mstateglfr 

The least of my points was to suggest you shouldnt buy a nice bicycle. That post flew over you.

DropBarFan

Nobody's biting for this idea, hmm. Most bike tourists spend majority of touring time riding vs walking so it would seem optimal to improve pedaling efficiency. Internet is surprisingly lacking on data about shoe/pedal weight's effect on efficiency, just anecdotes.

Besides mechanical efficiency one must consider physiology. Heavier shoes/pedals increase mass at the worst spot in re leg leverage. High cadence is best to minimize fatigue but that also magnifies penalty from heavier shoe/pedal combo.

Happy Feet

There in lies the rub. Today's better bike is tomorrows cheap bike, yet the mechanical attributes won't change. What the pros rode in 1970 or 1980 or 1990 are cheap secondhand bikes today. What you should look for is not a brand so much but what makes a particular component, or group of components work well for touring. That really doesn't change too much.

For shoes/pedals I know I don't want to clip in and out all day and I want a shoe I can also walk in easily (so I don't have to bring two pairs). With that in mind I want a larger stable platform and prefer toe clips with loose straps to keep my feet oriented on the pedal but not cinched in. I like hiking shoes as they give me the best mix of walking comfort, durability and stiffness for biking.

Dropbar...

I think in theoretical terms, as in a straight forward road race, a light shoe may be better but there are some other real world concerns I have when touring.
When actually riding during the day, the time I need to walk most is up steep gradients so I want a shoe that will allow that most easily. Otherwise I am walking around campgrounds and dirt trails etc... So, I weight durability vs lightness as I am using one pair of shoes only for everything and don't want them to fall apart.

staehpj1

I am not especially advocating light road shoes and 3 hole road cleats, but in my experience good brand (like Sidi) dedicated bike shoes that aren't trying to be hybrid walking/riding shoes have held really well. On the other side of the coin the I have used hybrids have not. So I doubt that durability is a big negative for road shoes.

I have actually seriously considered wearing my Sidi road shoes and look pedals and cleats on tour. I find that I can walk short distances comfortably with Kool Kovers on the cleats and the covers take most of the wear. They slip on in a few seconds. I'd carry some other footwear for those times I want to walk longer distances. What the second pair would be would vary with the tour, how likely it would be that I would be walking much distance, and how rough the terrain was likely to be. It could be light flip-flops, Crocs, racing flats, or light trail runners.

Not sure if I will ever actually do it, but I don't think it is a terrible idea for some folks on some types of tours.

fietsbob

It is Done .. beats up the cleat & obviously you need to bring walkabout shoes .. Hundreds of PNW coast tourers every summer ,

Some wear road shoes ..

I dont. just watch what touring riders, passing thru town, Do ..

staehpj1

Using Kool Kovers when off the bike can pretty much eliminate that.

I find them to not be that bad to walk short distances in, but can see where others might.

Happy Feet

I can't argue the point too much because footwear is something I have mixed feelings about (for climbing I had a lot of different footwear). For cycling I move between commuting, touring and mtbing and have (atm) 6 different bikes so the footwear has to be flexible, plus my son and I go hiking trails a lot so I seek more of a "lifestyle" shoe than activity specific.

Having said that I do believe that a shoe can make the difference so if one is looking to make distance as the main focus of a tour a dedicated shoe/pedal may help. I like taking video and pics too much and stop and start a lot whenever whimsy calls so clips would be a pita for me.

It's just my 2CW but I think a person should write out all the activities they like to do on a tour and then see what sort of platform meets most of those needs (or bring a bunch of shoes I guess). That shoe/pedal would be different for some I'm sure. We have not even touched upon ballroom dancing or slack lining.

Squeezebox

I often wear my crocs to Contra dancing.

luker

No love for egg beaters, huh? I think that they work best for multiple surface tours...and combined with a shoe that has a walking surface so that the cleat is recessed, you can actually use 'em for off bike stuff like restaurants and grocery stores. I bought pearl izumi transalp X IV shoes this last spring and used them for everything except dedicated road riding. They have a stiff sole, a good grippy tread, and the soles are relieved just behind the toe so that they bend while hiking/walking/dancing/whatever.
I probably have about 500 off-pavement miles on the shoes and they're looking kind of sorry, but they worked so well that I'll be in the market for another set next spring.

staehpj1

I never tried them. One reason is that most of the folks who recommended them touted float as a big plus and I prefer a pedal with minimal float. I read that Crank Bothers now make a pedal with less float, but it relies on how recessed the pedal is in the sole for adjusting float and requires various sized shims as the sole wears down if you want to keep the same amount of float. That didn't sound attractive to me. Also I figure that Shimano SPD pedals and cleats are probably the most widely available if you have a pedal or cleat problem on tour. So I will probably stick with SPD.

Besides it would cost me a fortune to swap out all my pedals on all my bikes.

I find I can use my Sidis and spd cleats for any day to day walking I do on tour. If I will be walking more than a few miles or hiking over especially rocky terrain I'd take trail runners, but on most tours don't find that I need too.

niknak

I prefer pedals that can be installed and removed with an allen wrench, especially a 6mm allen wrench. The MKS lambdas are excellent but not within the scope of this thread. In my experience only the cheap plastic pedals that come with new bikes work themselves loose. You have to snug them firmly with a pedal wrench to keep them on. I've never seen a nicer pedal come undone in about two years working at a bike shop. Put some grease on the threads and snug them up and they won't budge, but they come off easily with an allen wrench. Using these type of pedals means you don't have to tote around a pedal wrench on tour.

staehpj1

Another option with a lot of newer bikes is to just take the crank off to pack the bike for shipping to the tour and back to home. That way there is no need to take the pedals off.

For me even with a square taper BB I have gotten by with taking the crank arms off for shipping because I usually only pack the bike to get to the tour and most often have a bike shop pack it up and ship it home to avoid dealing with all that in a strange town. To me at least, at the end of the tour it is worth the $40-60 to not have to deal with it.

LuckySailor

I used SPD's and A530's for my last 74 day tour. Mountain biking shoes were D2 Kongs. Extremely stiff, and VERY comfortable. I wouldn't even take them off when I got to camp until after dinner and clean up was done, and I went to take a shower. Awesome shoes!

DropBarFan

Doing the S & S packing with Disc Trucker I took the left crank off & removed right pedal w/allen key. Allen key doesn't have as much leverage as a pedal wrench but seems to work OK, just needs a forceful push. One can buy Allen pedal tools with a handle for increased safety/ease. I think most flats-type pedal wrenches designed for shop use in mind: extra leverage makes the job easier esp since some bikes have pedals that are really stuck on bad. BTW the DT was my first bike with external BB, I was amazed how easy it was to remove cranks. Square-taper cranks not that hard to remove/install either but requires add'l tools.

imi

Good grief, I never even thought of that! Thx
I suppose you'd need the little plastic cap remover thingy (hollowtech), or is there a Mcgyver way to unscrew it?

staehpj1

Not sure. I don't have Hollowtech on any of my bikes, but the tool that comes with them looks like it is small and light.

imi

Yes, it is