Road Bike Shoes for Men or Women – A Must-Have for All Road Cyclists
For passionate road cyclists, road bike shoes are indispensable. Road bike shoes with stiff soles perfectly transfer power to the pedal. An SPD system for road bike shoes on the soles creates a firm and anti-slip connection between shoes and pedals. Road bike shoes for men as well as for women serve as the interface between road bikes and cyclists.
Road bike shoes for men or women are characterized by their smooth, stiff, slightly arched soles and uppers featuring a tight fit. A firm heel counter keeps your foot well in place and optimizes a firm hold. The upper shoe material, in most cases, faux leather, is slightly elastic, allowing the shoe to adapt to the shape of your foot. Mesh inserts or perforations provide good ventilation inside the shoe. The sole is the most important quality trait of road bike shoes because the stiffness of the sole determines the degree of power transfer. Road bike shoes by Sidi are known for their excellent sole construction and are therefore highly sought after among ambitious cyclists.
Standard road bike soles are made from nylon. Possible carbon reinforcements in the pedal area partially enhance stiffness. Demanding cyclists prefer completely stiff soles. These are soles made from carbon-Nylon composite material and, of course, soles made entirely from carbon. The higher the carbon content in the sole, the stiffer and more lightweight it becomes, and the more expensive the shoe will be. Soles of road bike shoes for men have three treaded holes in the pedal area for mounting road bike shoe pedal plates (cleats).
For the individual adjustment to your feet, the closure of road bike shoes is crucial. A classic in this area is lacing, yet it is difficult to re-adjust on the bike. Ratchet closures and Velcro straps allow for easy re-adjustment. Ever more cyclists nowadays favor dial closures (e.g. BOA). Fine wires serve as large-scale lacing and are continuously fixated with a dial closure. The dial closure is very lightweight and super easy to operate even one-handed on the bike. All closure systems are often combined with Velcro straps.