Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cycling shoes essential for spinning class success

Spinning classes are hot in Northeast Ohio right now, and with a wide range of cycling shoes in stock at three stores, Century Cycles is your best source for spinning shoes in the Cleveland and Akron areas. Whether you’re a cyclist who takes spinning classes to escape the frigid outside temperatures or someone just looking for a great workout, you quickly learn that running or aerobics shoes just won’t cut it in class.

The benefits of cycling-specific shoes apply to pedaling a spinning bike the same as they do when riding a regular bike:
  • Stiff soles provide more efficient energy transfer from your legs to the pedals.
  • Clip-in mechanism allows you to apply force throughout the entire pedal stroke, rather than an alternating up-and-down force.
  • More safe and secure -- your feet won't slip off of the pedals, which is a common problem when using regular sneakers, especially when pedaling the spinning bike while standing up.
  • Helps promote good pedaling form by encouraging a smooth, circular pedal stroke.
The spinning bikes at most gyms come equipped with pedals that have the "Shimano SPD" clip-in mechanism. This means that you can use any brand and style of cycling shoes that are SPD-compatible.

Many cyclists prefer to use the more casual sneaker-like style of cycling shoes for spinning classes. The benefits of this type of shoe are:
  • Athletic-shoe styling looks at home throughout the gym.
  • Rubber soles provide cross-training functionality for comfortable use on weight machines and other gym equipment.
  • Recessed cleat mounting means that you won't slip on the cleat or damage floors as you walk.
Here are a few of our favorite spinning shoes, in stock at all three of our stores:






Pearl Izumi Women's X-Alp Seek ($84.99)









Pearl Izumi Men's X-Alp Seek ($84.99)








Shimano SH-MT21 Unisex ($59.99)











Shimano SH-MT41G Unisex ($79.99)





The cleats are usually provided when you buy a pair of pedals for a bike, so don't forget that you'll also need to purchase the cleats to attach to any of these shoes to let you use them on the bikes in the gym. We've got these in stock as well, and we'll mount them to your shoes for you at no extra charge!

1 comment:

  1. Indoor cycling shoes made all the difference in the world for me in terms of performance in my indoor cycling classes. Your entire effort of pushing down on the pedal is "truer" because you're not pulling your feet up in the stirrup. I've noticed I can exert greater effort too because the pedal stroke is more natural.

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