ayrgee

Hi there, I just got a real road bike (Specialized Allez Sport) and am looking for some suggestions about footwear/pedals. Currently I have the Shimano flat pedals on there that they sold to me with the bike and do not have road riding shoes yet. Before I would just go out in Adidas because I was riding an old steel beater, but now I feel like that's not the best thing from either an ergonomic or aerodynamic perspective. I am fairly certain that I don't want to go the clipless route—I will be primarily riding on busy city streets when not doing loops in New York City's parks and the idea of clipping in and out with all the stoplights and unpredictable drivers seems too scary. However, I would like to go with a more aerodynamic shoe and pedal. Can anyone point me to a good combo that doesn't break the bank? FYI I'm a woman who wears a size 7. Thanks!

guachi

You can ride in just about anything and if you aren't noticing any problems with your feet then there's probably little reason to switch. My wife's bike has flat pedals and she's ridden up to six hours in her tennis shoes and has never complained. So my advice at this point, since you just got your bike, is just to ride it and enjoy riding.

WhyFi

If there's such a thing as aerodynamic platform cycling shoes and/or pedals, I'm not aware of them.

Clipless in NYC really isn't a big deal, but something like two-sided clipless (SPD or Speedplay) would be even easier. If that still gives you the heebie jeebies, I don't see a reason to change what you've already got.

big chainring 

Kapusta

There is a big difference between crap and good flat pedals, even on a road or commuter bike. The difference between high quality flat pedals vs the cheap ones everyone is familiar with goes a long way towards closing the performance gap between flats and clipless.

Things to look for:
-Steel pins
-Large (wide and long) platform
-A truly flat or concave platform. Even and supportive without the “lumps” or high spots from axles or bearings.

I’ve tried a few different pedals, and the ones I like now on my road/gravel bike are the Diety Deftraps.
https://www.deitycomponents.com/deftrap_pedals.html
They run ~$50. I rode clipless on my road bike exclusively for16 years, started throwing flats into the mix 5 years ago, and the Deftraps are now what I use 80-90% or the time.

Be carful of super thin or minimalist designs. They often have to make compromises in the design with axles thicker than the surrounding pedal that can leaves a hot spot on a long ride unless you use very stiff soles.

There are other good options for sure. I like the Kona Wha Wha 2 as well.

Kapusta

For shoes, as with pedals, there is a big difference based on what you use. I go one of two routes:

One is cycling specific flat pedal shoes. The most well known are 5-10, but there are other. These are minimally treaded but very soft/sticky soles that grip a pinned pedal like velcro. The downside to some of these (for now) is that since they are heavily targeted to MTB, many lack the sole stiffness road riders want. However, some are stiffer. I have read that the Northwave Clan is among the stiffest out there. I have a pair of Ride Concept Hellions, and while they are on the stiffer side, I could use a bit more stiffness on longer road rides.

The other type is shoe is light hiking shoes with a stiff shank in the sole under the arch. These provide all the stiffness I need. Downside is they are not as grippy as true flat pedal shoes, but still plenty good for non-mtb applications. Trick is to find a pair without aggressive lugged sole, as the traction pins can get lost between the lugs. In my case a pair with a fairly worn down tread are perfect.

Iride01 

Hmm..... How aero dynamic is the rest of your bike and you?

Are you just wanting stuff that looks cool, sic, dope or goat?



IMO, I wouldn't get clipless pedals and shoes for riding in the city. I wouldn't get clipless right off the bat for any type riding if I didn't have experience on the bike already in that type riding.

Kapusta

Sorry, I ignored the aero part. Seems silly to make the sacrifices needed to make much difference there, especially considering where you are riding.

XXLHardrock

Maybe Vans or shoes with similar soles and flat pedals with adjustable and replaceable protruding pins. Adidas just came out with a cycling shoe in addition to the 5/10 brand they own.

Shimano PD- EH 500 will give you future SPD options. It’s kinda narrow for a flat pedal but given that you’ve only got a size 7 shoe, they may work great.

ayrgee

thanks, I will check those out!

caloso

Adidas Velosambas

SoSmellyAir

Riding a bike on the streets of Manhattan!? It has been almost 20 years since I lived in NYC, so traffic must have improved tremendously since I moved away.

For casual riding and busy city riding, I recommend these pedals, regardless of what bike one is actually riding.

Race Face Ride Pedals | REI Co-op

They are basically the no pin version of Race Face Chester pedals. They are inexpensive, spin well, sturdy, lightweight, provide a large, grippy platform, and need very little maintenance. My wife wears Nike size 7 and she liked these much more than the stock pedals on her hybrid bike. But she changed her mind and got an Electra Loft 7D and these would not match the style of the bike, so I put them on my hybrid to replace the Chester pedals. Now I don't have to worry about accidentally gashing myself with the pins while riding with her and our son. These ones are orange but Amazon and other retailers have all the other colors.

chaadster

It’s hard to make reccos without knowing what you need from the shoes, ayrgee , because the use informs the style and features, but assuming sport riding since this is the Road forum, I might suggest you take a look at the following:

1. Liv Avida https://www.liv-cycling.com/us/avida-mes-fitness-shoe



2. Garneau Urban https://garneau.com/us_en/women-s-ur...-shoes-1487278




For pedals, and again assuming sport riding, if platforms are what you want for sure, I’d second the earlier recco to get some with metal pins as the primary suggestion. There are many, and aside from style, don’t think there is a whole lot that needs to be considered there other than, as also mentioned, just to make sure they’re flat and that the spindle isn’t higher than the deck. I’ve not actually seen such a thing myself, but apparently it’s an issue, and I think it would be quite a design flaw, too.

The other thing I’d say about pedals is that SPD cleats are not hard to learn to use. Once you get accustomed to the twist-to-release motion, they’re really easy to live with and truly enhance riding performance. Particularly in an urban environment where a secure pedal connection can help clear and avoid obstacles or give you the control to avoid a dangerous situation, SPD can be great if you’re out there getting after it and going hard.

With that and your concerns in mind, I’d suggest looking at combo pedals which offer a platform side and an SPD side. The shoes I linked to offer the option to run SPD, both because I think clipless is worth considering, and because shoes designed for cleats are generally stiffer for better power transfer to the pedals.

1. Issi Flip2 and Flip3 https://rideissi.com/pedals/issi-flip



2. Shimano EH 500 https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/produ.../PD-EH500.html

Ogsarg

Ditto the above. Silly to spend the money unless and until you find something lacking in what you have.

ayrgee

These look awesome, thank you!

Kapusta

Yep. In some cases ignorance is bliss. I used to do long road/gravel rides with mediocre pedals and running shoes. It worked fine... or so I thought. I never would have tried something better if not for my foray into flats on my MTB. Once I tried the good stuff, the difference was clear to me, even on a road/gravel bike.

Elvo

Five Ten Freeriders + Crank Bros Mallet

@work

Yerrrrr. Would love to try these out soon enough. My grocery getter w/ Cetma Rack has bmx platforms. I rock Sambas, Skate High's or Lows, anything pretty much bc of the platform pedals. Comfortable for local errands and commuting.

PaulRivers

Five Ten makes flat bike shoes that use a special rubber compund that grip pedals with pins tightly, with a regular flat rubber bottom.

Not cheap. But they redesigned them recent and they look pretty good. Here's one:

https://www.adidas.com/us/five-ten-f...es/FZ3293.html



It comes in all black to. They list out their other models here:
https://www.adidas.com/us/five_ten?start=0

For pedals p've heard good things about raceface chesters at $40:
https://www.amazon.com/RaceFace-Ches...dp/B018J1J7QE/

I have big feet though, and the most comfortable pedals I've ever found are DMR Vault's:
https://www.dmrbikes.com/Catalogue/P...lt-2/Vault-NEW

chaadster

ayrgee Have you seen these Santic brand shoes?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08K8...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don’t know anything about them, but they are interesting; road race styling with rubber outsole. Someone made a thread on them over in General Discussion forum, but I didn’t read any of it, nor did I look at the review section. If it’s the style you want, may be worth looking into.

Kapusta

Those look like lousy shoes for flat pedals, IMO. The sole is all wrong in so many ways. I think those would have really poor grip and connection to the pedal.

chaadster

I don’t get the placement or function of the raised bit, but other than that, I don’t recognize any critical flaws...assuming the outsole is a good quality rubber. I’m no expert, although I have ridden all kinds of flat pedals over the years in a wide variety of shoes. These wouldn‘t be my first choice for aggressive riding or all-weather riding, but I can imagine for rec riding, especially with platform pedals, they might be okay. What are the elements you’re seeing that make it all wrong?

Kapusta

I explained my issues with this in the other thread:

Have you ever used a flat pedal with road shoes without a cleat? It's not very good. The shape is all wrong. I mean, it works, but not all that great.

chaadster

Ah, those are good points! I hadn’t considered the curvature, but can imagine how that could make foot placement critical.

That said, I do think the demands of BMX or MTB/freeride (and the pedals used) are different than road cycling, so maybe as you say, there’s some room for the Santic to be a decent option with the appropriate equipment.

Maybe a cage pedal design, like MKS Sylvan Stream Next, would be preferable to a platform pedal for this shoe, concentrating grip in that narrow band on the sole and helping locate that foot position. I’d probably suggest a half- or quarter toe clip to help keep it there, too (assuming the OP’s concerns with clipless pedals extends to full toeclips).

They’re certainly styled right for road culture, but totally see your point that there are easier, more comfortable options. As Billy Crystal’s Fernando character used to say, “It’s better to look than to feel good, darling, do you know what I mean?”

downhillmaster

Five Tens are nice but like all other Adidas footwear, they run narrow and I have never seen them
offered in a different width.