Ask Pinkbike: Incognito Cycling Shoes, Increasing Brake Power, Tire Width & Saddle Suggestions
Here at Pinkbike, we get inundated with all kinds of questions, ranging from the basic "Can I have stickers" to more in-depth, soul-searching types of queries like if you should pop the question or what to name your first child. Ask Pinkbike is an occasional column where we'll be hand-picking and answering questions that have been keeping readers up at night, although we'll likely steer clear of those last two and keep it more tech oriented.
Incognito Cycling Shoes to Wear at Work?
Question: @crunchss asks in the Bikes, Parts, and Gear Forum: I'm looking for a shoe that I can wear casually with the cleat still attached. My goal is a shoe I can commute to work in and wear all day comfortably without the cleat grinding on the floor everywhere I go. Not that I think it matters greatly, but my pedals/cleats are CrankBrothers. I like the aesthetic of the Five Ten shoes as I essentially live in Vans everywhere else.
Does such a shoe exist or am I just going to have to have a pair for riding and leave a pair at work full time?
 | Wearing cycling shoes around the office all day is the equivalent of hanging out in your ski boots at the bar hours after the lifts have closed – it's not a good look. Plus, shoes designed for clipless pedals are going to be much stiffer than a pair of regular street shoes, and probably won't be comfortable enough to wear and walk around in for 10 hours at a time. Having a second pair of shoes at work is one possibility, but you could also toss a pair of flat pedals on your commuter and not need to change shoes at all, that is, assuming your office has a relaxed dress code. Mixing flat pedals and fancy dress shoes probably isn't a good idea either. |
They may be comfy on the bike, but spending all day at work in your cycling shoes probably isn't the best idea.
More Power From Guide R Brakes?
Question: @dieselsmith12 asks in the Bikes, Parts, and Gear Forum:I have a bike with SRAM Guide R brakes and even freshly bled and new pads they don't feel particularly strong. My previous bikes have been Shimano brake equipped (MT500/800) and the initial bite seems much stronger on them.
My SRAM has lots of modulation and for sure you're not going to accidentally lock a front wheel in the worst spot with them. But there are lots of times I still lust for the instantaneous power of the Shimano set ups. Some kind of blend or balance between the 2 would actually be nice. Has anyone tried a mix and match of Shimano and SRAM components? Shimano master cylinder and SRAM caliper or vice versa?
| SRAM brakes are designed to work with DOT fluid, and Shimano brakes are for mineral oil only. That means you absolutely can't mix and match levers and calipers – don't even try. There's an easier solution that might give you the power you're looking for from those Guide brakes: metallic pads and bigger rotors. Organic brake pads often come as the stock setup, due to the fact that they're a little quieter, but I wish they didn't. I'd rather have more power, consistency, and a teeny bit more noise, which is what you'll get if you make the switch to metallic pads. Your brakes' wet weather performance and pad lifespan will also increase dramatically by taking this route. I'd also consider switching to larger rotors for an extra boost in stopping power, assuming that you don't already have 200mm rotors front and rear. |
Bigger rotors and metallic pads can help make SRAM's guide R brakes feel more powerful.
Wider Tire In the Front or Rear?
Question: @AndrewHornor asks in the Bikes, Parts, and Gear Forum: I have a Kenda Nevegal 2.5 and a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.35. The DHF is a much smaller tire, so I put it on the back wheel. This setup rolls fast enough and turns well enough to make me happy, but the DHF on the back seems short on braking traction. I've enjoyed the Nevegal as both a front and rear tire in the past, but it does feel slower than the Minion. Is it worth switching the two, or is this how you'd run them?
Yeah, I know I should just switch them and find out, but I don't really want to switch them twice...
| If I was in your shoes, I'd stick with that setup. Having a wider tire up front should give you extra traction and comfort, and the narrower rear tire will give you more cornering precision. Think of it this way: which tire would you rather have lose traction? When your rear wheel drifts a little bit it's not usually too much of an issue, but regaining control when your front wheel starts to slide sideways is a lot more challenging. There's nothing wrong with running a DHF as a rear tire, especially when conditions are on the drier side, but when you do wear that tire out I'd recommend replacing it with something like a Minion DHR II if you're looking for more braking traction. |
If your bike doesn't have a motor, it's better to run a wider tire up front.
Comfortable Seat for Bony Butts?
Question: @Hoboinalambo asks in the All Mountain, Enduro & Cross-Country Forum: What's a good saddle for lightweights with boney bottoms? I'm dissatisfied with my current saddle and looking to upgrade to something that fits that criteria
| I'm still a big fan of the WTB Koda saddle I reviewed a couple of years ago. I fall into that lightweight / bony category, and I don't typically use a chamois, so I'm particular about what my backside is resting on. The Koda is super comfortable without being ridicuously squishy, and the short overall profile means it's less likely to get in the way when you're moving the bike around on a descent. There are two widths, 142 and 150mm, and four different pricepoints. The shape is the same at all price levels, but you get things like titanium rails, a better cover, and higher end padding as you move up the range. |
WTB Koda
Have some unresolved tech questions? Jump in the Pinkbike Forum and we'll look to answer it for next time.
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But yeah - most brake issues come down to poor bleed practices.
Have a look at the 661 Filter. It's a skate style shoe and has really recessed cleats so you cant hear them as much walking. Does mean you have to get the blade out on the sole to get them to fit with certain pedals (particularly caged).
They are more flexible than most clipless specific shoes as well.
DZR also do a specific range of 'casual' clipless shoes. So not as stiff as a proper biking shoe possibly not that important for just commuting but they are much more comfortable for wearing for longer off the bike. (The opposite of what PB was pointing out.)
www.chromeindustries.com/product/truk-pro-bike-shoe/FW-124.html?dwvar_FW-124_color=WRGM&cgid=bike_shoes
www.amazon.com/dp/B07641YYDF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NJT9CbM59YT8G
But I also keep a second pair of shoes at work(and extra clothes etc) I don’t wear them all day though. They are stiffer, you do hear the clear a little, but they like normal hipsterdad sneakers.
dzrshoes.com/collections/dzr-bike-shoes
It's not about having "cycling shoes", it's about having "Hipsterdad Shoes" with cleats in.
DZRs work for the hipster in me.
It's only now that I remember I was wearing them with cleats in. I didn't notice the cleats at any point except when clipping in. They do exactly what you want maybe; as long as you can look like a hipster at work!
If the guy is dead set on working in biking shoes that's his choice and he's made his mind up. Now he just wants advice on the best shoes to let him do that. Not to be told judgementally just don't do it.
Not much use if you're set on clips though so seismicninga makes a fair point.
I really wanted to get good clipped in shoes because I was commting reasonably long distances on a fixie with significan hills (in Vancouver). Having the sole wrap around the pedal on every steep hill isn't great.
I'm a bigger guy as well at 250 and never had a problem on SRAM guides. I have been riding long enough to have done downhill racing with suntour cantilever brakes though, so perhaps it is all relative.
Haven't run a newer Shimano brake in the last few years, got scared enough times 3 years back by the XT and XTR super wandering contact point that I haven't tried them out since then. Also have some MT-5's that have been great.
I've heard horrible things about the last generation of XT brakes when they came out, but my son got some with his (used) bike, and they work great.
bad news: there is no way to improve a terrible design.
good news: you can sell those guides to some other sucker(assuming they are in good cosmetic condition and working as well as they ever did, which isn't that well) for like $150 right here on PB! then take that $150, add another $150 and get Zee's and some rotors and be a one finger braking machine!
Good luck.
Cookie.
I'd also be interested in trick stuff pads. That being said I switched to codes. They are insanely nice, a whole different animal but you have the control early on but the power is easily tapped into. They are the perfect brake.
www.bike-magazin.de/komponenten/bremsen/test-mountainbike-bremsbelaege-2017/a37195.html
But I agree that pads deserve more comparative testing.
Now for DH days I swap to 29 both ends. I'd rather beat up my 29er wheels and tires, and the bike is faster/more burly.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/17132837
On the downside, they aren't very stiff, so not ideal if you're looking to put down the power.
www.chromeindustries.com/product/truk-pro-bike-shoe/FW-124.html?dwvar_FW-124_color=WRGM&cgid=bike_shoes
Now to check if the pads that came with my bike and its ancient Code R's are metallic.
reynolds-england.com/products/spd-brogue-cycling-boot-in-full-grain-spona-brown-leather
I rate specialized saddles. Will look into shorts.
Just gonna leave this here...
road.cc/content/review/21347-keen-commuter-sandal
Just make sure your flat pedals don't have pins.