# What kind of shoes do you wear when ebiking?



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

Rode in Downieville, rock country this weekend and discovered some things about ebiking. Can/have to pedal through rock gardens. And the assist can drive your feet into overhanging rocks.

And there's no big consequence to wearing protective shoes.

What do you use?


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

brand, model? Happy with it?


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

5-10 Hellcats with Shimano XT Trekking pedals (PD-T8000). SPD on one side, flats with pins on the other. Best of both worlds. The Hellcats have a lot of toe protection and are also great to walk in if necessary.


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## richj8990 (Apr 4, 2017)

fc said:


> Rode in Downieville, rock country this weekend and discovered some things about ebiking. Can/have to pedal through rock gardens. And the assist can drive your feet into overhanging rocks.
> 
> And there's no big consequence to wearing protective shoes.
> 
> What do you use?


You probably don't want to know what I use lol.

Hiking boots. I'm about 5-10 times harder on hiking boots while mountain biking than I am when hiking, so that's saying something. The last pair wore out the tread in less than a year (95% biking, 5% hiking). 3rd set so far for this sport, just got them from Timberline a few weeks ago.

I think there are two types of people attracted to mountain biking: those that came over from road biking, and those that came over from hiking/backpacking. I could never wear clipless or even flat pedal shoes trying to push the bike up a steep dirt or gravel road; I'd ruin those shoes in a week.


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## ruthabagah (Jun 4, 2018)

Because of the weight of the ebike, and probably because I am not a young man anymore I tend to have my feet off the pedals quite often.

After riding with some form of clips for most of my life, I had to teach myself how to ride with flats when I bought my first ebike and went back on the trails. 

My favorite so far are a pair Bontrager Flatline shoes. They are pretty good flats and offers reasonable feet protections while not being to hot and heavy for long rides. The sole is grippy enough for the few walking sections on some steep trails.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

I like what I'm hearing!

The key is to give it some thought. One doesn't have to wear Sidi dominators since that's what they've worn the past 20 years. The factors of weight and efficiency as not as high on the list. One can really go for what one prefers now.

And don't forget about the slightly higher protection needs. More pedaling through rocks, more riding and rugged terrain, heavier bike can be factors.


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## Zinfan (Jun 6, 2006)

5-10 Danny Mac's. A bit too lightweight IMO, I've had a couple of times where my foot hit rocks I didn't see and I felt lucky to get away with no injury. In my case I don't think it is an ebike thing other than I rider farther so have more chances to hit things but more so that I've also changed to flat pedals and position my foot a bit farther forward resulting in more toe overhang compared to my XPD's. Will probably look for a more stout shoe soon now that you brought it up.


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

Honest question - why on earth are you hitting your pedals all the time on your e-bike?

SIDI used to make a DH shoe/boot (I was one of the fashion-unconscious idiots who owned them) in the 90s that were essentially motorcycle boots lightened up with an SPD cleat on the bottom. Maybe they'll make a comeback!

I think if we get to the point of everyone wearing full armor/boots and a fullface on e-bikes... the access battle is probably lost forever. 

-Walt


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Motor only engages pedaling forward, ratcheting won't work, ebikes have low B.B., so they gotta pedal through rock gardens like a bull through a china shop.

Yeah, the answer begs the question, it's aboutvthe only time when I'd say a throttle is needed, that and hiking an ebike up a hill.

Everyone in my family rides flats, bike shoes, nothing too burly as they're hot and take too long to dry.

Ya know FC, it's an ebike not an emoto ;$



Walt said:


> Honest question - why on earth are you hitting your pedals all the time on your e-bike?
> 
> SIDI used to make a DH shoe/boot (I was one of the fashion-unconscious idiots who owned them) in the 90s that were essentially motorcycle boots lightened up with an SPD cleat on the bottom. Maybe they'll make a comeback!
> 
> ...


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## Bigwheel (Jan 12, 2004)

Pretty much whatever I have on my feet at the time with flats. That includes Flip Flops.

Was going to let this pass but it really isn't correct if the correct technique is used which is based on actual trail riding experience on something other than a wife bike:

"Motor only engages pedaling forward, ratcheting won’t work, ebikes have low B.B., so they gotta pedal through rock gardens like a bull through a china shop."

While correct that the motor only engages pedaling forward what actually engages the motor is pressure on the pedals and a good TA system will ramp up the more pressure you apply in any given mode. Timing your cranks works just fine as long as you keep pressure on the pedals, which I believe I have described here before is achieved by applying a slight brake drag while slowing your cadence to avoid strikes. Of course I only ride a POS kit bike not a name brand like Pivot so there really is no comparison there but the same theory applies to all eBikes

BB height is about the same as a conventional mtb depending on the manufacturer as there is no reason for it to be lower but there can be some motor hanging down which shouldn't affect crank strikes. 

So in fact with proper technique, which I find is not any different than proper technique on a mtb, you don't have to go through rock gardens as described but can pick your way through as you normally would as long as you keep the TA active via the aforementioned pressure. 

But yes, sometimes a throttle can come in handy if you want to just roll one out. A few blips and BAM.


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## TSleep (Aug 1, 2016)

XiCHang chargers, built in batteries so I don't have to worry peddling back


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## motocatfish (Mar 12, 2016)

honkinunit said:


> 5-10 Hellcats with Shimano XT Trekking pedals (PD-T8000). SPD on one side, flats with pins on the other. Best of both worlds. The Hellcats have a lot of toe protection and are also great to walk in if necessary.


Giro Terraduro HVs (EEE-width feet) with the same pedals. I use M cleats. And the concave flat side when not clipping in. Good toe protection.

I also ride in my Lowa Renegade GTX hiking boots if its wet enough.

My eRoadie has the same pedals, but I'll ride it in my Tevas if its warm. 

Catfish ...


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

5-10 Freerider. Clipless forever, time for a change. Trail to taproom.


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## ananth (Jun 7, 2011)

The only difference I found on the ebike is that I'm spending a greater percentage of the ride descending. So the arch of my feet start to hurt if I use my freeriders. I pedal in typical roadie fashion (ball of feet over spindle), but scoot my feet forward for descending.

BTW, I have the same problem on the non-ebike for park/shuttle days. 

I settled on putting in some very stiff insoles - makes the shoes stiffer and distributes the pressure well. The other option is to use my Impacts, but I find them too hot/ bulky/ overkill for most rides.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

^What kind of insoles did you purchase that are super stiff?


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## ananth (Jun 7, 2011)

some old custom molded insoles from a ski shop. a boot fitter convinced me to spend way too much $$$ on them.. but I hated them for skiing. so they have been in a box for the last four years.. lol

they have a hard plastic layer that goes from the heel all the way to the end of the arch. so something similar from superfeet would probably work.


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## BillyBicycle (Jul 4, 2016)

I don't e-mtb, I commute on an ebike and mountain(ish bikes). All my bikes that I personally ride have eggbeaters. I have some guest bikes that are set up with platforms. This includes ebike and naturally asperated forms of bicycles.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

*Here's What I Picture E-Bike Riders Wearing*

...


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

*Well, Since We're Talking E-bikes*

Maybe these:


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

There may be some ebikes that have decent B.B. height, but for the most part they do not. Levo is a striking example.

In terms of racheting and functionality of ebikes in tech terrain, no they don't work well, in fact they suck.

Keep in mind that adding a motor is not magic, a pedal assist requires pedaling, and pedaling ain't always convenient or possible.

Good shoes for ebiking on the trails we ride would have sturdy traction soles for hiking overweight ebikes over rocknpiles.

I'd take a walk mode throttle, not because I can't ride, but because my wife often needs my help to get her bike through junk, and it makes me tired hiking two bikes.

Hey Chuck, dig the bunny slippers



Bigwheel said:


> Pretty much whatever I have on my feet at the time with flats. That includes Flip Flops.
> 
> Was going to let this pass but it really isn't correct if the correct technique is used which is based on actual trail riding experience on something other than a wife bike:
> 
> ...


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## levity (Oct 31, 2011)

Agree with Bigwheel's comments in post #10. I wear whatever I'd wear on my regular mtb for the situation, from flip flops to boots (even chuckass62's bunny slippers look comfy for some errands).

Adidas/Five Ten Access shoes are my current fav. With stealth rubber soles they grip like Freeriders, but they're much more comfortable both on and off the bike. Nice pedal feel and perfectly functional ratcheting. Generally enough protection if your lines are fairly clean and your technique is good, but obviously not enough for smashing into rocks. They're cool enough for hot conditions, but they won't keep you dry in the wet. The pic below is from a couple of months ago, but they've held up well riding here in SoCal and in the rocks around Tahoe and Moab.


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## Bigwheel (Jan 12, 2004)

"In terms of racheting and functionality of ebikes in tech terrain, no they don't work well, in fact they suck."

Is this based on your experience riding eBikes in tech terrain? Because according to my experience, which includes some very tech terrain, given the right equipment and skills, they work just fine.

Back to shoes....I rode Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham/Smith Creek, an IMBA Epic, in these.









Especially handy at the two freezing cold water crossings we encountered at the end of the ride.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

Bigwheel said:


> "In terms of racheting and functionality of ebikes in tech terrain, no they don't work well, in fact they suck."
> 
> Is this based on your experience riding eBikes in tech terrain? Because according to my experience, which includes some very tech terrain, given the right equipment and skills, they work just fine.
> 
> ...


I take it you've never bashed your toes on a rock while riding? I hope you never do wearing those, you'll be headed to the hospital. I guess if you ride smooth/rooty trails you can get away with those, but Colorado/Utah you would definitely be putting on real shoes after the first episode of a baseball sized rock being tossed into your foot by your front tire, or misjudging a narrow gap between two boulders. As the OP said, even standard MTB shoes don't really offer enough protection for a lot of situations. I have many scuff marks on my old Sidis where I bashed rocks, I got tired of banged up feet and I have switched to DH shoes for most of my riding now. Much better to walk in as well.


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