# Shoe/Pedal Advice for beginner. Shimano RT82 Touring Shoes??



## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi, I would like some advice on road bike shoes and pedals. I'm still a beginner and am using regular pedals with my regular shoes. I have wanted to put on proper pedals and use proper shoes for a while now but the fact I can't walk in the shoes throws me off. Is it a bad idea to put Mountain bike pedals on a road bike? The max distance I ride is about 50km at a time. I do ride daily and currently have a an entry level road bike. 

I was looking at the RT82 Shimano and they look like road bike shoes but my understanding is that the sole is different. Would getting these with a decent pedal cause me any problems on a road bike? Do you think it would be a lot better then what I have now (regular shoes)?

Is there any other combo that would be better, more similar to proper road bike shoes/pedals or should I just get proper road bike pedals and shoes?

Thanks


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## DaFlake (Sep 25, 2012)

It isn't a bad idea at all and many people do it. If you are not racing and doing more commuting then a mtb shoe probably makes more sense. 

Figure out what you plan to use your bike for and tailor it for that use.


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## scottma (May 18, 2012)

That looks like a decent road/touring shoe. Specialized also makes a nice road/touring shoe. Some decent pedals to goes with either are the Shimano A520.


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## Wheelman55 (Jul 10, 2009)

RT82's are great shoes. Consider the A530 pedal.


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## bikewagonjohn (Feb 13, 2013)

they look like a nice shoes. I ride the shimano a520 pedals on my road bike, and a shimano mtn pedal on my mtn bike. I can't recall the model right now. I use one pair of shoes for both bikes. If your going to ride long distances,(50 miles or more at a time)be sure to get a mtn shoe with a stiff sole, this will help prevent getting hot spots on your feet.


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I think I will be grabbing the shoes. Reviews do say they do have a stiffer sole but you can still walk in them. Just debating between pedals. Looking at the suggestions here and on other sites its really between the a520 and a530.

From my research, the a520 are the most like road bike pedals and the a530 are similar but also provide an option to ride with regular shoes? Is this correct? I have read because of the shape the 520's would be best if I wanted the closest thing to a road bike pedal? Are the 530's much different?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

sheepherder said:


> Thanks for the replies. I think I will be grabbing the shoes. Reviews do say they do have a stiffer sole but you can still walk in them. Just debating between pedals. Looking at the suggestions here and on other sites its really between the a520 and a530.
> 
> From my research, the a520 are the most like road bike pedals and the a530 are similar but also provide an option to ride with regular shoes? Is this correct? I have read because of the shape the 520's would be best if I wanted the closest thing to a road bike pedal? Are the 530's much different?


They're not much different when you're using the cleat side, and you should just forget the notion of which is more like a road bike pedal. They're both good pedals, usable on any sort of bike. Nobody (including you) sees your pedals when you're riding, so looks don't matter much.

The choice should be based on whether you'll ever ride in ordinary shoes rather then your cycling shoes -- sneakers, dress shoes, sandles, whatever. That's a nice option to have, and if that will ever be a possibility, the dual-function 530 is a good choice.


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## bikewagonjohn (Feb 13, 2013)

what JCavilia is correct. i second it. If weight is an issue for you, the a520 is about 70gr lighter then the a530


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## biker jk (Dec 5, 2012)

I have a pair of Shimano RT-82 shoes and they are great. Using A600 pedals which are Ultegra quality (you can buy them for around $60 from Ribble). The soles aren't as rigid as road bike shoes but using the SPD platform pedals I get no hotspots. There's little or no performance loss.


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

How about the m520? They seem really popular.


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## subguy658 (Feb 21, 2013)

I like the Specialized Road shoe. Whatever you get, make sure there are at least two, preferably three cinch-points along the top, to make sure you can get a good fit. If you wear additional sock layers in the winter, this can be difficult.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

I have Specialized Elite Touring shoes. The tongue and top strap came too far up the instep and cut into my ankles so I had to modify them. I've heard a few others complain of this. I also don't like the default varus wedge built into the shoe. I find similar Shimano shoes to fit me much better. FWIW: I've had good results with SIDI and Garneau road shoes.

Racing? MTB and CX all race with mtb cleats and pedals, and I know a few road racers who do as well.


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Those RT82 Shimano's look like a really good shoe. I considered them, but Shimano's don't fit me quite as well as Sidi's. So I went with Sidi Dragon 3's. They are a little too flashy for my liking, but they fit better than any Shimano shoe I have tried, so I went with them as soon as I found a decent price on line.

I ordered a set of Shimano M520's a while back, and have been using the pedal/shoe combination now for about 6 months after having used a flat pedal in different types including Power Grips. The Power grips have worked well, but the cleat set up ive found to be great. Its so much more efficient than flat pedals and I dont think I can go back now. The only problem is when you want to do alot of walking, or hang out somewhere with a few mates the shoes being bike specific are a little annoying, and I tend to carry a spare set of shoes with me, or swap over the cleat pedals for normal flat pedals, which is always a headache deciding which way I want to go about it. I also have a road shoe/pedal set up as well with a Speedplay/Sidi shoe combo too on my race bike, which are even more efficient, but there is no way Im going to use those for general commuting. Absolute PITA unless your on a 'ride only' trip and do very little walking.
So to take it one step further I have just purchased a set of Well Go Combination pedals Wellgo R120B Sealed Bearing Road Pedals | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com . I haven't used them yet, i've only just fitted them actually, and will be using them tomorrow for the first time. But my 'round the block' trial runs so far confirm that they have a fantastic feel to them. The flat pedal side is really grippy, the cleat side however feels alot softer in its mechanism than the Shimano's. I have the M520 Shimano's adjusted to minimum and they still feel quite tight to clip in/out of. Where as the Well go's I have adjusted to max and they feel looser than the Shimano's. A few rides should give me a better understanding of how they will compare. 
Im really loving this set up, it suits me perfectly. There are times when I just want to put on a set of sandals (or thongs as we call them here in OZ) and just ride down to the near by shops to grab some milk or whatever, and the cleat set up is a PITA. So the combo will now solve that problem.
Ive also just purchased another pair of Shimano pedals Shimano XT SPD Trekking T780 MTB Pedals | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com and am looking forward to setting them up on another bike. ( I have 10 bikes, 4-5 of which I use quite a bit). If these pedals live up to expectations they are going to be my default commuting set up. 

So yeah, from your original post id say the MTB pedal/shoe combo is the way to go. I say grab those Shimano shoes your looking at and a combination pedal like I have mentioned, or maybe shop around for a different style that you may prefer. There are a few on the market. You will Definitely notice a difference between a proper cycling shoe/pedal set up and normal flat pedal/normal shoes set up. Highly recommended !

Hope this helps... unless you have purchased a set up already ? lol

Cheers


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## jwl325 (Feb 3, 2010)

My first bike was a Trek hybrid, and I put a Shimano hybrid pedal on her--clippless, but with a plastic "outer" that enabled me to pedal her with or without bikes shoes.

When I bought my first road bike, a Trek 2.3, I put the identical pedals on her. Helped me acclimate to a road bike without worrying about adapting to new pedals, etc..

Once I was comfortable with riding a road bike, I opted for some pure road pedals, still Shimano, pretty much out of brand loyalty than anything else. I chose some very affordable Pearl Izumi shoes for the new road pedals (Ultegra), and I still ride them regularly. 

Do what feels right for you.


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the help. I am set on the shoes as I will be getting the rt82. I haven't ordered yet because I was thinking of getting the a530 pedals but I can't find them in black on any U.K site. I am in Toronto Canada and there way to expensive at our local shops. It seems like Ribble is the only one that carries them but they are out of stock and they don't know when they will get some more. Since my Bike is all black I was hoping for black pedals. 

I think I'm set on the rt82 shoes but who knows about the pedals. I think I am getting the a530 but still might change my mind if I can't get a hold of black ones soon. I can always order silver.

I would like to order the shoes and pedals from the same place.

Again thanks for all the help.


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Sheeperde. Check out the second link I pasted. The pedals are black buddy


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

I didn't even notice. I was thinking I was getting the a530 but those look nice. I don't mind if they are a little more expensive if they are better


EDIT: Do I have to buy cleats if I get those? On wiggle site it says they do not come with cleats. I'm a little confused since this is my first pair. Do the cleats come with the pedals or shoes? I believe the a530's come with cleats.


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Yes I hear you mate. I also read that they don't come with cleats. But I already have cleats from my M520's. Yes the M520's come with cleats. I was a little cheesed off initially, but I just went with it as I already have cleats. They are fairly light compared to some other combo pedals and they claim to have an XT mechanism, so I'm interested to see how they compare with the 520's. I honestly don't expect to feel much of a difference. 

The 530's appear to be just as light, better value for money, and they also come with cleats, so a better deal really. I personally like the black look though, most of the parts I buy on my bike lean towards black (preferably polished), either that or a polished silver look, not a fan of matt silver. The Well Go's are already a silver, so i'm just going with something a little different this time. And I only bought them because the PD-T780's weren't available when I purchased. That's just a personal thing though. 

Just buy whatever you feel comfortable with. Im probably going to buy a 3rd set at some point. If/when I do, I'll decide what pedals I want then. Possibly even a second set of MTB shoes for winter riding, something like the Shimano MT81's perhaps, to keep my feet dry when it buckets down. I like to ride every day to work. Having the right gear makes the ride sooo much easier and far more enjoyable. See how we go as winter approaches.

Good luck with your purchase. And let us know how it goes. 

Cheers


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## punchy (Nov 11, 2008)

Hey Sheepherder. Just for the record. I received my Shimano PD T780's today....

Shimano XT SPD Trekking T780 MTB Pedals | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

And they came with cleats ! I don't know why they state on the Wiggle site that they don't come with cleats. But I reckon if you order them through any site they should come with cleats. Its standard practice to supply cleats with new pedals anyways.

They also come with built in reflectors, which I didn't like. But as I suspected, you can unscrew them. Everything has worked out sweet so far from my end. Now just have to bolt them up on the bike, and how well they perform. They look very well built, so hopefully they work as well as they look. 

Hope this helps buddy.

Cheers


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## sheepherder (Mar 11, 2012)

Oh, I would of grabbed them if I knew. Ribble got the a530 black back in stock so I ordered them. Although my order hasn't shipped since Monday. I think there might be a problem with the shoes not being in stock. 

Chain Reaciton is waiting on the pedals (due in next week) and Ribble is waiting on the shoes, I guess whoever gets them first. Either way I think I'll be happy. Now its whoever can ship them first, I just emailed Ribble, if its a long delay I will just get the t780's.


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