Choosing Shoes And Pedals For Your Trike

Choosing Shoes And Pedals For Your Trike

History of the Recumbent Tricycle Reading Choosing Shoes And Pedals For Your Trike 4 minutes

Choosing Pedals

Cycling Shoes

A good pair of cycling shoes for a recumbent trike is an essential piece of accessory for anyone who is serious about their riding and safety – but the best shoe for you will vary depending upon the type of cycling that you do. For sporty leisure rides during the week or weekend, your journey by trike is your best partner for your fitness and cycling life style.

A good shoe that safely keeps your foot on the pedal so that you don’t get heel suck and is comfortable enough to walk into your local Starbucks is a must have. When riding your trike, you want to stay fit, healthy, and have fun and the best way to do this is with a good pair of cycling shoes to increase your performance and keep your feet safe.

Shim Shoe CT5-1

When it comes to selecting the right pair of cycling shoes, there are a plethora of options from a huge selection of brands. Choosing the right model at the best brand can be tricky. The key variables when it comes to cycling shoes are the fastening system, the sole, the cleat style, and of course the fit – we’ve researched in detail on each of these to help choose a good casual shoe that fits the every day trike rider’s lifestyle.

We’ve narrowed it down to two main items, a good comfy shoe and a pedal that securely keeps your feet from falling off pedal and getting sucked under the trike, and is easy to release when you want to get out of the trike.

Now shoe models may change from year to year, but the basic concept does not, so we found that a great shoe for a trike rider is either an urban or trekking shoe. These are usually comfortable and easy to put on. We found it best to match the shoe and pedal brand together so they are designed to fit and clip together perfectly. Of all the brands out there we’ve selected Shimano SPD shoes and pedals as the easiest to clip into and fit.

The easiest pedal is going to be the Shimano SPD with Click’r technology. It’s has a versatile CLICK’R binding on one side and flat pedal on the other. It has a lighter spring which is easier to catch and clip into the binding. There are a few different models, we find most riders prefer the one which allows a regular shoe with better grip on the flat side for as quick ride around the block and a clip in side for longer rides and safety.

The pedals we sell online, but choosing the best cycling shoes can be a difficult process, and if done incorrectly, it can be an expensive endeavor if you get a shoe that is uncomfortable. We recommend trying the shoes out at Laid Back Cycles or your local shop.

How to Pedal Your Recumbent Trike?

Still Deciding If Clip In Shoes Are The Way To Go?

Once you’ve done the obligatory “My feet slipped off the pedal” heel suck, cleats are safer and more powerful and a lot more relaxing way to go. When you’re clipped in you don’t have to expend energy keeping your legs up on the pedals. You also get around 20% more power for climbing with cleats versus none. They also help prevent your foot from going into the front wheel spokes on a narrow trike, which could end badly.

The advantage of a trekking or urban Shimano SPD shoe is that you can walk in them without clunking and the wibbly wobbly feeling of leaning forward of an extended out cleat!

For even more performance you can buy good stiff soled MTB shoes over a urban shoe. A stiff sole is important for efficiency and also protects your foot against hot-spot or localized pressure and numbness. You can also find SPD Sandals which works for regular or wider feet.

For adaptive pedals check out TerraTrike Platform Pedals. Also, remember we are here to help with your recumbent cycling needs.

If you have any questions feel free to give us a call, schedule an appointment to drop by or use the website chat box for a quick response.

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