shifter/brake feel

[sleepymas]

I have been riding with tennis shoes(i know i should not), but when i wore boots i felt as though i could not feel the clicks as well. i also was unsure of how much i was applying brake and i was missing shifts and not braking hard enough. also i wear size 13 and i struggled to fit my foot in shoes thicker than my tennis shoes in that little shifter gap.

so to the question, will you just learn over time what feels right in a boot, or can someone recommend a riding shoe that has good protection but still has good feel in the toe area/heel area?

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

You can adjust your gap by removing the 10mm nut on your shift shaft and re-clocking it until there is enough to fit your foot. Ideally, you should be sitting on the bike while a friend re-clocks it.

 

[sleepymas]

yeah i have messed with that, but u can only do so much before you mess up shifting, some nice rearsets would fix many things but i can't afford them.

 

[Erci]

yeah i have messed with that, but u can only do so much before you mess up shifting, some nice rearsets would fix many things but i can't afford them.

You can't mess up shifting by adjusting shift lever position. Set it up so you can slide your toes under lever with minimal down-flex of your foot. This will allow the shifter to reset after every up-shift. It might put the lever high enough that you'll find yourself having to lift your heal a bit to down-shift, but this OK.

I don't think size of your foot should matter. What does matter is the height of the toe area of your boot. Were you using sport riding boots or work/steel toe boots? Proper sport boots should have a lower profile.

Having said all that, it's definitely just a matter of getting used to it, once everything is set up right.

 

[afpreppie04]

I wear a size 12 and don't have a problem fitting my boot in there, I adjusted the lever as shown and wear these:

Cycle Gear - FRANK THOMAS: Urban Stunt Motorcycle Boots, BLACK

 

[sleepymas]

sorry for using wrong words, by messing up shifting i meant i was missing shifts and not being able to move lever enough when i moved it to far. the bike was fine my body just does not move that much.

yeah they were just everyday boots, but at store i noticed most boots that had the thin toe were serious riding boots, i want something casual i can wear all day and also ride with. i will probably have to compromise somewhere just gonna have to try a bunch on i assume.

i dont know much but i will disagree on shoe size does not matter a size 13 shoe is naturally longer and wider, so to get that foot in there it takes a bigger motion. also to shift with toe my heel is way off the rest, if i put heel on rest the tongue of the show would be shifting. so that will change leverage and the ability to use your whole range of motion. like most things in the world they are made for average not a 6 foot 2, 230lbs man. i know thats kind of a rant and i just need to get used to it but when my foot got stuck wearing a differnt shoe it put some fear in me.

 

[Erci]

I used to wear these: SHIFT FUEL STREET SHOES | MotoSport before I switched to full sport boots. Not very protective, but way better than sneakers and keep laces away from pegs. You may want to check those out

 

[sleepymas]

those are good yeah something like that would work. thanks for the idea.

i was thinking something like these

Alpinestars S-MX 1 Riding Shoes - Street Bike - Motorcycle Superstore

or these

Alpinestars Octane Riding Shoes - Street Bike - Motorcycle Superstore

or these but i think they look good but wont be strong enough

Alpinestars Miglia Riding Shoes - Street Bike - Motorcycle Superstore