Going Clipless on the Cheap

Usually the cleat comes with the pedals. I cannot recommend enough the Shimano M-515. Very
reliable and not that bad. Retails in your LBS for $60. As for shoes, get what fits the best that
you can afford.

-kurd

"ac" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all. I need your help. I've started getting into road races, and now that I've got a bike
that's less than ten years old (a Cannondale
R400), I figure the next step is to get clipless pedals. (The aerobar can wait!)

The problem is, I really want to do it on the cheap, so I've been mainly looking on ebay.

But all the terms are setting my head spinning. I know enough to say now that I'll want SPD-style
clipless, but that's about it. I'm looking for the SPDs, because I live in New York City. I also
have to haul my bike up and down four flights of stairs whenever I go out. I figure SPDs are
better for that.

Now as I see it, I need to buy not only SPD pedals, but an SPD cleat, and a shoe, right? I'm
having trouble distinguishing between all the model numbers though.

I'm tempted to just get a shoe in my size that's SPD compatible, and find someone selling a
cleat/pedal combo to try it out.

Does that sound ok? Is there any other hardware I have to invest in? What would you expect to
spend in my case?

Is there any other advice you guys can offer? Or should I just go to my LBS and drop a few
Jacksons?

Thanks for your advice!

ac said:

Now as I see it, I need to buy not only SPD pedals, but an SPD cleat, and a shoe, right? I'm
having trouble distinguishing between all the model numbers though.

Cleats usually come with the pedals if you buy them new. You'll also need SPD compatible shoes.

Quoted message said:

Is there any other advice you guys can offer? Or should I just go to my LBS and drop a few
Jacksons?

Did you try looking at Performance and Nashbar? They have their own brands of pedals for very cheap
and often have shoes on sale.

Here's everything (pedals+shoes) for $40:

nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
reid= nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
=&estoreid=

They have some other almost as cheap shoes too if you don't like those.

Here's everything (pedals+shoes) for $35:

performancebike.comProfile.cfmOpen ↗
performancebike.comProfile.cfmOpen ↗

Clipless can be very cheap depending upon your needs.

--Bill Davidson
--
Please remove ".nospam" from my address for email replies.

I'm a 17 year veteran of usenet -- you'd think I'd be over it by now

ac said:

R400), I figure the next step is to get clipless pedals. (The aerobar

You won't regret it.

Quoted message said:

The problem is, I really want to do it on the cheap, so I've been mainly looking on ebay.

Try Nashbar. I bought Nashbar Special SPDs for $20 new, and another set for $13 from their
returned-stuff section.

They are easy to get into and out of and secure while in. I haven't yet tried riding them in
sneakers without cleats. The only complaint I have is that they don't spin free in my hand, but
they're not difficult to turn either; certainly not to any effect on my cycling.

Oh, and I had to find longer bolts for the cleats at the local hardware store.

Quoted message said:

But all the terms are setting my head spinning. I know enough to say now that I'll want
SPD-style clipless, but that's about it. I'm looking for the SPDs, because I live in New York
City. I also have to

How does your location affect your choice of system?

Quoted message said:

haul my bike up and down four flights of stairs whenever I go out. I figure SPDs are better
for that.

I can't imagine how one style pedal is better than another for that issue. A pedal that could fold
inwards towards the bike, if there is such a thing, would be nice for that.

Quoted message said:

Now as I see it, I need to buy not only SPD pedals, but an SPD cleat, and a shoe, right? I'm
having trouble distinguishing between all the model numbers though.

All pedals I've seen come with the proper cleats. You will need shoes that are compatible with the
cleat mounting system (for SPDs, obviously, you'll need SPD-compatible shoes).

Quoted message said:

Does that sound ok? Is there any other hardware I have to invest in?

Yes, and no.

Quoted message said:

What would you expect to spend in my case?

Now, on the other side of the learning curve, I reccommend:

-- Either those Nashbar pedals or Shimano PD-M545s. I have the PD-M545s, and they are also very
easy in and out, and can be ridden with regular shoes too. The Shimanos I just mentioned are rather
more expensive.

-- Inexpensive SPD mountain biking shoes. Beware that road shoes often don't recess the cleat
beneath [above?] the shoe's tread, so you walk like a duck in tap shoes. Mountain shoes don't have
this problem. Shoes are very expensive in stores, and inexpensive online.

Luckily, and suprisingly for me, the PD-M545 and the Nashbar Special pedals and cleats are
compatible; this means that I can use the same cleat to ride both pedals. Now my road shoe and my
mountain shoe both work on all my bikes.

Note that SPD is a standard for mounting the cleat to the shoe, but does not always mean the same
shape cleat, or compatibility from one to the next. This doesn't matter if you only have one bike
and one pair of shoes.

Quoted message said:

Is there any other advice you guys can offer? Or should I just go to my LBS and drop a few
Jacksons?

That is the quick&easy way, but rather expensive. The plus side is that they'll mount the cleats to
the shoes for you, but that isn't difficult to do at all, and you can save most of your money by
doing it mail order.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for your advice!

--
Rick Onanian

ac <[email hidden]> wrote:
: Hi all. I need your help. I've started getting into road races, and now that I've got a bike
: that's less than ten years old (a Cannondale
: R400), I figure the next step is to get clipless pedals. (The aerobar can wait!)

: The problem is, I really want to do it on the cheap, so I've been mainly looking on ebay.

: But all the terms are setting my head spinning. I know enough to say now that I'll want SPD-style
: clipless, but that's about it. I'm looking for the SPDs, because I live in New York City. I also
: have to haul my bike up and down four flights of stairs whenever I go out. I figure SPDs are
: better for that.

SPDs will only be good for your purpose if you get shoes that allow the cleats to sit below the shoe
tread surface and that pretty much means Shimano MTB shoes. Even then they tend to 'clack a bit.
Would it be possible to wear thongs (I don't know what they're called in NY) to the street while you
carried your road shoes and socks in your free hand, swap to the road shoes at ground level and
stash your thongs behind a pot plant or something?

: Does that sound ok? Is there any other hardware I have to invest in? What would you expect to
: spend in my case?

No other hardware necessary, just shoes, cleats and pedals. Price is dependant on so many things. As
an example, I bought a pair of great leather Sidi shoes and pedals that were well used, all for $10.
After a couple of years they are still functional. Since then, however, I spent another $250 on Lake
carbon fibre soled shoes and Look pedals. In your case, if you must have new, be prepared to spend
between $100 and $200.

Cheerz, Lynzz

"ac" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... (The aerobar can wait!)

Remember areo bars are not allowed in many types of races.

"ac" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I also have to haul my bike up and down four flights of stairs whenever I go out. I figure SPDs
are better for that.

Only if your concern is going up and down the stairs carrying your bike in shoes with the cleats
exposed. And then, it's not the pedal system, it's the type of shoe. SPD is used on both road and
MTB style pedals (although it's much more common on MTB pedals), and both road (exposed) and MTB
(recessed) shoes will work with them.

It's an issue. Cycling shoes aren't always great for stair climbing. Maybe you could carry the shoes
and wear flipflops or slippers or something for the stairs, and stach the flipflops in your mailbox
while you ride.

If you're not in a hurry, go the catalog route (Nashbar,etc.) to find really inexpensive shoe/pedal
combos. But be prepared to return shoes that don't fit and wait some more for replacements to
arrive. Sizing in cycling shoes is a craps shoot.

The only way to know they'll fit is to try them on, so if you want them now you need to go to a
store. And fit matters more than you think, particularly how the uppers fit around your toes and the
tops of your feet. The fitting issues are different than they are for walking shoes, but no less
critical. The shoes should fit properly right out of the box; they probably won't become more
comfortable with use. If anything, the opposite.

RichC

I bought Performance pedals for $30.00 on sale and shoes for about $40.00 on sale. Keep your eye out
for sales. You can save a bundle. A little over 10 years Shimano was going out of the road pedal
business. I picked up a set of Look compatible pedals for $60,00 marked down from 160 and Nashbar
shoes for 25. The pedals are beautiful and still going strong after 20K miles.

[email hidden] (ac) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi all. I need your help. I've started getting into road races, and now that I've got a bike
that's less than ten years old (a Cannondale
R400), I figure the next step is to get clipless pedals. (The aerobar can wait!)

The problem is, I really want to do it on the cheap, so I've been mainly looking on ebay.

But all the terms are setting my head spinning. I know enough to say now that I'll want SPD-style
clipless, but that's about it. I'm looking for the SPDs, because I live in New York City. I also
have to haul my bike up and down four flights of stairs whenever I go out. I figure SPDs are
better for that.

Now as I see it, I need to buy not only SPD pedals, but an SPD cleat, and a shoe, right? I'm
having trouble distinguishing between all the model numbers though.

I'm tempted to just get a shoe in my size that's SPD compatible, and find someone selling a
cleat/pedal combo to try it out.

Does that sound ok? Is there any other hardware I have to invest in? What would you expect to
spend in my case?

Is there any other advice you guys can offer? Or should I just go to my LBS and drop a few
Jacksons?

Thanks for your advice!

"Kurd" <[email hidden],net> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Usually the cleat comes with the pedals. I cannot recommend enough the Shimano M-515. Very
reliable and not that

bad.

Quoted message said:

Retails in your LBS for $60.

Better yet, we sell them for $35.

Quoted message said:

As for shoes, get what fits the best that you can afford.

Yes, do not buy cheap shoes.

--
Robin Hubert <[email hidden]

Robin Hubert said:

Quoted message said:

I cannot recommend enough the Shimano M-515. Very reliable and not that Retails in your LBS
for $60.

Better yet, we sell them for $35.

Who's "we"?

Quoted message said:

--
Robin Hubert <[email hidden]>

--
Rick Onanian

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Now as I see it, I need to buy not only SPD pedals, but an SPD cleat, and a shoe, right? I'm having
trouble distinguishing between all the model numbers though.

If you buy new pedals, they should come with the cleats. So you only need to get the pedals and
shoes. If you want to go as inexpensive as possible, I would look at the nashbar spd pedals. They
are on sale for $20. You can then browse the shoe section to see what they have in your sise. With
shipping you should be well under $100.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

Another place you might look for cheap clipless pedals is your local bike store. I picked up an
entry level Look pedal for about half-price. It was taken off a brand new bike because the owner
wanted 'regular' pedals...

[email hidden] (ac) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi all. I need your help. I've started getting into road races, and now that I've got a bike
that's less than ten years old (a Cannondale
R400), I figure the next step is to get clipless pedals.

i use google for news. every time i check a thread, my response is redundnat with that of the four
people who posted before me who's posts i never read. and this one is a gimmee. that said..

i have nothing but good thigns to say abotu the nashbar relabeled wellgo pedals. i get a serious
giggle going every time i think about everybody buying new shimano cleats for 20 dollars, when i get
the pedal and the cleats new for the same bucks. i have two pairs. i ride hard, and think i would
have found any problem with them by now. i have yet to clip out by mistake, yet to find fault with
them. pretty solid investment, frankly. so cheap, that you could upgrade to something more expensive
down the line, and not feel youve squandered the money.

i also use the nashbar cheapest shoes. mine were 35 bucks for the shoes. im no pro, but i dont have
a problem with them. ive been using them a long long time (theyre the dolomite mtn shoes) and no
surprises. i can see they arent the most expensive thing on the market thoguh 😉. on another note,
ive seen the exact same shoes labeled as 'answer' brand in my lobal bike store for three times as
much, or thereabouts.

sure, you could buy the namebrand variety, but this isnt an instance of inferiority in the cheaper
product. (not compared to the low end of the market, anyway. i have no idea about the high end
stuff $$$)

cheers, anthony

ant said:

i have nothing but good thigns to say abotu the nashbar relabeled wellgo pedals. i get a serious
giggle going every time i think about

Are these the Nashbar Special SPD pedals #NS-EP2, like so:
nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

If so, they will change my opinion of Wellgo pedals, of which I've only use Wellgo R4 road pedals,
which were terrible.

Quoted message said:

cheers, anthony

--
Rick Onanian

Have you tryed the "generic" brands offered by places like Nashbar or Performance?

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Just wanted to thank y'all for all your advice, especially Bill!

I'm thinking of going with that bottom-line combination Bill suggested: Ascent pedals for $15 plus
the $20 Lake MX 80 shoes from Performance.

Unfortunately, the Nashbar links Bill provided didn't work!

But I'm trying to figure out a few things before actually going through with the purchase from
Performance.

Can anyone tell me about these Ascent pedals? I haven't found much about them in a Google search,
other than everyone seems to have them pretty cheap.

* Are they difficult to get in and out of?
* Are they double sided? (That's important for a newbie like me.)
* Do they come with cleats? The ad doesn't really seem to say.

I've already written Performance, but I wanted to drop a note here, since Performance is a retailer,
and of course they're going to praise their product.

If that doesn't work out, I guess I'll order shoes from Performance anyway, and then pedals from
Nashbar, either the Shimano 515s for $40, or the Nashbar Special ATB SPDs for $20. Both have gotten
praise here -- anyone have a preference?

Alas, Nashbar doesn't have any really good shoe deals. It seems like many of their cheapest ones
don't have a size 40. The ones that do have laces, and I think I'd prefer Velcro -- I've had my
shoelaces caught too many times!

Now, while I'm doing so much mailorder... anyone have suggestions for a basic, cheap cyclocomputer
and hydration system?

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

ant said:

i have nothing but good thigns to say abotu the nashbar relabeled wellgo pedals. i get a serious
giggle going every time i think about

Are these the Nashbar Special SPD pedals #NS-EP2, like so:
nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

If so, they will change my opinion of Wellgo pedals, of which I've only use Wellgo R4 road pedals,
which were terrible.

that's them. i have two pairs, under frequent and demanding use, and no problems. when i burn them
out (not that i expect it soon) i will buy more just like them.

it is true that they are 'special', as in non-compatible with shimano spds. further, they are not
compatible with at least some wellgo pedals. however, this noncompatibility is not a problem to me.
i dont ride other people's bikes, and other people don't ride mine. i suppose it is a marketing ploy
of some devious design to keep me coming back to nashbar, but im fine with that, becuase hte pedals
are good and the price is right. (unless i got the only two good pairs 😉

as for an opinion of wellgo pedals, i think that one can not generalize based on one model. as i
hear it, both from RBT posts, and others, wellgo makes pedals for everyone, relabeled for everybody.
they have such a wide range, and likely range of quality, that their department store plastic pedals
(or maybe their r4 pedals as you had) should not be taken as indicative of everything they do.

cheers, anthony

[email hidden] (ac) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Just wanted to thank y'all for all your advice, especially Bill!

If that doesn't work out, I guess I'll order shoes from Performance anyway, and then pedals from
Nashbar, either the Shimano 515s for $40, or the Nashbar Special ATB SPDs for $20. Both have
gotten praise here -- anyone have a preference?

i just wanted to point out, if it wasnt obvious, that my praise of nashbar cheapo pedals were indeed
the 'special spds'. thats my preference 😉

Quoted message said:

Now, while I'm doing so much mailorder... anyone have suggestions for a basic, cheap cyclocomputer
and hydration system?

once upon a time i bought a 9 or ten dollar sigma sport computer from nashbar. its stil going
strong, and i like the attachment system.

cheers, anthony

ac said:

If that doesn't work out, I guess I'll order shoes from Performance anyway, and then pedals from
Nashbar, either the Shimano 515s for $40, or the Nashbar Special ATB SPDs for $20. Both have
gotten praise here -- anyone have a preference?

The Shimanos appear very similar to the Nashbar Specials. They both fit your concerns about double
sided and coming with cleats, and I'll bet the M515s are just as easy in and out as the Nashbars
(which I have), as my Shimano M545s are that easy.

The Nashbars do seem to be of slightly lower quality; they don't spin so freely on their spindle,
just a little bit of drag. In practice, this will not affect your riding. It is _very_ tiny. Entry,
retention, and release is just as good as the Shimanos, and at $20, these are disposable.

Save the money and get the Nashbars (unless you choose the ones from Performance, which I haven't
used and won't comment on).

You also mentioned a concern about pedals including cleats. All clipless pedals come with cleats. I
can't even imagine somebody selling pedals used and not including the cleats.

This brings up another point: The nashbars are disposable at $20, and include a new set of cleats
when you buy them.

That has worked out well for me; I have two road bikes for which I bought the Nashbar Specials, and
a mountain bike which has had the M545s for awhile. Now I have fresh, brand new cleats on my road
shoes and on my mountain shoes, and can wear either shoes with any of the three bikes, and I didn't
have to blow another $20 just to replace my worn Shimano cleats.

If you don't mind a few hundred additional grams of weight, you might also consider nashbar item
NS-DHP nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
&estoreid=

These appear similar to my M545s, and are also $20. They allow you to release from your pedals and
continue riding, which is a comfort zone when you're unsure of yourself; and they allow you to
easily ride in plain sneakers/shoes/boots for a casual spin to the store. When I was scared of going
clipless, I bought the M545s for that comfort zone, and have been very happy with that. Also, they
seem to guide you right into the proper entry position.

Quoted message said:

Alas, Nashbar doesn't have any really good shoe deals. It seems like many of their cheapest ones
don't have a size 40. The ones that do have laces, and I think I'd prefer Velcro -- I've had my
shoelaces caught too many times!

Nashbar item YS-MX80 nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
58&storetype=&estoreid= is available in a 40.5 and a 39.5; check sizing charts to see if that's the
proper size for you. Consider that sizing differs slightly from one brand to another, so your size
might be one of those. The laces are okay because you velcro the loose ends (like I do on my
Shimano shoes).

You're right that there's not a lot of selection in size 40, or any other sizes, for that matter;
strange that Nashbar appears to only have a couple sizes of each shoe.

Quoted message said:

Now, while I'm doing so much mailorder... anyone have suggestions for a basic, cheap cyclocomputer
and hydration system?

Computer: "basic, cheap" could be anything, at the low end just choose functions that seem important
to you. I like this function set: speed, average, elapsed time, odometer, clock, max speed, distance

However, if you're interested in enhancing your performance, you should strongly consider something
with cadence. That's bike terminology for a tachometer. This way, you can attempt to optimize your
gear choices for the best power output.

Nashbar has a nashbar-brand Cadence computer that seems good, and is very cheap; also, the Cateye
Astrale is inexpensive and has cadence. I recently bought an Astrale and rode it for the first time
yesterday, and am happy with it, though I need to turn on the feature whereby it automatically
starts and stops when the bike is moving/stopped.

Cheap computer: Nashbar item BC-601 $11 nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
rand=&sku=1203&storetype=estore&estoreid=44

Nashbar cadence computer: Nashbar item NA-20C $20
nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

Cateye Astrale: Strange, just looked it up, they've changed how it looks and doubled the price. Or
maybe I previously looked at end-of-last-year's-model-clearance prices.

For hydration, you can't beat this value: Nashbar Gulp 100: Nashbar item NA-GULP100 $25 --Open ↗
nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=8208&storetype=estore&estoreid=48 100oz
resevoir, 765 cubic inch cargo capacity

Good luck with everything!

--
Rick Onanian

ant said:

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

i have nothing but good thigns to say abotu the nashbar relabeled wellgo pedals. i get a
serious giggle going every time i think about

Are these the Nashbar Special SPD pedals #NS-EP2, like so:

If so, they will change my opinion of Wellgo pedals, of which I've only use Wellgo R4 road
pedals, which were terrible.

that's them. i have two pairs, under frequent and demanding use, and no problems. when i burn them
out (not that i expect it soon) i will buy more just like them.

Same here.

Quoted message said:

it is true that they are 'special', as in non-compatible with shimano spds. further, they are not
compatible with at least some wellgo

Really? I find they are quite compatible with my Shimano
M545s. The cleats that came with the Nashbars work in the Shimanos fine, and the cleats that I've
had for the Shimanos are rather worn, and release too easily from the Nashbars, at least, at
the default tension. I found the tension that the Nashbars were delivered with was perfect
for me with the Nashbar cleats, so I just put the Nashbar cleats on both my pairs of shoes (I
bought to pairs Nashbars for two bikes other than the M545-equipped bike).

Quoted message said:

it is a marketing ploy of some devious design to keep me coming back to nashbar, but im fine with
that, becuase hte pedals are good and the price is right. (unless i got the only two good pairs 😉

I'll keep coming back, regardless of compatibility. You didn't get the only two good pairs.

Quoted message said:

as for an opinion of wellgo pedals, i think that one can not generalize based on one model. as i
hear it, both from RBT posts, and department store plastic pedals (or maybe their r4 pedals as you
had) should not be taken as indicative of everything they do.

I guess not. I had no idea that these Nashbars were relabelled Wellgos. The Wellgo R4s I had were
terrible, horrible, awful.

BTW, at $20, the Nashbar Specials are lighter by a few grams than most other clipless pedals I've
seen, and the cleats seem to be made of a harder metal that won't wear out as quickly as the Shimano
cleats I have. I suspect the harder cleats will wear the pedals quicker, but at $20 a set, I'd as
soon just replace the pedals and cleats at the same time.

Quoted message said:

cheers, anthony

--
Rick Onanian