and Eggbeaters pivoting around the cleat) or lateral play (Speedplay Frogs).

I say all this as someone who has almost total ignorance of MTBing.

bogmanfan

I asked a similar question a while back and according to everyone I spoke to (including staff in 2 shops) the difference in power transfer between road and MTB systems is very very small.
For me, the ability to walk into a coffee shop while out on a spin far outweighs the 0.1km/h faster I might be able to go with road shoes. I have fairly cheap Specialized shoes, and the sole seems plenty stiff to me. I've certainly never suffered from any foot pain on longer rides. I also have the pedal release tension set quite high on the pedals, and have never yet unclipped accidentally.

Oscar3

I use both on a regular basis, carbon soled MTB & road shoes, SPD's & Look pedals. Not a whole lot between them. However if you're using the road bike to commute or intend to siul around a bit go for the MTB option.

awec

I have Look Keo's and had to walk about 3km in my shoes on Saturday.

It's possible to walk, just not the most comfortable. The balls of my feet were a bit sore when I got home that evening.

lennymc

Oscar3 wrote: »

. However if you're using the road bike to commute or intend to siul around a bit go for the MTB option.

actually, my commuter has toe clips and i wear runners on that...

Lumen

bogmanfan wrote: »

For me, the ability to walk into a coffee shop while out on a spin far outweighs the 0.1km/h faster I might be able to go with road shoes.

Have you used road shoes? If not, then you have no basis for comparison.

Oscar3

there you go so.... MTB shoes and pedals on all your bikes would appear to be the best option. Also, steer clear of Crank Bros pedals, Shimano MTB SPD's all the way.

smaktardis

nice one. beginning to get a good idea of it now.
a big angle of free play (float) does not bother me. nor does the slightly heavier or less aerodynamic qualities of the MTB shoe.

i'll look for a MTB shoe thats:
- kinda light
- stiff
- a little aerodynamic
- got a strong inner sole likely to reduce the hotspot effect

smacl - what shoe have you got that doesnt produce these famous hotspots.

Raam

bogmanfan wrote: »

For me, the ability to walk into a coffee shop while out on a spin far outweighs the 0.1km/h faster I might be able to go with road shoes.

And there was me crawling around on my hands and knees for the last few years in my road shoes whenever I stopped for a coffee.

smaktardis

Oscar3 wrote: »

there you go so.... MTB shoes and pedals on all your bikes would appear to be the best option. Also, steer clear of Crank Bros pedals, Shimano MTB SPD's all the way.

whats wrong with CBs.

i have used them twice (2hr+) and thought they were fine.
the only future issue i could see was that the tension is not adjustable.

Wishbone Ash

Indricotherium wrote: »

The soft sole on a mountainbike shoe can cause pain around where the pedal is when you get up around 3 -4 hours on the bike

I'm averaging 400kms per week on SPDs and haven't experienced that.

smacl wrote: »

I've compatible pedal systems on both road and hybrid bikes, which means one set of cycling shoes also suffices. I also like the double sided thing, which isn't available in many road systems.

Same here.

bogmanfan wrote: »

For me, the ability to walk into a coffee shop while out on a spin far outweighs the 0.1km/h faster I might be able to go with road shoes

+1.
Also, when you stop for a few hours and throw on a pair of jeans/shorts etc. the SPDs look more normal saving having to carry an additional pair of shoes.

Oscar3

Shimano pedals are far more durable & better value for money. You can get the basic M520 for less than 30 euro.

lennymc

Raam wrote: »

And there was me crawling around on my hands and knees for the last few years in my road shoes whenever I stopped for a coffee.

try this :
http://www.lostartofhandbalancing.com/articles/how-to-walk-on-your-hands/

But then you need MTB gloves.

smacl

smaktardis wrote: »

smacl - what shoe have you got that doesnt produce these famous hotspots.

I got a slightly earlier version of these DHB MTB shoes, chosen based on being cheap and getting good reviews more than anything else. I've M520s on the road bike and M424s on the hybrid. The M424 is actually a great pedal for the price as it works just fine as a flat pedal in normal shoes, way better IMO than the SPDs with the connector on one side and flat on the other. Even clipped in, I prefer the feel of the 424 to the 520, and will probably swap over some time in the future.

Never had any problem with heat, though I have noticed if I'm wearing thicker socks such as sealskinz and tighten the straps too much, the toes can get a bit numb.

Note that I'm a relative noob to the cleats thing, only using them for a bit over a year, and haven't tried road cleats so can't make the comparison other more experienced types on here could. In all honesty, after eight hours cycling it's the undercarriage that's screaming at me to get off the bike first, then to a far lesser extent the hands and shoulders, then possibly the knees. Sore feet haven't been an issue, though cold ones have in the winter before I got overshoes.

langdang

I had Sidi Dominators (feel like I should be typing that in bold or all-caps) before, now rocking the previous model DHB MTB shoes (recession recession like) with Time ATAC MTB pedals on my commuter/fitness/ROK bike.
Don't notice any feet issues but not going at roadie race pace. My "long cycle" experiences mirror smacls really. Even down to the sealskins thing in colder weather.

Indricotherium

smaktardis wrote: »

Oscar3 wrote: »

there you go so.... MTB shoes and pedals on all your bikes would appear to be the best option. Also, steer clear of Crank Bros pedals, Shimano MTB SPD's all the way.

whats wrong with CBs.

i have used them twice (2hr+) and thought they were fine.
the only future issue i could see was that the tension is not adjustable.

I have one set of CB pedals that I got free.

I found them to allow a huge amount of swivel (which I hate) before the click out.

I thought they were bordering on dangerous on the mountain bike, and bordering on stupidly annoying on the commuter.

To top it off, the cleats then rusted to my shoes in a fortnight. 😡

kuro_man

I use both typres: SPD on mtb and commuter and Time iclic2 on road bike.

My SPD shoes are Shimano xc50N and they feel almost the same as the road bike; not cheapest but I recommend.

bogmanfan

Raam wrote: »

And there was me crawling around on my hands and knees for the last few years in my road shoes whenever I stopped for a coffee.

So that's you? I've heard about this lycra-clad guy who crawls into coffee shops

smaktardis

was that the lad with the BMX knee pads on the road bike?