Shoes?

southernerinnj

southernerinnj

New Member
Ok my uneducated southerner side is going to come out here. Could someone please inform me on the benefits of riding shoes for MTB? I ask because down home we never really kitted out in more than t-shirts, cargo shorts, and light weight running shoes to ride. I ask because if there is use for the biking shorts, jerseys, and riding shoes I need a good argument to throw at the wife for spending more $$$ 🙂 Please tell if I'm missing out on a huge benefit here.

Thanks!
 
one of the biggest benefits is riding with clipless pedals. the constant engagement is just peachy and you can pull all the way around if you like. You also don't have to worry about slipping off in technical sections.
 
as for just wearing shorts after the first hour or so in the saddle your a$$ will thank you for buying the padded shorts.
I found a pair of canari mnt. shorts on closeout at sports authority for $19
or I buy alot of clothing from either bike nashbar or performance bike.
as for the shoes there are just too many reasons to have them as not to have them which you will hear.
 
Preciate the response. I'll be up at the monmouth county class this saturday. Hope to run into some people and hopefully ask a few questions about gear while I am there. Its very humbling up here I must say. Back home when I used to ride the trails I felt like I was somewhat advanced here I feel fairly beginner, but am eager to learn the jedi ways 😉
 
Shoes: Stiff soles spread the load of pedaling over a greater surface of your foot, thus increasing both comfort and power transimssion. Finding shoes that fit you well and are comfortable can be like a holy grail... I found them in Nike Cairnes for mtn shoes... but after over 15 years of road riding, I'm still looking for "that perfect" road shoe... There is no perfect shoe for everyone as everyone has different feet.

Shorts: padding in the "saddle area" for comfort and chaffing resistance. There are some other reasons, both those are most important for now. Not sure I should mention the "no underwear" part now or later... :hmmm: Some folks don't like the "exposed" nature of cycling shorts and wear "baggies" which look like cargo shorts but have a cycling short liner sewn in (so the baggy short stays in place when pedaling).

Jersey: tight-fitting, synthetic materials that wick sweat away from your skin, thus keeping you cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather (with proper layers).

Socks: Combination of jersey and short attributes, although I've run across some cyclists who ride with none at all.

If you stay with it long enough, it can be amazing how you can find justification for the cost of some of these items...
 
Last edited:
Think of it this way, without having a way to pull up and not just push down on the pedals you are using only half your power.
 
Go for it

I think the best advantage is that your feet stay on the pedals when you hit a bumb. I think you'll like it if you try it. I'm not sure what your budget is but you can get shoes and pedals for no more than $100 all in.
 
J-7 said:
I think the best advantage is that your feet stay on the pedals when you hit a bumb. I think you'll like it if you try it. I'm not sure what your budget is but you can get shoes and pedals for no more than $100 all in.
Click to expand...

thats probably true, but i just got my first set of clipless shoes/pedals 55 for a set of candy pedals and 80 for a set of shoes, i didnt think i made out too badly about 130 for the set
 
Once you make the transition you'll wonder how you pedaled without it before. Some people think you will hurt yourself more with clipless where as I'll hurt myself more when my feet are loose:getsome:. It will take a little transition period of a couple of falls but it's worth it in the long run.
 
Well I can say this for one thing. Past few days have been training hard on the stationary bike which has strapped pedals which allow me to "clip" in. Last night rode with the wife on my bike with my platform pedals and I was honestly have all kinds of trouble. My legs were trying to pull the pedals up each revolution and kept sliding off. I now understand I believe the usefulness of clipless pedals and the shoes. Definitely high on my purchase list now.
 
southernerinnj said:
Well I can say this for one thing. Past few days have been training hard on the stationary bike which has strapped pedals which allow me to "clip" in. Last night rode with the wife on my bike with my platform pedals and I was honestly have all kinds of trouble. My legs were trying to pull the pedals up each revolution and kept sliding off. I now understand I believe the usefulness of clipless pedals and the shoes. Definitely high on my purchase list now.
Click to expand...

cool another convert watch out pretty soon the matchy-matchy bug will hit..
we are winning 🙂
 
mike_243 said:
cool another convert watch out pretty soon the matchy-matchy bug will hit..
we are winning 🙂
Click to expand...

But is he on a 29r ss yet??

BTW southerner I was you a little over a year ago. Clipless do take a bit of getting used to but well worth it. Beisdes pulling up, you can also kick through the top and pull through the bottom- even power all the way around. HUGE difference especially on longer rides, and some hilarious but harmless falls the first couple times out- worth it right there!
 
Sircrashalot said:
But is he on a 29r ss yet??

BTW southerner I was you a little over a year ago. Clipless do take a bit of getting used to but well worth it. Beisdes pulling up, you can also kick through the top and pull through the bottom- even power all the way around. HUGE difference especially on longer rides, and some hilarious but harmless falls the first couple times out- worth it right there!
Click to expand...

don't know if he drank the kool-aid yet.....I have and i am just waiting to hit the lottery.. 🙂
the best fall with clipless and everyone has done it is the "stop and slo-mo fall over" ...
 
Shoes

I was just reading somewhere that Sidi apparently has lowered the price of their shoes due to the sluggish economy. If this is accurate you gotta get a pair. Best out there and it says a lot about that company.
 
Sircrashalot said:
some hilarious but harmless falls the first couple times out- worth it right there!
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I HATED cliples the first time i rode it. I suffered a couple of truly pathetic, Charlie Chaplin-esque falls and was about ready to throw it in!

But after a few rides I got it and now see all of the benefits.

My only worry these days is in the run-up to a rocky obstacle (common at ringwood!) i get a slight nervous twitch that i might not be able to unclip in time... Other than that they are golden!
😉
 
southernerinnj said:
I now understand I believe the usefulness of clipless pedals and the shoes. Definitely high on my purchase list now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, being able to swap between them takes practice... I started riding with toe-clips and switched to clipless fairly early ('92 or '93). But when I started racing DH a lot in the late 90's, I started running flats on some courses, but thanks to my early BMX experience found I was still able to pedal, jump and hop with them without difficulty (hint: it's all in the wrists).

Although I "retired" from DH racing some years ago, I still still usually run flats when doing free-ride or lift-serve rides (Diablo) that may have a lot of walking and/or standing around. They are especially useful for being able to hop on the bike to session a drop or something with minimal run-up w/o having to worry about clicking in.
 
Just a quick update got my shoes and pedals last night thanks to J. He instructed me on how to get in and out and we surprised at how easy it was to clip in and out. Noticed a big difference riding around the parking lot there and around the neighborhood last night some. Next have to take them out on the trails for my "slow-mo" fall initiation, but looking forward to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom