Cycling the Camino in Crocs?

[rachcarter]

Hi

I use the old fashioned pedals and did a 100km bike ride along the coast in the weekend wearing a pair of Crocs. My feet were comfortable the whole way, didn't slip and it was great to be able to slip them off and paddle in the sea when I wanted a break. As I won't be going fast or probably long distances on the Camino (and this was the first time I've worn crocs cycling) I was wondering if other people have done the Camino in crocs or whether there would be a reason not to do it in crocs. This way I could just take one pair of shoes.

I tested them out as had read that people recommend taking a pair to wear in the evenings and in the showers. I have never liked crocs but after my husband bought me a pair recently I started wearing them in the garden and they are really comfortable. They look terrible as I have big feet anyway - but I'm not planning on being a fashion statement on the ride anyway.

Cheers,
Rachael

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I can think of a number of places where an unplanned, forced dismount in Crocs would be very dangerous. I don't think the issue is comfort while riding. It may be more the number of toenails you lose when you crash! Weight is not critical when cycling. Safety might be!

 

[Abbeydore]

Any chance of pic of crocs on a bike

 

[sillydoll]

Rachael, it depends on which Crocs you'll be wearing. I wore Off-Road Crocs on the Camino for 100's of km and they were fine. Not sure about cycling in them but here is an article on a cycling blog about riding in Crocs that might be useful. (If you didn't have big feet I would've offered to send you my SealSkinz socks that are recommended here but I wear a size 5.5 shoe so they wouldn't fit!)

http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/p/nova-stran.html

 

[newfydog]

Why do you use "the old fashioned pedals?". You might try a pair of step in pedals (with the multi release M cleat). They make riding so much easier.

In the early day of mountain bikes we used flat pedals. My wife hit a bump, her foot slipped off, and she broke her collar bone. She won't ride to the grocery store without proper cleats now.

 

[rachcarter]

Hi

I'm sorry for your wife. I had cleats for a couple of years and made the decision that I wanted to change back to my old fashioned pedals after I came off my bike twice using them. Once was on a cycling trip in Samoa when I was going up a steep hill and changed down to my lowest gear and the chain slipped. I decided to stop and went to put my foot down and forgot to twist. The other time was after a month of cycling in France and I was back in Paris, I was going slowly and then needed to stop suddenly - and again forgot to twist my foot! I didn't hurt myself either time but decided that next time I might - and seeing as I used my bike in Phnom Penh for getting to and from work - it was much easier to just use my old pedals. I'm happy with that decision as now I live in Timor and often just jump on my bike with my jandals (Kiwi word for thongs or sandals) on if we are going to the beach for brunch etc. I've since done a 6 week cycling trip in Denmark and month cycling in Burma and do weekend rides here in Timor and have never regretted not having cleats. I guess that I'm a lazy cyclist and am happy to cruise along slowly wherever we or I am going. My husband can't join me for this trip to do the Camino and I am not confident using our Bob Yak trailer hence my purchase of panniers which I've never used before. I also have just acquired a 'new bike'. [My husband bought a new one when he was in Australia recently so he's kindly (I think) given me his old bike - informing me that now we both have new ones ] So it's only now I've become interested in what height the handle bars should be in relation to the seat and what the correct height for my seat should be as I figure that these things might make a difference when I'm carrying the panniers and all my things in them (as on cycling holidays my husband carries all our things in the trailer and I just take the tent and sleeping mats on my old fashioned carrier). I'm ashamed to admit that he always changed my tubes when we were together on cycling holidays and in Phnom Penh where we lived a couple of times I always used one of the roadside makeshift repair shops to fix a puncture. Just this week I've had my first maintenance lesson and can now fix a puncture and change the tube on my 'new bike' - the next lesson I need is how to put my bike together after I arrive at Pamplona airport. I had planned on just trying to find a taxi to a bike shop but am getting a bit more confident that I might be able to do this myself and then just take it to the bike shop for them to check that everything is together properly (and I'll also see if they can do a bike fitting).

Thanks to your advice Picosrider as it encouraged me to check in our box of books stored in the shed and found an old Berlitz Spanish phrase book that I used back in 1990 when we backpacked in Sth America for 9 months. Although I have been told by a cycling friend here that I could buy an i-phone and down load an app with Spanish to the phone - I figure this phrase book will be just fine for me - so I've dusted off the cobwebs and have started trying to learn some phrases.

Thanks so much for all your comments and advice. I really appreciate it.

Regards,
Rachael

 

[Torrent1964]

I had 'clipless' pedals for a while, but as a dedicated mountain biker and cyclist, having had a couple of nasty crashes when bike stayed stuck to me, I changed back to pedals and purchased a pair of stealth rubber cycle shoes (stick to the pedal better. Also I purchased 'flat' pedals with studs in them to improve grip. I've been riding in them for a couple of years with no further pain, but a couple of crashes in which me and the bike successfully seperated!

With crocs I'd worry about stability. Stability placing foot down on ground, stability pedaling uphil (friction build up) and effectiveness in placing foot down in a hurry on ustable (uneven) ground. We each will have our opinion and our favourites, but if you are riding on anything but road surface, beware, especially as you are probably going to be riding multiple days in succession.

Be comfortable, but be safe.

Torrent

 

[rachcarter]

Hi

Thanks for that. You are probably right. I've only had the crocs for about a month so don't really know about how they'd go doing all the things you describe. I may have been a bit too keen to be comfy!

Cheers,
Rachael

 

[newfydog]

All of you who have had problems getting out of clipless pedals might try the Shimano M cleat. It releases by conventional twisting or just rolling the foot a bit. When you get off the bike. it tips the angle enough to release it. If the bike slips out on muddy sidehill or something, release is instant. There is a world of difference.

The other thing clipless pedals with M cleats offer is a few degrees of frictionless float, in that your heel can rotate a bit each pedal stroke. This results in less twisting of the knee. We used to ride with toeclips and light hiking shoes, but our aging knees get sore without the float.

 

[duncan pm]

I am a keen cyclist - on Monday I am setting off on a solo tour to raise money and awareness for a mental health charity. I have never used such pedals or clips - decades ago I used toe clips.
Are they difficult to use ? Is falling over absolutely inevitable? Will I end Iup with even sorer knees?
I've heard of people using crocs for touring - sounds fine on good terrain.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The path leaving Riego de Ambros. Other sections of volcanic scree are worse. A dismount in Crocs would be an adventure!

 

[newfydog]

Nearly every keen cyclist I know prefers step in pedals. I even use Keen shoes! You may well fall over the first day, but with an M cleat set for light release they let go from almost any motion other than pedalling. You can get sore knees if they are not placed properly---it takes some fiddling to get them right, but the float allows for a fair bit of slop. Once properly alligned, your knees will love them.

Here's what I've used for 6,000 km of Caminos, Prague to Santiago, Santiago to Rome, all on the trails. I have not been stuck in them once in all that riding.


Note the big M on the cleat---very important. Some hard core riders don't like those because they don't hold your foot tight enough to jump over logs and things. We don't need tight cleats on the Camino!

 

[duncan pm]

excellent insight - thank you.

 

[Torrent1964]

The path leaving Riego de Ambros. Other sections of volcanic scree are worse. A dismount in Crocs would be an adventure!

Just love this as a quote. LOL

Torrent :lol:

 

[james-o]

The path leaving Riego de Ambros. Other sections of volcanic scree are worse. A dismount in Crocs would be an adventure!

That descent is sooooo good!