Triathlon Shoes Vs Road Cycling Shoes - Which Are Best For Triathlon?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ค. 2018
- Road cycling shoes versus triathlon shoes; what’s your preference, when do you wear them, do you know which is better for the style or distance of racing that you’re doing…?
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See when I first started triathlon I got myself a pair of triathlon bike shoes, and off I went. It wasn’t until a few years later that I actually wore my first pair of cycling specific shoes...and I couldn’t believe what I had been missing out on.
Now I do most of my training in cycling shoes, race longer distance tris in cycling shoes and then short distances tri's in triathlon shoes. But that’s just my preference, and there are so many pros and cons to each. So, let’s put these shoes head to head, in cycling shoes versus triathlon shoes.
Some of you may be watching this now and scratching your heads… triathlon shoes - for triathlon - that’s why they were designed, surely? You wouldn’t see the Brownlee brothers wearing road cycling shoes in an ITU race.
True, but on the same score, we often see some of the top pros like Jan Frodeno, Ben Hoffman and Sebastien Kienle riding in road cycling shoes.
So, before get too carried away with all of that, let’s quickly run through the two different styles of shoes. Firstly, the pure road cycling shoe.
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I sewed some loops in the back of my road cycling shoes, to be able to do flying mount in my long distance triathlons
The comparisons were very helpful and your observation about comfort. Think I'll stick with my road shoes. Thanks Mark!
Since the beginning of this year I had made the switch back to Tri specific bike shoes. I did have a cheaper pair as my first pair of shoes when I started Triathlon, but had switched to road shoes for training miles for the comfort they offered. Over the last 6 months I had got quite use to the Tri shoes for both training miles and competitions. Yesterday after using my road shoes for the first time in ages (my Tri shoes were still soaked after a very sweaty competition ride on Sunday) they just felt so much hotter and restrictive! Great for winter miles but not to good in the heat we had yesterday!
This video helps a lot on my decision on a new pair of shoes, thumbed up! :)
well done Mark, didn't know there was much/if any difference between the shoes, cheers!
5:04 I felt that, ouch
The things gtn does for us...
great video! sticking whit me road shoes!! doing IM ty!
T1 run to mount line is much further. Accordingly, running in road shoes will be much slower than running in bare feet. Also, you have to include time to put on socks for road shoes. And finally, flying mount means the foot coming over the top is slid right into the shoe not placed on top of shoe. Same with other foot. Then you get up to speed before fastening the straps. That is the fastest way to get out on the bike. Flying mounts take tons of practice to get perfected.
You have the best videos, honestly
Great vid!
Really enjoyed this video :D
Glad you enjoyed it Gareth!
The comparison presumes wearing socks when using triathlon shoes. If you use road shoes, you have to get your socks over wet feet during T1. If you use triathlon shoes, you don't need to put on socks until T2, at which time your feet are likely much drier.
A lot of regional triathlons have a pretty long T1 distance, so on a hot day, your feet are fairly dry. If your competition location requires wet suits, I'd put the money into a quick-remove wet suit before a second pair of shoes. I've seen people put lace-in zippers in standard shoes, but I don't know if I'd trust them to last a race.
Greg Vassilakos Totally agree, this comparison should consider the time needed for putting socks on when wearing road shoes. The time advantage gained from tri shoes would be much bigger.
You can add another 6mins to try out on socks over wet feet. Very good point.
Love this BMC bike👍
I like the test but it doesn’t take into account that you just got out of a swim had to run bare footed for a few 100 meters and then deal with the shoes. Also you didn’t factor into the time of putting on socks or no socks.
I agree with you that in longer distances road shoes are much better and for people like me that always wear socks maybe TRI shoes don’t make much sense. I use a hybrid TRI shoes for short events (one boa one Velcro and the fabric loop to get the heal on). Road shoes for longer events.
Hi Mark,
Would’ve been nice to compare puting on road shoes and run with the bike vs. running barefoot and fly mount on tri shoes. In fact I was waiting for this comparison since our last discussion about how much you save when fly mounting on tri shoes.
You're no Matt Stephens at clipping in!
I'm too cheap for tri shoes and road shoes so I stick with roads. Also the few extra seconds wont matter compared to fixing my running technique.
you got a very nice bike! can you do a review on your bike?
You look silly as hell getting set to sneak up on your bike like that & the repetition for science's sake just makes it funnier & funnier every time I see you do it. lol
Christ guys I had a cup of tea in transition in Bolton! I don’t think the shoes will make a lot of difference 😂
Very interesting video. The shimano Tri shoes you are using have exactly the same carbon sole as my Shimano road shoes which is why I chose them.... therefore comfort for me is actually only affected by temperature which can be helped with socks (more T1 time though!).
Also interestingly my method in transition is to put the shoes on first and run to the mount line before doing a flying mount and riding off. I mainly do this because I don't want gravel in my shoe. When I get to T2 I leave the shoes on the bike because I can re-wipe my feet for my trainers! I've never had a slow transition this way and I can ride away at a proper speed from the mount line!
Also, the harder to dry road shoes stay away from the racing so they don't smell so badly!
Cheers stug45, glad you enjoyed the video! Sounds like you have it sorted!
what shoes are they?
I’ve never left my shoes on the bike at T2 before, I’m going try that next race 👌🏼
I wondered if those flying mounts were in fact more efficient. Now I'm pretty convinced that they aren't - and just a lot more dangerous
They actually are a lot more efficient. He didn't take full advantage of it. What he needs to do it build up more speed before clipping in with the tri shoes. That was you gain tons of distance with basically zero lost time. If you stop peddling then it's less effective. If there is a downhill right out of transition you'll be well on your way to rocking it. It's faster with tri shoes. But this really only matters in short tris where every second counts. I've won by a second or two before at the end of the race. It's then you'll realize it matters.
Id rather be careful and make up the few seconds riding...
Do any triathletes use shoes with SPD cleats and pedals? Shoes are available with rubber outsoles and recessed SPD cleats so you can still run in them. If it's a long distance to the mount line, this would enable you to run with your bike much better. Also, is anyone using dual-use SPD pedals (one side has the clip, the other side is flat and can be used with street shoes)? The benefit with these dual-purpose pedals is that you can start pedaling hard before you're clipped in. And you could even cycle while wearing your running shoes during ultra-short triathlons.
D.Eldon I use SPD Cleats and Shoes, only because I never had road shoes and new shoes and pedals are a bit pricey. I don't quite see the need to upgrade though, but I couldn't tell anything about better stiffness etc. of the road shoes since i've never tried them.
I like the fact that I can run really well in my MTB shoes, but running with road shoes is probably only a matter of practice...
I often train in Road shoes but switch pedals and use SPDs for races especially sprint / olympic , SPDs using Shimano mountain bike shoes able to run with them in transition, easy to clip in and noticed no difference in my pace at all tbh. That said for a 50 miles + ride on the bike I found road shoes much more comfortable on the feet.
And what about the possibility of SPD running shoes for sprint triathlons. You would save all the change time.
pbassred have never seen any personally? I know several people who don’t bother with spd or spd-sl for sprints as the time saved not changing shoes vs time gained, especially on a reasonably flat course is debatable
I have never heard of them. I'm just following the logical thread. If SPDs work just as well as road shoes AND you can run in them in cyclocross (carrying a bike through mud), could you not have a lightweight flat terrain tailored version?
you can do the rubber band trick with road shoes to. Just use some duck tape over the band on the heel
That doggy bark made you lose a couple of seconds in my opinion 🤣
Just switched over to road shoes earlier this year and never going back. Now I can have one road shoe for training on TT and road bike and one for racing. Much simpler and absolutely a better fit and platform
Comfort is king doing long distance. Keep the 7 seconds :) . To many people don't think these things through. I did an IM where there was about a 100m run with the bike from the rack over grass and gravel (less for the pros as they were up front). Some guy next to me had his pedals on a band and was trying to tell me how much time he will save this way. Yeah OK pal, enjoy the Grass and stones you will pick up and launch into your shoe. Run with the shoes on, not elegant but clean feet, and not playing about on the pedals tightening up when I can be pushing the power out.
ok, you're right, but then again, road or tri shoes?
So I would say the Tri Shoes will impact significantly (in time) the type of Triathlon you're doing, for example, Super Sprint or Sprint Triathlon. Hope you can make a comparison vid arriving to T2
Joan Rodriguez yes you’re right, and looking at T2 and combining the two is certainly one for future
I love drafting too
I use for my first triathlon MTB mounted shoes, easy to run and clip in. And comfortable. And I have the money to buy only one pair of shoes :D
That's a good idea. MTB shoes are a good choice for your first clip-ons, since they protect your foot and ankle better.
wouldn't be worth it to have clip pedals and do the bike part in your running shoes for your first triathlon (a short one obviously) ? Great video btw
Baudouin D. Depends on the rules. ITU actually doesn't let you use toe clip style pedals. So if your local tris use ITU rules then it won't be allowed.
Flat pedals... the only downside of flats are that you can't pedal with an upward movement.
Make it up with either strength in the other pedal downwards or run extra fast
I've done that once or twice. It's okay for shorter tri's if you're not concerned about getting the fastest time possible, so it's a good option for starting out. If you're wearing a shoe with a lot of padding, you won't get a very comfortable or efficient foot position in the clip. If your ride is fairly flat and doesn't have a lot of starts and stops, an unclipped flat pedal might be as good as clipped, because you're more likely to start your run without arch cramps. I run with a fairly minimal padding under the toe, and I gave my feet a light taping to reduce stress in the bike. I pre-cut the tape before the event (stick them lightly against something flat) , but obviously I wasn't highly worried about time. As pointed out above, if this is allowed, it's more of a recreational race.
My buddy road on flats during the sprint tri we did last weekend.
I'm new to triathlons, doing my second one in a few weeks. Do you run in those shoes? I would think that running a long distance with that metal clip would be painful. Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question. I guess you could put those clip shoes on while mounting your bike at T1, then put on running shoes at T2? I have been cycling in my running shoes. Any tips are appreciated.
No such thing as silly questions here Gray Man. The Tri shoes in this video refers to what you would wear on the bike - although you can wear what you like - so trainers are fine. At the end of the bike leg you'll take them off and switch to a good pair of trainers, so what you're saying is absolutely right! This video will explain all you need to know about T2 👉 gtn.io/T2Faster
Nice
Two things here: Firstly, there are a lot of road shoes that fasten with velcro straps only, no BOA closures. So that should mean that they would be just as fast to get into as the tri specific shoes. Secondly, the majority of people who are doing tris are doing them as a means of personal fitness and fun. Unless you're getting paid to compete, who cares about a few extra seconds here and there? Are you faster and fitter than you were the last time you did the same tri? Did you beat your best time in one or more of the disciplines? That's what I'm looking to do. Also, he pretty much just proved that if you're not doing a flying mount, the very slight advantage of tri specific shoes goes out the window, and probably fails even more because they're not as stiff as road shoes, therefore not giving you the performance out on the course.
I think it was not mentioned a big variable (to me): socks!
this bike is gorgeous, so is the video, and you Mark, kidding ;)
What about SPD pedals and mountain bike shoes with Velcro, that's what I use and do a flying mount ( no skidding). CX training helps with this. 😉
I had never really considered using road shoes as I saw no real difference other than how they were done up and I thought this was roe about cyclists not wanting to be compared to triathletes, would there be any difference to power figures etc or is it purely in the comfort?
I've been racing mountain bike shoes for years in Triathlons. Easier to run in, elastic laces means I just slip them on in transitions before and after the ride. I find road shoes dangerous to run in AND the thought of trying to get into shoes which are already clipped onto the bike seems silly and slower.
well but MB pedals are heavier, so do the shoes and many power meter pedals do not go with MB shoes.... lots of cons!
You Run on bike shoes and you say you have been doing triathlon for years. It's a bit worrying you have not been putting them on the bike! 😬
@@zambokid89 Think about transitions and how long it takes to bend down and try to put your feet into shoes on a moving bike. Seems absurd when I can just slip on my shoes (Elastic laces) and fly out the transition area ,passing the people trying to stick their feet into shoes on a moving bike. Can't believe people do that.
What happened to the Cervelo?
David Chang it’s still around and being used. We are both riding Cervelo and BMC
Flying mount FEELS quicker. But is it really a quicker way to get the power going on the bike? I haven't found it to be so. Fact is...you are on the bike sooner but you aren't actually putting power out still for another 15 seconds or so.
Clark S I put my shoes on first and then do a flying mount so will pedal away much quicker!
If you're not putting power down after jumping on the bike, you're doing the flying mount wrong
A big bonus to do a flying mount is that you can put the power down right away. In fact, you can ride with your feet on top of the shoes if you really need to. I’ve had to do this a couple of times before for a good 5km or so whilst I bridged a gap or made a break stay. I would say it’s all about practice and confidence
Mark.....as a pro it works and I've seen it, unfortunately watching amateurs I've seen issues with traffic jams and people really struggling, even if they practice!!
stug45 absolutely, couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen how busy it can get. I would always recommend running beyond the crowds and the line rather than mounting right after the line. Again, easier said than done, so I understand the struggle
You gotta try the S-Works 6 I will be surprised if you can finish under 1:30 min... not all the road shoes are equal mate!!
But if your transition area is way longer than your few meters (I know Frankfurt City triathlon where you have to run about 800m to the mount line) you should consider clipping in your shoes than not
I run as fast in my cycling shoes as bare feet or with socks (which would probably disintegrate if you would run 800 meters on asphalt with them). Every race to which I have participated, they have been on a parking lot or similar place full of sand and other crud, which isn't very nice to run on without shoes.
Yes absolutely. I think I may have mentioned that towards the end of the video. That’s certainly why I always have mine clipped in already. But it does come down to preference and confidence
Good Item
I feel like cycling shoes are better for longer distances, where the extra support will play a bigger role in how your feet are feeling after. Whereabouts with the triahlton shoes, should be used for the shorter distances, as it does give you the faster transitions times.
That's pretty much what he says in the video
Interesting but a little misleading. When doing the flying mount the 16 secs spent getting in the shoes took Mark all the way down to the big tree (4:14). When putting the shoes on and running in them to the mount line, the 15 secs it taken took him only a few metres beyond the mount line. So the flying mount gained him approx. 50 metres, that is the benefit of flying mounts with your shoes tied on.
Hey Martin, the test wasn't meant to entirely scientific but instead give an idea of transition using both shoes in the two ways. As Mark says at the end, it's important to see what works best for you 👍
OK, thanks for the reply. Love the show BTW!
Just another opinion it would be beneficial to learn to mount your bike from either side you are using valuable time to pick up your bike get behind it and then you have to step up for your mount just get on it and ride I step on mine {pedal/shoe}to help me lift it up swing my leg over I/m rolling already gone
Scott Argyle yes a good idea. I’ll be honest, I always mount from the left side of my bike. If you run holding the saddle, it’s very easy to move and get yourself to your preferred side
Mallorca 🤗
5:04 well there you go.
5:04 No shame Mark, I've done worse!
God that looked painful. Around the beginning I was thinking, "You know... Maybe this is the year I just start doing flying mounts. People lots less experienced than I do can do them!" By 5:08: "Annnnnnd nope."😂
Honestly didn’t know this
those areobars seem pretty narrow, what kind of garmin mount are you using?
Anton Stempher it’s a barfly mount. I’ve actually since changed my position ever so slightly, so the bars aren’t quite so narrow
Good video...but I've watched it too late: just started triathlon and bought a pair of Shimano tri shoes... I mean, how should someone new to TRIATHLON know, that he better shouldn't buy TRIATHLON shoes :D
cluematics bought tri shoes too and the are pretty uncomfy :-( gonna buy road shoes now.
5:19 Lmao I don't even prop my cheaper $250 road bike like that against that wall! I would be fuming if someone did that to my bike lol.
its leant against the rear tire and bar tape. both easy to replace and don't scratch
@@jncgamer Yes, but I am always careful propping it like that don't want to bang up my frame if it falls of course 😂
Why not use MTB-shoes, especially for long transitions, since you can run in them. And what about using running shoes with large flat pedals?
MTB Shoes usually are not that stiff as road shoes. So you will lose some watts during riding. However I do agree that they are handy for walking etc.
Thats what I do. Mainly cos I have one pair of shoes, which I use for all cycling.. Mine are also stiff. If money was limitless then who knows.
I’ve known people to do this. It’s an interesting idea, and I’ll look to do a video on it soon
If you have good bike control, I would suggest you sprint a bit before you start slipping into the shoes. That way you're covering more ground while "wasting time".
Do tri shoes typically place their cleat screw holes a bit farther back vs. road shoes? I’m just thinking in terms of saving the calves for the run.
Matt Dion the shoes they are using do mount exactly the same as the Shimano equivalent. Both my road and Tri shoes are Shimano and they mount further back than the specialized ones I first had.
Cleat position is personal preference but I do have them quite far back but this was less about saving my calves!
I think that's more linked to saddle position than cleat.
It's actually both that will help you work out how much you use your calves. Saddle forward more will use quads but less hamstrings. Cleats towards the middle will use less of your calves. Doing one or the other will also affect linked muscles (calves and hamstrings together). Fit is important so get some proper advice or go for a proper fit. Don't forget any changes you do make will need time to get used to before you can decide they work/don't work for you!
Check out custom bike fit - shoes, pedals tt vid he does the same for saving calves for the run and avoid hotspot ect
In overall, for me, thriatlón shoes are more comfortable than road specific ones, you can use them without socks and you can feel the wind.
This was a great video to do. But I don't think your timing made any sense. For example when you stopped the timing when doing the flying mounts you were already another 100m up the road. The real comparison would be: a) having a 50-100m run with the bike (with or without shoes on) b) mounting and clipping in/flying mount. c) if doing a flying mount, getitng up to speed first, then putting shoes on. d) stopping the clock at say 500m up the road.
Matthew King that’s another option for sure. I guess what I wanted to show was the point at which you’re all clipped and strapped in, and can start to ride and put power down. That is a benefit to riding with tri shoes and doing a flying mount. You can ride with your feet on them for quite some time before actually putting your feet in them. I have had to do almost 5km in a draft legal tri before I put my feet in, whilst we made a break stick
Are you contradicting yourself there? Are you saying you rode 5km to make a break, without being able to put the power down? :D Like I said, the meaningful comparison of time difference is how long it takes to get from point A (the bike at T1) to point B (some point up the road where you're clipped in and riding). Anyway, keep up the good work.
Matthew King no I’m not contradicting myself. Making a break stick would require riding hard. I’m saying I was able to do that without putting my feet in the shoes. My feet are on top of the shoes
I was addressing your comment "the point at which you’re all clipped and strapped in, and can start to ride and put power down", which contradicts your experience of putting the power down with your feet on top of the shoes. But maybe that's just the way I interpreted it.
Is it me or the colors of the tri shoes do not match those of the cycling kit ? You could spend so many watts....
Is it a electric bike?
What about mountain bike shoes Best of Both Worlds
why to almost all amateur tri guys have a saddle height that is about 2-3cm too high?
How are you liking the new bike?
H I N E K I it’s a beauty 😍
1:08 selle trop haute
An amateur triathlete will rarely look back and be upset with transition times, put on socks, strap on your shoes properly, take your time. Just my $.02.
Someone needs to make running shoes with built in mtb cleats so you can run and cycle effectively without changing shoes.
Genius! 💡
Risks of scratching the heel of road shoes
MTB vs tri shoes next?
Is this something you would be interested in?
Global Triathlon Network why not I mean you don't have the problem with clipping in at least...
Road cleats are just silly. There is absolutely no need for them to be clippity cloppity Frankenstein clods when walking. Gravel/MTB cleats are the way to go. Nowadays gravel and CX shoes are just as stiff and light as road shoes... but you can walk in them without looking like a tool.
This experiment didn't even consider the usual distance between the bike bike racks and the mounting line. Not realistic
ouch! :(
You can use SPD and just run like hell out of transition ....lollllll
Flying mounts not really saving much time.
They actually are a lot more efficient. He didn't take full advantage of it. What he needs to do it build up more speed before clipping in with the tri shoes. That was you gain tons of distance with basically zero lost time. If you stop peddling then it's less effective. If there is a downhill right out of transition you'll be well on your way to rocking it. It's faster with tri shoes. But this really only matters in short tris where every second counts. I've won by a second or two before at the end of the race. It's then you'll realize it matters.
Ok so I'm afraid there's a flaw in your testing methodology. You needed a second line farther down the road, and the clock should stop as you cross it. This is to account for the fact that you *are* farther down the road by the time you finish slipping into the shoes when you do so while riding.
By not stopping to enter the bike you could have saved half an hour. 🙈
Russia watch you))
So...2 seconds with some relatively difficult to put on road shoes-many have velcro straps and a ratchet. There's 7 minutes I'll never get back, tri shoes or otherwise.
You mean it is advisable to do long distance tri with road shoes without socks???!!!! guess no..
Thriathletes do not wear socks
Running out of ideas
Neither. Flats for the win