# First shoes and pedals on $200 budget?



## dgott2000 (May 8, 2012)

I'm a fairly new cyclist, been riding in sneakers and toe straps on a tiagra level road bike for the past two years. I've been wanting to get my first pair of shoes and pedals but don't really have the money (I'm in grad school so $55k/yr tuition doesn't leave me much extra for toys). My mom offered to buy me shoes and pedals for my upcoming birthday, up to $200 total. I was thinking about getting cheap spd pedals (shimano m530s) online then trying to get the best shoes possible (approx $150) from a LBS but I don't really know what shoes are good or how to tell if I'll end up with hot spots, etc. The LBSs around me do carry road gear but are mostly mt bike oriented, so I dunno if I'd get the best advice there. 

So, what are your thoughts? With the remaining $150 or so should I get mt bike shoes with the ratchet and two straps so I can walk? Or should I go for mid level road shoes and sacrifice walkability for considerably better performance/value? I'm also open to different cleat/shoe combos, I realize spds and road shoes don't work together. 

Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay!


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

I have SPD cleats on my Shimano R107 shoes. I have SPD-SL's though on my other shoes. Some road shoes can take both, some need an adapter to take both. All Shimano shoes fit the same if I'm not mistaken. Meaning a 43 is a 43 no matter the model. So try them on once then buy the model you want. That's easy.

The R088 is a great shoe. It can run either cleat.
Shimano R088 Road SPD Shoes 2014 | Chain Reaction Cycles

Shimano 105 5700 SPD-SL Carbon Road Pedals | Chain Reaction Cycles
Some carbon 105 pedals if you go with SPD-SL


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

dgott2000 said:


> I'm a fairly new cyclist, been riding in sneakers and toe straps on a tiagra level road bike for the past two years. I've been wanting to get my first pair of shoes and pedals but don't really have the money (I'm in grad school so $55k/yr tuition doesn't leave me much extra for toys). My mom offered to buy me shoes and pedals for my upcoming birthday, up to $200 total. *I was thinking about getting cheap spd pedals (shimano m530s) online then trying to get the best shoes possible (approx $150) from a LBS* but I don't really know what shoes are good or how to tell if I'll end up with hot spots, etc. The LBSs around me do carry road gear but are mostly mt bike oriented, so I dunno if I'd get the best advice there.
> 
> So, what are your thoughts? With the remaining $150 or so should I get mt bike shoes with the ratchet and two straps so I can walk? Or should I go for mid level road shoes and sacrifice walkability for considerably better performance/value? I'm also open to different cleat/shoe combos, I realize spds and road shoes don't work together.
> 
> Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay!


I wouldn't decide on a specific pedal just yet, but your idea to get the best shoe possible (from your LBS) is a good one.

There's a similar thread going here. I think my response there fits your situation as well.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/beginners-corner/first-ride-new-bike-help-required-322932.html


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

dgott2000 said:


> I'm a fairly new cyclist, been riding in sneakers and toe straps on a tiagra level road bike for the past two years. I've been wanting to get my first pair of shoes and pedals but don't really have the money (I'm in grad school so $55k/yr tuition doesn't leave me much extra for toys). My mom offered to buy me shoes and pedals for my upcoming birthday, up to $200 total. I was thinking about getting cheap spd pedals (shimano m530s) online then trying to get the best shoes possible (approx $150) from a LBS but I don't really know what shoes are good or how to tell if I'll end up with hot spots, etc. The LBSs around me do carry road gear but are mostly mt bike oriented, so I dunno if I'd get the best advice there.
> 
> So, what are your thoughts? With the remaining $150 or so should I get mt bike shoes with the ratchet and two straps so I can walk? Or should I go for mid level road shoes and sacrifice walkability for considerably better performance/value? I'm also open to different cleat/shoe combos, I realize spds and road shoes don't work together.
> 
> Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay!


There are some shoes that have both the Look 3-bolt and Shimano SPD pattern.

HOwever, I don't recall of those shoes... having cleats for walking.

Shoes/pedal combos are a personal choice, as you have a lot of choices in the market.


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## dgott2000 (May 8, 2012)

Thanks for the advice!


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

dgott2000 said:


> Thanks for the advice!


HEre's an example of such shoe:
SH-R088 - ROAD - CYCLING FOOTWEAR AND PEDALS - LIFESTYLE GEAR - SHIMANO


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## junior1210 (May 2, 2013)

Might want to try something like these;

Venzo Road Bike For Shimano SPD SL Look Cycling Bicycle Shoes & Pedals Black

The shoes will support both Look style cleats or SPD cleats. Not good for walking far, but they're cycling shoes. Cheap enough that if you don't like road style pedals you're not out much money. The pedals are Wellgo, decent lower end pedals. Since the set is less than half your budget, Mom will be delighted I'm sure.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I think you have a solid plan. Look at the more XC oriented shoes. At $150, you should be into a shoe aimed at a fairly serious rider. So it'll be plenty stiff. You can tell a lot trying on cycling shoes. Visit your shops and try a bunch. Stand around and check out the displays or something in any pairs that seem feasible. Go in the afternoon. Basically the same as buying street shoes except that I don't think I need the extra room in front of my toe. Though it may not hurt anything.

IME, mid-level road shoes don't perform any better than mid-level mountain shoes or cost any less. A lot of brands have a pretty clear set of equivalent road and mountain shoes by tier, and the construction is very similar. Just the cleat drilling and presence or absence of a tread changes.

At the low end, there are some shoes with the two-hole pattern targeted at commuters, that kinda suck. And at the high end, there are some crazy stiff road shoes that the highest-end MTB shoes may not match. But those cost a lot more than $150. There are also, lately, some freeride shoes that might be a little weird for road. Stick to XC shoes and you'll be fine.

There can be advantages to road pedals, but honestly, without a compelling reason, I'd stick to MTB pedals across all my bikes. I'm thinking about making that change this season if I can get my new shoes figured out, actually - my road shoes and all my road pedals are pretty worn and it would cost me less to standardize on MTB for everything than to replace all the worn out road stuff.


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

I have spd pedal on my cross bike and mtb, and ultegra pedals on my domane...
if you are the kind who likes to stop a lot and look at things i would go with spd/mtb pedals, they are much easier to walk around on...
but if like to just get on the bike and hook'em IMO road bike pedal would be better...
shoes are important... when I got my first ones, I tried on several and found that in the same size and same brand, different models felt different...meaning some were not as comfortable as others and if you are going to spend hours on a bike, having a shoe fit right and be comfortable is extemely important, more important than the kind of pedal you use...


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## dgott2000 (May 8, 2012)

So I stopped in the LBS and tried on a few shoes. I think I'm definitely gonna go with as stiff of a mt. shoe as possible (for walkability). The owner seemed to be pushing the Bontrager Soltices, which are a very comfortable fitness shoe with a recessed cleat, but they were way too flexible. I'm thinking LG Montana XT3 ($150) might be the way to go, but I also see the Northwave Extreme Tech Mt Shoes on nashbar for $131 (with the add'l discount). Anyone have any experience with either of these shoes, or have advice on other good mt shoes for that approximate price range?

Also debating shimano m520s or m530s. I would have loved the a520s but dislike the single sided entry.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I tried on a pair of Northwaves a while ago. Huge last. Maybe you have big feet. But I can't help feeling like I've been best off buying locally for shoes.

"Fitness" is another of the euphemisms for cycling gear to avoid, IME.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

dgott2000 said:


> So I stopped in the LBS and tried on a few shoes. I think I'm definitely gonna go with as stiff of a mt. shoe as possible (for walkability). The owner seemed to be pushing the Bontrager Soltices, which are a very comfortable fitness shoe with a recessed cleat, but they were way too flexible. I'm thinking LG Montana XT3 ($150) might be the way to go, but I also see the Northwave Extreme Tech Mt Shoes on nashbar for $131 (with the add'l discount). Anyone have any experience with either of these shoes, or have advice on other good mt shoes for that approximate price range?
> 
> Also debating shimano m520s or m530s. I would have loved the a520s but dislike the single sided entry.


My thoughts.... 

No matter how enticing the discount, try before you buy. Think about it. How would you have known the Bonty's flexed without first trying them on. By the time you're done with return shipping costs, you could have a better shoe and cleats set up by your LBS fitter. 

And, don't be dissuaded by single sided pedals or methods of entry. When you consider there's a (short) learning curve with any clipless system, that's flawed criteria, IMO. Better to decide which will work best for you, and go from there.

Personally, I have my favorites, but I think as long as the cleats are set up correctly, most any pedal system will do.


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## ProAc_Fan (Apr 30, 2014)

Any advice for Canadians in this same predicament? Sadly not a vast selection of stores stocking much in the way of shoes and pedals. In fact, the lbs where I bought my bike has exactly one road pedal available. ( Look Keo) I'm sure the selection for shoes is as sparse.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

ProAc_Fan said:


> Any advice for Canadians in this same predicament? Sadly not a vast selection of stores stocking much in the way of shoes and pedals. In fact, the lbs where I bought my bike has exactly one road pedal available. ( Look Keo) I'm sure the selection for shoes is as sparse.


Sometimes, you have to choose from the least bad compromises. So, I'd suggest either driving further to a larger metro area (generally, more LBS's) or finding online retailers with liberal return policies (a la Zappo's). Still a pain, and not ideal, but at least you'll hopefully end up with a comfortable, well fitting shoe.


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## HyperCycle (Sep 5, 2012)

I went with mountain shoes and pedals for my road bike... and was just over $200. 

$100 for Pearl Izumi shoes
$105 for Speedplay Frogs


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## dgott2000 (May 8, 2012)

PJ352 said:


> No matter how enticing the discount, try before you buy.


Just stopped in a different bike store and tried on some LG Terras (they had Montanas but didn't have my size). So glad I tried them on, I liked the fit a lot. They are ordering the Montanas in my size (41). Thank you for the tips. Went with Shimano m530 pedals because I still have 20lbs (9072g) to lose off my belly before I need to start worrying about pedal weight


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

dgott2000 said:


> Just stopped in a different bike store and tried on some LG Terras (they had Montanas but didn't have my size). So glad I tried them on, I liked the fit a lot. They are ordering the Montanas in my size (41). Thank you for the tips. Went with Shimano m530 pedals because I still have 20lbs (9072g) to lose off my belly before I need to start worrying about pedal weight


You're welcome. Let us know how the Montanas work.

Agree on the pedal weight. Generally, we (cyclists) worry too much over such things.


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## dgott2000 (May 8, 2012)

Just got back from my second ride with the new shoes and pedals.

I ended up going with Louis Garneau Montana XT3 shoes ($150) and Shimano m530 pedals ($38). I went for the m530s because I liked the double sided entry and figured a wider platform would be better with street shoes if I ever wanted to sprint over to a friend's house or to the bar/store/school/etc. And as I mentioned before, until I get to my ideal BMI I'm not gonna worry about ultralight weight stuff- it can be a nice reward once I earn it.

Practiced clipping in and out on my street then went for an 8 mile test ride. Feet hurt and cramped up a bit, especially in the toe box- turns out I cinched everything way too tight. Today I just finished a slightly longer ride (about 20 miles) where I adjusted the ratcheting ankle strap first to the right tension and then just did the two velcro toe straps fairly loose. Shoes were great, very comfortable, and I'm very stoked. It was awesome being able to pull up, especially on hills and sprints, and I like feeling much more connected to the bike. I'm glad I didn't get the fitness/touring Bontrager Soltices; I'm happy to have something a bit stiffer (those things were about as stiff as a whoopie cushion). And I'm happy I got mt shoes with the recessed cleats so I can walk around.

Overall I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing. I'm very thankful for all the advice on this forum, especially to try shoes on at the LBS before buying. I ended up being a much smaller shoe size than I calculated based on what I wear for street shoes. Also, buying the shoes from the LBS was a good call, both to support local businesses and also because they set the cleats and pedals up for me properly.

One final thought, my wife bought me some cycling gloves after she noticed almost everyone else had them on a group ride we did, and I would definitely say they are important pieces of equipment for any other new riders. If you do end up going down, you'll want your palms as protected as possible. Eye protection is good too.

Thanks again everyone!


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm glad your shoe/ pedal combo is working out for you. Your comments show that choosing both for the right reasons betters the odds for success.

FWIW, it's a common mistake to over tighten the straps - good that you caught that. 

Also a good point re: gloves. They're value is twofold. One being to quell road buzz/ vibrations and another (as you state) is protection. I'd never ride without them.. and a helmet, of course. 

Agree on eyewear as well, but needing them for distance anyway, mine go where I go.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

dgott2000 said:


> Just got back from my second ride with the new shoes and pedals.
> 
> I ended up going with Louis Garneau Montana XT3 shoes ($150) and Shimano m530 pedals ($38). I went for the m530s because I liked the double sided entry and figured a wider platform would be better with street shoes if I ever wanted to sprint over to a friend's house or to the bar/store/school/etc. And as I mentioned before, until I get to my ideal BMI I'm not gonna worry about ultralight weight stuff- it can be a nice reward once I earn it.
> 
> ...


Agree on the gloves although after going down a couple weeks ago, keep thinking why don't I wear mountain biking gloves.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I never ride without gloves. I always wear a helmet, but I've been lucky enough never to have hit my head hard falling off a bike. The scars on my palms tell a different story. So I figure if I'll take steps to protect myself against something potentially catastrophic but relatively unlikely, I'm also going to protect myself from something incredibly painful and that has happened to me.


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> Also a good point re: gloves. They're value is twofold. One being to quell road buzz/ vibrations and another (as you state) is protection. I'd never ride without them..


And, they even keep your hands warm, which is the reason I had a pair on when I went down hard last November.


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