Recently, I had to deal with an accidental maintenance/repair triple, and all three of them came down to installing (spare) parts in one of my favorite colors — red 🙂
So, don’t expect a lot of text or anything. But I still found all three tiny stories worth writing. Maybe they give you some orientation in similar circumstances.
First up, this one’s about my well-worn, reliable and comfortable all-round cycling shoes, the Shimano XC70 (SH-XC70), pictured above.
Over almost 5 years of (heavy, yet intermittent*) use, I had worn-down the red studs (also called “spikes” in some publications) on the soles of my XC70s. The tread being rather hard and susceptible to wear had been one of the criticisms in James Huang’s review of 2014. And rightfully so. — If I didn’t want to completely ruin the soles, the studs needed replacement.
*=I do indeed own some other good-weather shoes (with more rugged and walkable tread), and a pair of insulated GoreTex-equipped boots has served me well on dry and wet rides in single-digit and sub-zero temperatures.
No Delays
A quick search on the interwebs returned a couple of online retailers stocking compatible replacements.
Together with the usual supplies and some spare parts from my continuously updated shopping list, I ordered the studs, again in red, and they didn’t take long to arrive — despite otherwise frequent delays in logistics and transportation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Installation was easy, carefully securing the new studs with needle-nose pliers, while tightening the self-securing screws included in the kit, using a Phillips screwdriver.
I expect my XC70s to last another number of years before eventually being retired. But in any case, Shimano has since continued to offer successive generations of similar footwear, the current XC7 (SH-XC701) being the logical counterpart, and the RX8 (SH-RX800), a new dedicated “gravel” variant, also a viable contender.
For the sake of comprehensiveness
MTB or offroad (i.e. CX/gravel) cycling shoes usually come with adjustable threaded plates for 2-hole cleats of the “SPD” system (“Shimano Pedaling Dynamics”).
SPD cleats are also compatible with a number of 3rd party brands, like in my case XPedo, but it’s best to double-check, so you don’t run into any snag when buying or combining either shoes, cleats or pedals.
For those of you with 3-hole “road” shoes, the correpsonding Shimano system designation is “SPD-SL”, and these are NOT compatible with 2-hole SPD! Despite the similarity in name.
OTOH, Shimano often launches footwear for the two different markets more or less in parallel, meaning their offroad “SH-CX…”/”SH-RX…” and road “SH-RC…” will have models that at the surface only differ by their outer soles and probably some reinforcements around toebox and heel.
A Study in Studs
Actually, there are three types of replacement studs to choose from
The studs I chose, and which correspond to what came preinstalled, are called “Low Profile”, can be installed using a simple screwdriver, and they are available in red.
A second, more aggressive variant is black with metal tips and uses a special tool for installation (included). These studs are also have a similar low profile and are compatible with a number of Shimano MTB shoes, including the “XC” range from “SH-XC50N” up to “SH-XC90”. And from the looks of them I imagine they fit even more recent models.
Lastly, there’s the very aggressively shaped “high profile” (10 mm), “universal” variant. This type is again compatible with a host of Shimano offroad cycling shoes, also comes only in black with (different) metal tipped studs, and each kit contains the same special installation tool as before.
What I like about the XC70s
When I got back into cycling, in 2015, it was Sascha from my LBS, “Der Radladen” in Mannheim, who recommeded the XC line of shoes. The ubiquitous Japanese brand of bike parts, accessories and apparel does indeed offer quite the range of footwear. And, not having followed the cycling market for about 20 years, I was surprised to discover that in terms of fit and quality, especially the top of their lineup is often rated among the best in the industry.
Experimenting with the fit of various pairs of several half (!) sizes and two widths (!!), I eventually settled on the XC70 in black … with red (!!!) rubber tread and replaceable studs — the latter being the reason for this article.
Even if their top tier siblings, the XC90, offer more stiffness and lower weight still (in part due to less beefy rubber tread) the carbon-reinforced outer sole has proven to be sufficiently stiff and the shoes are relatively lightweight. Thanks to adjustable velcro straps and Shimano’s own buckle design (no “Boa” dials yet) I found the fit to be easily adjustable during longer rides.
The XC70 was not the most high-end model, but probably still too pricey for my taste … had I not found them at a heavy discount. But I don’t regret a single Euro spent on these shoes: All of above features combined continue to provide me with reassuring comfort at two of the five (or six) essential contact points for my (long-distance) cycling experience.
… and what I don’t like so much
It’s basically what James Huang writes in his piece, linked here.
More precisely, though offering a solid grip, the rather hard rubber tread is not ideal for e.g. hike-a-bike (something unavoidable in ultra- and long-distance cycling), and with the advent of “Boa”-style fasteners, adjustability has come a long way since the XC70s were introduced.
And I might add: The upper material feels to much like what it is: A sheet of plastic.