Spinning, or Indoor Cycling, has been around for a while now, and it’s not looking like it’s going anywhere. In fact, many of you have begun incorporating it as part of your cardio routine as it provides a great way to raise your heart rate, burn calories, lose weight, improve your lung capacity and cardiovascular health, all while being LOW IMPACT.
If you’re reading and have not yet given spin classes a try, maybe you should consider getting into it. For those of us that have already started riding and love it, you may want to consider getting into some proper spin shoes to take your Ride to the next level.
Spin Instructor Hector wants to share some benefits to owning and riding in your own pair of Spin Shoes!
PLEASE NOTE: Make sure you know what kind of pedals your Spin Bike uses.(Most indoor bikes are generic pedals that take SPD CLEATS on one side and a Cage on the other). You will need that info to know which cleats to purchase. (SHOES AND CLEATS ARE SOLD SEPARATELY) Luckily any bike shop that carries Spin shoes will also have the cleats available for purchase. Ask your shop employee if you need help adjusting the cleats to your needs. (They are adjustable). Ideally they will be straight, but maybe you broke your leg and your foot points slightly to the left or right. Adjusting the cleat will accommodate this.
Benefits to Riding in Cycling Shoes
Cycling Shoes have Stiffer Soles
We often resort to purchasing really soft and flexible running/workout shoes which are great for gym workouts and provide comfort while running on really tough surfaces. The low impact nature of Indoor Cycling, along with the small pedal your foot rests on, makes wearing soft shoes a little unbearable and reduces the power transfer from your leg to the pedal stroke.
Unlike running shoes, the soles of your cycling shoes are stiff. This is ok because you don’t have to worry about walking over any bumps that comfort shoes are intended to dampen. The stiffer the sole, the better the power transfer you get while pedalling. Less power is lost as the shoe flexes or bends around the pedal so you get more power to ride faster and with heavier resistance comfortably. You also benefit from better balance when standing out of the saddle.
Your Feet Stay in Position
You might have noticed the slight shifts forward and backward that your foot makes while riding using running shoes. It’s often distracting and can lead to numb toes when your foot slides too far forward.
Another common problem that you may encounter by relying on the cages of an indoor bike pedal is the mere fact that sometimes you may get a bike with faulty pedals who’s straps don’t tighten properly, or are straight up broken.
With proper spin shoes, you will always know you’re gonna get a good workout, and won’t have to cross your fingers to get a good bike when showing up to class. Cycling shoes will ensure your foot will stay in place, again, providing more comfort and one less thing to think about while you focus on following the instructors directions.
No Hotspots
Hot Spots refers to the particular areas on your foot that ache after riding for a while. Wearing soft athletic shoes are a sure fire way to experience hot spots. With a stiffer sole, like the ones on Spin Shoes, the pressure of the pedal gets dissipated over a larger area, thus avoiding the pain associated with these Hot Spots. Cycling shoes also offer plenty of room in the toe box to avoid grinding of the toes against the shoe. Also Important for comfort is that your spin shoes will have a more snug fit and your heel won’t move from the heel cup. Comfort comfort comfort!
Smoother Pedaling
Once you start using cycling shoes in spin classes, you will realize another huge advantage of having them is the fact that you’ll be able to lift your pedal up on the upstroke, therefore smoothing out your pedal stroke. This in turn takes the pressure off your quads and brings your hamstrings into the workout. It’ll feel like a more complete process.
In addition, Spin Shoes are lighter in weight, despite having stiffer soles. Your feet will be less tired and you’ll be riding smoother and more comfortably in no time. (The lighter the shoe, the higher the price usually, but still affordable when you consider the purchase an investment. Normal wear and tear in spin Class is minimal on the shoes and they will last you many years).
Workout and Enjoyment will Improve
With no movement from your shoe on the pedal, you will be able to increase your power on every pedal stroke. A more complete push and pull action while pedaling involves more of your leg muscles and gives you better definition all around.
Your comfort and confidence increases as you will know your feet are in the correct position at all times so all you have to think about is exerting power and effort and matching the instructors moves.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you can still use the cages with your regular sneakers. After all, they’re there for a reason. As stated above, the Cycling Shoes are intended to take your ride to the next level. The fact that you’ve taken an interest in improving your Cardio Routine by incorporating Spin Classes makes us happy, period!
If you do go and get yourself a pair of cycling shoes, make sure they fit snug but comfortable. You don’t have to get the latest model with all the bells and whistles (you’ll notice when you start looking that there are tons of different styles). A simple Velcro fastener and being lightweight are two criteria you should keep an eye out for.
Happy Riding Yogis!
Hector.
We hope you found this post informational and that we’ve inspired you to at least start taking a look at your options. :)