Riding a bicycle can be a casual activity or a rigorous calorie burner depending on what you're riding the bike for. Competitive bicycling is becoming more popular these days, and if you want to hop on the cycling bandwagon, you're going to need to get the right gear for the right bike. Competitive bicycles often come with strapped pedals, which require special shoes.
Benefits of Straps
A number of different pedals are available for your bicycle, each with their own advantages depending on the type of bicycling you enjoy. Strapped pedals have the benefit of keeping your feet securely locked in place while simultaneously allowing you to pull upwards on the pedal through the upstroke. Strapped pedals can also be loosened slightly to allow easy access and removal of your foot during races or in case you need to dismount your bike in a hurry.
Casual Biking
If you're just starting out as a bicyclist, you probably don't need to get a pair of style specific biking shoes. Because pedal straps are adjustable, you can wear pretty much any style of shoe that you feel comfortable in. If you plan on regularly biking around 5 miles or less, a pair of cross trainers or running shoes would do just fine. The lightness and comfort of the shoe would be ideal for this style of biking, and the toes should be narrow enough to easily fit inside the pedal straps.
Road Biking
If you're bicycling on the road, you're going to want a shoe that will allow you maximum efficiency and support to help you go the distance. Road biking shoes have significantly stiffer soles than other types of bike shoes, ensuring the maximum amount of energy is transferred from your legs to your pedals. These shoes are lightweight and well ventilated with a narrow toe that makes them easily compatible with strapped pedals.
Mountain Biking
Strapped pedals are exceptionally suitable for mountain biking, as the ability to lift up on the puddle through the upstroke makes riding up on an incline much easier. The shoes will usually have a fairly stiff sole but with enough flexibility to allow walking uphill or on a slippery slope comfortable. While some mountain bikes come in a 2-holed cleat variety for clipless pedals, they also come in a flat-soled variety which would be ideal for strapped pedals.
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