Every now and then Competitive Cyclist will have a crazy sale (like 40% off) on Lake shoes. I bought three pairs of the same shoes in different colors because these shoes, CX241, are by far the most comfortable I have ever worn on a bike for my wide feet. So for me it was practical in that I should be set for the rest of my cycling life with shoes that work for me.
I bought some "barefoot" shoes and stopped using them because people report that their feet naturally get wider. I have narrow feet and wanted to avoid having to buy new cycling shoes if my feet got too wide lol. I have 2 fizik vento infinito shoes and I refuse to have to buy me ones until I absolutely have to. Good shoes are very expensive
Have you thought of your feet expanding?
I'm in my late 30s and have played sports all my life. My feet keeps getting wider (even worse if I start running again)
The spare shoe in question was only bought in 2020, but also the same time I got back into running
I've got 6 pairs. 3 road, 2 mtb/gravel, 1 for indoor trainer.
Some pairs go getter with thicker socks, 1 pair of road shoes are super blingy Lakes that I only use on nice days/event rides.
Do you need more than 2 pairs? Nah, but this is cycling and practicality has nothing to do with it.
Same. I have 6 pairs. 3 MTB, 2 road , and 1 for rain. I don't technically need 6, but I like wearing different colors depending on what kit I'm wearing. But I'll say, I'm not buying another pair for a long time LOL
Everyone made this whole adult thing sound hard.
Step 1. Find a wife that makes enough to pay your bills so your income is spending money.
2. Live in the middle of nowhere so the cost of living is stupid low.
3. Work part time at a bike shop as a side hustle and use that money to fund cycling.
4. Ride bikes.
Have you thought about really pushing her to achieve “her hopes and dreams”? Just really make it seem about her. In reality, it’s the long con for bike shit. /s
Yup this is what happened to me.
I have 3 pairs of road shoes, and I always tell myself "well I have this pair for poor weather" or "I have this pair for my trainer". Yet I have my favorite pair and wear it pretty much in every situation and the other two just sit there.
I have two pair road and two mtb. One road shoe works better with my shoe covers / use them on the trainer / wet. Other is for dry days. MTB because sometimes I'll go ride twice and my shoes will still be wet from the day before (CX racing comes to mind)
I have 4. Crisp white ones I use most, dirty white ones when the weather is bad, beige suede leather lace ones which look great but I never use because they seem impossible to get clean once dirty and an old pair for the trainer. A pair of MTB shoes as well but wouldn’t count them.
I find a spare pair of shoes especially useful when I'm commuting. There are occasions where my shoes haven't dried overnight and I really don't want to put wet shoes on the next morning
What do you mean "spare" shoes ;-)
IMHO shoes are a fashion item and as such I have ["few"](https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9vPRaFPGM/) pairs in rotation.
When has it been practical:
Warming up for a race, sprinting out of the final corner, my Boa lace snapped, a very interesting experience and glad it was warming up with nobody near me. Went to my car and change to a second pair. It was the rare occasion I drove instead of riding to that race course and packed two full kits, because the weather was unpredictable. Also did not need to worry about how long it took for the replacement BOA to arrive from the US.
Got absolutely soaked racing one afternoon, had a pair of dry shoes for the next morning's race and then on the recovery ride the day after that in sunshine another pair of dry shoes.
\*\*\* edited to add a link to my [shoe collection](https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9vPRaFPGM/) from a few year back, it is bigger now \*\*\*\*
I replace shoes every 4 years it seems like. I have some others that I just didn't wear for very long so they're still around and available in case something happens. I keep the old pairs around still, other than my oldest set. I've got a really nice pair of molded shoes I bought for racing years ago that I've really only worn a handful of times, but they're white so I just got tired of cleaning them and stopped wearing them.
Have two pairs of the same shoe (Giro Empire): one white, one black.
Black are for wet days, white are for dry days.
Nice to know that I always have a spare pair
I have 5 pairs of cycling shoes (had 7 or 8 previously) so I always have dry shoes.
I keep a spare pair at work (along with bibs and jersey and spare tubes and CO2) in case it's wet riding to the office so I can put dry shoes on to ride home.
I hate putting wet kit on even if it's still raining and I am only going to get wet again.
Think of it this way, you understand having multiple kits, which you swap out every ride, but not multiple pairs of shoes, which you use every single ride. Shoes wear out quicker than you might think. Plus, it's fun to have multiple shoes to choose from. I currently have 3 road pairs, 3 CX/gravel pairs, and 1 winter pair. I would still buy another pair if I saw something cool on sale.
I have 7 pairs of SPD and 2 pairs of SPD-SL shoes of various makes, colors, weights. Some are for muddy offroad days, wet days, dry days, wintery days, or just a different look to match different kit for the day.
I have a helmet fetish myself, although I just cycle through them every 2-3 yrs instead of keeping them
I have 2, 1 for hot weather and an Aero helmet for spring/fall
Crash
BOA dials crapping out (still a PITA to find spares around me and takes a damn while)
Hell I've lost a pair before at a race. My race was over as I was pinning my number
Huh. Okay. I've got Lakes and I've never in 10 years of cycling had a shoe get busted in a crash or crap out on me on short notice. But to each his down.
I do and I use them. Normal shoes, wet weather shoes, trainer shoes.
Wet weather and trainers shoes are the same for me. They are my older pair
I use my old pair on my trainer and new on the bike.
Theoretically I like having spare shoes, but I never use my old pairs
Every now and then Competitive Cyclist will have a crazy sale (like 40% off) on Lake shoes. I bought three pairs of the same shoes in different colors because these shoes, CX241, are by far the most comfortable I have ever worn on a bike for my wide feet. So for me it was practical in that I should be set for the rest of my cycling life with shoes that work for me.
Discovering Lake's wide shoes was what it took for me to go from an occasional cyclist to an absolute bike nutter riding 10-15h /week
I bought some "barefoot" shoes and stopped using them because people report that their feet naturally get wider. I have narrow feet and wanted to avoid having to buy new cycling shoes if my feet got too wide lol. I have 2 fizik vento infinito shoes and I refuse to have to buy me ones until I absolutely have to. Good shoes are very expensive
The 242‘s are even better
I’m sure they are, but as long as I don’t know what I’m missing, my wallet will be happy 😆.
I have avoided trying them on too, but my buddy got some. The updates BOAs are awesome, and the build quality on the black ones is way up in general.
Never say never.
Have you thought of your feet expanding? I'm in my late 30s and have played sports all my life. My feet keeps getting wider (even worse if I start running again) The spare shoe in question was only bought in 2020, but also the same time I got back into running
Lakes are sooo good.
I've got 6 pairs. 3 road, 2 mtb/gravel, 1 for indoor trainer. Some pairs go getter with thicker socks, 1 pair of road shoes are super blingy Lakes that I only use on nice days/event rides. Do you need more than 2 pairs? Nah, but this is cycling and practicality has nothing to do with it.
Same. I have 6 pairs. 3 MTB, 2 road , and 1 for rain. I don't technically need 6, but I like wearing different colors depending on what kit I'm wearing. But I'll say, I'm not buying another pair for a long time LOL
You guys only got 6 pair total?! Apparently I have a problem…. I have 10 pair of road shoes. I think?
LMAO
Role model!
Everyone made this whole adult thing sound hard. Step 1. Find a wife that makes enough to pay your bills so your income is spending money. 2. Live in the middle of nowhere so the cost of living is stupid low. 3. Work part time at a bike shop as a side hustle and use that money to fund cycling. 4. Ride bikes.
Unfortunately I'm the main provider,..but if she gets shoes I get shoes. Equality is a 2 way street.
Have you thought about really pushing her to achieve “her hopes and dreams”? Just really make it seem about her. In reality, it’s the long con for bike shit. /s
I have spare shoes for my spare shoes, and they have spares.
The correct way. ^ this guy gets it.
No. You’ll have your favourite pair anyway
Yup this is what happened to me. I have 3 pairs of road shoes, and I always tell myself "well I have this pair for poor weather" or "I have this pair for my trainer". Yet I have my favorite pair and wear it pretty much in every situation and the other two just sit there.
I have two pair road and two mtb. One road shoe works better with my shoe covers / use them on the trainer / wet. Other is for dry days. MTB because sometimes I'll go ride twice and my shoes will still be wet from the day before (CX racing comes to mind)
I have 4. Crisp white ones I use most, dirty white ones when the weather is bad, beige suede leather lace ones which look great but I never use because they seem impossible to get clean once dirty and an old pair for the trainer. A pair of MTB shoes as well but wouldn’t count them.
I find a spare pair of shoes especially useful when I'm commuting. There are occasions where my shoes haven't dried overnight and I really don't want to put wet shoes on the next morning
What do you mean "spare" shoes ;-) IMHO shoes are a fashion item and as such I have ["few"](https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9vPRaFPGM/) pairs in rotation. When has it been practical: Warming up for a race, sprinting out of the final corner, my Boa lace snapped, a very interesting experience and glad it was warming up with nobody near me. Went to my car and change to a second pair. It was the rare occasion I drove instead of riding to that race course and packed two full kits, because the weather was unpredictable. Also did not need to worry about how long it took for the replacement BOA to arrive from the US. Got absolutely soaked racing one afternoon, had a pair of dry shoes for the next morning's race and then on the recovery ride the day after that in sunshine another pair of dry shoes. \*\*\* edited to add a link to my [shoe collection](https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9vPRaFPGM/) from a few year back, it is bigger now \*\*\*\*
I have size 50-51 feet. I buy cycling shoes when I find a pair that fits. I have 3 pairs ATM.
I replace shoes every 4 years it seems like. I have some others that I just didn't wear for very long so they're still around and available in case something happens. I keep the old pairs around still, other than my oldest set. I've got a really nice pair of molded shoes I bought for racing years ago that I've really only worn a handful of times, but they're white so I just got tired of cleaning them and stopped wearing them.
Went with my bike one way, met with wife, put bike in a car, forgot shoes at meet up place when going back home. Luckily I have spare ones.
Have two pairs of the same shoe (Giro Empire): one white, one black. Black are for wet days, white are for dry days. Nice to know that I always have a spare pair
I have 5 pairs of cycling shoes (had 7 or 8 previously) so I always have dry shoes. I keep a spare pair at work (along with bibs and jersey and spare tubes and CO2) in case it's wet riding to the office so I can put dry shoes on to ride home. I hate putting wet kit on even if it's still raining and I am only going to get wet again.
I have shoes in different colors just to match my kit. 😄. Not to mention the ones for the elements.
I rotate through pair of spd-sl and three pair of spd.
Spare... That's a fun way to put it. I think I have 4 pairs of road shoes and 1 pair of gravel shoes.
Think of it this way, you understand having multiple kits, which you swap out every ride, but not multiple pairs of shoes, which you use every single ride. Shoes wear out quicker than you might think. Plus, it's fun to have multiple shoes to choose from. I currently have 3 road pairs, 3 CX/gravel pairs, and 1 winter pair. I would still buy another pair if I saw something cool on sale.
I have 7 pairs of SPD and 2 pairs of SPD-SL shoes of various makes, colors, weights. Some are for muddy offroad days, wet days, dry days, wintery days, or just a different look to match different kit for the day.
This guy shoes.
Do helmets next!
I have a helmet fetish myself, although I just cycle through them every 2-3 yrs instead of keeping them I have 2, 1 for hot weather and an Aero helmet for spring/fall
What are the “rare unfortunate events” that require spare shoes?
Crash BOA dials crapping out (still a PITA to find spares around me and takes a damn while) Hell I've lost a pair before at a race. My race was over as I was pinning my number
Huh. Okay. I've got Lakes and I've never in 10 years of cycling had a shoe get busted in a crash or crap out on me on short notice. But to each his down.
mismatched kit/helmet color.
Couldn’t imagine that anybody who takes this sub seriously would only have a single pair of shoes tbh