bad purchases (looking for shoes)

[colin jones]

hi all
only been cycling about a couple of months now and really enjoying it thing is i gave wasted a bit of cash o poor purchases with regards to kit as bought something wore it then realised my money would of been better off spent on a different product
could some of you more senior cyclist please give me some advice on essentials in the way of clothing an kit you carry when out on rides
i ride mainly on roads on a tricross and abit on trail(tarka) 2/3 times a week and alonger ride on the wknd (in training for a 100km charity coast to coast devon 3rd june)
im also looking to by my first pair of clipless shoes and pedals looking at shimano m 520 pedals and specialized sonoma shoes at the mo your thoughts would be great on those as i dont want to break the bank
thanks alot for any advice
cheers col

 

[Hacienda71]

Don't know about those specific Specialized shoes as I ride with full on road pedals. The Specialized road shoes which look similar I have though, are very comfy with the body geometry soles. The one tip I would give is make sure you try them on, don't buy on line. My shoes are a uk 12 and in normal shoes I wear a 10 to 11.

 

[musa]

Some bib longs are ideal that cycle shorts as the padding can stay in place better

A Tshirt a waterproof jacket if you haven't already

Kit: a mini pump lights (but later nights so should be fine)

 

[festival]

As suggested try the shoes first at your LBS if bought together with pedals you may get a discount and you willing certainly get help with fitting cleats etc if they are a decent shop.
The sonoma is a good basic beginners shoe. have a look at something like the the shimano m077 shoe.
I would always recommend spending as much as you can, e.g. better to buy 1 quality bib shorts rather than a couple of pairs of average . they will serve you better and you can add a second pair when you can afford it.
At this time of year, buy arm & leg warmers and good undervests and gilet to help layer correctly and be more adaptable, tights and jackets can be got later.
Of course a good waterproof cape that can be folded up is essential most of the year.
there are lots of brands out there, but for quality, price and fit try Endura they cover all the bases.

 

[HLaB]

M520's, although other swear by them, were probably my worst purchase; I just didn't feel comfortable with them pushing away fast from a junction and they weren't that comfortable on longer journeys either or on the odd occasion I wore shoes with out clips. I'd bought the m520's as a replacement for the M424's I burst (cornering wrong foot down ) but only had them a month before going back to M424s (basically the same as 520 but with a cage.

 

[accountantpete]

Shoes are a nightmare - full stop.

You can get a pair that seem comfy on first wearing but then start getting painful after a few miles.

I personally bought second hand shoes until I found a pair that suited and then stuck with them.

As the above have said - aim for a size higher than normal shoes and remember that the more you pay the better the shoes will be.

 

[oldfatfool]

I find the sonomas comfy enough, well priced and reasonably good looking and easy to walk in off bike. If you wait for Aldi/ Lidl to get their shoes in they are also a bargain for £20 and not bat at all. I prefer speedplay frog pedals.

 

[colin jones]

I find the sonomas comfy enough, well priced and reasonably good looking and easy to walk in off bike. If you wait for Aldi/ Lidl to get their shoes in they are also a bargain for £20 and not bat at all. I prefer speedplay frog pedals.

ive found those shoes on cycle surgery for half the price than my local shop and the pedals on ebay shop for 25 quip with cleats so thats a total of 55 quid my local shop would do me a deal for £95 its a bit of a no brainer i dont mind a bit over but i cant support em for 40 quid over shame
but one question i have is that cycle shoes run small is that the case with sonomas? if so im a 12 (47) so id be better a 48
thanks alot
col

 

[musa]

ive found those shoes on cycle surgery for half the price than my local shop and the pedals on ebay shop for 25 quip with cleats so thats a total of 55 quid my local shop would do me a deal for £95 its a bit of a no brainer i dont mind a bit over but i cant support em for 40 quid over shame
but one question i have is that cycle shoes run small is that the case with sonomas? if so im a 12 (47) so id be better a 48
thanks alot
col

yh 48 or 49 dependant

 

[slowmotion]

I put M520s on the road bike and I find them really good. I'm not looking for speed however. If you stick with an SPD pedal, have a look at North Wave shoes. They suit me because my feet are slightly wider than normal. They are ridiculously comfortable for riding, walking or just loafing about. I have these...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&p=north+wave+mtb+shoes&w=160&h=114&imgurl=www.bing.com/images/search?q=north+wave+mtb+shoes#focal=5357d7bfcf89e6ceb418d5389367365f&furl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eurocycles.ie%2fapp_user_files%2fimage%2fproducts%2foriginal%2ff56b_mission.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=north+wave+mtb+shoes#focal=5357d7bfcf89e6ceb418d5389367365f&furl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eurocycles.ie%2fapp_user_files%2fimage%2fproducts%2foriginal%2ff56b_mission.jpg&rurl=http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=north+wave+mtb+shoes#focal=5357d7bfcf89e6ceb418d5389367365f&furl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eurocycles.ie%2fapp_user_files%2fimage%2fproducts%2foriginal%2ff56b_mission.jpg&p=northwave mtb shoes&type=&no=2&tt=115&oid=http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4564094786797639&id=fb7a9dd83e154ac3f8e93444109479e7&tit=Northwave Mission All Terrain MTB Shoe - Eurocycles.ie&sigr=165ti7cq2&sigi=15u7vebmm&sigb=11umpkf5o&fr=altavista

As others have said, try the shoes on before you buy. Online is not the place.

 

[vickster]

I have Sonomas - just using unclipped at the mo, perfectly comfy, run true to size (for me anyhow as they are wide like my feet). I got mine from CS for £45 a little while ago. BTW at £30 they have the 47 or 48 on different links...