The cycling community can be such a conformist bunch of buttclenchers sometimes. Wear what's comfortable for you. And no you're not the only one. I'm someone who stops to take a picture or walk around something nice I spotted (*gasp* what about my average speeed!!!) and don't want to clack about on roadshoes, so I wear MTB shoes too. Thanks for the inspiration Katie. Sometimes it's your videos that get me out the door!

I also wear MTB shoes on my road bike. Super comfortable, and still works really well.

I'm with you on the MTB shoes/cleats, Katie! I used to wear carbon-soled road shoes with Speedplay pedals -- until the day when I flatted twice and had to walk the bike about 5 km to get home. My heels blistered so badly, I had to call my mother-in-law to come get me. I converted to mountain-bike shoes and SPD cleats/pedals within a week.

I got sick of replacing road cleats so often so switched to MTB. Easier to walk in and more robust. I'm not racing so it doesn't matter to me. Same shoes now for road or gravel and no changing pedals when my gravel bike becomes my winter road bike!

I once got told by a sales assistant in a bike shop that my “choice of pedals” let my bike down - I was on double sided at the time. My husband wears training shoes with SPDs and regularly receives comments; he had no toes on one foot not that he does or should justify his choices to anyone. Where do some people get off!!! Makes me so cross xxxx

Switched to MTB pedals for my road bike years ago. One of the best “upgrades” I made.

Don't worry, people judge me because I still like the old pedal cages. Just keep on doing your stuff the way you like to.

I also switched back to mountain bike pedals. I love that I can actually walk a bit if I have to. ☺️

Nice ride Katie, I always use mountain bike cleats on my road bike as well as my gravel bike, just makes life easier to clip back in and walking. Have a great week.

I too use mtb shoes and spd pedals. I did a gravel bike race back in may on a old early 90s khs mtb that I I cobbled quickly into a gravel bike. I used flat pedals and converse trainers. That look didn't go over well with the serious crowd there.

I have just switched to spd pedals, following your reply on a previous video, it was the re clipping I was having trouble with, especially on hills or in heavy traffic. Thank you, the problem is now eliminated 😊👍

I used to use MTB in my training bike and SPD-SL on my TT bike. My new road bike has road pedals but mainly as I got a killer deal on some really nice Carbon soled shoes. When I need to replace those I’ll get a good pair of MTB shoes and go back to off road pedals. Better for the long adventure rides and Audax I do now.

Taking delivery of my Ribble CGI SL in September and fully plan to use my MTB shoes so I wouldn't worry about wearing them or what ppl think. Its your cycling experience not anyone else's so need to explain or appear apologetic. Love your channel. Another great little vlog.

I also wear MTB shoes and use (gasp) dual-platform pedals on my road and MTB bikes. I may not even clip in during rides with lots of road crossings, etc. Don't listen to bike snobs. I recall hearing comments that I had the wrong color handlebar tape or shouldn't wear a Hi-Vis Yellow jersey because I wasn't Greg LeMond, good God.

I used to ride with cleats on my road bike but had to many falls at junctions. I ride flat pedals on both road and mtb. I recently joined a cycle group and succumbed to peer pressure to get back to clipless. After 3 rides and no accidents I have went back to flats as I enjoy the ride more and not getting anxious when I’m approaching junctions. I agree clipless maybe more efficient but for me being more efficient doesn’t mean more enjoyable.

I use XTR race MTB pedals, super light, look stunning, double sided for very fast click-in when taking off from lights, and Giro MTB shoes which are pretty light, very comfortable and let me walk about at cafes and photo stops 😁 Don't notice any lack of stiffness or power transfer, and yes I do get purist roadies disgusted when they see the XTR badge which always makes me happy! These same roadies were also disgusted at my XTR mtb rotors, until Dura Ace put their badge on them and they are now the de facto road rotor lol

... it is very simple ... I like to be able to walk at the rest stops ... and some stores will not allow you to walk into the store ... especially if they have wooden floors. So I wear Shimano MTB shoes w/ SH56 cleats ...

You go, girl. I ride mountain bike SPD pedals on my new Cube gravelbike. I ride pretty old SPD pedals on my more than 30 year old Koga Miyata roadbike. I wear the same pair of gravel shoes on both of these bikes. So what?! I like that you obviously don't care too much about such etiquette. Keep on doing what u r doing, dear Katie. U r inspiring to many, this I am sure of. Liebe Grüße aus Graz in Oesterreich, Christoph

Thank you for "blessing" my road bike shoe/cleat/pedal choice! I can now completely dismiss any self-conscience feelings I had : ).

That west wind on Sunday was a beast, we did a 100km/2000m loop a bit further south in the Peaks than you and the exposed westward bit at the end was a killer.

The best thing I ever did was swap my road shoes over to mtb sidi's. I commute to wrk everyday and have found the off the bike walks into cafes and shops is less embarrassing 😳 as I remain on my feet and not my ass😂.

I had a moment of realisation a few years back when it came to me that I just did not get on with cleats. Now I ride flat pedals in comfy shoes. I get looks from "seroius" cyclists, I have also dropped the lycra and drop bars. I did all these things because I saw other cyclists do them and thought that was the way to go. I simply want to feel free and comfortable on a bicycle. "Serious" cyclsits do not aknowlege me now I am out of "uniform", a while back I made an offer of help when somoene's chain got caught, I can sort is easliy, they looked at me frowned and said they did not want my help.

My newest aquisition, a beautiful pair of mtb shoes, so comfortable, love them, met my bestest cycling buddies through British cycling's Breeze rides. Such a brilliant group of ladies, 30 - 80 years old and such a great family of friends.

I thought it’s just me who’s having trouble restart on the slope with road cleats 😂 I am still using road cleats on my road bike when riding for fun. On my commute I swap out my Look Keo with a plastic flat pedal. I commuted on a spd for 3 years. Still a flat pedal in traffic just gives me a peace of mind. If one day I finally master the track stand, I may commute on spd again😂

I wear MTB shoes too (with Crank Bros pedals) for all the reasons other folks have listed. But I also use SRAM MTB detailers that I shift with friction shifters on my steel frame with rim brakes while wearing baggy shorts.

Delighted to see you climbing up "Castle Hill". I used to live round there but moved a couple of years ago and it was lovely to (from my new office in Germany) see an old familiar landmark. Lovely routes all up outside of Huddersfield!

I prefer mountain shoes since I feel they are easier to un-clip and I am able to walk around when off the bike when going into a store or taking a break.

I minimise right turns by doing anti-clockwise routes😁

Yep, fellow MTB SPD user! Why wouldn’t you?! I’m always hopping off the bike for a wander and photo op 😊

There's just a few reasons to ride with a dedicated road shoe today. That's because spd shoes now have carbon soles that are just as stiff as road shoes and are getting lighter and now come in white with good ventilation. Also some spd pedals like Shimano A-520 support the shoe on the side rails, not just in front and behind the cleat like on a mountain bike pedal. If you don't need spacers or wedges underneath the cleat (to cant the shoe) MTB shoes are a more practical choice! They were even used in the TdF in the 90s! If I'm taking the train to my riding destination (out of the city), I'll often swap in my A520 Spd pedals because the convenience of walking outweighs the slight performance gain of the road shoe.

The scenery along the road looks wonderful and gorgeous. I enjoyed the content of this video.😀👍👍

I had a bike fit with ex pro Adrian Timmis. I took both road and mtb shoes with me. He gladly positioned the cleats on both my shoes but said mtb pedals and cleats are more than adequate for most people unless you are racing. Since then I only use mtb pedals and shoes. I even use the mtb pedal that is flat one side and cleats the other so can nip to the shops in trainers So definitely not trendy in any way :)

I use Shimano PD-EH 500 pedals. MTB shoes when I’m out for a decent ride and flip flops on my 10 minute ride to the beach for a dip. As for the weather I’ll take rain over wind any day!

Nearly fell off my chair when I saw you were at Castle Hill, local to me & 100% empathise with wearing mtb shoes. In the Peaks & Kirklees it's the best way. Love the videos ! Thanks

Glad you had a great time on Tour. I wore similar shoes for my first ever 70.3 and still came 5th in AG missing podium by 4 minutes. Why would anyone judge us by what we wear?

Met a wonderful group of cyclists through Facebook. We're a proper mixed bunch; young/old, slow/fast, flat bars or drops, even recumbents! On shoes, like the idea of mtb cleats for a lot of reasons but I just love my road shoes too much! Flats with Vans for the commute though 👌

Started on MTB shoes but once I felt how light it was with good road shoes and ultegra pedals i found it hard to go back! Totally works though - glad to have those MTB pedals and shoes for gravel now as well

"I just hate wind!" Oh yes. I've been saying that since I started road riding despite my abilities growing with each passing season. This year I've met so many riders that have said the same exact words, completely unprompted. You're not alone in that one Katie! Oh, and I've been on SPDs since day one and have no desire to switch to road pedals except for the temptation of having pedal-based power meters, someday, in the distant future, maybe. 😏- Bob

I am another rider that has gone back to riding in MTB shoes, I have had a few negative comments from the cycling snobs about not wearing the right gear but I can live with that

The only reason I have Look Racing cleats is that originally I wanted to by my brothers bike including his pedals. For reasons I bought a new bike then, but I already had shoes and cleats, so I bought the pedals for them (mostly just a price thing at this point). Once the shoes wear out I will most likely go back to my original idea of single sided MTB, because that way you can walk on your bike shoes into shops or I can just take my normal shoes if I ride for work. Thanks Katie for your inspiration! You are one of the main reasons why I made a 440km trip - at least that I rode through the night for the second stage (300km). That was a great experience! It was colder than I expected and I could only continue because of bin bags I put over my hands - aero: no, looks: nope, but without them I would have had to stop and camp. You just do what it needs to cycle sort of comfortably instead of what other people think you should... TL;DR: Thanks! You are an inspiration! Continue the way you are and don't let others tell you what to do

Function beats form any day. I can walk in MTB shoes, I can use the same shoes on all my bikes (although I have shoes with different characteristics for e.g. fast road rides or touring), I can clip in and out faster, and not being a sprinter I do not notice any disadvantages.

How about them Peak District views … brilliant! PS: Record breaking cyclist JA recently suggested that we should just tackle any challenge at any age. Started cycling again two years ago at age 63 and last week I knocked out my first 206 km ride … how about that eh! Watching my diet, riding consistently and the pounds are just melting off … and most importantly, I’m having the time of my life! Keep them fun and inspirational videos coming. 🚴😀

I am wearing MTB shoes with no clips and flat pedals at the moment, as I am a beginner and learning the bases. I do gravel and I wouldn't like my feet to be fixed to the pedal on many occasions of my routes that often take small bits of forest path, across small streams, stones. Plus I like to take photos and walk around. I can't imagine for one second to use road shoes. And you've given me a new reason to avoid them. I only consider the option of MTB shoes, to get a better positionning of my feet, right now they wander around and I get knee pains when the ride is long. Not sure clipless pedals + MTB shoes are the right answer, but I'll try this way if I don't find a way to remain comfy with my current setup. Plus sometimes my foot loses the pedal at an inopportune moment.

Welcome home Katie. The French sun, super smooth tarmac and the Orangena's all well and good but All points North 2023 is only 10 months away now 😍

I wear MTB shoes for commuting into a major city. Shoe has better traction and easier to clip in when around cars.

I switched from spd-sl to spd cleats a couple years ago. I'd be using spd-sl for 10+ years. I won't go back. I've now got one really nice pair of shoes that work on all my bikes instead of a few mid-range or lower end pairs.

Thought you were going to say the thing you missed most about France was Orangina! 😂 Went hiking round Dove stones in June. Absolutely stunning. I went specifically to go and pose on the Trinnacle😂 I can see why you love it so much. I’d rather ride in snow than wind. Hate, hate, hate it!

I wear MTB shoes as well. And my pedals have 2 different sides, 1 for normal shoes and one for these clip things.

Love your realism Katie, you say it like it is. I just ride with mountain bike shoes, I can’t see the point in having an extra pair of bike shoes when I don’t need them and road shoes are a bit pricey here in Oz. I usually wave or acknowledge other riders when out for a ride, if I’m on the mountain bike I don’t usually get an acknowledgement from a Roadie but if I’m on the roadie it’s a nod or a wave. Human nature can be so strange sometimes. Keep the videos coming, they are great.

Katie, you clearly enjoyed your time in France, and your enthusiasm was so heart-warming. When you are going to come to the US to ride with our great group?

I’ve only ever used spd when I gave up the toe clips. I’ve got some shimano waterproof shoes which are great especially in the Scottish winter :)

I found clipping in to be a challenge for my left foot no matter what kink of clipless pedals I use. I didn't have a problem with old time cleats and straps. I think it's because it is possible to ride with cleats on an upside down pedal... at least without crashing into the ground.

Great vlog skinny k x glad u have had a great time time France

So interesting to see the comments on wearing MTB shoes on a road bike. Coming from a MTB background, I swapped from road to MTB shoes after not being able to find a summer shoe that didn’t become uncomfortable on a long ride, plus I find SPDs way easier to clip into and better for walking around off the bike. On the downside, they are heavy. Finally I found a pair of Shimano RC7’s in a wide fit which are comfy enough and much lighter. I have gotten better at clipping into the road pedals but it just doesn’t come as second nature like the SPDs to me.

I'm mainly a mountain biker and I use Crank brothers pedals , reason being I've always found them the easiest to clip out of in an emergency but I also use them on my road bike mainly because I'm just too tight to by road shoes and separate cleats for it + if for some reason I have to walk it's easier too .

I`ve been cycling for a while and still with flat pedals!!! Just don't care what others think!!!! It is the way I feel more comfortable!!!

I wear mtb shoes, always have handy for walking on the flat and takes away the need for an additional pair of shoes when away touring. In regards to finding/discoverying cycling buddies, I was the same joined a couple of groups, on fb and online local to glasgow. 7 years ago created our own called 'The Weegie Wheelers' +500 strong, meeting 2/3/4 times a week, all abilities for social cycling. done everything from wee meanders to full blown 100 mile plus epics, tours, Mallorca, - the cycling community is the best, all walks of life, no pre-conceived ideas, no snobbness, help each other out, love it, and new people meeting every week. Love it !

No, you're not the only one, Katie! I was a dyed-in-the-wool road rider but, when I decided to get a gravel bike, I went the SPD way AND I liked it so much that I bought a pair of pedals for my Teschner road bike (my beautiful bike). It is far easier to get into and out of the SPDs, yet I've never felt even close to pulling a foot out when heading uphill. They're great! (Who said old dogs can't learn new tricks.......?) As for groups to ride with, well it's different when you're old and so far from riders my own age. I don't mind riding in groups, though. Btw, did I miss the secret reason re SPDs? I guess it must really be a secret.

Also MTB shoes usually have more room inside to wear thicker socks in the winter. Seal skin socks and overshoes is a very toasty combination to wear through the winter months 👍 and you can also hike a bike if needed.

SPD mtb shoes because I can walk normally and have good tread for walking. Pedals are flat on one side for regular shoes when more casual. Road set ups generally not practical.

Moving from riding mtb to road bike years back I went with road style mtb shoes and spd’s to start off and have stuck with them ever since. Brands like Sidi do mtb shoes that match their road shoes and work just fine for me. And of course there’s the bonus of being able to walk about in them if needed. I got clobbered by wind descending the Cat & Fiddle last week so feel your pain there 😫

I used to use SPD pedals and now switched to road keos. Walking is harder but I found a great increase in performance

Yep. I use SPDs and like the fact I can walk when I need to. Katie. You probably ride faster than many with proper road shoes. Ride what and how you want. Just enjoy

I've been riding Time ATAC pedals for the last 10 yrs after riding road pedals for a few on all my bikes, road and off road. I just found the Time ATAC pedals so much more comfortable for my feet. I don't care what people think, because they are my feet and I am not getting paid to ride a bike. I do it because I enjoy it and if riding Atac's makes it more enjoyable, then that is what I am going to do. Also, the last time I checked, my Domane SLR 7 did not care if it had road or MTB pedals on it.

I'm with you. After trying both systems I have adoped mtb shoes for my road bike. I wouldn't gp back.

I ride Crank Bro's Candy3 on my road bike, and mallets on my MTB. It means I just need one pair of shoes for both. MTB shoes/pedals are just so easy to get in and out of. You can walk sensibly as well. I've just never seen the benefit of roadie pedals to a commuter/enthusiast cyclist. Watching my colleague/riding partner, when we used to commute together, either struggling to clip back in to his road pedals after a junction or him leaning against a lamppost/fence so that he didn't have to unclip always put me off them.

Switched to MTB shoes this year, bike lives up many flights of stairs and I'm not tottering up and down in road shoes and cleats, or making multiple journeys to carry shoes, bike and other stuff. Bollocks to other people, do what works best for you!

I am also on MTB shoes for the same reasons and I am the only one in the group. It's down to what I am comfortable with. Enjoy your ride!

Me too Katie. I use MTB shoes rather than road shoes. This is mainly due to avoid slip during sudden traffic brakes.

I use MTB pedals on all my bikes now, thanks to Gravel and XC there are loads of Stiff(er), aero(ish), 2 bolt shoes out there that look "roadie" enough. A lot of the old arguments for road specific shoes/pedals don't really hold much water these days unless you are racing. If they can barely measure a difference between clipless and flats in the lab, I highly doubt the difference between Road and MTB pedals is anything us mere mortals need to worry about 😅.

Fab video I used to use spd sl but gone back to flat pedals prefer those now x

i use MTB shoes because i can get a pair that somewhat resemble my normal everyday shoes and were fine wearing all day walking around at uni (Chrome Kursk's)

Good job my Mum can’t see this. Talking with my mouth full! Good to meet you on Sunday

I still have my dork disc on if that helps? I do a lot of steep climbs on my gravel bike on the lowest gear and I don't wanna drag it out of my spokes...

SPD-SL can be a PITA to clip in to, and always make me a bit anxious when I'm trying to clip in for a quick getaway from red lights, especially if uphill. I've considered trying Speedplay, but I have SPD on all my bikes other than the road bike. I'm impressed with your calm wasp whispering. They're one thing that really test my veganism, but I've got pretty good with a glass and piece of paper!

Yip my shoes and spd 👍. I use same shoes inside and outside. So flexible. Like the vlog as well. Imparts the joy and happiness cycling can give ( ok we’ll ignore the headwind 💁‍♂️).

Yep with you on MTB clips . Cycle buddies work colleagues , a couple SlimmingWorld ladies and e bikes for pub to pub rides . West Wales coast a favourite is classed as the Three Ship . Pub in each coastline village , plenty of climbing 🚴🍺🚴🍺🚴🍺🚴❤️❤️❤️

I use MTB pedals on my road bike. apart from the fact that it saves on having two different systems the Time ATAC pedals have a massive amounts of float which is perfect for my old knees. I have some XC stiff shoes for the road bike compared to my canvas ones for MTB.

I use SPD SL (road) cleats / shoes but carry cleat covers in case I need to walk any distance. The cleat covers are rubber and easily clip on…only cost ~10 quid. MTB cleats / pedals clearly work on the road though and I know several roadies who use them. I don’t judge! 😉

I am with you Katie. Prefer the rain to the wind. It’s so hard to ride against the wind. Thank you for the tips on meeting fellow cyclists. I need that so I can make cycling friends. Also I did my first 100k on my own thanks to you. Loved it 😊

Me & the wife use BONT Riot MTB shoes with our Road Bikes, as there more comfortable & you can actually walk with them. Back in 80's my Grandad used to advertise in the local paper, a Tuesday Group Ride meet up in Gt Ayton & 40yrs later, the Tuesday Group ride is still going. He then went onto riding from Perth to Sydney in 6 weeks, with 3 others from the group.

I use SPD cleats on *all* bikes. Native to MTB but also ideal for touring, where you will have to walk around, go in and out of stores etc. There’s no shame in using something that works so well.

I wear trainers with plastic toe clips and no straps. I get my feet in first time almost every time and obviously can walk naturally and easily when off the bike - an Aurora framed road bike from the 60's or 70s. Should add that my biking primarily consists of going to the shop for my groceries in London but I have been known to ride the equivalent of a tour stage up the Pyrenees as I ride from Peckham to Charlton sometimes

Glad it's not just me. Coming from mountain bikes into the world of smooth(ish) tarmac I wanted the convenience of not having more shoes and some familiarity between my bikes so the road bike was fitted with MTB Shimano SPD's. No regrets after 18 months

Lovley! my oh my youre just spitting out content , i love it!! LoL yep its cold now here as well.

I have SPD (non SL) on both my Giant R1 "hybrid / 'city' mountain bike" as well as my Canyon CF SL 7 (sub 8kg, rim brake) carbon race bike. Some friends say it is not done, but I cannot see many disadvantages. Weight differences are a fraction of the weight I myself could lose 🙂and they have these super benefits: - they are two-sided - easier clipping in - my one pair of shoes fits both bikes - I can actually walk more than 10 meters in my shoes - I actually prefer the looks of the pedals a bit more (because of the simetry maybe) Not investing in new shoes / cleats in the near future

I do a lot of road miles but also gravel and some touring so spd kinda just makes sense for me. Going to shops on road cleats is just silly

Apologies as it’s unrelated but do you still use your dynamo and sinewave revolution? And is the sinewave any good? I’m getting prepared for next years Pan Celtic and I’m looking for affordable but a good dynamo usb charger. Thanks in advance.

I can see Castle Hill from home; although it’s miles away. It is a good view from there and interesting places near by. 😀

I use SPDs because I did a lot of spin classes before the gyms closed down and didn't really get back into road riding until then. To me, it just made sense to use the same shoes. Having seen other club members struggle to walk when we couldn't ride our bikes right up to the cafe, I'm glad I do. At my age and with arthritis, out-and-out performance isn't really an issue, so any marginal gains I would get from "proper" road pedals aren't worth it for me.

I can confirm I miss you too and that it’s colder in Sydney than the North Pole!!! Seriously! 🥶

well I got a very big appreciation to ride solo... but I get your point, I recall a group in Swansea cyclecafe... I made friends there still in touch via zwift or strava... I miss coffee rides like you have there... Meet them because I made a check list of rides and then the dragon ride in wales was the 300 k sportive to 'start something' as for going 'ultradistance' but in a very safe way... one of them borrow me a bike so I don't have to travel with my bike... basically the friend of a friend introduce me to them, then I got invited to a FB group, and weekly weekend rides ...I was like always enjoying new routes every time ... and they ruined me... because is not the same here I don't know why but I do, is just not the same feeling every ride a new place, new experience, even new people I miss riding around wales and the dales. nostalgic in many ways.

I wear a pair of nice Rapha shoes with MTB cleats. Sometimes wear Shimano sandals in summer. I have a hip replacement and never new if I was going to unclip my shoe or my hip with cleats!!

I use double sided SPD's on my cross bike which I use as an everything bike (just swap wheels between fat knobby 650b tires and 700c thinner slick tires)

I like SPD gravel shoes for long road rides, so much more comfortable at the café stops

I love Bike Packing Buds for meeting new people!

I use combo pedals. SPD on one side, flat on the other side. On long rides with mtb shoes (Fizik Terra or so), on casual rides like grocery shopping I go with sneakers. I get judged for that, but I couldn´t care less ;)

Pleasant surprise to see you on my local ( castle) hill

love dovestones climb but hate the traffic on it

I'm also a fan of riding mountain-type shoes. The whole being-able-to-walk in a store or anywhere is much easier & safer.