Cycling shoes and clipless pedals come in a variety of styles and designs to match the individual bike and riding conditions. For example, some cycling shoes and clipless pedals are designed to be used with road bikes, while others are designed for off-road mountain biking. However, sometimes you may only have one set of clipless pedals that must be used for road and off-road biking. While you can cycle off road with road clipless pedals, the combination isn't ideal and won't maximize your cycling performance.
Function
The overall function of cycling shoes and clipless pedals is to maximize your stroke power and performance. The clipless pedals are designed to hook your cycling shoes into the pedal, allowing you to pull on the upstroke and push on the downstroke. This ultimately results in a constant application of force through the entire pedal rotation. As a result, road clipless pedals can be used for off-road cycling if you are pedaling over basic terrain and smooth trails.
Cleats
Cleats on cycling shoes come in different styles and must be compatible with the clipless pedal system. Most road-cycling shoes feature a cleat that protrudes from the bottom of the sole and requires a 3-hole clipless pedal. If you are wearing mountain bike cycling shoes, however, the cleat is recessed into the sole and requires a 2-hole clipless pedal. The protruding cleat from the road-cycling shoes makes it difficult to walk and can make it impossible to dismount your bike if you are required to carry the bike over rugged trails, rocks and mountainous terrain
Materials
Road clipless pedals and cycling shoes are not made with materials designed to withstand the mud, dirt and rugged terrain of off-road cycling. Mountain-bike shoes feature a reinforced upper material, semi-stiff sole and aggressive tread pattern to handle the dirt, mud and dense undergrowth of the off-road trails. Road clipless pedals and shoes, however, feature a stiff sole for a lightweight, aerodynamic pedal system. If you choose to use road clipless pedals while off-road cycling, consider choosing nontechnical trails that allow you to stay on the bike at all times.
Alternatives
If you are a beginning cyclist, consider a pedal system that utilizes rubber toe clips or straps. These systems allow you to wear normal running or trail shoes without sacrificing the ability to push and pull during every pedal stroke, along with dismounting the bike if you encounter an impassable trail. As you gain experience with off-road cycling, you can install off-road clipless pedals to be used with mountain-bike shoes.
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