Carbon soles for the recreational cyclist

G1032

Hi
I've been thinking about getting a new pair of shoes.
I currently have a pair of these Shimano R064's
I don't race. I just do a couple of sportives and my own fitness cycling.
My only competition is from a few Strava segments or against myself.
Approx 4,500km for 2014 (injured for about 1/4 of year in total)

Will using a carbon soled shoe provide any noticeable difference for a cyclist like me or is it just a pure waste of money?
My own shoes are still in good nick and will probably last another few years.

bcmf

Dont ever question why you should buy some carbon goodness.....just buy it!

Darkglasses

I think it's well worth spending a bit extra on shoes. They're pretty much guaranteed to last you a long time and they can make a huge difference to comfort. The carbon sole won't actually make a big difference - I think the main upgrade you could make from the R064s is to get a pair with a ratchet buckle instead of the velcro.

Lumen

Stiffness and comfort are good, but carbon shoes differ a lot in both.

Choosing new shoes is hard.

Chips Lovell

I have two pairs of shoes. One for racing and one for training. Racing shoes have carbon soles. They're incredibly stiff, but they wouldn't be as comfortable as my other shoes with plastic soles.

Darkglasses

I'm surprised to hear that Jep, I've only owned one pair of carbon sole shoes and I think they're amazing. I tried on a few pairs and they were by far the most comfy, ended up doubling my budget pretty much to get them.

Chips Lovell

I do love my carbon-soled shoes and I'd definitely buy again. Just for everyday use or long summer spins I find my other shoes more comfortable.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I have 3 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of Shimano R076 budget shoes which I keep as spares, a pair of Diadora Magnums which have a fairly stiff sole but are very very comfortable and a pair of Diadora Speedracers with carbon sole, they're incredibly stiff and very light and worn only in warm summer weather. They're still comfortable despite the stiffness but I can't say I notice any difference in efficiency over the regular soled shoes ...the only reason I bought them was because I got them for half nothing and they look so so good.

Juan More Time

I'm a recreational cyclist...ie I no longer race. I've been riding in a pair of cheap (fiberglass soles) €100 Bont a- three shoes, and they are significantly stiffer than anything I've used previously including some uber expensive €300 carbon road shoes from the big manufacturers..

Don't get duped by the marketing nonsense....The pro riders all wear custom hand crafted cycling shoes, that look identical the consumer versions Joe and Jill public pay through the nose to wear just so they can emulate their idols....

Hi Ho

"Will using a carbon soled shoe provide any noticeable difference for a cyclist like me" - not in performance

" or is it just a pure waste of money?" - yes in terms of "noticible difference" vis-a-vis performance, but it's up to yourself on the other advantages.

Juan More Time

I find my feet are much less tired and achy when I ride in stiff soled cycling shoes...I use speedplay pedals, so the difference might be of less significance with time, look or shimano spd-sl pedals...