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I'm currently riding flat pedals and 5 10s on my road bike. That's fine when I'm doing guiding work and walking through the vineyards.
When I go alone into the big hills in the Alps I feel I need clipless pedals.
Which shoes would you recommend under 100 pounds?
Thanks in advance (I'm a size 41).
I like specialized shoes and shimano pedals
As Cycle Surgery are closing, here's a link to the footwear section of their website
https://www.cyclesurgery.com/c/footwear.html
Mavic, Northwave, Lake and Shimano; a bit of google searching will turn up some bargains.
I've got shoes/boots from each in a mix of 2 and 3 bolt; all good but sizing varies by brand.
If you anticipate walking more than a few metres in them, go for 2 bolt and get some shimano xt or touring pedals.
DHB Dorika Carbons, very stiff and very light, ~£70.
I have camo ones, which have subtle colours, with vibrant orange laces.
Shimano rp4 user here, only got them a few weeks ago moving from Gaerne, they are comfortable, reasonably spacious and were under £100. Rp5 is a bit cheaper but didn’t try those.
I have two pairs of Lake CX161 with the velcro straps, slightly wider rounder fit than other brands, come in black or white.
Really like the look of the new Specialized Torch shoes, nice colours, nice fit. Not a fan of the Boa ratchets but they seem ubiquitous now
Shimano are my go-to for bike shoes, although I usually find I need to go up a size. Cheap, well-made, comfortable. I also get on with Specialized shoes.
Also consider whether you want to go SPD (2 bolt mountain style) or SPD-SL (3 bolt roady). Some shoes allow both types, but not al.
I ride SPD on my mountain bike so put SPD pedals on my roady. However I got roady shoes, but now realise an XC MTB shoe would have been better for walking off the bike and also pushing off in traffic (can't do this with flat disco slippers)
If it's out and out roadie shoes you want have a good hunt around for some discounted carbon soled ones. You really can tell the difference IMHO in terms of power transfer.
Fizik powerstrap are on offer at a few places now. Great shoes with a minimal look and easy to find a comfy fit with the oversize wrap around Velcro straps
£59 at cyclesurgery is an absolute bargain.
Thank you frankconway. Just ordered my son (he keeps growing) the next size up of Shimano RP4 @ £65 - better still his present ones are black and the new ones are white so he’ll be able to tell them apart. 👍
Cycling Plus has a grouptest on sub-£100 3-bolt shoes this month.
Personally, I prefer 2-bolt XC/spd shoes on my roadie, rather than the 3-bolt full-on roadie shoes which you can't easily walk in. Current faves are Giro Cylinder, which you can find for £80ish.
I would definitely get a proper 3 bolt road set up, personally I think they feel so much better than an MTB style 2 bolt on the road. They're not ideal to walk in but are fine for cafe to bike, but really you're buying a cycling shoe and not a walking shoe. On the bike I find them more stable, less prone to hotspots and generally feel more secure. The way the pedal hangs on Shimano pedals means they're no harder to get in to either.
In terms of specifics, I've always said to pick the Shimano or Specialized shoe that fits your budget. That CycleSurgery sale throws up some good options, The Spec Torch 2.0 or for a touch less you can get the 1.0 with a less stiff sole.
Either will work and Spec shoes fit a wide range of foot shapes.
The Boardman £80 ones won the cycling plus sub £150 group test. Look sharp, full carbon sole and dual boa closures. I’d have them.
The Spesh torch look really nice for £90 and Spesh shoes are always really comfy, but I find it hard to buy from them since I’ve read more about what the company is like and the whole Volagi incident but ymmv
2 bolt SPD will work - and I've done some proper long rides with that set up - but then I finally got round to getting some proper road shoes + pedals and they are definitely a lot nicer. That said, if I were using the bike for commuting I'd probably stick to SPDs.
Mogrim is correct.
3 hole for rides where you get into a rhythm or need the power.
2 hole / SPD for stop start commuting traffic and particularly roundabouts.
Anyone tried the planet x shoes?
How do they size up for width? I need some new XC/gravel/CX shoes so I'm debating between those and shimano XC5 or DHB Droics MTB which seem to be lower spec'd but similar prices.
Cycle surgery have the best prices. But they won't post to Austria. Bugger.
iolo - as you live in Austria, have you considered bike discount who are based in Germany? You will find their shoe selection under the clothing tab....
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/cycling-clothing
Other possible options I'm aware of for mainland European delivery are bike24 (also in germany) and bikeinn; there will be many others.
I use bike 24 quite a bit. They won`t price match Cycle Surgery though. I´ve gone and ordered a pair of Shimano carbon soled shoes from them. A bit over budget but it*s a legitimate company expense according to my accountant so not all bad.
You must have a very 'accommodating' accountant but my memory is telling me you're involved in biking and wine/vineyards.....
If I'm wrong that's another senior moment; now, how many of those have I had?