# Why do audax riders prefer spd's to look type shoes/pedals?



## DooBlood (19 Feb 2011)

Why oh why?


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## frank9755 (19 Feb 2011)

DooBlood said:


> Why oh why?




I wear SPDs for audax and Looks for time trials because SPDs are easier to walk in at controls.


Also if doing a long ride at moderate effort you don't get as much benefit from the broader platform as you do if pedalling harder for a shorter distance (ie racing) 

However I do see quite a lot of people audaxing in Looks or SPD-SLs or similar.


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## Greenbank (19 Feb 2011)

DooBlood said:


> Why oh why?



Because you stop more on Audaxes and it's easier to walk around at the start/finish, at controls, petrol stations, etc in SPDs than it is road shoes (even with cleat covers).


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## yello (19 Feb 2011)

Ease of walking to/from controls and cake stops is the obvious answer.

That said, I wear Looks. Did for LEL and will do for PBP. I also take judo type slippers to make matters easier if and when needed.


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## Fiona N (19 Feb 2011)

Of course if you use Crank Brothers cleats you can move seamlessly from out-and-out mtb pedals (eggbeaters) to small platform spd-equivalent (Candys) to full platform road pedals (Quattros) changing shoes or not as you go.

I use stiff, racing mtb shoes for longer rides/Audaxes on my road bike with Quattros so I get the best of both world  But sometimes just to look the biz, I use a pair of Sidi Genius too


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## ian_oli (19 Feb 2011)

Fiona N said:


> Of course if you use Crank Brothers cleats you can move seamlessly from out-and-out mtb pedals (eggbeaters) to small platform spd-equivalent (Candys) to full platform road pedals (Quattros) changing shoes or not as you go.
> 
> I use stiff, racing mtb shoes for longer rides/Audaxes on my road bike with Quattros so I get the best of both world  But sometimes just to look the biz, I use a pair of Sidi Genius too



I used to use ordinary egg beaters for shorter Audax rides (up to 200K) whic are very similar cleats to spd as you could wear mtb shoes and walk easily. Then I swapped to Quattro for longer rides. I found that over 400K I started to get nasty foot problems as too much of my pedalling force was going through a small point, the eggbeater cleat. 

I swapped to full-on road pedals (Shimano SPD-SL) and carbon soled shoes and these and some other adjustments cured the problem. While I still like using Eggbeaters, I tend to leave the road pedals on my Audax bike all the time.

By the way some Audaxers like wearing sandals and I think you can only get SPDs for that.


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## TheDoctor (19 Feb 2011)

Wot Lee said.
I've done Audaxes, Sportives, a century and Mont Ventoux in SPDs. No problems with my feet, and it's so much better not doing an involuntary pirouette on slippery floors while carrying cake.

(A full 360. And I didn't drop the cake )


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## mcshroom (19 Feb 2011)

Same as Lee and our Dalek friend.

Why do you ask btw?


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## Banjo (20 Feb 2011)

TheDoctor said:


> Wot Lee said.
> I've done Audaxes, Sportives, a century and Mont Ventoux in SPDs. No problems with my feet, and it's so much better not doing an involuntary pirouette on slippery floors while carrying cake.
> 
> (A full 360. And I didn't drop the cake )



I just had a mental image of a cyclist spinning out of control, Cake in one hand coffee in the other , gloves tucked under arm. and crashing onto a table in a crowded lunchtime cafe somewhere.
  It must have happened.


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## Noodley (20 Feb 2011)

I wear Looks - I learned to balance years ago!


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## fungus (20 Feb 2011)

I use Shimano spd sl cleats, same style as the looks but better traction control. MTB shoes make sense for audax though, race stiff carbon soles aren't really needed and they are much more comfy to walk around in. Simples really


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## frank9755 (20 Feb 2011)

Banjo said:


> I just had a mental image of a cyclist spinning out of control, Cake in one hand coffee in the other , gloves tucked under arm. and crashing onto a table in a crowded lunchtime cafe somewhere.
> It must have happened.



It did to me after a time trial last year. I was wearing my Looks and slipped backwards. There was tea on the ceiling and all over me, sitting on the floor. But no cake was involved, thankfully


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## TheDoctor (20 Feb 2011)

Banjo said:


> I just had a mental image of a cyclist spinning out of control, Cake in one hand coffee in the other , gloves tucked under arm. and crashing onto a table in a crowded lunchtime cafe somewhere.
> It must have happened.





I didn't crash into anything, but it was a close call.
Looks + polished wooden floor = Comedic potential


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## Baggy (20 Feb 2011)

TheDoctor said:


> I didn't crash into anything, but it was a close call.
> Looks + polished wooden floor = Comedic potential


Looks + tiled pub floor = slithering across it until you collide with the bar and then falling over backwards  

Luckily it wasn't me, but after witnessing it I decided Time Atac pedals were a good thing.


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## DooBlood (20 Feb 2011)

ThANks guys,

I have looks and was wondering why I was the minority. Wonder if the 'bike fit' people do bike fits with spd type shoes?


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## vorsprung (21 Feb 2011)

I don't think that audax riders in general particularly favour one pedal system over another

I use MTB style shimano SPDS. All my bikes have M540 pedals

One time I was doing the "Gospel Pass" 150km audax ride. I believe it was February. Anyway, it was a nice day and most of the roads were fine. Until Hay Buff at the top of the actual Gospel pass. I was following a young M+F couple on his n hers racing bikes. First the road was a bit slushy with snow, then it was snow, then it was unridably deep snow, then it was 3 foot deep drifts. Of course we continued and I carried and dragged my bike 3 or 4 miles over the top. The couple remained just a bit ahead and when I got to the ridable down side of the pass they were clearly having trouble. "These cleats were new last week" wailed one of them. Walking a few miles over snow and mud had worn the brand new plastic cleat so much it no longer wanted to clip in.

I've heard audax people saying Frogs, Time ATAC, Shimano SL etc etc are "best" for audax but really it doesn't make much difference, whatever works for you


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## Fiona N (21 Feb 2011)

vorsprung said:


> ...First the road was a bit slushy with snow, then it was snow, then it was unridably deep snow, then it was 3 foot deep drifts. *Of course we continued* ...



Naturally 

And some people think Audaxers are wrong in the head...


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## mcshroom (21 Feb 2011)

Did you see the article about Audaxing in Cycle this month? Sounded masochistic.


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## Young Howard (21 Feb 2011)

On some audaxes you might get a hill you have to walk up! It's also not easy carrying your coffee and cake in SPDs


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## yello (24 Feb 2011)

DooBlood said:


> Wonder if the 'bike fit' people do bike fits with spd type shoes?



I remember going to a bike fit at that place in Soho (not Madame Fifi's no... I think it is/was actually called BikeFit... anyway...) and I remember the chappie (NZer bloke, Warren something? a decent racer/rider in his own right) asking me why I was wearing "mountain bike" shoes? Put me in my place! I still think his words stinging my ears were at least part of the reason for me getting Looks!


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## frank9755 (4 Mar 2011)

yello said:


> I remember going to a bike fit at that place in Soho (not Madame Fifi's no... I think it is/was actually called BikeFit... anyway...) and I remember the chappie (NZer bloke, Warren something? a decent racer/rider in his own right) asking me why I was wearing "mountain bike" shoes? Put me in my place! I still think his words stinging my ears were at least part of the reason for me getting Looks!




If someone made a comment like that they I would be slightly concerned that they didn't understand the type of cycling I did therefore might not be the best person to give me a fit for it! When I did mine with Paul Hewitt he didn't think it at all odd that I would be using SPDs for audax, but could certainly envisage a similar comment in my local shop.


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