Amoroh

hi, what footware do u ware for long distance tour? and why?

Amoroh

hi, what footwear do u wear for long distance tour? and why? not only biking but also doing alot of hiking with and without bike?

Trevtassie

Shimano XM-9 nice looking SPD Hiking boot with Vibram soles. Done some long hikes in them. If you are walking for more than half a day it's worth taking the cleats of and putting the sole covers back on.

andrewclaus

New Balance trail runners with Superfeet inserts.

Trevtassie

Shimano XM-9
because it's an spd hiking boot. Vibram sole. Looks nice walking in cities.
last a long time.
comfortable.
take off the cleats and put the covers back on if you are hiking for more than a few hours.

Tourist in MSN

Biking I use bike shoes, mostly use Keen Commuter 4 sandals (now discontinued) or some Serfas shoes, both of which use SPD cleats. The SPD cleats make these shoes less than ideal for hiking.

Hiking, Merrill Moab waterproof hiking shoes. If my bike shoes are soaked from rain or if I am on really rough rocky terrain with my bike, I will use the hiking shoes instead of the bike shoes on the bike.

Pedals, usually Shimano M324 or occasionally Shimano A530 pedals, both of these models have a flat platform side that I can use my hiking shoes and the other side works with cleats.

joesch

Does Hike & Bike mean needing to hike with bike or leave bike and hike??
If leaving bike then it makes sense to have two pairs and a backpack to carry the pair now wearing.
Otherwise the best dual purpose shoe.
Not sure what discussion option was asked.

cb400bill

Merged duplicate threads.

Happy Feet

For mtbing and off road stuff I use my trail running shoes and running gaiters, Solomon speedcross 4's.

For road touring with moderate walking (where riding is the main focus) I use a cleated shoe like the Peal Izumi X Alp.

For mixed bag walking and biking (with more walking) I use a good quality leather walking shoe.

I usually only take one pair of shoes on tour (the ones I'm wearing).

nun

the A530 are discontinued and replaced with EH500

Nyah

I wear the same footwear whether I'm cycling or not. Toe-clips accommodate any footwear (or even lack thereof).

Tourist in MSN

I was unaware, thank you. That said, my A530 will always be A530.

The EH530 look like a significant improvement, the A530 could be a bit slippery, especially when wet. A friend of mine had his foot slip off of an A530, his hospital stay was a few days.

veloz

Pearl X Alps as they’re good on bike and passable on hiking. Some trips I carry a pair of Teva sandals for off bike wear.

nun

Yes in rain the A530 flat side was slippery. The EH500 has set screws to provide grip on the flat side. I needed some pedals for a new bike recently as so ended up with the EH500 and they look good.

The shoes I use are Shimano SH-M089L with recessed SPD cleats and they are ok on and off the bike.

tspoon

I use sandals on platform pedals. Like others above, I only take one pair of footwear. In the past I've used flip-flops on platforms too, when in warmer locations. My toes like to feel the breeze. In winter they like water-proof socks which are also generally nice and warm.

indyfabz

What did you wear during your tour through Tibet, India, Pakistan, etc.?

gerryl

Like others above I only take one pair of footwear. If the tour is long enough and the weather conditions change I simply dump whatever I had and purchase whatever I need.
Weather permitting - sandals
Cooler weather - whatever keeps my feet warm and dry.
I use platform pedals.

UniChris

Interesting, that's what I've settled on too, both for daily wear and distance rides on platform pedals (not exactly going to clip in on a unicycle, though it's been done).

But they don't seem to last long, and I especially worry what will happen if I have to ride through rain or wade through mud in a way I've so far avoided by picking day rides according to weather.

Been wondering about five ten impact highs but not yet had a chance to try any on.

MarcusT

I used to wear five tens, really liked them, but then I got caught in the rain and they soaked up water like a sponge and took days to dry out.
I switched to Solomon Gore Tex trainers

boomhauer

I've been wearing these mesh type shoe.
If it rains then I take my socks off and just let the water run through.
Works good for swimming in rivers, also.
They work well in hot weather (with socks). Lots of ventilation.
I use platform pedals with those little spike things sticking out of them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

andrewclaus

I only use New Balance because they have an extra wide size, and there's a store near my home called Big 5 that routinely has them on sale for under $50. I have no brand loyalty to them.
You're right, they don't last long and it bothers me to throw shoes away every season.

I came back to bike touring after a long distance hiking "career", and the NB runners were the perfect shoe for that. The minimalist ethic I learned on the trails led me to downsize the number of shoes I have, and the bike shoes were second to go, after work shoes. I'm now down to just trail runners and ski touring boots.

djb

I really have to disagree with you on this one. Cleat bolts are notorious for loosening after initial tightening. I've been on top of mine with sone loosening over the years, but toured once with someone whose one bolt came out, and couldn't release his shoe then. We luckily found the bolt on the ground, and I was able to undo the second loose bolt somehow, but now we had the cleat in the pedal.
luckily I could borrow some pliers from a store and get it out, and was able to then reinstall the cleat to shoe, threads not too damaged luckily.
So it worked out, but with lots of luck.

I also have one cleat slightly turned askew, I've got a funny knee, so don't like the idea of repositioning it again.
I'm picky about all fine adjustments on my bike, seat height, seat position, so never want to change things once sweet spot is achieved. Long hard days in the saddle on a heavy touring bike require everything just right.

anyway, the bolt loosening factor is a real one, but yes it would be nice not to have cleats grating on rocks, I get it.

Trevtassie

Dunno about you but my XM-9s have a nice big imprint of each cleat exactly where they fit. So they slot straight back in place, in fact unless they were being moved a lot they will go back into the same place every time and that place is already compressed.
And cleat bolts come loose on tour, that's a given. It's basic physics, lots of leverage on two small bolts not very far apart . I usually check them when I'm checking rack bolts, maybe one or twice a week. And like rack bolts I carry a spare or two just in case.

djb

You know, I think we've already touched on this topic before, I seem to remember it...
as you say, it's certainly doable, but I do think that a good majority of people never think of checking stuff for tightness. I think all of my riding friends never give a second thought to it, nor little maintenance really.
that's why I brought up my story, just more of a reminder of the importance of checking bolt tightness regularly.
on tour I also do the "once a week " bike go over, but hardly ever think of it with my commuter bikes....

UniChris

Wow! Once it warms up those do look quite tempting for some possible canal towpath tours where either extended rain or flooding are concerns.

Have you had issues with sand getting inside them? Some reviews complain about it going through the mesh - I wouldn't be taking them to the beach and the fines on most trails seem to be either packed or damp.