cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

jemo27
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cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby jemo27 » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:11 pm

I have done over 5000 kms around Victoria, doing 50kms a day, stoping in everytown I go and doing many walks off the bike,

for example at Tildal River, I cycled in, then had 3 days doing bushwalk around the area. at all time I just wore sneakers
but I have heard of people who where clip in shoes but mostly they appear to me to be cycle tourist who just cycle from place to place rather than stop and explore the places they past through.

I have look at clip in shoes but I am worried that they will be unsuitable for me, if I want to go on serious day hikes while I'm cycle touring. I don't really wan to carry a second pair of shoes.

any suggestions?

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby fredinver » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:48 pm

hI jEMO27
Cycling shoes are normally very stiff in the sole and not highly suited to walking. This is all about energy transfer to the pedals rather than flexing the shoe. Even mountain bike shoes are resonable stiff to walk in.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby il padrone » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:54 pm

I have walked about all day at home and on bushwalks on cycletours wearing these SPD shoes. Excellent for cycling as well.

Shimano MT41
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In warmer weather I will be using the Keen Commuter sandals that I have just recently obtained (but you do need narrow feet for these)

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jemo27
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby jemo27 » Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:18 pm

fredinver wrote:hI jEMO27
Cycling shoes are normally very stiff in the sole and not highly suited to walking. This is all about energy transfer to the pedals rather than flexing the shoe. Even mountain bike shoes are resonable stiff to walk in.
thats what I have heard, from the shops i have visited, that the clip in shoes maybe okay for a light walk but if you want to do some serious walking aswell you are better with sneakers.

really don't want to have to carry to pairs, but think I should have clip ins, for better cycling

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby il padrone » Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:40 pm

Buy the correct sort of shoes - not the super stiff soled racing shoes, but more flexible (but still stiff for pedalling) touring shoes. Like I said I've done plenty of walks of up to 5-6 kms in them happily. Longer walks would also be quite OK.

Regarding multiple shoes though, I do usually take a second pair on most tours, to change out of around camp. In summer they'll be sandals, in winter warmer running shoes.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby RonK » Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:23 pm

jemo27 wrote:
fredinver wrote:hI jEMO27
Cycling shoes are normally very stiff in the sole and not highly suited to walking. This is all about energy transfer to the pedals rather than flexing the shoe. Even mountain bike shoes are resonable stiff to walk in.
thats what I have heard, from the shops i have visited, that the clip in shoes maybe okay for a light walk but if you want to do some serious walking aswell you are better with sneakers.

really don't want to have to carry to pairs, but think I should have clip ins, for better cycling
This assertion is NOT correct. Any experienced hiker can tell you that hiking boots/shoes have very stiff soles, and top quality ones commonly have steel or plastic shanks in the mid sole to make them even stiffer. In my experience a typical pair of MTB shoes is roughly about the same stiffness as a good approach shoe.

On tour I take only one pair of shoes - currently I'm wearing Northwave Expedition GTX (unfortunately no longer available). These are my street shoes, cycling shoes, and hiking shoes, and they are of similar stiffness to my Scarpa Vortex hiking shoes. Like all quality hiking shoes, both have Vibram soles, and if anything, the Scarpa's are slightly stiffer. I've worn the Northwaves on hikes of around 7 to 10 kms - in Tasmania, to Cradle Mountain for example, and on the Wineglass Bay Circuit at Freycinet Peninsula. My only reservation is that you need to take a little more care with your foot placement to avoid slipping on the cleats if you are scrambling over hard rocky surfaces. They are not bouldering shoes.

The only other footwear I carry on tour is a pair of rubber thongs to wear in the shower and around camp.

Here are just a few examples of suitable touring/hiking shoes:
Lake MX102 Tour and Trail Shoes
Shimano MT71 GoreTex SPD Touring Shoes
Shimano MT60 MTB Cycling Shoes
Shimano MT42 SPD Multi Purpose Cycling Shoes
Northwave Drifter GTX MTB Shoes
Northwave Rocker Touring Shoes

I have both Northwave and Shimano (MT60) shoes - if you have a wide foot, you will find the Northwave shoes more roomy than the equivalent Shimano size. I've no experience with the Lake shoes.

As other have mentioned, there also SPD sandals available from Shimano, Keen and Lake, if you like that airy feel about your toes
Last edited by RonK on Thu Jul 07, 2011 2:14 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby exadios » Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:01 am

I just wear Rossi boots. We have a snake issue here in WA and these boots work for me both riding and walking.

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby WarrenH » Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:59 pm

I've Shimano spuds, MT41s. They are good sturdy shoes but they are not light for walking in. I stopped walking in them because I found that they were narrow and changed my gait. I didn't like grinding the cleats in gravel when hiking the bike off-road, for more than a few minutes at a time. What really turned me off walking in them was a report by someone saying that they eventually lead to ankle problems, because of the unnatural gait. They are a compromise. The grinding sounds of the cleats on stone probably scared off the snakes.

Having a broad foot, I need an 'E' size boot for walking. North Face have E sizes. The North Face walking shoes I have are M VINDICATOR GTX, 12 weeks ago they were $259 at Athlete's Foot. Katmandu have a amazing sale on their boots and walking shoes at the moment. 50% off for sales over $150.

The third shoe type I take touring, are traditional Dunlop Volleys ... they don't ever slip on wet rocks, not ever, when doing river crossings. I think it is important to have the right shoe for the exact occasion, certainly to prolong my exploring, off-road.



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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Aushiker » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:28 pm

WarrenH wrote:The third shoe type I take touring, are traditional Dunlop Volleys ... they don't ever slip on wet rocks, not ever, when doing river crossings. I think it is important to have the right shoe for the exact occasion, certainly to prolong my exploring, off-road.
I met a guy walking the Larapinta Trail, he was doing an end to end wearing Dunlop Valleys. He was tougher than me that is for sure :)

If I was planning to do any backpacking on my bike tourers I would carry a pair decent walking sneakers (boots went out with the ark) with me. Roger has some interesting thoughts on lightweight walking shoes.

I wouldn't be keen in walking more than a few kilometres in my mountain bike shoes and differently not with a pack.

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby il padrone » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:49 am

Aushiker wrote:If I was planning to do any backpacking on my bike tourers I would carry a pair decent walking sneakers (boots went out with the ark) with me. Roger has some interesting thoughts on lightweight walking shoes.
Most every bushwalker I know wears boots for their long walks. However maybe it's to do with different conditions in Victoria's high country versus Perth's sand hills.
Aushiker wrote:I wouldn't be keen in walking more than a few kilometres in my mountain bike shoes and differently not with a pack.
There are MTB shoes and MTB shoes. Race shoes and many recreational shoes would be very poor for walking. My MT41s have a good wide heel and very nice sole - fine for walking quite reasonable distances. But I do also carry separate walking sneakers for short walks and around camp on tours. I find the change of shoes at the end of the day relaxes my feet.

MT41 sole
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby stubbie » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:33 am

Depending on where you are bare feet can make a relaxing change.

I once covered around 50km over three days in the Carnarvon Gorge NP in bare feet.
(Although I did cop a tongue-in-cheek OH&S lecture from an aboriginal ranger.) :lol:
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby exadios » Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:24 pm

[quote="il padrone"]
Most every bushwalker I know wears boots for their long walks. However maybe it's to do with different conditions in Victoria's high country versus Perth's sand hills.

I think its more to do with various peoples' feet. I find that if I walk for a day or two in sneakers then my feet turn to mush. I used to have the same problem after riding for four or five days until I went to shorter cranks.

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Daneli » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:34 am

If you were planning a day mid tour off the bike hiking/walking, I am assuming you would remove the cleats? :?:

Thanks

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cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby RonK » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:54 am

Daneli wrote:If you were planning a day mid tour off the bike hiking/walking, I am assuming you would remove the cleats? :?:

Thanks
No, I don't remove them. The cleats make a bit of a crunching sound on some surfaces but that's all.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby il padrone » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:50 am

RonK wrote:
Daneli wrote:If you were planning a day mid tour off the bike hiking/walking, I am assuming you would remove the cleats? :?:

Thanks
No, I don't remove them. The cleats make a bit of a crunching sound on some surfaces but that's all.
+1

Good shoes will have a deep recess for the cleats so they are less likely to crunch and grind. On stony ground or rocks they will grind of course - I just put up with it and tread appropriately. Cleats are, in the final count, consumables. I find that I will go through two pairs of cleats in the time I wear out one pair of shoes.

I've just received these shoes, to replace my old MT41s

Image


I reckon they're presentable enough that I'll be able to wear them on my commute, and just wear them around at work. They have a bit better insulation than the very airy MT41s that give me cold feet these days if I'm sitting about in them. I'll keep the MT41s for summer cycling and use the MT33s for the cooler months.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Jul 18, 2011 4:13 pm

il padrone wrote:
Aushiker wrote:I wouldn't be keen in walking more than a few kilometres in my mountain bike shoes and differently not with a pack.
Sand hills? I thought the sand was on the coastal plains but heck I guess I got that one wrong :wink:

There is without a doubt move away from boots as evidenced by what the manufacturers are making now days (most of the backpacking boot manufacturers of old have a range of walking shoes and boots now days and the boots are going lighter by the looks too) and what the outdoor retailers are selling (e.g., Mainpeak, Mountain Designs, Paddy Pallin etc. Heck I can still remember the Usenet discussions where the options where boots, DVs or KT26 so the non-use of boots is nothing new.

Of course I do try and adopt a lightweight philosphy and with that comes the ability to reduce the weight of the pack (haven't used my Macpac Cascade for six plus years) and the need for heavy boots (haven't used them for about as long as the pack) and I have done some heavy duty off-track walking in that time.

I suspect the boots discussion is a bit like the steel versus carbon discussion ...

Andrew

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby RonK » Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:11 pm

Aushiker wrote:There is without a doubt move away from boots as evidenced by what the manufacturers are making now days (most of the backpacking boot manufacturers of old have a range of walking shoes and boots now days and the boots are going lighter by the looks too) and what the outdoor retailers are selling (e.g., Mainpeak, Mountain Designs, Paddy Pallin etc.
I don't know that the manufacturers ranges have expanded that much - most have long offered a comprehensive range of both boots and walking shoes. But retailers in Oz even now rarely stock the full range, and some manufacturers don't distribute their full range here.

But there is definitely a trend to lighter boots. On my earlier Himalayan treks I wore full leather Scarpa Mantas - they were bloody heavy but the rand provided for crampons to fitted, and this was typical of the kind of boot available for heavy duty trekking over very rugged trails, glaciers, snow etc. The latest permutation of the Manta claims to be 10% lighter (but still weigh 1795 grams in size 42).

The last pair of boots I bought, Scarpa ZG (Zero Gravity) 40's can still be fitted with crampons but are significantly lighter, and still kept my feet dry even after a very wet and muddy spring crossing of the Overland Track. In the huts at night there were plenty of cold and miserable walkers moaning about their substandard footware.

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Leaving Waldheim Chalet on Day 1 of the Overland Track. The route crosses Ronny Creek in the midground then ascends via Crater Lake to Marion's Lookout on the skyline in the centre of the picture. A light dusting of snow adds a little magic to the scene. This is the hardest climbing on the route, apart from side trips to the mountaintops. I have done the return walk to Marion's Lookout in my Northwave Expedition cycling shoes.

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Starting Day 2 on the Overland Track.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:10 pm

Hi

Probably getting off-topic a bit but was reading Roger's story here, titled "When Things Go Wrong" and noticed that the did this backpack in the snow in New Balance MT1110GT Joggers.

Image

Anyway both are good reads and Roger made the tent they used. I understand it handled 100 km/h winds okay. It is a spacious two person tent that weighs around 1.8 kg I believe.

Andrew

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Aushiker » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:12 pm

RonK wrote:On my earlier Himalayan treks I wore full leather Scarpa Mantas - they were bloody heavy but the rand provided for crampons to fitted, and this was typical of the kind of boot available for heavy duty trekking over very rugged trails, glaciers, snow etc. The latest permutation of the Manta claims to be 10% lighter (but still weigh 1795 grams in size 42).
My boots are Mantas ... overkill here for sure but I got them "as used once" for song ... :)

Nice photos BTW.

Andrew

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby RonK » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:45 pm

Aushiker wrote:Probably getting off-topic a bit but was reading Roger's story here, titled "When Things Go Wrong" and noticed that the did this backpack in the snow in New Balance MT1110GT Joggers.
I've been in a similar situation in Nepal, spending a terrifying night and day in a howling blizzard holding up the tent, and trying not to be completely buried by snow. It's in these situations that you realise that ultralight gear has a very small safety factor in extreme conditions. With the weather unrelenting we abandoned a lot of gear and descended almost blindly for the best part of a day, eventually reaching safety. It's only afterwards that you realise how much your life was in danger.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby rifraf » Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:53 am

il padrone wrote: I'll keep the MT41s for summer cycling and use the MT33s for the cooler months.
What is the shimano sizing like?
I have a fairly wide foot with a highish arch.
I get on well with the Kathmando fabric/leather Haj boot in the English size 9
or Euro 43.
The Italian shoes and boots I've tried seemed to suit lower arches and narrower feet
when I've tried them.
Do you find the shimano sizes fairly close to standard Aussie/English?
Assuming Aussie sizing isnt the same as US?
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Baalzamon » Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:59 am

rifraf wrote:
il padrone wrote: I'll keep the MT41s for summer cycling and use the MT33s for the cooler months.
I have a fairly wide foot with a highish arch.
Cheers
How wide is you foot, do you know? I'm EE wide for example and shimano is too narrow for me.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby rifraf » Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:08 am

Baalzamon wrote:
rifraf wrote:
il padrone wrote: I'll keep the MT41s for summer cycling and use the MT33s for the cooler months.
I have a fairly wide foot with a highish arch.
Cheers
How wide is you foot, do you know? I'm EE wide for example and shimano is too narrow for me.
Last time I bought footwear new was a few years ago now.
From memory they were Thomas Cooke boots and I needed the 9EE size to be comfortable.
What do you use for touring footwear Baalzamon?
I'm toying with the idea of spd's after 15 years with toeclips and straps.
I'll probably have to head to Sydney for a few days to check out some bicycle shops and get
an idea of what shoes have a suitable sizing.
I wont risk just buying online only to find something doesnt fit as theres few things worse
than uncomfortable footwear imho.
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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby Dirt Works » Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:00 am

my first tour was done in the original model Shimano SPD shoes (back when there was only one model). That was around Australia.

2nd tour was Cape York in some mid stiff Scott lace ups.

Everything since then (in warmer climes at least) has been in Shimano SPD sandals. Got me a pair of the newest model last year and rode the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge in them.

I've even taken to riding in them off road in the Blue Mountains. (though mid winter is a little chilly)

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Re: cycling shoes for the exploring tourist?

Postby RonK » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:03 am

rifraf wrote:What is the shimano sizing like? I have a fairly wide foot with a highish arch.
Do you find the shimano sizes fairly close to standard Aussie/English?
Assuming Aussie sizing isnt the same as US?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have both Shimano and Northwave shoes. The Shimanos are narrow and whilst reasonable comfortable to ride in, they are not at comfortable for walking. I have seen comments that you need to order up two sizes, which I would pretty much concur with.

The Northwaves are made on a generous last - this makes them suitable for my flat feet, but they also have a high internal volume and should therefore also suit a foot with a high arch.

And no, US shoes sizes are not the same as AUS/UK sizes, they are a size smaller, i.e. my AUS/UK size 11 = US size 12.

European shoes sizings are a much better guide, particularly if you are buying on the internet.

BTW, I've never seen a cycling shoe made specifically for a wide fitting.

If anyone is interested in a pair of near new Shimano MT60's in size 47 (which should suit someone who normally takes size 45) then I am open to reasonable offers.
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