Am I the only person who doesn't wear bicycling shoes? I

Never worn em

I've gone back and forth for getting around, I like sneakers and sticky pedals now. They are fine, you aren't missing anything incredible.

Nerd shoes are fun because you can really throw the hammer down on a light bike. The are annoying everywhere off the bike though. Clop clop clop.

No, most people don't for commuting or for casual riding. Mostly only for road cycling (as in the people who ride high end road bikes dressed in full kit; I'm not talking about just riding on a road) and sometimes mountain biking.
I have 5 bikes and currently only one has clipless pedals, though I'll be putting clipless on another one soon.

I have a pair that look like sneakers and the cleats only intermittently contact the ground when walking.

A few practical benefits:
> foot in perfect position every time
No putting foot on pedal then having to slide your foot around to get comfortable, which can be difficult depending on how your pedals / shoe tread mesh.
> effortlessly reset pedal position after stopping
Just lift the foot you aren't resting on the ground. Instead of taking foot off second pedal, putting foot under pedal to lift it, then putting foot back on pedal. I find this makes stop and go riding in traffic easier because you can come to a complete stop then set off again with no delay.
> foot retention
Had a foot come off a pedal a few times as a kid with bad results each time.

Biggest drawback would be you are sort of locked into always having to use clipless shoes since you won't want to be swapping pedals all the time.

The point is that you can spin faster without being limited by your ability to keep your feet positioned in the biomechanically ideal position, wet weather grip is suddenly only a problem for the tires and you don't have to worry about your feet slipping when you hit a bump or you're applying a lot of power, the stiffness (even for "commuter clipless shoes") gives better power transfer and it's faster, easier, and less error-prone to clip in and out compared to using straps or cages. 5 miles is a bit on the low side, I wouldn't bother

Also, high quality pair of platforms (such as saints) is a huge upgrade over the garbage pedals that come with a lot of bikes

Yes, OP, you are literally the only person.

I have just one bike - a road bike with clipless pedals. I love it...for anything but commuting.

I used to have another bike for commuting but I didn't really have space so sold it, also I got a new job that is literally a two minute cycle away.

It's a fucking pain in the ass having to change shoes at work when I cycle there. I spend more time getting ready for cycling to work than actually cycling to work. If it is just a bike for commuting and dicking around town then don't bother.

>>1071088
you dont need clipless pedals for short commutes or casual riding. just for longer rides where you wont be stopping or dismounting for a while

i wear a pair of old shimano spd touring shoes but with the cleat thingy removed, use toe straps for positioning instead - perfect for my year round commute and touring.

I don't use clipless but I use a DIY power grip and it really makes a difference to have your feet secured, mostly in comfort

>>1071088
cleats, flats, runners

3 different bikes

Why even ride bikes if you're going to be all shitty and retarded about it?

>>1071088
Congratulations, you aren't a Fred.

>>1071088
Once you try clipless, you'll never want to go back.

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>tfw the soles of your favorite pair of casual clipless sneakers fail after (four?) years of regular service for commuting and walking around at work
I'm just the opposite of OP, I own seven pairs of shoes and six of them have cleats, I dislike riding any significant distance without clipless pedals, even for commuting and running errands. As long the cleats are recessed, touring/MTB shoes are fine for walking around in, and don't make any extra noise when you're on a smooth surface.

I found a set of pedals with toe cages for 2 bucks at a thrift shop so I don't ever wear anything other than my regular shoes.

>>1071253
Absolutely false. You know the difference only after going full circle back to flats. Hopefully one learns the importance of proper spinning technique. Clipless are superior only when pushing really hard like sprinting. But when commuting etc. I find more important to use any shoes I like and the ease of mounting. And I don't suck at clipping in and out, since I've ridden mtb with clippless for years. But I also switched back flats on mtb because I wanted to do more low speed balance stuff etc. If I'd race enduro I'd definitely ride clipless to keep control and pedal through rough stuff. And for fast road riding clipless are no-brainer to get as close to the sonikkuh-speeds as possible.

>>1071088
>cycling shoes
>5 miles
>hurrrrrr

>have clipless pedals
>still don't have shoes for them

how shit am I for not either buying platforms or spd shoes

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>>1071088
I ride these I've adapted to some quality flat pedals with some big ass hiking boots. Its actually not a bad combo. Getting in and out is a breeze, way easier than other strap designs.

>>1071088
>I just don't see the point of buying special clip on bike shoes
That's because you don't ride very far or very fast.
Not even bullying you, just stating the obvious.
The point of clipless pedals (and what goes along with them) is safety and efficiency when riding hard. Try spinning at 150rpm with sneakers and platform pedals and no toe cages; it's damned hard, and chances are that your feet will slip off the pedals and you'll crash. You can't properly stand up on the pedals and do an all-out sprint on platform pedals with regular shoes, either, for the same reason (and you'd end up getting hurt worse). Also, my own personal observation: it takes more overall effort to ride with platform pedals, because you're having to always keep pressure on the pedal that's on the way up, so your foot stays on it. With clipless pedals you can exert some upward force when the pedal is rising, which means the opposing pedal, on the way down, doesn't need as much force. The result is you're less tired over distance because you're using less energy.

If all you use a bike for is short commutes and playing around close to home then don't worry about clipless pedals, but if you want to take it up a notch or two then consider getting them.

>>1071326
reinforcing this, if you're going to be riding less than a half hour, don't even bother with them, but if you're riding for an hour+, go ahead and get some clipless shoes.

Anything between a half hour and an hour is up to you, I'd probably stick with the shoes just because why not, if you dont like walking like you just bought new feet off the internet then get the 2-bolt spd pedals and one of those 'looks like a sneaker but its not' shoes.
Unless you want ultimate performance, then get 3-bolt and the clunky road shoes, but the problem solves itself because if you're using that kit you're probably going to be riding long distance just for the sake of it, not commuting or doing courier shit

I've been using old school bear traps (with DCs, Vans) and I have not had any grip issues ever. I've slashed some skin however..

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>>1071094

yep this

the 95 percent of the gainz are not worth 99 percent of the day to day inconvenience

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>>1071326
>Try spinning at 150rpm with sneakers and platform pedals and no toe cages; it's damned hard

its absolutly doable with pinned flats - grip on them is absoltuly fantastic.

I run dmr v8 on my road bike for the time being and Ive never had problems with grip - far from it, what I do have a problem with is feet positioning that can result in slight hip pain after long rides (without spds feet are not positioned as simetrically) + not enough sole stifness.

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>>1071094
>I have 5 bikes and currently only one has clipless pedals, though I'll be putting clipless on another one soon.

I really dont understand the push for spd on enduro type mtbs, its so much safer and fun to descend on flats, on a road bike however, spds feel absolutly logical since you pedal far more and in higher cadences and feet placement is a bigger issue.

>>1071088
I have a very old Shimano cycling shoes. I use the eggbeater style pedals.

I'm looking for new shoes, I want something that can ease my feet. I stay on my bike 5-8 hours at a time and ride anywhere from 60-100 miles in a single sitting.

I also want the ability to fully walk in the shoes.


What brand, and style should I look for?

>>1073866
Shimano SPD 'mountain bike' style cleats and pedals are what you probably want. They are also called 'two hole clipless'. The cleat is smaller and often recessed into the sole of the shoe so that it doesn't make contact with the ground when you walk.
Despite being called mountain bike cleats, you can get a wide range of pedals and shoes for them. I actually used them on my road bike for a year until I moved them onto my gravel bike.

>>1073870
I already have the eggbeater style crank northers pedals, I don't want to spend the extra to replace them.

And by walk I mean short distances. I don't want those race shoes that only have tread on the heal. Something I can out on, walk outside normally. I wouldn't be running, or anything else. I don't care if the clips rub the ground.

>>1073874
Yeah, I'm dumb and misread your post. Just look for a shoe that is compatible with two hole clipless and has a recessed cleat.
I use a pair of exustar mountain bike shoes and they are great but there's plenty of brands that make a similar shoe.
If you live in Canada or the US, check out the usual outdoors retailers (MEC/REM) or go down to a bike shop and see of they have a catalog you can look through.

>>1073877
I just stopped by the local Trek store, and tried in Bontrager race cleats, they are super light, and comfy. I can walk on them okay, which is enough for me.

They are $150+, so I'm looking for a better/cheaper option.

Platforms for commuting, clipless for leisure/races
Not that complicated

>>1071572
It has nothing to do with lateral grip. It has to do with your feet lifting off the pedal, in which case those pins do jack shit. Stopped with the pinned flat memes because you have no idea what you're talking about and read that MTB guy blog where he says flat with pins is better than clipless.