Cannondale Roam Cycling Shoes
April 2, 2008
If only I were 12 years old, so I could have an excuse to fill this review with rainbows and flowers and dot all my i’s with hearts, for that would illustrate just how much I love these shoes. A rabid clipless pedal addict, I have never been a fan of those hard plastic slipper-style, velcro-closure type of cycling shoes, so the hiking-shoe styling of the Roams really caught my eye. The idea behind the Roam (or so I gather) is for riders to be able to swap out the cleats, put a rubber sole back on, and wear these as “real” shoes when they’re not riding. Say, perhaps, you want to do a ride/hike combo. You could put the cleats on, ride out, take the cleats off and put the rubber back on, and then go hiking. Interesting idea…
I suppose if I were to do a ride/hike combo as described above, these shoes would be perfect. Frankly, though, I think that most people just either go out and ride or go out and hike. For instance, I will not ride without my padded bike shorts. However, I’ve no desire to hike in padded bike shorts. So I’d have to carry a change of clothes, AND change the cleats on the shoes, etc. etc. Too much work. Besides, I think the Roams really shine when riding, so the cleats have stayed on mine permanently (so far). They’re already perfect for riding, so why bother trying to hike in them?
For the sake of an accurate review, I did swap the cleats on and off a few times to test the process. It’s not that easy; it requires some force to push hard enough on the sole to get the screws to grip. It’s enough of a pain that I wouldn’t want to sit alongside the trail and try to change the cleats out of my shoes. Then I’d have to carry the cleats separately, and the parts might get lost, etc. etc. I’ll just keep them specifically as cycling shoes, but that’s just fine by me!
A nice, snug yet comfortable fit allows efficient power transfer to the pedals. A cool snap loop keeps the laces out of your way, and when you get off your bike, the shoes feel like regular shoes, so no hobbling around on weirdly shaped curved soles. As a matter of fact, if you didn’t already know these were bike shoes, you would think they were regular hiking shoes. Around here, people are really snobby about clipless pedals and unless you have them, you are not a real biker. So I feel even more ultra cool, because I ride with clipless pedals but the Roam gives me that stealthy, I’m-so-cool-I-don’t-have-to-show-it-off attitude. I did have an issue for a while with a pressure point in the sole of the left shoe (I figured it was from the cleat system somehow) but I swapped out the insoles for a sturdier pair and the problem was solved.
Aside from that, these shoes are so awesome that I’ve had to restrain myself from getting another pair just to HAVE another pair. If these ever wore out and I couldn’t replace them, I’d be heartbroken. So keep making the Roam, Cannondale (chances are I’ll pick up another pair this season anyway, just to be safe).
