Cycling is one of the most popular sports in the world. What contributes a lot to the huge popularity of cycling is that it is equally developed as a professional sport and as a recreation. We have all heard and watched at least a few stages of the most famous races such as the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a España and many others. But also each of us has ridden a bike so many times, as a means of transportation to get from point A to point B, and also for fun and for fitness reasons. In recent years, even indoor cycling has become so popular and there is almost no gym that does not offer indoor cycling classes today.
If you have also discovered that cycling is the sport you like the most and you drive longer and longer distances often, you start thinking about buying equipment. And that is completely natural because you want to improve the experience and make certain sections easier for yourself. Cycling shoes are probably the first piece of equipment you will want to buy. Still, are they really necessary for an amateur? You will get an answer to this question and many others if you continue reading this article.
Are cycling shoes really necessary for beginners?
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Let’s first try to answer this question, before we move on to more details about cycling shoes. Although this is a very difficult question, because various factors need to be taken into account, we can say that cycling shoes are not necessary for beginners. Cycling shoes are certainly not mandatory to practice this sport, and they will not significantly affect performance, because a beginner will not notice any difference since a beginner usually doesn’t use a chronometer. Also, they are expensive, so it can be said that they are not necessary.
However, this does not mean that if you have the money and the desire to do cycling in the long run, you should not buy them just because you are a beginner. For professionals, such shoes are necessary for many reasons and they would never be able to drive any stage of the race without them, and not the whole race. So our answer is that they are not necessary, but also that it is a decision that primarily depends on your budget and personal preferences.
In the rest of the text, we will tell you which non-cycling shoes can be useful to you, and we will also tell you which features to pay attention to if you still decide to buy cycling shoes.
Non-cycling shoes
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You can just put some lightweight shoes on, but we want to give you a little more detailed information like they did on bikevscycle.com
It is clear that you need to choose some shoes that are comfortable for you, so that all those elegant shoes that you wear to the office or to the wedding are out of the question for any physical activity. This more or less leaves you the option to choose between running shoes, trainer shoes and skateboarding shoes.
Running shoes, although they can seem like a great choice, because they are very comfortable for walking, they are not very suitable for cycling. Of course, it will be enough for a very short distance, in which case the choice of footwear is irrelevant. But if you plan to drive a longer distance, then they are not too comfortable and also laces can be caught in a chain, which could be very dangerous for you.
Trainer shoes are a better choice because they have a better grip. Also, if you choose some designed for weightlifting, it can happen that they do not have laces, which is great. If you’ve ever seen sneakers designed for squats or deadlifting, the part around the laces is more reminiscent of cycling shoes than running ones.
Skateboarding shoes are also suitable. Rubber soles will provide a great grip and you will be very comfortable to ride in them because you will easily maintain a steady position. Also, due to its design, it will fit into a cycling outfit.
As for sneakers for tennis, basketball or some other sport, they are generally similar to running shoes, so you better choose some others for cycling.
Of course, what matters most is your feeling. So if you are a beginner, during the first few times, when choosing short distances, try a few different types of shoes and see what suits you. Every person has a different body, and in this case the feet are especially important, so that will also influence the choice.
Cycling shoes
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A few things can only be offered to you by cycling shoes, so if that matters to you, consider buying a pair. First of all, it refers to the transfer of power. They have bottoms that are very stiff compared to others and therefore significantly more power will be transferred with each of your movements. This is very important when driving long distances. Also, with them you will be able to use the muscles more evenly, which is important to avoid injuries.
Another important thing is the ventilation that has been improved on cycling shoes, to make it as comfortable as possible for you to ride. In addition, support is better, so muscle cramps occur much less often. All of this affects your stamina and allows you to drive faster and longer. Also, the pedals fit perfectly.
Conclusion
After reading this text, we believe that two things are clear to you. The first is that if you ride every couple of weeks or even less often or if the distances are very short, practically every type of sneaker is good enough for you. There is no need to then invest money in buying cycling shoes that are expensive.
But if cycling is your hobby and even though you are a beginner now, you plan to ride more and more, then consider buying cycling shoes as soon as possible because you will see the benefits quickly, even though you are a beginner. After all, you will only be a beginner for a short time.
