Is there anything wrong with wearing mountain biking shoes (SPD) with a road bike? I find that it makes sense because you can still walk around with them on but you still have the ability to clip in and pull the pedal up like a normal road bike shoe would allow. Am I missing any aspect of the situation?
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I wear my MTB shoes with my road bike all the time. A number of the other guys in our group ride also do, nothing wrong with it at all. Road shoes are often stiffer than MTB shoes but not always. My SIDI's are just as stiff as the road version. |
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While many people use MTB cleats for road use, and are quite happy with them, there are down sides to them. Because the cleat is embedded in the shoe, they are easier to walk on. That same thing requires the cleat to be far smaller than a road cleat. A smaller cleat is less supportive of the foot that a larger road cleat. On long rides, the additional muscle activation (flex in the sole of our foot) causes cramping and hotspots. Better quality MTB shoes with a stiffer, usually carbon fiber, sole will be better than soft rubber. You will not likely notice the difference on rides of less than 25 miles. You are also unlikely to notice the difference, if say, you've only ever ridden on MTB shoes and cleats. I would recommend road shoes and cleats as ideal for performance, but there are a myriad of reasons why you could consider compromising performance for ease of use or immediate short distance comfort. They do design the road cleat for a road bike for a reason, however. |
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I always use my MTB shoes on my road bike using SPD pedals:
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