| crease your enjoyment of mountain biking, the right | | | | There are dozens of mountain biking shoes on the |
| shoe is essential. A shoe designed specifically for the | | | | market. Men will find a wider variety of designs then |
| mountain biker is the way to go. | | | | women, nevertheless there are quite a few styles |
| Mountain bike shoes come in a variety of prices, from | | | | designed specifically for the smaller foot of the |
| the inexpensive $70 range, up to over $400. The | | | | average woman. |
| amount of money you pay depends entirely on | | | | What makes the mountain bike shoe so important? |
| whether or not you are a casual, once-a-month rider, a | | | | The occasional biker usually doesn't bother with toe |
| serious hobbyist, or someone who competes in races | | | | clips or clipless pedals....they just hop on their bike and |
| - either amateur or professional. | | | | they're away. However, the serious cyclist wants to |
| What is it about mountain bike shoes that make them | | | | get all the power he or she can out of a pedaling, and |
| a) important to have and b) so expensive? | | | | with the shoe firmly attached to the pedal - either with |
| Shoes designed specifically for cycling have stiff soles, | | | | a toeclip or by a cleat, the cyclist can pull upward on |
| which helps the cyclist in transferring the power from | | | | the pedal as well as simultaneously pushing downward |
| his legs and feet to the pedals and thence to the chain | | | | on the other pedal, which increases the speed of the |
| for greater speed. Since the road cyclist is expected | | | | bike. |
| to be on his or her bike at all times without having to | | | | What makes the mountain bike shoe so expensive? |
| do a great deal of walking, they normally have a | | | | Well, as with any shoe, the price comes down to what |
| protruding cleat which slots into the recess on their | | | | the shoe is made of. The lighter the shoe is, the better |
| pedals. | | | | for the racer. But, lightness comes expensive. Carbon |
| A protruding cleat would be of no use to the mountain | | | | fiber soles are the lightest soles on the market - |
| biker, who quite frequently has to get off the bike and | | | | carbon fiber is more expensive to produce than |
| wheel or carry it around obstacles. So mountain bike | | | | injection-molded plastic, or plastic and fiberglass. |
| shoes have recessed cleats, that won't interfere with | | | | However, the average rider should be able to get a |
| walking, and aren't made with a totally rigid sole, but | | | | pair of mountain biking shoes for less than a hundred |
| one that will give just a little bit. | | | | dollars. |