Cómo elegir el calzado adecuado para usar una bicicleta indoor

How to choose the right shoes for indoor cycling

Indoor cycling offers a lot of advantages when it comes to exercising at home, working on endurance and improving our performance on the bike at a professional level. However, it is much more enjoyable if we have the necessary equipment and clothing, and in this last aspect it is very important to pay attention to the type of footwear we use. It is for this reason that in this article we answer what shoes to use for spinning and how they should be. We also explain how to put cleats on spinning shoes. Read on to find out more!

Which shoes to use for spinning?

If you have already become aware of the importance of indoor cycling and why you need it to improve your endurance, as well as your performance on the bike, now it’s time to reflect on the importance of wearing the right shoes. Good indoor cycling shoes – just like those used for outdoor cycling – are extremely useful for securing your foot to the bike and providing greater stability. As you can imagine, this is key to avoiding injury, but also to increasing your performance and economizing the effort you put in. Indoor cycling shoes, therefore, improve your pedaling technique, provide stability and prevent injuries.

Indoor cycling shoes for mountain bikes

Not in all cases it is necessary to use specific shoes with cleats, it all depends on the type of cycling for which you want to train, as well as the type of indoor cycling bike you buy and its pedals. In fact, those who are just starting out in this modality can use conventional sports shoes, although you should avoid using ready soles -to prevent slipping-. It should be noted, however, that most spinning bikes are usually designed with mixed pedals, allowing the use of shoes with cleats (on one side) and normal sneakers (on the other side).

As a general rule, shoes with cleats are the most recommended. Keep in mind that normal running shoes tend to sink in, which will limit you when exercising. With a thinner sole, you will lose more energy and your pedaling efficiency will be lower. With these shoes, the sole flexes at the heel and the weight is centered in the metatarsal area.

Spinning shoes cleats

Stationary bike shoes are the most recommended when you are looking to train cycling at home, especially when you opt for a road cycling mode. Unlike traditional running shoes, spinning shoes improve efficiency because pedaling is much easier and, in fact, the risk of injury is minimized. Due to the rigidity of the sole, the weight of the body is evenly distributed over the entire base of the foot. Cleats are metal parts that are placed in the shoe and allow the shoe to be attached directly to the pedal, so that the foot does not move during pedaling, which helps us to achieve greater pedaling efficiency. As expected there are different types of cleats and this is something that we must take into account when choosing our indoor cycling shoes to be able to make the right choice.

Indoor cycling shoes: other tips

Apart from all of the above, it is essential that the shoes fit snugly to the instep, but without suffocating the foot. The best way to find out which one fits best is to try them on, and it is generally recommended that they fit one size above your size. Keep in mind that during pedaling your foot will go back and forth, however, if they are too tight they will end up hurting you and in the end you will not use them.

How to put cleats on spinning shoes

As mentioned above, indoor cycling shoes are equipped with cleats, but these must be fitted by yourself after purchase. The most common model is Shimano’s SPD and is the one most indoor bike models work with; in any case, you can always check the machine’s specifications to make sure. Cleats are placed with an Allen wrench, specifically on the pedal spindle in the metatarsal area. To answer how to put cleats on spinning shoes, you must be clear that the center of the bike pedal axle must be on the line with the head of the first metatarsal (at the height of the bunions). You can make a mark on the sole of the shoe at this height to make sure. Then place the holes of the fastening piece towards the inside of the shoe, so that it coincides with the mark. You can also use a pair of upper and lower holes depending on the foot.

The next thing to do is to place the cleat on the outside and tighten the screws while aligning the cleat with your ankles and knees. Finally, being close to the bike, get on the bike with the cleats and check that you have centered them correctly and that you are comfortable pedaling.

How to attach spinning shoes to the pedals

The first thing you need to do to answer how to attach your spinning shoes to the pedals is to insert the front of the cleat into the pedal and then press down with a sharp tap on the heel area. When you hear the click, you will notice that the cleat is securely anchored. However, if you do not have much practice you can also adjust the height of the bike, sit on it and place one by one. The process to remove the cleat from the bike is also very simple. In this case all you have to do is turn the heel outwards and that’s it. Sometimes it is somewhat complex to remove the cleat, this usually happens because we have tightened the screws too hard to fix them. It is advisable that you make several tests of hooking the shoes to the pedals and unhook them to make sure that these have been well adjusted.

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