Does wearing cycling shoes increase your speed

[Elvin]

If choice 1 be the case: what Km/h increase can one expect ?Elvin2009-05-28 02:46:02

[splat]

YES!

Especially if you wear white or yellow lycra covers

[Mackie]

There is one single thing that increses speed................training!

[NotSoBigBen]

Not so much that you gonna get some kind of kick in the backside. It sure makes it a bit more efficient but as Mack's says - go ride - more - NOW!

[bduplessis]

Yip,dis soos n groot hupstoot.

[fandacious]

yes, it definitely makes a difference.

 

especially once you learn to pull on the upstroke, instead of just pushing on the downstroke.

 

also wrt to MTB, being clipped in makes technical stuff way faster, otherwise you just bounce of the pedals and nut yourself (speaking from experience)

[Gobbo]

duh

[Wonder Woman]

I wouldn't quite say it really is going to make you that much faster honestly, but it will be more efficient and therefore you won't get tired as quickly, so you will overall on longer rides be able to have a faster average!!

 

If you expect though to suddenly stick with a bunch you never have, don't expect miracles.

 

 

 

[Slave]

No way! They are merely "foot clothes". You still have the same legs and feet.

 

Speed training helps your speed. LSD helps you forget the pain and see wondrous colours while you ride. (Wait, that was the body induces endorphins that do that. Long slow distance helps your stamina.

 

Shoes merely make for more efficient peddling unless you have turbo rocket boosters on them.

 

 

[javadude]

 

No way! They are merely "foot clothes". You still have the same legs and feet.

 

Speed training helps your speed. LSD helps you forget the pain and see wondrous colours while you ride. (Wait' date=' that was the body induces endorphins that do that. Long slow distance helps your stamina.

 

Shoes merely make for more efficient peddling unless you have turbo rocket boosters on them.

 

 

[/quote']

 

It depends, if you're wearing regular shoes with old fashioned toeclips then its not such a huge difference, but without the clips you are losing 50% of your stroke by not being able to pull on the upstroke.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hog_]

Pedalling is more efficient when you're clipped in, because you can do pedal circles. I've recently changed to flat pedals though, and I love it. You don't need to worry about technical stuff because you know you can just eject when you run out of talent.For me, flats is the way to go. I'll hold on to my clip-ins though for longer and easier stuff, like Breedts Nek.

 

 

 

[Joe Low]

If I take mine off I'm a lot slower..

...if that helps.

...didnt think so.

 

[Nancy Drew]

 @ Joe Low

 

very sharp

[Slave]

Yeah, Joe, careful you don't cut yourself dude.

 

You def need shoes to cycle though, becuase "pedal bite" hurts a bit uless you have those old rubber pedals, then you can cycle barefoot.

[Capri Wheeler]

not only wearing the shoes, but if you tighten the shoe around your foot it also helps a lot

[swoosh1973]

Pedalling is more efficient when you're clipped in' date=' because you can do pedal circles. I've recently changed to flat pedals though, and I love it. You don't need to worry about technical stuff because you know you can just eject when you run out of talent.For me, flats is the way to go. I'll hold on to my clip-ins though for longer and easier stuff, like Breedts Nek.


[/quote']

 

I have been cycling road and MTB for 5 years now. I do triathlons as well. My last major race was the iron man in April. I have to agree entirely with Hog. I cycle on the tarmac with proper cycle clip in shoes. The benifits are unquestionable

 

Howver i am not as talented in the MTB and never will be. Im 36 and when i do a MTB race like Magalies monster or Lion man i can be found in the top 40%. About a year ago after yet another fall and injury i decided to do a "time trial" on a technical MTB route without my clip in MTB shoes versus old tackies and to my astonishment i rode 10% faster with tackies

 

Now lets me expand on my idea of flats versus clip in MTB shoes.

 

1) With flats i fly at a much more controlled rate down hill. Granted on heavy technical rdecents i am faster in my clips because my feet stay in the pedals at high speed. It then acured to me if im flying down hill at a speed that would ordinarily result in my comming of the bike because im not cliped in then i am decending at a reckless and dangerouse speed anyway. Thus as soon as things get shacky under foot with flats i know i have reached the spead limit for safe cycling.

 

2) So how can i be faster with flats on MTB? Well since many (non seriouse falls) i tend to cycle with more caution on my clips knowing that if i come of the bike i could have a bad fall because i am not able to contol my fall and MTB clips dont unclip as easily as road clips on falls you risk ending up with a face plant on a gnarly boulder. Since i am onflats i pick my line with much more confidence and commit myself to the chosen line. I am commited to my line and because my feet are on flats i very quickly get feedback about the saftey of my speed. Should i get surprised by an awkward spot on the trail and find it to late i am able to fall and choose the way i fall because my feet are not stuck on the F*@#ing pedals. Thus because of my new found confidence my overall times are better + in of road triathlons i dont waste time changing shoes either.

 

3) In MTB decents when your not 100% comited and hesitate even at slow speads you increase the chance of a fall. Since it often happened that i was not 100% commited i fell alot. With flats i have had one fall-not even a scratch because i had complete control of my fall.

 

4) Now what about going uphill surely i loose power and speed? Yes if its a nice smooth surface but gnarly steep hills with loose rocks has caused cramped hamstrings with clips. However i ride up hill also more commited because i dont mind going over a wobly boulder and dont run the risk of a sideways stationary fall. Your top riders dont have this problem because they go 3 times faster than most of us uphill and consequently have great forward momentum wich aids them in control and covering obstacles. Ordenary folks like me go so slow we fall side ways because our feet are still stuck in the F54cking peddles. Now on my flats i wack it a lot harder and dont worry about stationary falls. Also once i have to "push" i go way faster in my tackies than you will with your MTB cleats. In the begining my feet did slip on up hills. Now however that rarely happens nowdays.

 

5) Hot foot. If you have done long cycle sesions chances are you would have experienced "hot foot" at some or other time due to incorrect cleat positioning in relation to the peddle. These sometimes become incorrect as the screws loosen on the shoe. No problem ever with flats!

 

6) The bad thing about flats are in the beginning i experienced  shin wacking from the peddles. Now I have learnt how to avoid this.

 

7) Clip in MTB shoes are worth it for very strong and experienced riders. Im not one of them so you will see me in tackies and flats passing you on the next MTB race

 

8) Toe clips with straps----keep away from these. They are very dangerous and should be outlawed. In a fall you have almost no chance getting your feet out the pebbles.

 

9) Downhill racers use clip ins. They also use way better protective gear than most cross country marathon riders.