Originally Posted by
Caliper
Actually... I figured these would be the best due to their tread and stiff sole. It's not like I'm out there trying to do singletrack on Chesters with a Look cleat hanging out, lol. The SPD cleat is entirely recessed and isn't touching the Chesters, but the pegs are gripping the tread so I am able to pull back on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke when I want. My tennis shoes at this point have almost no tread left and a very soft sole. I've got a pair of lightweight boots that have decent tread and sole stiffness.
I guess since I have never held a set, how are the 510's? I thought they were a rigid sole for pedaling? I've gotta hunt a bit more for a shop that stocks them, or has them in stock that is...
Some spd shoes are better than others in non-clip-less mode. I had one set that were actually pretty decent. But they were not the greatest for clip-less mtb application.Decent, but not great. Jack of all trades master of none.
But in general, while clipless shoes do a great job of offering the sole stiffness you want for good power transfer, the soles are not the best for interfacing with flat pedals.
Its not the tread pattern that matters as much as the softness and stickiness of the tread. In fact, deep treaded soles can be counterproductive as the pins of the pedal can’t grip if they end up in a groove between tread lugs.