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