Question on pedals and cleats.

[OmahaNeb]

I want to use sandals and clipless pedals for touring.  I have heard people say that a small platform clipless pedal, can cause "hot spots" on your feet.  Is this true ?  I also wanted to use the Frog Speedplay pedal, which have a large degree of float.  Is the small pedal and SPD cleat going to increase the potential for "hot spots" when used with the Shimano sandal.

[JayH]

the size of the cleat can cause hot spots, but it also has a lot to do with the stiffness of the sole of the cycling shoes/sandals used.  The stiffer the sole, the more even it will distribute the pressure of the cleat.  And the larger cleat will also distribute the pressure better.    

As far as the speedplays Frogs, the cleat should be rectangular with a circular cutout that clips to the pedals and is one the larger MTB cleats you can get when compared to say the TIME ATAC or the Shimanos SPD.

The speedplay cleats are good, IME. I have never tried the Speedplay Frog as I'm a ardent supporter of the Time ATACs, but I have used a set of Speedplay X2 road pedals on a road bike and they are similar in design concept.

Hard to say since you almost need to match the cleat with the sandal to really be sure but you can see how stiff the sole is of the sandal by see how easy it is to twist it. Certainly it's not going to be as stiff as a shoe but the only real way unless somebody has tried the exact combo that you have would be to ride and find out.

Jay

[DaveB]

The Frog cleat is significantly larger than the Shimano SPD cleat and the pedal spreads the load equally well.  I ride in both Frogs and Shimano 515s and there is no difference in foot pressure or foot comfort.  

The Speedplays are lighter, extremely durable (I have 30,000+ miles on my current pair) and the float works very well for me.  I recommend them.

[dombrosk]

This is a bit off topic, but for those with more general pedal questions: I've been very happy with pedals that are "spd" on one side and "normal" on the other, it gives me flexibility to ride in any kind of shoe, like the other night when I went rolling around the campground with my (non-clip) sandals on.  My pedals are shimano, but I see that Nashbar has a version of them, also.
These style pedals are also a great way to introduce folks to clips who are a bit nervous about the concept.

[JimF]

I've been using Shimano's sandals with Speedplay Frogs for the last couple of months and am very pleased. In warm weather they're great. I've used Frogs with MTB shoes for a number of years, so I'm used to them. The sandal combo takes a little getting used to, as the sole is wider; the "click out" is not as easy as with MTB's, so practice is highly recommended.

[RussellSeaton]

Personally, I'm against sandals for biking shoes.  I tend to kick things when walking and if I had sandals, I would injure my toes.  I want my toes protected.  But I know people who use sandals for biking.

Hot spots can be caused by a flexible sole and small pressure point such as the cleat.  Some people notice it, others don't.  Some people it bothers a lot, others it goes away quickly and does not hamper them at all.

When I ride with my cheap, flexible Specialized mountain bike shoes, and SPD pedals, I get a hot spot after about 50 miles.  Doesn't cause me to stop riding or make me limp.  With my expensive, stiff Carnac mountain bike shoes, I get a hot spot after about 75 miles.  Until I moved the cleat back so I am now riding less on the ball of the foot and more on the flat part of the foot behind the ball.

The soles on Shimano sandals would fall more on the flexible end of bike shoes.

My mother used Speedplay Frog pedals to ride across the US in 2000.  I did not hear any complaints so I assume they are good pedals.

[driftlessregion]

I used Diadora SPD shoes for 1000 miles through the mountains in June with no problems. I then mailed them and my Teva sandals home and used my Shimano SPD sandals as my only footwear for the next 1300 miles and was more comfortable on and off the bike.