Do cycling shoes work?

[chewy]

All this is bloody interesting!
I did like that article, really another "up to you" consideration. But nice to see a heartfelt case against clipless instead of hearing how fantastic they are for a change!

 

[buddha]

Most of the time I use flats/platform pedals with Specialized Sonoma shoes - on a road bike! No problem keeping up with club runs etc. A good pedaling technique counts for a lot. And you learn to bunny hop potholes properly, rather than cheating

The one gripe I have is that most non-clipless, cycle shoes with a grippy sole look like fat plimsolls.

I look on in awe at clipless riders in heavy traffic. Not for me though. The only time I go clipless (SPD-SL) is for longer rides in the lanes.

 

[HLaB]

I look on in awe at clipless riders in heavy traffic. Not for me though. The only time I go clipless (SPD-SL) is for longer rides in the lanes.

Each to our own but I actually prefer clipless in heavy traffic I feel more connected to the bike; I use the spd's with M424 pedals in town though I find them much easier for clipping back in (and if I miss it doesn't really matter I can clip in at a later date); like you I save the spd-sl's for longer more continuous rides :-)

 

[asterix]

Not worth the bother IMO. Clipless are fine and I have shoes I can use off the bike without any problem at all.

Lidl's cycling shoes are the bargain of the century! I've some Shimano ones costing over 4x as much that I never wear after getting the Lidl ones.

 

[GrasB]

Hmm your gearing and technique is adapted to make use of the pulling-up capability of clipless. When going up 'high resistance terrain' I get into granny gear and spin fast - too fast for my legs to actually pull on the upstroke. Different.

I've done a lot of single pedal drills on a turbo, when one goes for a significant amount of time with only one foot on the pedal you develop a very efficient pedal stroke, where you pedal in circles rather than up & down letting the cranks guide your foot. While this doesn't mean you produce power on the upstroke normally you do quickly get to a point where for the vast majority of the upstroke our foot is effectively unweighted on the pedal. For me even at 130rpm I've only got useful downward pressure (>0.15N) on the pedal for 25-35 degrees of the upstroke leaving the remainder with 0 pressure or slight upwards force.

Your figures seem plausible, but, for aerobic climbing, conventional wisdom says the limiting factor is not your legs, but your cardio output, no?

FTP over 1h is about 210w @ 110 (+/-20) rpm, if I mix up the cadence & the pedal style I can add another 20-25w to that for 40-45 min, maybe longer I've never tried to hold on longer than that, by driving one group of muscles into mild oxygen debt while others rest & recuperate. Part of that process is using more upstroke & less downstroke essentially you have 4 options:
1) in the saddle without upstroke assistance
2) in the saddle with upstroke assistance
3) out the saddle without upstroke assistance
4) out the saddle with upstroke assistance
Within those options your choice of cadence (& position in the saddle) can change the exact utilisation of your muscles. Also it takes less power to lift the leg up than push it up with the pedal which goes back to the pedal drills.

 

[Becs]

for what it's worth I use touring pedals with an SPD side and a flat side on my pub bike and I wouldn't be without them for commuting - I clip in for longer rides, and do short hops in just about anything else (although I agree on the flip flops!). There's nothing more satisfying than overtaking a chap in lycra while wearing boots with 3in heels! Maybe pedals like these would be a good place to start?

I have SPD-SLs on my road bike and wouldn't be without them, even if I did fall into a pile of horse shoot during my first CM!

 

[chewy]

3 inch heels on a bike!


That is strangely attractive...... I think ! :-D

 

[JonnyBlade]

I use the 'Look' peddles and I'd never go back. Fallen around 3 times and each time it's in slow motion and you feel a bit of a tit. The people watching you find it a blast and there's something addictive about laughing at them laughing at you

 

[Clx1]

Sorry to be so blunt but the people that don't think that clipless is the optimum pedal system clearly haven't tried them or haven't mastered using them properly. For any kind of Road bike (not Hybrid/Commuter) clipless is the most comfortable and efficient system. After a short period of time they become second nature. SPD pedals are useful if you ride a Mountain bike or need to walk a lot but come a poor second to Look/Speedplay/SPD-SL systems.

 

[Richard Adams]

Attached to the pedal or just pushing on it, cycling shoes are a great bonus for me compared to cycling in shoes and trainers which I did for years. Stops all the cramp I used to get in my feet.

 

[snailracer]

... For any kind of Road bike (not Hybrid/Commuter) clipless is the most comfortable and efficient system...

OK, what is so unique about road bikes and clipless?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

OK, what is so unique about road bikes and clipless?

not many people are likely to be riding 50+ miles on such a bike, and commuters might prefer spds for ease of walking.

 

[snailracer]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...’s-complete-medical-guide-for-cyclists_137556

 

[MacB]

Sorry to be so blunt but the people that don't think that clipless is the optimum pedal system clearly haven't tried them or haven't mastered using them properly. For any kind of Road bike (not Hybrid/Commuter) clipless is the most comfortable and efficient system. After a short period of time they become second nature. SPD pedals are useful if you ride a Mountain bike or need to walk a lot but come a poor second to Look/Speedplay/SPD-SL systems.

Excellent now could you please supply your data that supports this assertion?

 

[Dan B]

Sheesh, I never dreamed this was such a hot topic. I use them (SPDs) on my town bike, but I have a comfy pair of SPD-compatible shoes that I can wear all day and a job in which I can get away with that attire. I use Look pedals on my nice bike for longer rides, but I find them a menace in stop/start traffic because they're single-sided and if I don't clip in on the first revolution then I'm trying to accelerate by pushing on a concave plastic surface with a slidey plastic cleat - not a good experience. I occasionally use flats on Boris Bikes, and am reasonably convinced each time I do that the tradeoffs there are not ones that work for me: I like to be able to pull away swiftly at lights by giving it a bit of welly and without fiddling with gears.

Try 'em, see if you like them. That's the only sensible recommendation. If you have friends who ride then ask around and you'll probably find someone with your shoe size who's willing to let you have a go. Otherwise it sounds like you can buy them anyway and recoup your loss on ebay if you don't get on with them, but that's a bit more faff.


I've had a couple of clipless moments. Both, entirely coincidentally I'm sure, in situations where my reactions may have been dulled somewhat by tiredness or by legal intoxicants