Mountain Bike Shoes: Increase Your Power Control and Efficiency
Get a new pair of mountain bike shoes and all of a sudden you and your bike are one. Get past the first few falls and you will notice your efficiency go up and getting power to your pedals has never been easier.
Before you Buy your Bike Shoes
There are hundreds of shoes on the market and I am here to help you find one to match your skill level and type of riding. Before you buy ask yourself these questions:
How regularly do you ride?
- Every week and it is better to spend a little bit more and get a more comfortable and durable shoe.
What sort of riding do you do?
- If you ride to work on dirt (I wish! …sigh…) then you will want a quick drying shoe. You definitely don’t want to be putting on a pair of wet shoes for the ride home.
- Cross country racers will probably want 2 pairs. A more comfortable (and heavier) set for training and a super-light set for race day.
What conditions to do you ride in?
- If you ride in an area with boggy sections you will be better suited to a pair with chunky tread and good mud-shedding potential.
The mountain bike shoe reviews have been split up into 2 sections. XC/Race shoe reviews and Freeride/Trail/Enduro/Epic Shoe Reviews.
Skip Straight to XC/Race Shoe Reviews
Skip Straight to FR/Trail/Enduro/Epic Shoe Reviews
How to Look After Your Mountain Bike Shoes
If you are going to spend $150+ on a pair of mountain bike shoes you are going to want to look after them. Follow these 4 steps to get a longer life out of your feet protectors…
- If your shoe gets wet on a ride then undo the laces and/or Velcro straps and stuff the shoe with crumpled newspaper. The newspaper will draw the water out of the shoe and the large surface-area to volume ratio will help it to evaporate faster.
- If you have a leather shoe make sure you waterproof it often so it doesn’t absorb too much excess water on the trail. A leather shoe can get very heavy when wet and you don’t want to be lugging this extra weight up a hill.
- Check the position of the cleat in the sole often and make sure it hasn’t slipped while riding. If it has slipped, remove the cleat, lightly grease and bolt it and reattach it.
- Spray WD-40 or similar on your pedal engagement mechanism regularly. Keeping the release well-lubed will help you to clip in and out easily and help you to avoid some potentially serious injuries.
Now that you know what sort of riding you do and how to look after your new shoes, check out the reviews of shoes to see which is best for you...
Skip Straight to XC/Race Shoe Reviews
Skip Straight to FR/Trail/Enduro/Epic Shoe Reviews
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