bikepacking with flat pedals/shoes

[ec_duz_it]

On the subject of Five Ten Shoes,  I am now about to buy my 3rd pair.  My first pair were Impacts. Those were durable but heavy.  My current pair are Aescents, those are light but only lasted me about 10 months.  Anyone have any experience with the Impacts?  I am thinking those might be the right shoe.

[Aushiker]

On the subject of Five Ten Shoes,  I am now about to buy my 3rd pair.  My first pair were Impacts. Those were durable but heavy. 

Looking at http://bike24.com there is the Five Ten Impact Vxi which is a lighter "Impact" at 383 grams per shoe.

[offroute]

Hey, Andrew,

Nice zombie resurrection

After a few years I'm still really high on Scarpa Crux. The pair I used for 60+ days on the divide still has all seams intact and no holes or significant wear. I just keep wearing them for all activities and they keep delivering. They've recently gotten to the point where they are losing rigidity in the sole, which will happen to any shoe. So I just got a new pair, which are slightly different but appear to have all the great qualities of my originals. BTW, I've seen these on sale at various online retailers for 70$ USD.

For pedals, I prefer ones with bearings in- and out-board. Thin is awesome for trail riding, but a little more thickness for a true bearing on the outside is a worthy trade IMO. My DMR Mag V12s have been so completely indestructible, that I was really piqued to see the model undergo substantial changes. It's now thinner and lighter with a larger platform. The outside bearing got a little smaller, which hopefully won't translate to less durability. I went for them. I've used them on the toughest trails I ride, and I can't say that I notice a difference between them and the hyper-thin pedals with bushings for technical ups and downs. They're economical as well.

Good luck finding your sweetfeet spot!

[Aushiker]

Thanks Offroute. Crikey I haven't thought of Scarpa shoes since my first bushwalking boots way back when   Will have to look out for them.

Your comments on the pedals has been very helpful indeed. The exact sought of advice I have been looking for. I had shorted listed some Xpedo Spry pedals but will revisit that decision now.

[brassnipples]

I've been riding the Xpedo Spry pedals for about a year, no complaints.  They are a little thinner, narrower, and lighter than the rest of the pedals in their price range (under $100) and they are holding up alright.  The magnesium body is soft and gets dinged up easily but that's true of every mag pedal I've used, these seem to hold on to the pins better than the Welgo MG-1's which used to be my go-to pedal until these came along.

[Aushiker]

Thanks brassnipples. Helpful contribution.

[evdog]

Anyone have any experience with the Impacts?  I am thinking those might be the right shoe.

I've been wearing Impacts for ages, I do all my riding with them.  Considering amount of use and abuse they have taken I am impressed with their durability.  I have gone through 4 pairs in around 10 years.  I actually still have 3 of those pairs and use them for light duty local rides, though they are worse for wear.  The main issue they seem to develop is the sole material pulling away from the shoe in a few spots like the toe, after a year or two.  I have good success shoe-gooing those spots back in place which will hold for around 4-6 months of normal use before I do it again. 

Impacts are heavier than a lot of other shoes and I'm sure you can find shoes that would be cooler and more comfortable, but there are tradeoffs and I prioritize performance first.  I am used to the weight and comfort is acceptable, but I have yet to find something that works as well for both biking (pedal grip) and HAB that is as durable as Impacts.  I have had good luck finding them on sale for around $50/pr so there is that, too.  I have tried a couple other models of 5-10s and none of them have held up anywhere near as long.  The fact that I use them for all my riding inspires confidence in taking on big rides and bikepacks because I know the shoes will not be a problem. 

[vikb]

I wear these ^^^ Freerider Elements for day rides and bikepacking. Not as durable as Impact Lows, but much lighter and nicer to wear for long days. The Elements are great on the bike and fine for long stretches of HAB.

The only thing the Elements don't do well is get wet [ie stream crossing] and dry out fast.

[Aushiker]

DMR V12 [mg] Flat Pedals by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

These DMR V12 [mg] pedals arrived this week from the Chain Reaction Cycles so the build of the Salsa Mukluk is getting closer and closer to the finish. This is my first foray into riding with flat pedals so will be interesting to see how I go.

The above pedals are being matched up with a pair of Scarpa Crux Approach shoes which I got from Cotsworld in the UK. Ordered Sunday, arrived Wednesday.

Salsa Crux Approach Shoes by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

Thanks to the advice given here which drove the purchase decision.

[offroute]

Congrats on getting to a setup that works for you, Aus. 

I'm still in love with both the Mag V12 and Crux, fwiw. If you get a chance to use shoe covers, I think you'll be happy with the fit. My Impact Lows were a pain to get covers on and off of; the sleeker profile of the Crux cured that issue. In copious wet weather, the exterior of the Crux got a little damp, but never saturated through.

I'm close to heading out for a several-week spin on the Divide and will again use Crux (the new pair). I wore this pair on a three-day big wall climb (a notorious activity for destroying footwear) a couple months ago, and I was somewhat shocked to note that there was zero discernible damage or wear on the shoes. None at all! Their durability and lack of any trace of delamination is, to me, astounding – especially for such a lightweight shoe.

Happy feet, happy trails!

[thesonofhans]

For me, Vans skate shoes are the best.  I've got pretty wide and flat feet and they fit me well.  More specifically, the new Vans AVE are super durable and really comfortable, but a little pricey.  I found some Vans x Captain Finn colab shoes for $30 and they've been amazing.  Paired with my Sixty pedals, feels like I am locked in.

[Wingnut]

Aushiker,

My first foray back to flat pedals was with DMR's, the bearings didn't last long at all, developed play pretty quick and that damn alloy ring on the axle next to the pedal body would come loose and rattle...moved on to other brands since.

[Hayduke]

I run flats bikepacking, Teva light hiker/trail runner shoes and Shimanto MX 80 pedals get me there. I also use my canyoneering/aproach shoes but they have a lot more flex and the pedal cleats are hard on squishy soles.

I probably put more bike miles on in my work boots though and they work just fine as well. They are Georgia Boots lightweight ankle high leather boots with flat soles :- ) Makes evening fitness rides simple, get out of truck mount bike and ride haha

[freewheelingal]

shooting blanks here, but...chacos or the heavy duty version crocs?

[Hayduke]

shooting blanks here, but...chacos or the heavy duty version crocs?

Pretty sure he meant 'Crux' which is a pretty go-to boulder scrambling, approach, canyoneering, light hiker in our neck of the southwest :- )

[AugustWest]

I'm liking my Astral Donners - first pair I've had of theirs but rain/fording creeks/drying/smell are no longer issues.  "I don't care if it rains or freezes" like the song says.  They make a huge variety of water shoes that would be great for riding.

I hate wet shoes and after camping in wet cloth/leather Merrells that didn't dry out for 3 days after I got home I'm done with riding in traditional shoes.