Question:I'm a newbie in triathlon and am wondering what kind of cycling shoes
are recommended for triathlon. I've been a mountain biker for a couple
of years (thus owner of a pair of MTB shoes...) and got into road
cycling last year. I am now looking forward to buy a good pair of road
shoes with carbon outsole. My concern is about transition zones... Is
it better to wear shoes with crampons on it (mtb shoes) or is it more
important to have a good pair of road shoes ? Or maybe it does not
matter that much ? Other fact that I worry about is the risk of
damaging a carbon outsole during the transitions...
Answer:
I use Sidi T1. Keep 'em clipped in, carry my bike to the mount area and
go like hell. I don't like to drag my shoes on the ground so I carry my
bike, and I don't like to run in them and risk clogging the cleats with
dirt or damaging them. That's my two pennies worth................
Depends on your budget and commitment to triathlon. If your are just trying
it out and at least for a while don't expect to be a crack cyclist who will
be in the top-10% of cycle times then I'd suggest looking for something at a
reasonable budget. Over here in Europe last year I bought a pair of Luck
Triathlon shoes, great for competition, lightweight, good stiff sole, easy
one strap entry/exit - great price, less than 60 US Bucks.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300004376
On the other hand if you live in the Northern US, want a pair of shoes for
long winter cycle rides as wel as races you can pick up some bargains on
e-bay new and used. I got a pair of leather new Carnac bike shoes, 3-straps,
a couple of model years old but for again, 60 bucks.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay...
http://www.andantebikes.com/shoes2002/shoepage2002.html
If you have loads of money, or figure you'll be in traithlon for a few
years, many people would invest in a pair of single strap Carnac tri shoes,
the TRS7 and 7C are the top of the range
http://www.trisports.com/shoes.html
but will set you back in excess of 200 bucks US. And as Mrs Dalloway notes,
if you have size-10 or bigger feet and graduate to running bearfoot on exit
or entry to the transition area which is definately quicker, unless you
carry your bike they will become scratched and scuffed quickly...
I buy the least expensive shoes that match the color scheme of my
bike, which means black. Those bright color shoes just don't cut it.
I've been using a two strap Sidi, and can get in/out of them quickly.
I guess if I was a sprint or Olympic distance person, or someone
competing for a top three finish, I might be more concerned with shoes
that are easy on/off.
BTW, I found a pair of Nike shoes for $40US at the Trek web site.
Unfortunately they didn't have my size.
