Cycle shoes. Are they worth it or an expensive gimmick?

What do you wear on your feet when cycling and why? What do you use your cycle for? Commuting; road / race; mtb?

Cycle shoes. Are they worth it or an expensive gimmick?
OMG!!!! I WEAR CYCLING SHOES WITH CLIPLESS PEDALS! If you got a racing bike with those skinny tires get it! It increased my average speed from 16 mph to 19 mph! I highly recommend them! You have to get the pedals with them though
Reply:Well, they are worth it depending on the type of cicling you're intrested.





If you just want to comute to work, probably they could be not that necesary. But, what you really need are shoes with a stiff sole so that the power transfer is more efficient (no design is 100% efficient). On race shoes the sole can be so stiff that it is very hard to walk, but most cycling shoes are something in between a standard sole and a completely rigid one.
Reply:they are worth it


they improve efficiency and position among other things.


go buy some, and if cost is an issue look into diadora and if it isnt look into sidi or carnac.





if you are looking for a shoe that could be used for work id recommend these


http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProdu...


and straps and toe clips on your pedals.
Reply:You cannot race without cycling shoes road or mountain. If you just want ride for pleasure you can do it in any kind of sport shoes.
Reply:On some of my bikes I use them and others I don't. On my road race bike I use them and there is a better feeling of control on the bike. They also help me pedal in a circle and spin at higher rpm's as recommended by most pro trainers. On my mountain, recumbent and touring bikes I do not use them. I'm not trying to go fast on the touring bike. I'm just trying to go long distances and occasionally may need to walk the bike up steep hills and rather wear regular shoes for that. On the mountain bike I just feel more comfortable being able to dismount the bike easier in sketchy sections of trail. On the recumbent I'm just learning to ride it so I feel uncomfortable being locked to the bike. i intend to use it for touring so I will probably not put them on at all. If you are just commuting or recreational riding I wouldn't recommend that you use them as there really is no benefit to buying separate shoes for cycling that would be uncomfortable to walk in. Also, if you are going to use platform pedals just wear whatever you have. That being said, I don't think cycling shoes can be called a gimmick. Shoes designed specifically for a purpose will have benefits but I think in this case most people would benefit more from just getting on the bike and riding.
Reply:They are worth it without a doubt. Only problem is once you start using them, you won't ride without them again.
Reply:any sort of road riding or track, shoes are essential because you can pedal the whole stroke instead of just the down stroke.





downhilling and some mtbing people use Vans or DC's etc because the wafel grip on the bottom grips very well onto a decent set of pedals (they are origianlly scater/biker shoes however i use shimarno clipless pedals for mtbing makes you much faster and much smoother rider.





if you don't want to go out and spend lots of mone get some clip straps that attach to your current pedals.



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