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Unfortunately, they only REALLY work well with said cleated shoes when cinched down tight, and then they can be tough to get free of when you really need to (emergency stops, or even normal stops when you've forgotten to loosen them and you're about to fall down in front of a line of stopped cars... Can you hear the voice of experience here?).
That difficulty in getting out of clips and straps is one of the key benefits of clipless pedal systems. These keep you firmly attached to the pedal until you want to get out... then you just twist your foot slightly outboard, and you're free. Clipless systems require the use of cycling shoes and compatible cleats if you're to get any benefit from them.
What are the benefits? With either type of system, once you've trained yourself to make use of them, you can pedal more efficiently by using more of the pedal stroke for generating power... "scraping" your foot across the bottom of the stroke and beginning your downstroke a little earlier without fear of your shoe sliding off the pedal. With more practice at "spinning", you will usually find yourself adding a slight pull almost all the way around the upstroke.
Drawbacks? Any of the usable options will be considerably more expensive than tennies and discount-store pedals, as even clips and straps won't gain you a lot until you've invested in the shoes and cleats. Cleats for clipped pedals (and older clipless models like my late, lamented Looks) protrude from the bottom of the shoe, making walking awkward at best.
Are they worth it? If you're "serious" about cycling (and I'm assuming that interest in Cycle Oregon equates to seriousness), then I think they are.
I've used clipless systems for 11 or 12 years now. About a year and a half ago, I bought a new mountain bike that came with clips and straps. I was amazed that 1) I could even use the things any more; and 2) I had altered my stroke so much that I pulled out of the straps on nearly every climb, no matter how tight the straps were. I had to break down and buy new pedals.
Scott Saulsbury
Before I got SPD pedals & mountain bike shoes, which are still relatively light, but much easier to walk in, I carried either a pair of zoris, or these shoes I found for a dollar in a variety store - they're kind of a heavy corduroy, with rubber soles that don't slip but do fold up small, for all the assorted foot trekking that occurs on an average CO day . Of course this meant I had to have a seat bag big enough to hold 'em, but that was less hassle that clonking around in cleats, or having to "floss" them every time I got back on the bike.
Jeanne Gostnell
A blast from your water bottle directly into the cleat will usually clear out the mud and grit. I have the same problems, but the pedals are worth the inconvenience.
Dana C. Ham
I love my Time ATAC carbon pedals. They are a mountain bike style of pedal with a recessed cleat, but they work great on a road bike. They are easy to get into and out of because the clips are on both sides of the pedal. So I can walk like a normal person, and I haven't got my cleats clogged with dirt, or broken, or had any problems whatsoever. I have them on both of my bikes.
=d=a=v=e=
The year before last, I switched from Time road pedals & shoes to SPDs - the mountain pedals & shoes. These have turned out to be perfect for Cycle Oregon, because the shoes are easy to walk in and the cleats don't get gunked up easily, which was the case with the Times. The mountain pedal is accessible on both sides and the degree of "float" is adjustable, so I haven't experienced any knee problems. I lucked out on the shoes and got two pairs on a closeout; slightly different styles, both for $100.00 – one pair accommodates heavier socks for cold weather riding, which is nice, but yeah, there is a cash investment when you get a whole new system. Another benefit, however, is that on climbs you can bring your hamstrings much more into play without pulling your foot out - Power to the Pedal! I find the SPDs easy to click in and out of, yet very secure – being attached to the pedal also means better bike control in unexpected or hazardous situations.
Jeanne Gostnell
Just to be clear, you're not looking at just cleats or just cleats and shoes, but a cleat/shoe/pedal system. Hence the fairly large expenditure, no matter what brand or style you get.
I've seen Speedplays suggested, and I've heard a lot of good things about them. However, for the type of riding that most of us do (as in NOT racing), the Speedplay "Frog" style might better suit your needs. These seem to be a "best of both worlds" option, combining the recessed cleat profile that can take advantage of SPD-style touring and MTB shoes, but have (I'm told) a better engagement system and smoother "float". Like the road model and SPD pedals, Frogs are two-sided.
I have used the "old" Look style, and I really loved them for everything except walking. These had a very large protruding cleat that was slick and actually a little dangerous to walk on. You could put cleat covers on them, but then you had to stick those someplace when you ride. My current road bike came with "new" Looks... these have a small cleat that fits inside the "pocket" that SPD cleats use on touring and MTB shoes. They're OK, but they're single-sided, and took a lot of wear to get to the point where the float was actually free. The release tension is adjustable... a nice feature.
A while back, my boss asked pretty much the same question as you are, and I said he should take a good look at the Frogs and ask around, because I have never heard anything but glowing reviews about them, either in shops or from actual users. He was very leery about abandoning the strap/clip/sneaker combination that he'd been using for years... concerned about knee injury, exit troubles, whether the benefit was worth the expense, etc. He got more good reviews about the Frogs, made the switch, and has been raving about them ever since... says he's never climbed better, that they float completely freely (no hesitation at all) and that he can always get out of the pedal when he wants to. He's a complete convert.
I also have standard SPD MTB pedals on my mountain bike. I chose them over the Frogs and against the advice of two different bike shop folks. My rationale was that I wouldn't feel $40 worth of difference between them. I'm pretty sure I was wrong. Compared to other systems, the SPD setup has always seemed balky on both entrance and exit, and when you have to get out fast (say, when bailing off the bike when the back wheel loses all traction and you're about to fall over 'cause you have no momentum), having a pedal stick is a real drag. I've gone all the way down lots of times because the pedals don't release when they should.
That sort of thing is much less important on the road, and Shimano makes a road-specific model that's a little lighter and a little nicer looking, and uses the same cleat. So, maybe it's a valid option for the road.
One more possible anti-SPD note... about a year ago, I was on a long ride and met up with another rider going about the same speed I was, so we chatted for a while. Turns out he was riding SPDs, and he was in a lot of trouble... one cleat was stuck firmly in the pedal. It would not float, and would not release, and the other side was sticking a bit when he tried to release, so he had to plan stops very carefully. He had to pop the other side off in order to stop, and then had to remove the shoe completely and leave it hanging on the pedal in order to dismount.
I've never heard of any other pedal system that had a problem like that, and it's never happened to me, but it seems it is possible. I'm guessing a pebble was stuck in the pedal mechanism, but I never heard for sure.
I don't mean to sound negative about clipless systems... I love them and don't feel I can ride to maximum potential without them, but some are definitely better than others.
Scott Saulsbury
PS: when I'm rich, famous, or more willing to flex the credit card, I'll probably put Frogs on both bikes.
I ride with Speedplays (the originals, not Frogs)) on my road bike and my knees love them, but IF ever I need to walk in them through dirt ( and we do have some unridable sections of road around here) AND IF any dirt gets stuck in them, I can become either locked in or locked out of my pedals...My other Speedplay riding pals and I have been spotted seated by the side of the road using small sticks to clean out our cleats.
Overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a long way!!
Merry Maloney
At the Portland Bike show earlier this year, a representative from the X and Frog pedals set up demo bikes with different cleats. I had the chance to try both and compare them to my current cleat: Shimano SPD's.
I found the Frog pedal icy. While easy to get into and out of, it was too slippery on the "float." "Float" describes the amount of side to side movement your foot rotates on the surface of the pedal. Since then I have heard from others that sand and dirt helps to remove some of the icy feeling. But I wasn't convinced enough to buy them.
Because of your knee problems, the more float the better.
Then I tried the X pedals, and these were buttery smooth. Easy to get into and out of, lots of float, but one huge draw back. The cleat that attaches to the bottom of your shoe is huge, so huge that it would be almost impossible to walk on. Walking is a concern to me because sometimes I go into stores to buy Power Bars, or worse still, forgot my pump with a flat tire and walked home (2 miles). This would have been hard to do w/ those huge cleats. But ohmygawd, did they feel great on the bike.
I use the Shimano SPD pedals. The cleats are small enough to be recessed in different kinds of biking shoes, so walking is not a problem. Downside? Very little float, only 3 - 4 degrees on each side, so this may not be the answer for your knee problems.
Ken Kahn
PS Still confused? Some bike stores allow you to demo pedals/cleats and see which ones you like.
PPS If you've never used clipless pedals before, be forewarned. Everyone falls over once forgetting how to get out of them, usually at dead slow speed. After that the learning curves flattens out.
For what it's worth, I've ridden many miles on Speedplays and love them dearly. Used to ride Look, have ridden SPD, and found the float on Speedplays to be very comfortable for the long haul. The sense of having "excess" float seems to settle down after using them for a while. I truly love being able to just step down on the pedal without looking and clip in. It doesn't matter where the pedal is in its rotation, when you step on it, it rotates to accept the cleat.
Don't plan to walk much in them, though. It really limited my ability to hike to the falls last year on the downhill day to Glide during CO XI. I'd recommend taking some sandals along if you plan to do much walking. Don't have any experience with covers, but I suspect that the physical size of the cleat would still make much walking uncomfortable.
BTW, a squirt or two of White Lightening into the cleat will solve most "clip in" problems with Speedplays. I've never had problems getting out of them.
DWW
I got the mountain bike shoes & pedals (both Shimanos) mainly because I spent too many Cycle Oregons, and stops at coffee houses on Sunday rides, clomping about in road cleats that were awkward & treacherous. It didn't hurt either that I got such a good deal on the shoes when I was out shopping around - the cleat is recessed into the shoe sole and the heel is more like a regular shoe. At least when I bought mine, the road/racing systems all had cleats that stick way out of the sole & make walking difficult, not to mention odd-looking. Even recessed, the cleat can be a little slippery under certain conditions (that you learn to watch for) - I've never had any problems clicking in or out - but after the Times, most anything would be an improvement.
My spouse just got a new system after years of using Look; the pedals are the Frogs you mention, and others have written about. He's very happy with them - especially since we just bought a used Lippy tandem, and went for our first long ride yesterday. What with everything else to get used to in learning to Tandem, the Frogs were so easy for him to get in and out of that starting and stopping went very smoothly.
Happy hopping with your Frogs,
Jeanne
[After CO 12 - ]
We have Frogs and we really like them. The float took a few hours to get used to, but I would hate to be without it now and it has made my right knee much happier.
Cleaning mud out of them has not been much of a problem - just push it out with the pedal as you click in - or maybe the mud I've been in hasn't been as nasty as other people's.
However, the little rubber thing inside the cleat eventually dies – especially if you walk on gravel a lot and manage to get a tiny little rock wedged in there. It is easy to replace, although I would advise you to mark the outline of the cleat on the soles of your shoes first so you get the second cleat mounted exactly the same. In fact, I just traced around the cleats on all our shoes with a marking pen so I don’t need to be concerned if I end up replacing one of these out in the boondocks somewhere.
We bought a package of extra cleats and stuck one in our bike bags. They are very small and flat and weigh nothing.
I would not let this slow you down if you are considering Frogs. It is minor maintenance and certainly MUCH easier than flat repair or those other problems that befall us as we ride along.
Rox Heath
[After CO 13 - ]
After leaving Antelope and heading out I couldn't get my right foot to click in correctly. I tried several times and it just wouldn't float right and wouldn't stay in. So I stopped and looked. Sure 'nuf the little pad that keeps the shoe on the Frog pedal had disappeared. (Antelope had crushed gravel roads and I have a long, gravel driveway so I walk on gravel often.) With this piece missing you tend to mash rather than spin, but I figured it was no big deal and continued up the hill. At the sag stop at the top I sat at a picnic table and replaced the cleat on my shoe while I ate. Make SURE you carry a spare (they're small). I would not have wanted to go without all day. Replacement only takes a couple of minutes once you find your Allen wrench. BTW, it is a good idea to put a little Vaseline or something on the screws before you put them in to keep corrosion out. I always have one of those little tubes of the Vaseline with sunblock for my lips along anyway.
Rox Heath
I recently bought a new pair of cycling shoes and, in a fit of "Gee whiz - those look neat!" a pair of Frog pedals.
Unfortunately, I have not been having a very good experience with them. This may be due to the fact that I have had my SPD's for ten years, and have not yet become accustomed to them. It may also have to do with how they work on my long wheel base recumbent.
However, after STP and about 40 additional flat land miles the week before, I am ready to give up on them.
I am finding them frustrating to get into - mainly because the entry is not near so noticeable as with the SPD's.
Also, and much more importantly, I have had some near crashes specifically because of the Frogs. Admittedly, there may be some need to spend more time in them, but the experience is a little too bizarre to attribute my experience to mere unfamiliarity.
Sometimes I slip out of them with the slightest effort - exactly at the wrong time - say, when climbing a hill and I need all the power my legs can deliver. While lack of grace is not a serious issue, my flailing feet are real problem.
Almost as likely, I cannot get out smoothly. It is like I am not properly clipped in. Shades of my original SPD days, years ago.
Do any of you have words of wisdom for me?
Truly, I am very close buying some SPD cleats for my new shoes, going back to my old SPD pedals, and attempting to sell a pair of Frogs with less than 240 miles and some scuffs on them - best offer will do.
Curt Coleman
What a coincidence! I just bought a pair of Frogs last night and have experienced some of the same things you have. I still have SPDs on my mountain bike, but I haven't exactly been thrilled with them. I had to get rid of the "new" Looks that came with my road bike, though... they were despicable in more ways than I can count. I've heard almost nothing but glowing reports regarding Frogs, so I jumped on the bandwagon, too.
The lack of an obvious "snap" on entry has been a bigger issue than I would have thought. The pedals float so freely that it's hard to tell if you're really "in" or not, so it takes a few revolutions to gain confidence in the engagement. I've found that with more entries and exits, I feel the click more. Make sure the cleats are really flat against the sole of your shoe... I had to grind away a bit of rubber to make sure this happened. If the cleat body sits up at all, the little rectangular engagement plate doesn't protrude far enough to get a good bite on the pedal.
Getting out hasn't been too much of a problem, but you really do have to swing your heel WAY out there. Takes some getting used to, but I'm almost there. If your base alignment (for minimum heel clearance) isn't as tight (as close to the cranks) as possible, disengagement will require even more heel swing. I don't know if the extra distance causes problems from your recumbent position... I would imagine it to be a bit awkward. I have ridden a 'bent with SPDs, and the heel rotation needed felt fine on it... too much more, though, and it might not feel so natural.
I almost splatted on my way home tonight because I had forgotten about the new pedals, so I had to force myself to concentrate on what I was doing when stopping... haven't had any problems since then. The jury's leaning hard toward keeping the Frogs without further complaint (for me), but I can definitely sympathize with your problems.
Good luck!
Scott Saulsbury
I obsessed about clipless pedals until I found one I really liked. I didn't like standard spds, because there wasn't enough float. As for frogs, I found them too slippery. The one I like the most (until I found the ones I REALLY liked) was the X pedal, but they were cumbersome to walk on. So what's my solution? Hard to find, but BEEBOP pedals are great. Not only do they have as much float as X pedals, but they are super light and easy to walk on I had them on my Bianchi and now have them on my Stratus. Check out http://www.bebop.com
Ken Kahn
I have a friend that is riding the Frogs on his TE Bent and he "did" have a challenge at first. However, the mechanic had installed the wrong cleat on the wrong shoe so you might double check yours! I don't recall now what his symptoms were. He took them back and another mechanic found the problem. It did take him a while, however, to get acquainted with them even installed the correct way.
Scott is right about the cleat position. That could be why your coming out prematurely. Meaning that you "should" have to kick out farther to get out. That's what Frogs are all about - more float.
NOTE - I have noticed that I require more float on a Bent than a Wedgie. The different bottom bracket position created a whole new spin/float pattern for me. However, I was able to accommodate with cleat rotational adjustment on the shoe.
I recall the learning curve of getting used to them. I felt like I was on ice for the first few rides. Then I started enjoying ALL THAT WONDERFUL FLOAT. However, you definitely shouldn't be coming out of the pedal unexpectedly.
I have the Speed Play road pedals (which is the maker of the Frogs) on a road bike and love them. However, they are not convenient for using the same shoe on four different bikes that have interchangeable cleats/pedals.
Anyway, walking on a road shoe is sort of ridiculous for this rider who enjoys "Dinking" around with impromptu side trips to mix with the locals and check the trees out for nature calls.
Capt. Dink ~
I have the Frog mountain bike pedals. Quite a bit of my shoe had to be ground away in order for the cleats to fit properly on the shoe. Make sure you have a professional examine your fitting before you despair (ask Aaron at the Bike Gallery downtown). I too was initially disturbed by the relatively soft insertion (I'm coming from the world of Look pedals which give you a resounding clunk when you cleat in.) And the massive amount of free play was...interesting...though I didn't find it objectionable. After several months with the Frogs, I am a real believer. The simple double-sided snap-in, the low weight and profile, and the tremendous free play can't be beat. And with these mtb pedals, I'm not so concerned about trashing my cleats like with the red nylon Look cleats that just about wore out on me last year.
Jason Penney
How to tell if your Frogs are "clicked in" -
My Frogs do not rotate freely when I am not totally "clicked in". Each time after I click in again I rotate my heel outward slightly on the next pedal stroke.
I have had Frogs for a couple of year’s now and the above discussion reminded me that I almost never un-clip at the bottom of a pedal stroke anymore when stopping. If you anticipate the stop you can swing your heel out slightly as you pull it up the back of the pedaling circle and the cleat will pop right out. This almost feels like your are rolling your shoe off and away from the cleat. At that point shift your foot slightly forward and continue pedaling (or coasting) with the pedal slightly more toward the arch of your foot for the last couple of feet. This way it won’t click back in. Once you get in the habit you don’t even think about it. It is a much more graceful exit that trying to swing your foot way out. I think they only teach you that exit because it is the easiest to learn fast.
Happy pedaling,
Rox Heath
I don't know about Frogs but a suggestion if I may be so bold...
Clamp your 'bent in a trainer stand and practice your ins and outs, try rotational adjustments, repeat till it begins to feel "right".
Also did you get the "cleats" located properly (fore/aft) on the shoe? Ie: measurements from SPD mounts? Kentucky windage? SWAG?.
At least in the trainer stand you can practice without faceplanting and get everything aligned proper without risk to life and skin.
I encourage this approach to anyone on any type bike when trying "clipless" pedals for the first time.
Don "faceplants can be soooo stupid looking" Bolton
After another commute using the Frogs, I'm overcoming my wariness of them. I feel (rather than hear) the "click" more consistently, and I haven't had a false-positive entry in quite a few tries.
Exits are smoother now that I'm getting used to the bigger swing my heel has to make. These, too, take some getting used to... there being no "snap" to indicate that your foot is free.
Don, Frog cleats are a lot simpler to set up than any others I've dealt with... the size of the cleat leaves you with few options for fore/aft adjustment, and, as Jason hinted, they're pretty wide ( I had to grind away about 1/16" of rubber on each side of the mount). So, you plug 'em in, then check for crank clearance. Adjust them so the heel just clears the crank, and you're done... the massive amount of float takes care of the rest.
Frogs WILL NOT release inboard. A ridge on the pedal hits a stop lug on the cleat. That's why setting up crank clearance is critical... it sets your safe inboard heel rotation limit. Again, if this limit is too far from the crank, your knee and lower leg might have to do some unnatural rotating in order to get free of the pedal.
Curt, don't give up yet... unless the 'bent position is causing problems I don't have, I think you'll find your way to liking the little amphibians. Don's idea about the trainer is a good one... wish I'd had one when I started using cleats and straps! Truth be told, I tested the fit and action of the Frogs in the backyard on my trainer before I hit the street.
Good luck,
Scott Saulsbury
I have seen Frog-usin' bent riders, so that's no excuse. Maybe they need to be adjusted. Yes, there is not the satisfying clank you get as when jamming your feet into SPDs. It's more subtle. But there is a gentle click. But the release is much easier for me than SPDs were, though I think mine were too tight.
Also, if the installer of Frogs didn't cut away enough of the shoe to make room for the large clip, your motion may be restricted and you won't get in as easily as you should, maybe resulting in a pseudo engaged clip that can come loose at the wrong time. I've never had a disconnect such as you describe. Ask Mike Magahay at Hall St.. BG. Finally, I'll take em off your hands if you can't make peace with them.
Amy Ream
OK, it's been a couple of weeks and at least a couple of hundred miles since I ditched the old "new" Looks and installed the Speedplay Frog pedals that have been almost unanimously raved about.
Here's what I think about them with some more time in them:
Uh... I'm converted.
These things are GREAT! Granted, they take a bit to get used to ('bout three days of commuting for me), but once I gained confidence in the engagement and exit process, I had no regrets about the purchase.
A warning might be in order, though... if you've got biomechanical problems that limit your ability to put a big swivel on your heel, you might have troubles with the exit. These units take much more pivot for exit than any other clipless system that I've used. There's NO spring tension... they just require a big range of motion.
Speedplay's company line is that riders will find the float a little odd (glassy or icy) at first, but will eventually find their own natural motion. I've found this to be dead-on. While I almost felt like I'd slip out of the pedals at first, my feet now stay within a limited range of rotation without conscious effort.
A huge plus for me is the fact that you cannot release by rotating your heels inboard. My right foot tends to toe out naturally when I relax, but it moves more toward a straight fore-aft position when spinning. When I get tired or sloppy, it can slip more outboard under stress. With conventional systems, setting up the cleats is a big compromise that will result in inadvertent releases from time to time... sometimes inboard, sometimes outboard. Now my heel can rest against the stop when relaxed (say, in a tuck coming down from Timberline), and I get full, resistance free motion in all other situations.
I'm sure that the standard Speedplay X pedals have similar features, but I don't think they're as well-suited for folks who find themselves walking in their cycling shoes from time to time.
Speedplay does not recommend using SPD road shoes with Frogs (I guess the cleat pocket isn't deep enough on most models), but they work fine with mine (this year's model is the SH-T090)... the bottom of Shimano's road line.
I like the feel, the entry action, the release, everything... but what I am the most thankful for every time I ride is that they DO NOT SQUEAK! I could have dunked the Looks in a vat of Phil Woods' Tenacious Oil and they still would have squeaked like a tank tread after five miles. The Frogs don't make a sound. I love that!
Scott Saulsbury
I have had the Frog pedals for a couple of years now and I would add the following:
Try not to walk on the cleats a lot on pavement because you will wear the little mushrooms down, chip off the top and then start slipping out all the time and have to replace them. First set lasted about a year and a half...I hope to go longer with the second pair.
The pedals need a little grease now and again depending how much rain you ride in. Be careful with the screws that hold the metal O-rings in because if you over tighten them it cracks the case and you have to replace them (been there and done that).
I DO LIKE THEM AND THE FREEDOM THEY GIVE YOUR KNEES TO MOVE !!!
Jim Bombardier
I rode around Hagg Lake today not on the road but on the single track. I have a new-found respect for my mountain bike and a new disrespect for my sissy road bike.
Anyway, I wear Nike Nubas. I have close to 11,000 bike miles on them. I wear Frogs and have them on both bikes. Let me tell you that Frogs are the only way to go. The Nubas are stiff enough to ride 100 miles on the road without numbness and flexible enough to walk in.
The Frog cleat is recessed in the shoe so that I can even walk in buildings without clicking.
I have only fallen once on my road bike from not being able to get out on my Frogs. Today I fell three times but I was trying to un-learn my road bike hill climbing habits. With my Frogs I was able to still ride the trail and quickly get both feet out when I had to.
I have bad knees from basketball, jogging, and, well age, but the Frogs have been a life saver. It is the main reason I wear them. You can damage your knees when your feet are rigid in a clipless pedal.
Lonnie Wormley
Hey gang!
Need your feedback:
Team Cycle Nu wants to know........SPD sandals.........
hate 'em? love 'em? where to get 'em?
thanks,
Chris & MaryAnn (the bare naked redhead)
Matt and I have been using SPD sandals for touring for the last couple of years. We love them. Imagine cool wiggly toes on those scorching hot days. We wear them with thin socks on the warm days and thick wool socks on the cold days. For extreme cold or rain, we add Sealskin socks. The sandals get wet in the rain, of course, but our feet stay warm and dry.
This system works great for us, but it may not be the right thing for everyone.
Incidentally, the Shimano SPD sandals are so comfortable that we usually don't even bother bringing along any other kind of shoes, not even for after the ride.
Susan Christie
I love 'em.
Dr. Amy loaned me a spare pair for the first two or three days of CO last year, and I was hooked. They were a mite too small for me, though, when wearing socks.
The sizing is metric, and they come in size "ranges", e.g, 39/40, 41/42. Amy's were 39/40, so I bought 41/42. In comparison, my Birkenstocks are size 40.
They are surprisingly versatile. For example, for winter riding you can put on thick hiking socks; such socks won't fit my cycling shoes. With the sandals, I just make the straps a bit looser. On hot days, you can ride without socks; don't forget the sunscreen, though! (The newer style, with brown synthetic leather straps that say "Shimano", are not as comfortable without socks as older ones with black straps.) If it's wet, put on overbooties, jut as you would with shoes. Or use plastic bags. When the rain stops, you don't have a soggy shoe that takes a couple of days to dry out. Want to go swimming or wading? SPD sandals are perfect. I rode 114 miles of the Community Cycling Century today, much of it in 90 degree plus temperatures. The sandals were great.
There are some other makes about; which you like is personal preference, I think.
Andrew Black
Love em!!!! Never get hot feet or sore feet.
It's hit or miss whether a dealer stocks them. Theoretically, any dealer that carries Shimano can order sandals. I don't see them in catalogs. There are other brands, too.
Amy -4 season sandals- Ream
I did COXII in Chacos. Can't beat the ventilation, especially without socks.
pk
I love the SPD sandals too!! Like Andrew said, they're very versatile! Buy a pair - you won't regret it!
Nanette "I was the envy of this weekend's club ride wearing them" Hoheisel
I wear SPD Shimano sandals too, they are great especially in the rain but do prefer cycling shoes when riding fast rides. I find it helps my cadence.
Barb the Floridian
It hit me that anyone here can order these sandals thru their local bike shop. You won't get to touch them and try them on first but if you know your required size your local shop should be able to order them for you. You should be able to see them on the Shimano web site and view the listed sizes.
I have done this over the years for various items (shoes included) thru a local family owned shop here in the St. Johns area. Since the dealers all deal with Shimano for drivetrain stuff anyways they are set up to purchase. They may be unable to stock the items due to the imposed quantity requirements to buy into that distribution channel, but they can special order no problem.
Don't expect them to compete with the catalogs on price though.
Don "sometimes the answer is right under your nose" Bolton
