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Mountain shoes with road pedals

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I have fairly nice 6mo road bike with new Time pedals. This is my first set of road pedals and I'm really liking the stability and lack of numbness in my feet that I was getting before.

However, I also like to take my bike to run short errands and the 2 mile ride to work. Fancy carbon road shoes suck for walking around the grocery store.

I'm fairly well versed in all products cycling related and I realize this is tough, but I can't be the only one with this dilemma. Any solutions. I hate the idea of changing my pedals constantly.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
some MTB shoes are tougher to use with road cleats since their tread pattern might not accommodate the larger cleat found on most road pedals.

if you can find the right shoe, maybe switch to spd type or similar pedals for your road bike?
 

landcruiser

Monkey
May 9, 2002
186
40
San Jose, CA
If you're just riding 2 miles or less, use your regular (non cycling) shoes. Most road pedals are flat enough to be stable underneath casual shoes. Sure, you can't go all out, but it should be fine for an errand or a quick commute.
 

crohnsy

Monkey
Oct 2, 2009
341
0
T Bay
You cant use mtn shoes with road cleats...

Not sure what shoes that ih8rice is thinking of.

Look makes cleat cover for their cleats... I would guess Time does as well but I don't know as I never really sold Time road pedals...


Edit: I guess he could be thinking of the entry level shimano spd road pedal. Might as well be a single sided mtn pedal, but I guess good for touring....
 
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sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
The key is the 3 bolt Look pattern. I believe every shoe besides Time is compatible with Looks. Most are also compatible with 2 bolt SPD cleats.

However, most mountain shoes are not compatible with Look style cleats.
 

crohnsy

Monkey
Oct 2, 2009
341
0
T Bay
FYI just did a google search for Time cleat cover... Time makes a "cafe cleat" with rubber pads on the cleat for grip...

So thats an option for you..
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I kinda know there isn't an easy answer.

And yes, I have true road shoes with the Look pattern.
I already have the "cafe cleats". They are ok, but stairs are scary and I have them on my house and work.

I might try hacking an old pair of Sidi's to see if I can graft on a road cleat. With enough carving, it might fit.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
I kinda know there isn't an easy answer.

And yes, I have true road shoes with the Look pattern.
I already have the "cafe cleats". They are ok, but stairs are scary and I have them on my house and work.

I might try hacking an old pair of Sidi's to see if I can graft on a road cleat. With enough carving, it might fit.
Remember that you're going to need to leave enough room around the cleat for the pedal to fit too. I think your odds of making this work to your satisfaction are slim.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
If you were getting numbness with mountain pedals, maybe the solution is a set of mountain shoes with a stiffer sole that won't tend to put pressure right where the cleat is, but still has a recessed cleat for walking. That way you could just run fancy MTB shoes all the time, and they would work for long rides and for trips to the store, etc.
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
Only solution I can think of is to get a nice light MTB pedal for your road bike. Try the Speedplay frog, its as light as most road pedals. Pretty low profile, plenty of float.

I wouldn't think low pedal surface area would matter to your foot of your sole is stiff enough.
 
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SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,157
359
Roanoke, VA
Most top-level XC racers train and race on the road with their MTB shoes and pedals, fwiw. Getting used to two separate shoe/pedal combinations can be a real bear.
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
Most top-level XC racers train and race on the road with their MTB shoes and pedals, fwiw. Getting used to two separate shoe/pedal combinations can be a real bear.
I find that my road/mtb pedal shoe combinations feel nearly identical.

Road: Speedplay Zero / Mavic Pro Road
MTB: Speedplay Frog / Mavic Tempo

Shoes feel identical, pedals (except for ow they engage) feel identical, I have the Zeros dialed to mimic the float of the frogs.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I would look around and see if you can find a clip on platform for Look pedals, similar to the product below. Your other option would be to use a touring pedal that has a platform on side, clip on the other.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PE401Z18-Winwood+Decksters+Platform+Clip-Ons.aspx
That's the best option I have so far is to make on of those with a look pattern. Thanks for the link.

FWIW, I have nice stiff Sidi mountain shoes. Maybe my pedals are worn but I get a lot of roll and numbness. After 1+hr of spinning, it's pretty uncomfortable. Especially on the trainer.

My Shimano 310 shoes with Time pedals feel like I'm standing on a 2X6. Very comfortable and stable. I really don't want to give that up.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,236
20,019
Sleazattle
I ride the road with MTB shoes and pedals. I justify buying some really nice stiff carbon soled shoes as they replace two regular pairs. I also enjoy the affront to roadie fashion that is a muddy pair of kicks.
 
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James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
Yep, espically with my mountain helmet. I'm surprised my Italian friend still rides with me.
Wow, I am too. If his countrymen found out, he'd likely have his passport revoked!
My coworker and riding buddy doesn't have road helmet or shoes, so he's in MTB shoes and a helmet with a lot more coverage, and I guess I don't really notice while we're riding. I'm still trying to get him some roadie stuff though, just so he can fit in...
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,157
359
Roanoke, VA
Except for a few thousand people who aren't Freds the incidence of goon behavior on bikes is just as high in the EU. There are just infinitely more people on bikes over there.

Getting dressed all fancy just to ride a bike is lame. Some people are stuck in the "I need to look PRO" loop out of years of habit. To look Un-PRO I'd have to spend thousands of dollars on new clothes, gain some weight, buy a helmet and build myself a bike that doesn't fit or handle right for road riding!
The nice thing about being PRO is that we can mix together all sorts of really ugly, gaudy clothes from different seasons and different sponsors and still look "cooler" than the guy with a sensible pair of black shorts and single-color jersey. PRO is frame pumps, puncture-proof clinchers, small gears in the winter, fenders when it's wet, eating sandwiches not energy food and riding within your abilities.
We can also go on very slow mellow rides if assembled in small groups- it's "recovery". Out here at least that often involves riding from brewery to brewery, a far away book store or to someone's house to smoke weed and go swimming.
That is what people are supposed to do all the time, not just once or twice a week- many recreational cyclists are more worried about going hard than having fun.
What PRO really means;
Look gaudy, ride slower than most people except for when you are riding as hard as your program dictates, ride cheap wheels and parts and have as much fun as you can riding with your friends, it's about being sensible, well prepared and practical- It sorta takes a few years of kicking your own ass until you realize that bikes are bikes and riding is riding- that fun is fun and that, at the end of the day- the only thing that matters is if you feel good and that you accomplished your goals.

Y'all Fred's can't pull that off without accusations of Fredliness from other Freds- it's unfair, I know.

In the real world that isn't full of bull****, it's the Freds that should have the upper hand. The high-end bike market is driven by aspirational spending, hype and a full fist of emotionally-tinged marketing angles that drive consumers toward **** that they don't need and probably shouldn't have, so when they give in to the pressures of the marketplace they lose credibility and authenticity.

Putting spicy oil and wax on your legs, lowering your stem and buying a pair of tubulars, $300 shorts and $400 shoes doesn't change someone's caste in the world of Elitist jerkbag bike riders.
The secret to PRO is letting go.

Freds!!
Ride the parts you want, wear the clothes your want, spend as little as you can- but goddamit- if your bike doesn't fit you lose.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
I went from using all my XC/DH gear baggy pants and all on my road bike to slowly buying more and more road specific gear. My experience is the road stuff just works better for me. Better fit, less flapping material. Plus just love to ride bikes its the one hobby I have always had since I got my first bike. When I ride I want to look and feel good and it makes me enjoy riding even more. What I am trying to say is buildyourown don't come up with some crappy solution get yourself the gear that works best and you will have more fun and ride more :)
 

spam16v

Monkey
Oct 27, 2004
284
0
Buffalo, NY
I just went for a ride last night wearing a circa '96 sleeveless Cannondale Jersey with a GIANT HEADSHOCK Head on the back.... I can't get my arms/shoulders to fit in anything besides a baggy MTN bike jersey it seems. Followed a pre-teen kid on a 1980 lugged something or other that was his dad's I'm sure, kid was holding a solid 22mph on a false flat in sneakers and his soccer shinguards. I was thankful I had my mtn bike helmet on with the visor to keep the sun out of my eyes.

google image, it's for sale on a vintage site for $75! Should sell mine and buy a real jersey with a pocket.
 
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