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Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross?
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Looking to give the SoCal Cross season a shot this fall. I've got a cross bike, but wondering if I really need to get new pedals and shoes? Lots of other priorities right now, so don't want to spend a lot if I do.

FWIW, I'm looking at the Crank Brothers Candy 1 and some less expensive Shimano shoes...thoughts on those?

Thx.

Fred
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Pedals are about preference. I use egg beaters 3's now, where previously I used the Candy 3's. I find the quality jump to the 3's are good value, but I also used the pedals a lot outside of CX.

As far as shoes, for CX I prefer to have a rather cheap shoe that isn't super stiff on the sole and can flex a little. This helps when you have to hope off your bike, maybe jump a barrier or run up some stairs before hopping back on. A super stiff sole makes that a bit awkward, but doable.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Depends a bit on how muddy your races will be but expect to trash the shoes (so buy cheap ones). I would also recommend shoes with more give/flexibility than a standard road shoe. It will take a while to get comfortable with all the mounting and dismounting and getting a shoe/pedal combo that is forgiving if you mis-clip can provide a nice confidence boost.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Are you asking if you can do CX races in road shoes/pedals? If so, the answer would be that you could but it would be very inadvisable to varying degrees based on the course. Pretty much any MTB shoe will work. I use shimano M520s or M540s for both MTB and CX under the advice of some experienced riders when I was first starting out. Under $30, super durable, good mud shedding. I beat the heck out of them and they have been fine for 3 years now.

http://www.jensonusa.com/...NIQPFD4aAlikEALw_wcB

Jonathan Page won the 2013 CX Nat'ls on them, so I feel confident they are not what is keeping me from becoming a Nat'l Champ.


https://www.cxmagazine.com/...lue-norcross-shimano
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Any "Mountain Style" shoe that fits your foot and budget are fine.

Shimano pedals are the most robust. Tech is essentially the same from basic to high-level.
Crank brothers have durability issues. Time's aren't what they used to be. Off-brands (wellgo etc) work, but not as well as what they're based off of (Shimano).

I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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You absolutely do not want to do cyclocross in road shoes. Anybody that tells you otherwise does not have success racing cyclocross.

I think you're on the right track. Candy 1's and entry level Shimano shoes could come in close to $100 and you won't be disappointed with either. The candy 1's are very inexpensive and the version from the last few years is a bit more robust than earlier versions. I feel they have better mud clearing than the Shimanos, but they are both fantastic entry level options. I don't know how wet things gets in SoCal cross racing (heck, they are rarely wet here in the IL/WI area), so that may not be an issue. Xpedo's pedals are really good, but hard to find anywhere near the price of a Shimano 520 or Candy 1.

Just grab some shoes that are comfortable and fit your budget. Ideally they have a little bit of grip and flexibility. A lot of off-road shoes have two little threaded holes in the front where you could toss in (inexpensive) toe spikes for mega grip if you get to the point where you think you need it.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [kdw] [ In reply to ]
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Super helpful. Thanks everyone. Think I'll go with entry level Shimano MTB pedals and shoes to get started. Looks like a ton of fun and can't wait for the first race!
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Platform pedals would be an even cheaper solution. Honestly, beginner cx racers give up so much time on poor discounts and remounts that a few weeks or a season without getting clipped in might be faster. You'll definitely look like the homonym of your name, but you probably wouldn't ride much slower.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Well you cant use road/tri shoes or pedals.

Flat pedals would work okay if you're really cheap.

Otherwise Candy pedals or Eggbeaters are ideal.

Want: 58cm Cervelo Soloist. PM me if you have one to sell

Vintage Cervelo: A Resource
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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Either crank brothers or shimano are fine. Crank brothers clear mud better, at the expense of some instability and less of a "locked in" feeling. They also release if you strike the bottom of a pedal. I don't know much about socal, but if mud isn't a common course condition, I would strongly lean toward shimano.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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fwiw the latest iteration of the xtr pedals are lacking in a few areas (soft metal on the pedal platform, spindle bearings regularly needing to be tightened... ...etc.) No clue if the xt line or lower has the same issues. Allegedly Crank Bros has upgraded their stuff but they've (in the recent past) been VERY prone to breakage and definitely need regular servicing. Nothing quite as fun as having a broken spindle mid race or having the bearing (bushing) crap out and pedal extracting itself from the crank arm. Why yes, both of these have happened to yours truly and it'll take a lot to convince me to try them again.

I'd seriously consider Time pedals if you're looking for something that will last forever - or the older shimano 737/747
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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SoCal Cross rarely have rain or mud. But, when we do, it can get really bad. Often, Adobe clay mud and type of pedal really doesn't matter then.
Don't use road shoes and pedals.
JensonUSA often has shoe/pedal combo sales for $80-100.
Look for training sessions or groups near to get a little practice in.
What area are you in?
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [Rumpled] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the insight. I live in Long Beach, work in El Segundo. Would love to get some experience prior to racing! The SoCal Cross website is very dated so hard to figure out how to get plugged-in. :(

Fred
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [sailnfast] [ In reply to ]
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sailnfast wrote:
Thanks for the insight. I live in Long Beach, work in El Segundo. Would love to get some experience prior to racing! The SoCal Cross website is very dated so hard to figure out how to get plugged-in. :(

Fred

More action on the SoCal Cross Facebook page. I'd imagine some people might do some training at ElDo. We usually have a race or two there a season. (Though not on this year's tentative schedule.)
Velo Allegro is a team from that area with good numbers at the races, check with them for training groups.
The promoter is a bit on the ragtag side with race venues. We sometimes don't know until week of (like Tuesday or Wednesday) where this weekend's race will be.
Saw her last night at a CX practice and her schedule is still really fluid. Most of the dates can be counted on, locations - not so much.
Only a few of the races will require a USAC license, most will have no license requirement.
Let me know if you have any more ?'s about our local scene.
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Re: Non-road pedals/shoes for my first season of cyclocross? [Tim_Canterbury] [ In reply to ]
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Tim_Canterbury wrote:
fwiw the latest iteration of the xtr pedals are lacking in a few areas (soft metal on the pedal platform, spindle

FWIW I've been running 3 sets of XTR M9000 for a year with no issues.

I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com
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