The right answer will be different for different folks or even the same folks on different tours.
Originally Posted by
Lamabb
I'm debating if I want to use my mountain bike shoes and SPD "eggbeater" pedals or regular platform pedals (possibly the grip king pedal). I can ride for a day in the MTB shoes without discomfort but I feel that after a few days, my feet will be killing me. I have a history of foot pain in shoes with a stiff sole or siding.
How many of you ride with platform or toe clips? How much different is it than clipless pedals for touring. I figure since I won't be riding particularly fast, that platform would be the way to go for being able to walk around a city or hike a mountain during the tour.
My preference is spd pedals and Sidi MTB shoes (I like the cheaper Giau model). My rationale is that I will be spending way more hours riding than walking so I wear shores that are best suited to riding.
Originally Posted by
Lamabb
Oh, and by the way. You can't walk far with cycling shoes, MTB or road. The still sole won't allow you discomfort more than a few minutes of walking.
Definitely not what I have found. Hiking a mile or two in my Sidis is not a problem for me. My Trans America companions found the same. We did put on Crocs sometimes for hikes for a change of pace.
I agree that it is nice to have something else if hiking more than a couple miles. How important that is will depend on the amount of hiking involved. This year my daughter and I did more hiking of longer distances in Yosemite and did decide it was worth buying a pair of trail runners from the park store, but we wouldn't have done that for shorter hikes or for a single longish one. Since we were spending a week in Yosemite and hiking every day it was well worth it, but this is not the norm for me. If I know up front that I will be hiking longer distances fairly often I'll take my trail runners, but usually I limit hikes to 2 or 3 miles and 5 or more in a pinch isn't that bad.