New SPD shoes for Audax use any advice welcome

[Kevin Ware]

G’day Riders

I am seeking advice on a new pair of shoes for Audax use.

I currently use Lake MTB MX225 shoes, I find these well made, well ventilated, but heavy. I want SPD cleats for sealed road use/touring.  Most of the extra weight is for the rubber for off road use that I don’t really need. The Lake shoes are starting to wear so looking for a replacement.

I sometimes suffer from hot foot in one foot  on  longer hillier rides. I have tried the usual recommendations of adjust cleats to the rear, loosen toe Velcro straps, pull up on the pedals but still suffer occasionally. I have read that a larger pedal area and stiffer sole may also help, but I find the opposite. I have gone back to Shimano carbon road shoes and Shimano SPD SL pedals and the problem increases. Swapped back to the Lake ASAP.

I am read that as your foot warms up it may expand and that a larger shoe size, toe box size may be better. Some riders tell me they wear two pair of thin socks and then take one off later in the ride. Anyone recommend this method?

I am considering three options

Option 1 Try a pair of cycling sandals, any feedback on sandals?

Option 2 Specialized BG COMP MTB shoes, these seem lighter than most MTB shoes, but I do not really need the extra sole tread, but curious to know if the claims made to reduce hot foot are genuine? Anyone with experience with these shoes?

Option 3 I have just discovered that Shimano appears to make the ideal shoe that I need. It is a Shimano road touring shoe, designed for SPD cleats and road use. The current model is RT82, the old model was RT81. Does anyone have any experience with either of these?

Thanks for any replies

Kevin

 

 

 

 

[Keith Mcculloch]

Kevin,

 

I have been using the RT81 shoe for some months now in combination with the A520 pedal from Shimano and have found the combination to suit me very well. The shoe has all the attributes of a good road shoe - ventilation, rachet closure, stiff sole etc with the walking advantages of the recessed cleat of a MTB shoe. The A520 pedal also provides a good wide platform although they are only single sided.

 

I also routinely use a pair of Keen cycling sandals for commuting and used them exclusively on & of the bike on a 3 week cycling tour of Vietnam last year. Again I would thoroughly recommend them - wide fitting, stiff sole, plenty of cleat adjustment. The cleats do sit a little proud and can 'crunch' on concrete or other hard surfaces and the elastic closure system is limited in providing a really firm fit around the heel.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Keith McCulloch

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[Andrew Priest]

Hi

Sorry for the hijack but interested in your experience with the Keen Commuter sandals. Are these the Commuter II btw?

I have a three month, Darwin to Perth tour coming up in July and I am tossing around my best approach to footwear. My initial plan was to wear my current mtb shoes and carry a pair of Keen Newport H2 for around camp, towns and my planned climb of Mt Augustus and any other walking I do, but you have piqued my interest in the Keen Commuters.

I am now thinking of maybe just going with the Keen Commuters as my only footwear. I guess I could easily remove the cleats for say the day hike up Mt Augustus.  How do you think they would go as town and camp footwear?

Thanks

Andrew

On 3 April 2012 21:07, Keith Mcculloch <keith.mcc...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

I also routinely use a pair of Keen cycling sandals for commuting and used them exclusively on & of the bike on a 3 week cycling tour of Vietnam last year. Again I would thoroughly recommend them - wide fitting, stiff sole, plenty of cleat adjustment. The cleats do sit a little proud and can 'crunch' on concrete or other hard surfaces and the elastic closure system is limited in providing a really firm fit around the heel.

 

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[cld...@yahoo.com.au]

G'day Kevin

I've had the Specialized BG MTB shoes for more than 2 yrs and have
found them very good. Last year, I needed an extra pair of shoes when
my BGs get wet, and I added the Merida MTB shoes to my collection,
which are lighter and narrower and have velcro straps, as opposed to
the BG's lace-up.

The Spec BGs are broader and they have built-in orthotic soles with
anti-hot foot button, which worked well but, like you, i occasionally
suffered from hot foot and pain around knees.

I ended up getting a comprehensive bike fit and the main problem for
me was the varus (horizontal/lateral) angle of the cleats/shoes had
been setup wrong by the LBS. After the varus angle was adjusted
outwards in the same way that I walk on land, the problem disappeared.

Further, I noticed that my right knee had a 'wiggle' at top dead
centre and the insertion of extra Specialized BG orthotics shims into
the right shoe fixed my right knee wiggle.

Subsequent to all this, when I bought the Merida MTB shoes, I
adjusted their cleats in the same way as per my Specialized MTB shoes
and added the orthotic shims. To my delight, no problems with the hot
foot/wiggle. However, they are a narrower shoe design and are fine
for shorter rides in moderate weather but would probably not use them
on long rides in hot weather because of feet swelling

my 2 cents worth...

[Alan Tonkin]

G'day Andrew

I have used Shimano SPD sandals for a whole year including winter (used shoe covers over my socks then put sandals on) here in Melb, done a Super Series in them and done touring holidays on the bike in Europe with them. but recently have used the Keens. Have found the Keens softer to wear in fact wear then all day - riding to work and standing on my feet all day in the shop before riding home 9 hours later. Couldn't do that in the Shimanos which are stiffer. Tried them on the Otway Great Ocean Road Classic the other weekend on the fixie and to my surprise no hot foot and very comfortable even tho more flexible than a Shimano.

Also wear softer Diadora MTB/SPDs for casual/shorter stuff and Pearl Izumi with stiff plastic souls for serious/longer distances.

Have found having shoes without the 'cleat well' inside covered by the inner sole, e.g. bolted to a platform sole, cleats further back and kneeing on a chair with a friend using a plum line to set the cleat in the vertical position even tho my feet are on an angle in relation to my knee has cured hot foot.

Another couple of pounds worth.

C'ya
Alan

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Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your
muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur?
As for me, give me a fixed gear!
Henri Desgrange: Founder of Tour de France
1903 & Audax France 1904