Cycling Shoes 163

Mountain bike shoes offer more grip and have cleats that are sunk into the sole. This makes it easier to walk on them, which comes in handy for MTB shoes because you usually have to get off more often during mountain biking and therefore have to walk. MTB shoes, however, are heavier and less rigid. Road bike shoes are stiffer and the shoe cleat is larger, which improves the power transfer and makes cycling more comfortable because the contact surface is larger. The reduced weight and better power transfer of road bike shoes make road cycling a lot more comfortable.

With cycling shoes featuring a dial closure, also known as a BOA closure, you can control the tightness of your cycling shoe very precisely. By rotating the dial, a wire is stretched across the shoe, without pinching. This thread follows the shape of the foot, which results in an optimal pressure distribution over the entire instep. Even while cycling, you can easily tighten or loosen your MTB or road bike shoes.

If you have click pedals on your bike, you need to buy the right shoes to go with them. Buying road bike shoes or mtb shoes is not the end of the story. You also need to buy cleats that click into the according pedals. Road bike cleats fit different pedals compared to MTB cleats. You can easily recognize racing bike cleats because they are usually somewhat larger than cleats for mountain bikes. A set of cleats is also usually included with a new set of pedals.

This describes how stiff the sole is. A flexible sole is usually made of nylon only, sometimes with a small additive for stiffness. A moderate sole is reinforced with carbon and a rigid sole is entirely made of carbon. The stiffer the sole in your road cycling shoe or MTB shoe, the better the power transfer. An optimal power transfer is essential when you want to push as hard as possible. However, you do lose a bit of comfort with a stiff sole.