Shoes/pedals for a cross country ride?

[Ty0604]

Interested in information regarding shoes/pedals for a cross country ride

Right now I have cages on my pedals. I've never used clips before. I've thought about keeping the cages and buying a comfortable pair of shoes. The only friend I know who has done a coast-to-coast trip had clips and said he'd rather had cages.

My budget is already fairly tight with everything else I've needed to purchase but can still spend no more than $200

I've looked at a bunch of options but would like first hand experiences please!

Thank you!

[staehpj1]

Right now I have cages on my pedals. I've never used clips before. I've thought about keeping the cages and buying a comfortable pair of shoes

It sounds like you are confused about the terminology.  The cages that are attached to the pedals are called toe clips.  I think when you say clips, you mean clipless (clipless is the setup where there are cleats on the bottom of the shoes that click into the "clipless" pedals).

I personally wouldn't consider anything other than clipless (SPD in my case) and I like my Sidi Giau shoes, but that is what I am used to and like.

On the other hand people successfully use just about any shoe/pedal combination you can imagine, so use the setup you prefer.

[Ty0604]

Sorry I guess I don't know the terminology. Why are they considered "clipless" when they clip into the pedals? That seems confusing. I'll take a look at the shoes you mentioned, thanks!

[jsieber]

Some more information about the history here: http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/240/why-the-heck-are-cleated-shoes-called-clipless

Ultimately, it is a personal preference decision. Many people prefer flat pedals and comfortable shoes for touring. I'm with staehpj1 and really prefer clipless pedals as that is what I am used to, but there is definitely no right or wrong setup for bicycle touring.

[Old Guy New Hobby]

I also like SPD cleats. There are plenty of SPD shoes that recess the cleats so you can walk in them. I look for shoes with very stiff soles. The stiff soles spread the force from the pedals across a large area of your foot to prevent "hot spots". The shoes get the clips recessed by placing a border of rubber (or similar) around the edge of the sole. I look for shoes where the rubber is soft and grippy, so the shoes won't be slick if I walk into a store. There are plenty of SPD pedals and shoes, because they are frequently used by mountain bikers. You should be able to get decent pedals and shoes for less than $200.

Make sure you ride in these a good amount before starting your tour. You want your feet to acclimate to the shoes gradually.

When learning to learn how to ride with clipless shoes, there are two kinds of people -- those who have fallen over, and liars. The problem is, you have to remember to clip out before stopping. Most people do OK when they first start. After a while, they think they've got it. Then they lose their focus, forget to clip out, and fall over as they stop. My fall happened next to a car of attractive young women. It hurt my pride. This is just another reason to ride your new shoes a good amount before starting your tour.

[staehpj1]

Why are they considered "clipless" when they clip into the pedals? That seems confusing.

Yeah, it is kind of weird.

[RussSeaton]

Why are they considered "clipless" when they clip into the pedals? That seems confusing.

The pedals are called "clipless" because they have no toe CLIPS to slide your shoe into.  Long ago bicycle racers used toe clips on the front of the pedals (steel, not plastic) and had cleats on the bottom of their racing shoes.  These cleats had a slot in them to slide over the back cage of the pedal.  Shoes had wooden soles so the cleat could be nailed onto the sole.  Plastic soles and screwed on cleats came along in the 70s and 80s.

Here are pictures of what toe clips and cleats used to look like.  These are modern plastic sole shoes with screwed on cleats.  At the bottom of the page is a picture of leather soled shoes and nailed on steel cleats.
http://www.yellowjersey.org/tocleat.html

Here are original racing shoes with wood soles and nailed on cleats.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/314055773984550351/

And this is a picture of what people mean when they say toe clips today.  Plastic hoops on the front of the pedal, nylon straps, and sneakers.
http://www.bywayofbicycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/toe-clips.jpg

As for shoes and pedals to use on a cross country ride, get some SPD sandals.  Shimano makes good sandals.  And some cheap SPD pedals.  Shimano makes some cheap models for about $30 from Nashbar.com  You're all set.

[Ty0604]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and the history! I'll take a look when I get back on Sunday from a camping trip I'm about to leave on. I'm 23 and fairly new to road biking but I do have experience with long distance biking including a Seattle to San Diego run a few years ago, on a hybrid bike with regular plastic pedals but I was 18 and didn't know better. All I remember is the ball of my foot throbbing nonstop about the time I hit the Washington/Oregon border.

[DaveB]

Another vote for "clipless" pedals.  Try them and you will never go back to clips and straps.

[Old Guy New Hobby]

All I remember is the ball of my foot throbbing nonstop about the time I hit the Washington/Oregon border.

Yeah. That's "hot spots".

[Westinghouse]

I have not used them myself, but from all the reviews I have read, I would strongly suggest that you use those clip-in shoes and pedals. Everybody said they could definitely feel the difference in increased pedaling efficiency. Experience is not the best teacher. It is the only teacher.

[Ty0604]

As for shoes and pedals to use on a cross country ride, get some SPD sandals.  Shimano makes good sandals.  And some cheap SPD pedals.  Shimano makes some cheap models for about $30 from Nashbar.com  You're all set.

The cheapest ones I saw were around $80 for the shoes alone on Nashbar.

I ended up purchasing some Venzo Shimano shoes with the pedals etc on Ebay for $75 + free shipping. Good reviews across several websites. 

[Old Guy New Hobby]

Good for you. Good luck on your ride. Let us know how it turns out.

[RussSeaton]

As for shoes and pedals to use on a cross country ride, get some SPD sandals.  Shimano makes good sandals.  And some cheap SPD pedals.  Shimano makes some cheap models for about $30 from Nashbar.com  You're all set.

The cheapest ones I saw were around $80 for the shoes alone on Nashbar.

I ended up purchasing some Venzo Shimano shoes with the pedals etc on Ebay for $75 + free shipping. Good reviews across several websites.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_197367_-1___204720
Shimano SPD pedals from Nashbar for $26.

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Cycling-Sandals-Black-All-Sizes/dp/B002MGBIO2
Shimano sandals for $75.

http://www.amazon.com/Venzo-Mountain-Bicycle-Cycling-Shimano/dp/B00APA92X6
Your Shimano Venzo mountain bike shoes and Wellgo SPD pedals for $75 on Amazon with free shipping.  Shoes are probably good although not quite as comfortable as Shimano sandals.  Hopefully the Wellgo pedals will make it through your trip without too many problems.  Then you can replace them with Shimano pedals.

[Ty0604]

Your Shimano Venzo mountain bike shoes and Wellgo SPD pedals for $75 on Amazon with free shipping.  Shoes are probably good although not quite as comfortable as Shimano sandals.  Hopefully the Wellgo pedals will make it through your trip without too many problems.  Then you can replace them with Shimano pedals.

I ordered from Ebay, not Amazon, and they came with Shimano pedals, not Wellgo. Haven't heard of that brand. Those are the same shoes though.