Worth a tryView attachment 131694
The shoes fit!
A bit stiff for walking, as expected, but workable, I think. Will try them on a ride later today or tomorrow... It will sure be great if foot issues are resolved with just an ugly pair of $25 (final clearance) shoes!
. And if you like them, you can get the nicer looking versions, like I did, LOL.
.Glad to hear it worked outRode over 27 miles yesterday with the new Alp X Flow cycling shoes, and my feet felt fine! Stopped several times to walk around, and that was doable, too.
I have my plantar fasciitis orthotics in for extra arch support so the toe box is just a smidge snug (with medium weight socks) (yes, I ordered up), and the soles are not quite as grippy as my walking shoes so slipped around a bit in the pedals.
If I can work out the pedal slippage, I'll take them to the shoe guy in town to see if he can do a tiny bit of stretching. Worst case, I've spent $25 on diagnostics, know shoes will take care of the issue, and can upgrade if needed
Thanks for all your help - problem solved!
All my flat pedals have the spikes, that definitely help with grip. And btw, the orange color helps with visibility to cars which is never a bad idea.
The solution is to use a shoe with a recessed cleat, that has soles stiff enough to live with on the bike but not so stiff there's a problem walking. Since I posted in this thread in 2022 I built another bike and put the Funn Rippers on again. Lets me cleat in and get the benefit of consistent placement/engagement, and I can get off the bike and walk around quite a bit on the Giro Rumbles, which I have also bought a second pair of.
Since I ride a single speed analog track-based bike, and a single speed e-bike, I really MUST use cleatless bike shoes (really like my Pearl Izumi mtn bike shoes). I have needed to stop and walk up 15-20% grades during gran fondo metric or imperial centuries. And stopping and enjoying the surroundings or socializing is just so much more enjoyable!
Adidas FiveTen Freerider Pro have never been cheap
I made a slight course correction miscalculation and hit my foot on a metal sign post this year. It hurt a lot. I was wearing Merrill Moab low profile hiking shoes, with a rubber tip and it saved my toe. After that, I purchased Merrill Moab Flight with Carbon Fiber safety toe. It can withstand up to 2,000lbs of crushing force.
I once incidentally dropped a 4 lb hammer onto my toes protected by an Adidas FiveTen Freerider Pro shoe...
As if nothing happened!Got my Pearl Izumi on sale for $50
Always glad to buy last years model.
Why should you need any cycling shoes if you don't pedal at all?
Well, I do pedal lots. Class 3. You have to pedal. My long rides average 18-22mph. I did change to MTB pedals, but otherwise flip-flops are my always-shoe, unless it is snowing.Why should you need any cycling shoes if you don't pedal at all?
So....I got thinking about this today and searched for and found this thread which was very good reading. I think I'm going to try a cheap pair of shoes as recommended earler and see how that goes. I'm not a power biker - hell I'm hardly a biker. I ride for fitness with my longest rides being about an hour at about 14 mph but what' I've noticed is that I'm starting to poke my big toe through the court shoes I've been using for biking. My thinking is that bike shoes might be a bit tougher in that area!Whenever I put a regular trainers on a ride, I regret it soon. Five Ten Freerider Pro are a must for me for any longer trip.
I do not want to advertise specific pedals now but I am fond of CrankBrothers Stamp 1 Large the most (my feet are large; and I really need multiple feet position for my long trips).
The energy transfer and riding experience with this combination are improbably good. The shoe holds on the traction pins as it were clipless pedals/shoes! To remove a foot from the pedal you actually need to lift your foot a little! The impression is as if the shoes were glued to the pedals!
There is an interesting pedalling technique (for the cycling shoe/platform pedal) explained to me by some lady here in the EBR forum. A "clipless" cyclist typically operates with their legs up and down. With the combination I'm talking about, the cyclist should pretend to be sliding their feet forward & backwards. This technique gives enormous result on acceleration. With an e-bike you never need to stand on the pedals to accelerate. Sliding feet forward/backwards makes your e-bike accelerate very fast, especially when you start in lower gears.
I often demonstrate the acceleration capabilities of both Vado and Vado SL to my group cycling mates of both sexes. Far in the trip, when bored but still with the battery juice left, I say to my buddies: 'The importance of cadence is often underestimated by cyclists... See what I'm doing...' At this On Cloud Shoes Sock Advice, I dramatically downshift... then apply the "feet sliding" technique. My e-bike shots forward leaving the group in the dust! I gradually upshift and ride even faster! It often ends up in a road race with my mates!
After having slowed down I continue: 'And I promise to you I did not increase the e-bike assistance!'
Just fancy their face expression if we are talking the low power Vado SL!
