Converting shoes to SPD (Was Getting Darker)

In article <[email hidden]>, Peter Grange
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Alternatively, cyclist in Berkshire would like to meet someone with similar interest, must have
size 11 right foot and size 6 left.

There must be one legged cyclists about, and I dare say they'd be keen on clipless. Might get you
half way there, as it were. Try asking on as many forums as poss (i.e. US ones too). Good luck!

ttfn

Martin

--
"I wanted wine, women and song. I got a drunk woman singing."

Martin Harlow [email hidden]

Peter Grange <[email hidden]> wrote in news:QocplNAINoU
[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I have fairly majorly inconvenient foot problems. Left foot normal, right foot much smaller, much
wider. As I explained in the previous thread I can just about get by for cycling

I guess this is a bit dumb, as I am sure you tried this for normal shoes...

but have you tried contacting the manufacturers directly and asking for a pair of shoes of different
size left and right?

Fragg - Full of good ideas

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Seems if I buy cleats they screw into "something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on
the market.

Go and look at a shoe in a bike shop. Its not a diy job.

In article <[email hidden]>, Frank X <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Seems if I buy cleats they screw into "something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on the
market.

Go and look at a shoe in a bike shop. Its not a diy job.

How very defeatist - anything's a DIY job if you put your mind (and the right tools) to it! Though I
wonder if some clipless systems would be easier than others to do this kind of trick with? I know
SPDs were mentioned originally, but it might be worth keeping an open mind.

ttfn

Martin

--
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, and a dark side, and it holds the universe
together ..." - Carl Zwanzig

Martin Harlow [email hidden]

In "]news:[email hidden], Peter Grange
<[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

The shoes I wear during the day are surgical shoes kindly provided made to measure by the NHS.
Eventually these are scrapped, so I have a few very old decrepit pairs. I wouldn't mind trying to
hack a pair of these to put spd or similar cleats on them. I know about the stiffness of the soles
etc problems but would like to see if it's possible. They would not be especially light or trendy,
but if I was worried about light or trendy I wouldn't have ordered a recumbent :-) I've done some
research on the net, particularly on Google's archives, but have not found much. The general
attitude seems to be "why bother converting when the cost of purpose-built spd shoes is so low",
which is fair enough but I have a special motivation. Seems if I buy cleats they screw into
"something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on the market. Anyone tried converting?

There is some stuff on the web about converting shoes to SPDs - involves the use of a router to cut
a recess in the sole and then fitting a metal plate inside under the insole. Somebody has used it
to make SPD woodsmans boots and wellies. Don't have time at the moment but will try and find the
URL later.

I might be able to help with a size 11 shoe - nothing wrong with it; just never use them after
buying some newer better fitting ones. Cheapish pair of Specialized if you are interested. Can't
help with the size 6 though.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Here it is http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/boots.html I googled for SPD router shoes.

This is the sort of challenge I would relish, I have the tools just don't need to make special shoes for myself. I once hand made some slotted aluminium cleats for toe clips and straps type pedals. They lasted for ages.

Peter Grange said:

Having recently ordered a recumbent bike (Street Machine), I enquired on this NG about pedals. A
Lot of the advice I got, both from this NG and elsewhere, said clipless is (are) the bees' knees.
I have fairly majorly inconvenient foot problems. Left foot normal, right foot much smaller, much
wider. As I explained in the previous thread I can just about get by for cycling (wedgie) by
buying two different sized pairs of trainers and throwing two away (rarely run out of shoelaces
though).

Quoted message said:

I've done some research on the net, particularly on Google's archives, but have not found much.
The general attitude seems to be "why bother converting when the cost of purpose-built spd shoes
is so low", which is fair enough but I have a special motivation.

'the cost of special purpose SPD shoes is so low' - hah!

My ordinary every day shoes are hand-lasted and hand made to fit
me. They cost between eighty and a hundred and twenty quid a pair. My cycling shoes cost seventy
quid a pair which is not a lot less. Furthermore, the handmade shoes last for years of abuse.
I've been thinking about taking a pair of cleats up to my friend the shoemaker and seeing what
he could do with them.

You could do worse than find your local craftsman cobbler and talking to him/her. Failing that,
talk to Godfrey at the Clog and Shoe Workshop - his long lace shoe <URL:
clogandshoe.co.ukshoes.htmlOpen ↗ > would probably adapt nicely. You can tell him
I sent you.

Quoted message said:

Seems if I buy cleats they screw into "something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on
the market.

It's a steel plate which I believe is called a 'shank' and it sits between the midsole and the outer
sole, extending from the front of the ball of the foot to about the middle of the arch. It obviously
needs two holes with the right spacing and the right thread, and it probably needs some shaping.

Alternatively it should be pretty easy to screw cleats onto a pair of clogs <URL:
clogandshoe.co.ukclogs.htmlOpen ↗ >

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

Age equals angst multiplied by the speed of fright squared.
;; the Worlock

"Martin Harlow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Frank X <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Seems if I buy cleats they screw into "something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on the
market.

Go and look at a shoe in a bike shop. Its not a diy job.

How very defeatist - anything's a DIY job if you put your mind (and the right tools) to it! Though
I wonder if some clipless systems would be easier than others to do this kind of trick with? I
know SPDs were mentioned originally, but it might be worth keeping an open mind.

Possibly I am defeatist, but either way I think a trip to the LBS to take a look at the problem is
good advice.

"Frank X" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Seems if I buy cleats they screw into "something". The "something" doesn't seem to be on the
market.

Go and look at a shoe in a bike shop. Its not a diy job.

It would be easy enough to burrow out the sole and fit the SPD mounting plate to take the cleat
screws, in normal shoes (given that they are deep enough to take the screws), but I'm not sure the
sole would be stiff enough in use. It might be necerssary to install some kind of plate the same
shape as this sole (maybe carbon fibre) to stifen things up.

Once again many thanks to all those who responded. I'm on holiday now until 21/9 so won't be seeing
news until then. I get the recumbent on 22/9 so will be able to start trying things after that.
--

Remove crude Spam trap to reply.

Peter Grange