Clipless pedals

In article <3IfXe.509297$5V4.15362@pd7tw3no>,

Antonio said:

I would like to find about the various models, pro and con .thanks

There's about eighty gajillion different models out there. Here's a very
brief look at some of the most popular:

SPD: Shimano's main pedal system. Walkable cleats, the cheap and
knock-off versions are very cheap indeed. Mediocre clearance of mud and
foreign objects compared to other systems. Widely available

SPD-R: obsolete non-walkable system. Avoid unless it's really cheap.

Crank Brothers Egg Beaters: a really, really clever rethinking of
pedals. Light, simple, excellent mud clearance, walkable cleats, more
expensive than cheap SPDs but not outrageous. Lots of people like these
for all uses.

Look/SPD-SL/Campy Pro-fit: grouped together because these systems are
all pretty similar. Looks are the oldest standard for pedals, and
probably second in popularity after normal SPDs. All three offer really
large cleat platforms, which adherents argue makes for a more
comfortable experience, free of "hot-spots" attributed to some
small-cleat systems, at least when used with flexible-sole shoes. SPD-SL
and Pro-fit are Shimano and Campagnolo reinterpretations of the same
idea. Good pedal retention, not really suitable for mountain biking
(though some might differ), and not walkable, but there you go.

Everything else: various specialized pedal systems that often offer real
benefits for people who prefer their particular specific advantages. But
if you're just starting out with clipless, and aren't getting a deal on
one model or another, and don't already know that you have specific
ergonomic needs (high float, no float, low stack height) I'd stick with
the above systems.

In my opinion? Well, I ride primarily on the road, and I race
competitively and win using very unstylish and heavy two-sided SPD
pedals. I commute using the same things. If I was starting from scratch,
I might convert over to the Crank Bros system, which looks really
elegant, but I don't think the advantages are enough for me to replace
my four or five sets of pedals and two sets of cleats.

For most riders, I think walkability is a real advantage, even if it
only means your trips to the bathroom are less perilous, and that you
can sanely ride your bike to a grocery store.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

"Antonio" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:3IfXe.509297$5V4.15362@pd7tw3no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to find about the various models, pro and con .thanks

If you're just starting out with clipless pedals, it would probably be best
to either go with an SPD or Eggbeater type. Many of the others offer
advantages, but mostly for the riders who stay clipped most of their time.

As has been discussed before, there are huge amounts of pedals on the
market. The different styles and models would mostly depend on the riding
you plan to do.

Advice: Go with either a Shimano or Crank Brothers brand of pedal. Going
with a Look or an off-brand would more than likely not be what you're
looking for starting out with the pedals. Avoid the models that has one side
a flat pedal and the other a clipless pedal. Unless you're planning on doing
quite a bit of time wearing regular shoes, they're more hassle than they're
worth. It's best to look for a pedal which is ambidextrous (one that uses
both or all sides of the pedal and not just one side).

Brian

"Brian Walker" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

If you're just starting out with clipless pedals, it would probably be
best to either go with an SPD or Eggbeater type. Many of the others offer
advantages, but mostly for the riders who stay clipped most of their time.

As has been discussed before, there are huge amounts of pedals on the
market. The different styles and models would mostly depend on the riding
you plan to do.

Advice: Go with either a Shimano or Crank Brothers brand of pedal. Going
with a Look or an off-brand would more than likely not be what you're
looking for starting out with the pedals. Avoid the models that has one
side a flat pedal and the other a clipless pedal. Unless you're planning
on doing quite a bit of time wearing regular shoes, they're more hassle
than they're worth. It's best to look for a pedal which is ambidextrous
(one that uses both or all sides of the pedal and not just one side).

Brian

My Eggbeaters are extremely nice. All the retention I need, and very easy to
twist out of. They're also designed to be relubed from time to time, and are
apparently fairly easy to rebuild. Both of these factors compensate for the
high initial cost, IMO.

I like the concept of a pedal that is flat on one side and clipless on the
other, but I really didn't feel like I derived that much benefit from the
design when I had them. Riding clipless pedals for a mile or so in street
shoes isn't the greatest way to go, but it won't hurt anything, either. The
only advantage I saw in this desgn is that I had a place to attach pedal
reflectors.
--
mark

Quoted message said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

Antonio said:

I would like to find about the various models, pro and con .thanks

There's about eighty gajillion different models out there. Here's a very
brief look at some of the most popular:

Thanks for the very concise and informative writeup.

Rich

Clipless Explained

First of all, and most importantly, clipless pedals are not clipless.
They require cleats and special shoes that you use to "clip in" to the
pedal. In a way, you become one with your bike. Read more at
http://www.epinions.com/content_195136753284, scroll down page. The
information is on the left side of page.

B.J. at http://tinyurl.com/cq4q2

On my road tourer I have the Cook Bros. "eggbeater" basic model paired
up with Lake's CX115 "touring" shoe and I find this to be the best
combination I have yet experienced in my 33 years of riding.

The cleat engages without thought and the shoes are 150% walkable, with
about 2-3 mm clearence between the cleat and the floor. I believe Lake
has changed the model number for this year's model, look for the
keywords "touring" and "walkable".

My MTB still has it's Sh. M424 beartrap w/SPD insert pedals. I'm running
those with an old pair of Specialized "Sport" shoes, as cleat clearance
is not so much a factor on dirt.

- -

"May you have the winds at your back,
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

Excelent, comprehensive review, Ryan. :-3)

- -

"May you have the winds at your back,
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

Just how does one "clip into" a "clip_less_" pedal, anyways?

I always thought they shouls be called "strapless" or "snap-in" or
something like that.

JMH2¢O...

- -

"May you have the winds at your back,
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

Chris Zacho The Wheelman said:

The cleat engages without thought and the shoes are 150% walkable

Only 150%? Not 200% or 5000%

If they're not 5000% walkable, then they're just no good.

In article <3IfXe.509297$5V4.15362@pd7tw3no>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to find about the various models, pro and con .thanks

Just got some Look PP247 pedals at Performance bike for (around) 60%
off.

Did thirty miles with them today and they're fantastic!!

-Bob

Thank-you all.
been looking at
Shimano PD-M540
Shimano Spd-SL R540
for a beginner,is one better than the other,why?
is the SL like a ski binding,
the local shop carries no clipless,so har for me to visualize ,
any web site where it is visually described.
already google it.
t.i.a.

"Antonio" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:3IfXe.509297$5V4.15362@pd7tw3no...

Quoted message said:

I would like to find about the various models, pro and con .thanks

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rich said:

Chris Zacho The Wheelman said:

The cleat engages without thought and the shoes are 150% walkable

Only 150%?

Chris has three feet :-)

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

In article <NUlXe.510843$5V4.25717@pd7tw3no>,

Antonio said:

Thank-you all.
been looking at
Shimano PD-M540
Shimano Spd-SL R540
for a beginner,is one better than the other,why?
is the SL like a ski binding,
the local shop carries no clipless,so har for me to visualize ,
any web site where it is visually described.
already google it.
t.i.a.

Of those two, I would recommend the SPD M540 for one very boring reason:
the cleat is recessed into the sole, so you can walk around normally
when off the bike. A second good reason is that they're two-sided, so
you can enter the pedal no matter which side is up (though the SLs are
weighted such that they are usually in the right position for entry).

The other relative advantages and disadvantages of the SPD and SPD-SL
systems are much less important. It's stuff like weight, platform size,
and retention.

But if you are strongly considering the SPD M540, I would also compare
it to the the very elegant Crank Bros. pedals. Their bottom-of-the-line
Eggbeater C pedals are very light and very nice-looking. It's about the
same price as the M540, too.

If you're super-cheap, you can find SPD-compatible pedals for as little
as $20. Nashbar appears to have some great pedal/shoe bundles, as well.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

(Tom Keats) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rich said:

Chris Zacho The Wheelman said:

The cleat engages without thought and the shoes are 150% walkable

Only 150%?

Chris has three feet :-)

What? That'd be a foot on the right, a foot on the left, and a
foot... never mind.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

"Ryan Cousineau" wrote: (clip) Their bottom-of-the-line Eggbeater C pedals
are very light and very nice-looking. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One of the reasons I chose the Eggbeaters is their elegant simplicity.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mark Hickey said:

(Tom Keats) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rich said:

Chris Zacho The Wheelman wrote:

> The cleat engages without thought and the shoes are 150% walkable

Only 150%?

Chris has three feet :-)

What? That'd be a foot on the right, a foot on the left, and a
foot... never mind.

You should see his crankset. 120 degrees is a good number.

Anyhow, the ability to sit down while standing up
is the dream of every slacker.

cheers,
Tom

-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

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

Quoted message said:

"Brian Walker" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

If you're just starting out with clipless pedals, it would probably be
best to either go with an SPD or Eggbeater type. Many of the others offer
advantages, but mostly for the riders who stay clipped most of their
time.

As has been discussed before, there are huge amounts of pedals on the
market. The different styles and models would mostly depend on the riding
you plan to do.

Advice: Go with either a Shimano or Crank Brothers brand of pedal. Going
with a Look or an off-brand would more than likely not be what you're
looking for starting out with the pedals. Avoid the models that has one
side a flat pedal and the other a clipless pedal. Unless you're planning
on doing quite a bit of time wearing regular shoes, they're more hassle
than they're worth. It's best to look for a pedal which is ambidextrous
(one that uses both or all sides of the pedal and not just one side).

Brian

My Eggbeaters are extremely nice. All the retention I need, and very easy
to twist out of. They're also designed to be relubed from time to time,
and are apparently fairly easy to rebuild. Both of these factors
compensate for the high initial cost, IMO.

I like the concept of a pedal that is flat on one side and clipless on the
other, but I really didn't feel like I derived that much benefit from the
design when I had them. Riding clipless pedals for a mile or so in street
shoes isn't the greatest way to go, but it won't hurt anything, either.
The only advantage I saw in this desgn is that I had a place to attach
pedal reflectors.

That's about what I ran into when I bought my set of semi-pedals. I thought
it was a great idea because I'd be able to ride with regular shoes when I
wanted and then my road shoes when I got more serious riding going. As it
turned out, I never rode in regular shoes and when I'd start off, I'd have
to make sure the flat side (which was the lightest side and kept turning up)
was down so I could clip into the pedal. They were more of a pain than they
were worth to me. I put them on my MTB, and my wife rides it with Michelle K
brand shoes that are similar to a road shoe, but more functional for day to
day wearing.

As it all turned out, I probably did a good thing by buying them because I
can wear my road shoes and clip into either my road bike or the MTB. But I
also might've saved myself the extra $70 and been just as happy with the
standard flat pedals that came off my road bike when I bought it.

Anyone want to buy a set of flat road pedals with toe clips that have only
been used enough to unbox the bike and chunk them over my shoulder? :-)

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

Quoted message said:

Look/SPD-SL/Campy Pro-fit: grouped together because these systems are
all pretty similar. Looks are the oldest standard for pedals, and
probably second in popularity after normal SPDs. All three offer really
large cleat platforms, which adherents argue makes for a more
comfortable experience, free of "hot-spots" attributed to some
small-cleat systems, at least when used with flexible-sole shoes. SPD-SL
and Pro-fit are Shimano and Campagnolo reinterpretations of the same
idea. Good pedal retention, not really suitable for mountain biking
(though some might differ), and not walkable, but there you go.

I beg to differ m'lud! I have Look shoes with the cleats recessed into the
sole so I can walk normally off the bike 🙂

Cheers, helen s

How about cleated pedals?

Ken