Carbon soles or nylon?

by Joel Farrow

Sep 16, 2011

It's time for me to get a new pair of shoes. Being fairly new to Cross (but not to cycling) the question has raised itself many times in our club "are carbon soles better than nylon soles for cross?"

I've trawled the sites and forums and hope that someone can help me on this.

I guess Carbon gives you added stiffness in the pedal action but Nylon gives you more flexibility when running off the bike. Its gets fairly muddy here in the UK so toe spikes are a must as you clamber up the steep hills. So is it Sidi Spiders (nylon) or Sidi Eagle/Dragons (carbon)????.....

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    Thomas

    Since 10 days I am a proud owner of sidi dragons after having had the cheaper model for years. The dragon is really a step forward. The carbon sole is much stiffer when pedaling but running is no problem. One advantage are the more flexible spikes in the sole which are dampening the impact when running. Also the fitting is better. Maybe it is the heel support or they can be better tightened. Anyway the feeling is not so slippery when pedaling.

     

    2

    Sep 16, 2011

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      Jim Clark

      Joel, I pondered the same thing when shoe-shopping this summer.  I ended up getting a pair of Giro Codes, which have a carbon sole made by Easton, and it's pretty stiff.  I can tell you that, for me, it makes running a LOT easier.  My old shoes are Shimanos with relatively a much more flexible sole, and I didn't realize how much it hampered my running, especially on steep hills.  I went with the Codes because they fit so well, but I will certainly opt for a stiffer sole in the future.
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      Sep 16, 2011

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        John Mansell

        I prefer softer bottom shoes. I use only Rubber soled shoes for CX. Also, I don't like super stiff shoes for CX. I little bit of give helps with running and is more comfortable to wear. If your shoe gives one or two mm under pressure you will not see any measurable loss of power to the drive-train.  

        Sep 16, 2011