Adventure Cycling Association Forum
Bicycle Travel => Gear Talk => Topic started by: tbessie on May 20, 2015, 05:49:31 pm
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Hi again...
So I was hoping to be able to eliminate my walking shoes on my tour, since they take up quite a bit of room; I don't want to get Keen sandals as so many do, as I'm doing the Pacific Coast route and it might not be warm enough for sandals all the time. So I bought a pair of dual-duty mountain-biking shoes (I'll be putting SPD cleats on them) - recessed area for the cleat and grippy sole, the cleat doesn't touch the ground when walking.
Anyone do that? Any negatives to that that you've found?
- Tim
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works for me, and then I bring a lightweight pair of flip flops or crocks for showering/lounging around the camp. Gives your feet a chance to breathe.
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What shoes, make & model please, did you buy that allow you to walk and clip your cleats to your pedals? How far can you walk in these shoes? Yards? Miles?
I am also shopping for the perfect dual purpose cycle touring shoe. I am leaning toward hiking/trail running shoes. If there is a cycling shoe that works I would like to know what to look for.
I will also carry Keen sandals. Wool socks will turn sandals into all weather footwear.
Bottom line: I need a bike/hike shoe for the GDMBR.
Thanks.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
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Sandals do offer a wide choose of warmth from bare feet to SealSkinz's and can "open up" to adjust to thickness.
I like the Shimano two strap version and they are comfortable for me to walk in. Especially up hills pushing the bike:)
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Northwave make a range of shoes with Vibram soles. Vibram is of course made for walking.
I'm currently touring in Northwave Mission. I carry a pair of ultralight and packable Z-Trek sandals to wear when crossing fords and in campground showers.
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What shoes, make & model please, did you buy that allow you to walk and clip your cleats to your pedals? How far can you walk in these shoes? Yards? Miles?
I am also shopping for the perfect dual purpose cycle touring shoe. I am leaning toward hiking/trail running shoes. If there is a cycling shoe that works I would like to know what to look for.
I will also carry Keen sandals. Wool socks will turn sandals into all weather footwear.
Bottom line: I need a bike/hike shoe for the GDMBR.
Thanks.
Wayne
I bought two pairs, actually - one pair are Specialized Cadets - http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/shoes/recreational-fitness-shoes/cadet (I wanted Specialized Tahoe Sport, but they've been discontinued), and the others are Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek VI - http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=43&product_id=2328453&outlet=&color_code=021
Not sure how far I can walk in them - I'm assuming regular around-town usage as well as cycling usage. Probably not the best for running/hiking though (despite the fact they're advertised as able to do that).
- Tim
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Northwave make a range of shoes with Vibram soles. Vibram is of course made for walking.
I'm currently touring in Northwave Mission. I carry a pair of ultralight and packable Z-Trek sandals to wear when crossing fords and in campground showers.
I have a pair of Chacos - a bit heavy but very comfortable - maybe I should bring those...?
http://www.chacos.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/23767M/93550/Mens/Z-2-Yampa-Sandal
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Northwave make a range of shoes with Vibram soles. Vibram is of course made for walking.
I'm currently touring in Northwave Mission. I carry a pair of ultralight and packable Z-Trek sandals to wear when crossing fords and in campground showers.
I have a pair of Chacos - a bit heavy but very comfortable - maybe I should bring those...?
http://www.chacos.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/23767M/93550/Mens/Z-2-Yampa-Sandal
Sure, they will be fine if you are happy with the weight and the space they'll occupy.
Apart from light weight, my main criteria is that they must pack very small.
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I've toured with a good pair of MTB shoes and sandals (and will likely do so again!). MTB shoes so you can walk in them, clip in to Frog/Eggbeater/SPD pedals. Good, stiff soles to avoid hot foot on long riding days. While you can walk into a store, diner, or library in these, they're not really good for hikes -- the soles are great for riding, but compromised for long distance walking.
Sandals are light, small, and multi-purpose. Take a shower in them (oh, and avoid leather for this purpose and for general water and rain tolerance). Set up the tent in them. Heck, I even did a white-water rafting trip in them. Get a pair that are easily adjustable, put on warm wool socks, and you can go hike for a few miles.
Now, if you're planning a 10-15 mile day hike, you'll probably want something sturdier. The more non-cycling activities you want to add to a bike tour, the more you'll end up carrying. I'd be interested to know how heavy the Vibram soled shoes are, and how good the soles are for long rides.
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Sandals are light, small, and multi-purpose. Take a shower in them (oh, and avoid leather for this purpose and for general water and rain tolerance). Set up the tent in them. Heck, I even did a white-water rafting trip in them. Get a pair that are easily adjustable, put on warm wool socks, and you can go hike for a few miles.
+1. My extremities tend to feel cold and a pair of warm, wool socks and sandals works for me. They don't have to break the bank. For the last two years I have been using a cheap pair of Dexters I got on sale from PayLess for under $30. They are extremely light and flatten out nicely, even at size 12. I wouldn't take them in the shower, though. For that I carry a pair of cheap flip flops. Those sit under the chords that strap the tent to the rear rack so they take up no pannier space.
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Everyone has different preferrences, but I've been touring in a pair of these that allow me to use spd cleats, but still walk comfortably when off the bike. Sizing does seem to run on the small side. http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=43&product_id=2328453&outlet=&color_code=021
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Everyone has different preferrences, but I've been touring in a pair of these that allow me to use spd cleats, but still walk comfortably when off the bike. Sizing does seem to run on the small side. http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=43&product_id=2328453&outlet=&color_code=021
Thanks! Interestingly, those are one of the pairs I ended up getting. I like them, though they are around a half-size too small. I tried the next size up, but they were a bit loose, so I'll see if I can suffer through the ride with them; hopefully they'll stretch out a bit.
- Tim
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the cleat doesn't touch the ground when walking.
Not when you're walking on smooth surfaces, but have you tried walking on gravel in those shoes?
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I have done pretty much the full range of shoe options for SPD pedals. I find that the best solution for me varies with the tour.
- Just MTB shoes works fine for me if I will be hiking no more than a few miles at a time and the surface isn't bad.
- MTB shoes and Crocs isn't bad either. Crocs are pretty light and I find the bulk a non-issue since I just hang them on the outside of one of the panniers or bags. I don't mind hiking longer distances with them if the difficulty of the terrain isn't too bad.
- If I will be doing a lot of hiking including longer hikes and difficult terrain I really like to have a pair of trail runners along. Like the Crocs I hang thme on the outside of the luggage so bulk isn't an issue.
Since I am pretty weight conscious I go with the lightest option that I think will work. On a long tour I may switch up along the way. For example I have bough some light trail runners when I stopped for a week of hiking in Yosemite and on another long tour bought a pair of cheap Crocs knock offs. I also have sent shoes home by US Mail.
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I find any true riding shoe, even MTB shoes with recessed cleats, to be uncomfortable for anything but short walking distances. A shoe stiff enough to be efficient on the bike isn't a good hiker. However, I won't compromise my riding so I take either a pair of flip-flops or light "running" shoes for off the bike use depending on how much walking is to be done.
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Your choice; I did the Pacific Coast Route in the fall; no problem being warm enough with Keen sandals. Cleats in the Keen sandals do not touch floor. On every mountain bike shoe I own, the cleats protrude beyond the recess.
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Thanks! Interestingly, those are one of the pairs I ended up getting. I like them, though they are around a half-size too small. I tried the next size up, but they were a bit loose, so I'll see if I can suffer through the ride with them; hopefully they'll stretch out a bit.
- Tim
I've had two pairs of different Pearl Izumi mtb shoes and had the same fit issues with both. They do stretch a little over time, but I still wish they were just a touch larger. Overall, I've been happy with these as they allow me to still use spd mtb clips, look similar to a regular tennis shoe and walk pretty well. I really like the regular laces with the pocket in the tongue of the shoe to keep the laces out of the chain.
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the cleat doesn't touch the ground when walking.
Not when you're walking on smooth surfaces, but have you tried walking on gravel in those shoes?
Heh, not yet - I'm sure I'll get some gunk stuck in there. :-/
- Tim
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A shoe stiff enough to be efficient on the bike isn't a good hiker.
In fact, my hiking boots and shoes, like most hiking footwear have steel shanks and are stiffer than my MTB cycling shoes.
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A shoe stiff enough to be efficient on the bike isn't a good hiker.
In fact, my hiking boots and shoes, like most hiking footwear have steel shanks and are stiffer than my MTB cycling shoes.
There it is.
Thanks everyone. I think that the answer for me and what I hope to do on a longish tour next summer will involve flat pedals and hiking footwear.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
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Try diadora ultraspins - dont look like a bike shoe, but very sleek. Lots of bike shoes available these days. Several mentioned here:
http://www.runninggearlab.com/
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Try diadora ultraspins - dont look like a bike shoe, but very sleek. Lots of bike shoes available these days. Several mentioned here:
http://www.runninggearlab.com/
Thanks, I'll take a look at those!
Since last year, I went on another tour this year, this time in the UK. Given the propensity for damp over there, I wanted a waterproof shoe that I could walk and bike in. I ended up settling on these guys, which I was pretty happy with:
http://www.shimano-lifestylegear.com/us/fw/products/tour/016sh_xm7.php?pSccontentsPro
Do you know those?
- Tim
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For touring I've used North Face Hedgehog Gore-Tex hiking shoes for years, with toe clips/straps. The soles are stiff enough for biking, they are great off-bike, and are waterproof. You can often find them on sale for $75 or so (list price is $110 +/-). I'm on my third pair now, and just got back from Europe where I wore them non-stop for three weeks, including a week or so of bike touring.
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For touring I've used North Face Hedgehog Gore-Tex hiking shoes for years, with toe clips/straps. The soles are stiff enough for biking, they are great off-bike, and are waterproof. You can often find them on sale for $75 or so (list price is $110 +/-). I'm on my third pair now, and just got back from Europe where I wore them non-stop for three weeks, including a week or so of bike touring.
If I didn't care if the shoes I were using had cleat attachments, I'd have a world of shoes to choose from. But since I DID want to put cleats on them (without using some kind of jury-rigged third-party gadget), I was stuck looking at cycling-specific shoes.
- Tim
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If I didn't care if the shoes I were using had cleat attachments, I'd have a world of shoes to choose from. But since I DID want to put cleats on them (without using some kind of jury-rigged third-party gadget)
Not sure I would call toeclips and straps a "jury rigged third party gadget". They are sold about everywhere in the world and have been used for about the past 100 years. Now, to mention clipless pedals and shoes in the same sentence as toeclips and straps is blasphemous, humorous, disgusting, etc.
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If I may interject a question, how do you stand staying in one pair of shoes all day? Maybe it's just my semi-tropical outlook, but one of bike riding's pleasures for me is getting my feet out of sweaty, stinking cycling shoes at the end of a ride. Is Europe that much cooler than southern U.S.A. that you don't sweat, or do you take it so easy in Europe, or ...?
FWIW, I'm like that when I get home from work, winter or summer.
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If I may interject a question, how do you stand staying in one pair of shoes all day?
I may be very abnormal, but I frequently wear one pair of shoes all day long. Sun up to sun down. Frequently it is my pair of sneakers. Same pair of socks all day too. Put them on when I get up and take them off when I go to bed. One pair of socks all day long. Same shoes too. My shoes are comfortable. Don't hurt my feet at all. When riding my bike I sometimes use my SPD sandals. They are very comfortable and I can wear them all day long. No need to ever take them off unless going to bed.
I'd suggest you get to a podiatrist and get some properly fitting shoes.
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If I may interject a question, how do you stand staying in one pair of shoes all day?
I'd suggest you get to a podiatrist and get some properly fitting shoes.
Interesting, I've never heard of well-fitting shoes reducing foot sweating.
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Interesting, I've never heard of well-fitting shoes reducing foot sweating.
Foot sweating is your concern? Oh my.
SPD sandals reduce this "problem" considerably because the socks are exposed to the wind you generate when pedaling.
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I'm planning my first epic tour and will go retro and use good hiking shoes and rat trap peddles. I've used them for week long tours with no issue.
For local rides I have a pair of Pearl Izumi shoes with the hidden clip. When walking I know it's there and still clicks when walking on hard surfaces.
I will also bring sandals or something like that for shower and walking around a camp site.
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Yeah, I always bring a variety of shoes to wear just in case.
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My feet tell me that I have GOT to have a second pair of shoes to kick around camp in. Merrell Trail Gloves (trail running shoes) make comfy camp slippers and passable walking shoes. Bit pricey, but under a pound for the pair. Pack pretty small, but I carry them outside unless it's raining.
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I have been touring with Montrail Mountain Masochist shoes and VP Platform pedals. The Shoes are a light hiking shoe so the sole is stiff and has good traction. I can hike all day in these if I decide to be off the bike for a day. The VP Platform pedals, get the ones with the X pattern so you can take them off with an allen wrench, some do not. This pedal has replacement pins. Love this combination and have toured in Europe, North and South America with this. The shoes are great, 2nd pair now almost wore out. The pedals hold in wet and muddy conditions and is just the right size platform. Then light shoes for camp and hostels, flip flops. I always wear wool socks to keep my feet happy wet or dry and love smart wool