DIY Road Training Shoes? Carbon Fiber "Sole Stiffeners"? Anyone done this?
05-17-15, 01:27 PM
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DIY Road Training Shoes? Carbon Fiber "Sole Stiffeners"? Anyone done this?
Tim Kelley's Carbon Fiber XC Ski Gear Mods
The above link gives simple instructions for creating carbon composite "sole stiffeners"; albeit for a totally different use. I pretty much need walkable shoes, even though I ride on the road, since I've rarely ever had a ride where I could go less than 100m on foot. Since the "touring" and "MTB" type shoes are typically less stiff, at least at the more affordable end of the spectrum, than decent road shoes, (NOTE: This is just my opinion and not critical to the question.) I wondered about using a "sole stiffener" CF layer under the sock liner to achieve a similar feel to race day shoes on everyday training rides that include the occassional errand, or other walk.
While the concept is quite simple, I've got no idea how effective this would be in practice and was wondering if anyone has actually tried something similar?
The above link gives simple instructions for creating carbon composite "sole stiffeners"; albeit for a totally different use. I pretty much need walkable shoes, even though I ride on the road, since I've rarely ever had a ride where I could go less than 100m on foot. Since the "touring" and "MTB" type shoes are typically less stiff, at least at the more affordable end of the spectrum, than decent road shoes, (NOTE: This is just my opinion and not critical to the question.) I wondered about using a "sole stiffener" CF layer under the sock liner to achieve a similar feel to race day shoes on everyday training rides that include the occassional errand, or other walk.
While the concept is quite simple, I've got no idea how effective this would be in practice and was wondering if anyone has actually tried something similar?
Last edited by justinzane; 05-17-15 at 04:37 PM.
05-17-15, 02:51 PM
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Really cheap mtb shoes are kind of floppy, but so are road shoes. per price point, they're about the same.
05-17-15, 04:38 PM
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05-17-15, 04:38 PM
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05-17-15, 04:58 PM
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If you haven't bought any pair of shoes yet I'd just get better mtb shoes rather than doing this to cheaper ones. There's plenty of good XC mtb shoes with carbon+fiber glass insoles that are stiff in the $150~ range. I have the cheaper non carbon version of the shimano XC ones that I found on sale for like $50 and they're stiff imo.
05-17-15, 05:22 PM
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I put Shoe Goo on my Speedplay road cleats and I think there are very walkable. They don't make any clunking sound or slip on wet surfaces. But, there is nothing wrong with riding with mountain bike pedals and shoes.
05-17-15, 06:15 PM
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If you haven't bought any pair of shoes yet I'd just get better mtb shoes rather than doing this to cheaper ones. There's plenty of good XC mtb shoes with carbon+fiber glass insoles that are stiff in the $150~ range. I have the cheaper non carbon version of the shimano XC ones that I found on sale for like $50 and they're stiff imo.
05-17-15, 06:16 PM
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Thanks. I had considered that, bot for reasons not relevant here, I decided to go with MTB/touring shoes. I'm NOT unhappy with them; I'm just really curious about the DIY carbon soles.
05-17-15, 07:25 PM
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get these, you're welcome
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