If you’re a bit more comfortable with mountain biking, consider buying cleat shoes. Let’s take a look at the factors to consider when buying your first pair of mountain bike cleat shoes.
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Table of Contents
What are cleat shoes?
Cleat shoes are shoes with a device that fixes the pedals and shoes so that they do not fall off.
It has a structure in which the shoes are inserted while ‘clicking’ when the shoe is pressed in the correct position of the cleat pedal.
When you separate your foot from the pedal, turn it to the side and remove it.
There is a tension adjusting screw on the pedal or shoe side that adjusts how much force is applied.
Are cleat shoes dangerous?
It takes time to get used to.
The impact is pretty big because it’s a fall because your feet don’t fall out.
Also, in a state where the cleats are full of mud, there are cases where it is not easy to come out, so you may fall unexpectedly.
If you ask which is more dangerous between flat pedals and cleat pedals, it is true that cleat pedals are more dangerous.
Why Use Mountain Bike Cleat Shoes?
Cleats are almost a must for mountain biking on rough roads.
If you ride a mountain with flat pedals, the pedals often fall off your feet because the road surface is irregular, which can be very dangerous.
So, if you wear cleat pedals and cleat shoes, you can ride very stably on irregular road surfaces.
And if you use cleat shoes, you don’t apply force only when you press the pedal vertically,
By doing a circular pedaling, you can give more area and power to propel the bike forward.
Which cleat shoes should I buy?
There are many types of cleat shoes.
However, in this article, I will try to explain it for first-time buyers.
Bikes are expensive. Mountain bikes are incredibly expensive.
It may cost more than your car or house. I bought such an expensive bike, but I have a lot of money to spend.
Helmets, gloves, clothes, shoes…!
You should not save money on buying a helmet and shoes.
The reason is, if you buy a helmet and shoes in moderation, you will buy them again.
So, with this thought, I make another mistake, and that is to buy the expensive one unconditionally.
Not all expensive shoes are good.
It should fit your foot, your riding style and ability.
shoes that fit well
Just like shoes and sneakers, they should fit your feet well.
There are various shapes such as thin feet, wide cheeks, and high insteps. It’s best to try them on and make your decision.
However, if you are a beginner, there are many cases where you do not feel well even if you try it on.
If so, you need to objectively figure out whether your feet are wide or narrow.
Some companies do not produce products that are wide or narrow. In that case, it is possible to infer the width of the foot of the product based on whether the basic shape of the company’s foot is wide or narrow.
However, it is not recommended to purchase by analogy.
Companies that make good products have set a few foot types, and the specifications are organized for each product.
Below is an image that has captured the summary of Shimano company’s foot type.
Details can be found at the link below.
Shoebone Skill | SHIMANO GEAR
If you go to the link above, it is kindly stated in percentage how wide the front of the foot is, how wide the middle of the foot is, and how wide the back of the foot is.
It’s a good idea to choose a product from a company that supports this variety of foot types.
Of course, if you consider the conditions, it is difficult to choose a design that suits your taste.But if your feet are painful, you want to throw away everything about design.
Shoes that match your riding style
There is a person who only rides the River side road with a mountain bike.There are even people who only race track races.Some people enjoy hiking trails on mountain bikes, and others only enjoy cycling downhill
Racing, people who only ride the bike road, people who enjoy on-road.
For those who race xc or ride only on the bike road or the road, it is recommended that the bottom of the shoes is very hard and solid.
You need to wear hard and light shoes to run fast so that it can lead to pedals without losing strength.Also, it would be nice to have good ventilation.
I also recommend shoes that have all carbon floors.
The shoes shown in the image can be worn completely tailored to your feet through the thermal form.
When you heat it up, it becomes very soft, and when you adjust it to your feet and cool it down, it hardens.
But it’s uncomfortable to walk around wearing these shoes on.It’s something to bear.
a person who enjoys a trail or downhill
The soles of the feet should not be too hard.
Shoes that are too hard on the sole are not good for trail riding.
Trail riding often involves pulling a bike and walking around.
In this case, the soles of the feet should be somewhat flexible.
Some manufacturers of mountain bike shoes indicate how firm the sole is. It’s good to see those signs and choose.
The shoes in the link below are marked with the degree of hardness of the shoe sole.
GE9 | SHIMANO BIKE
Shoes that can protect the inner peach bone are good.
If you’re riding a mountain bike on a trail, your feet need to be wrapped securely.
The peach bone in my foot often hits my bike.
As above, shoes that wrap around the inside of the peach bone are good.
It is better to have a wider cleat adjustment range.
Even if purchased for the purpose of mountain bike cleat shoes, the cleat adjustment range is different for each shoe.
Even shoes from the same company may have different adjustment ranges.
In general, if you only ride on-road, the adjustment range is not regrettable, but if you are going on a trail or downhill, there are cases where the cleat adjustment range is disappointing.
Look at the image below.
The shoe on the left has a very wide range of cleat adjustment, while the shoe on the right has a limited range of cleat adjustment.
Most shoes have coverage like the one on the right.
Racing and on-road, you won’t feel much discomfort.
However, people with knee problems or those who like downhill may want to place the cleats a little more centered. In this case, shoes with wide adjustment are recommended.
Riding Environment
If you’re a road-only rider, the environment doesn’t matter too much.
However, if you are a mountain bike rider, you will ride your mountain bike in the mud, snow, and rain. When exposed to such an environment, if the shoe is structured with a boa system, it may not work due to foreign substances.
So I don’t wear boa shoes in early spring.
What types of cleat pedals are there?
The most popular cleat pedal is Shimano’s spd. However, in addition to this system, there are companies that are not spd, such as speedplay and magnetically operated cleat pedals.
I’ll try to cover these points in another post when I get a chance.
However, there is no inconvenience even with spd, so I mainly use spd for clip pedals.
conclusion
Mountain biking cleat shoes should be determined with great consideration to the shape of your feet.
It’s a tight shoe, so if the foot type doesn’t fit well, it’s very painful.
And you need to decide the stiffness of the floor according to the purpose.
Next, you need to check that the cleat’s adjustment range fits your intended range.
ah! And, if you plan to ride in the winter, it’s a good idea to check that your feet fit comfortably in something like a very thick wool sock.