Interchanging pedals

There are platform pedals that incorporates SPD/CB clipless mechanism. Check them out.

You might try touring or MTB Shoes. They are usually made so that you can walk comfortably.

Diatad said:

Greetings

I'm new to road biking and sometimes, for orientations sake, want to take my bicycle shorter distances (5-12mi) to a friends house or any place i can safeguard my new ride. The SPD shoes i have are awkward to walk in and i would prefer to avoid it if not training. Is it conventional for people to switch pedals on their bikes? Should i be saving the bike specifically for training and buy a used, 30 lb, nonliability?

Look at these: performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
They're a little heavy and don't look sporty on an expensive road bike, but they'll work for what you want. I personally use 2 bikes for the exact same reason. I have an old '97 Diamondback WCF MTB with street tires I bought for a few hundred bucks used, for beating around town or out with my daughter and I keep my road bike just as it is... sweet.😄

Diatad said:

..Is it conventional for people to switch pedals on their bikes?

Don't know exactly HOW common it is, but I do it quite often. It's really not a big deal as long as you remember that the left pedal has a reverse thread(turn clockwise to remove) and that you have the correct tool (they can be fairly tight, especially if they haven't been removed before).

Somewhere down the line one might probably argue that repeated disassembly and reassembly increases the wear on the cranks, but there'd have to be a substantial number of disassemblies before I'd consider that a real worry.

Diatad said:

..Should i be saving the bike specifically for training and buy a used, 30 lb, nonliability?

I wouldn't think of it as saving, as it takes quite a lot of riding to wear a bike out. From the angle of the bike it will probably be well able to stand all your short trips and your dedicated training sessions together.
But it's always nice to have at least two bikes to choose from. If nothing else your "good bike" might be out of use for whatever reason and then your 2nd bike will at least let you get some riding in. Or equip it with racks and panniers and you'll be able to use it to run some errands with as well. Utility riding is riding too you know 🙂

Or, as others have suggested, MTB/touring shoes are OK to walk in, or there are combined platform/SPD pedals available as well.

I use MTB shoes which are better for walking than normal road shoes. I am sure that I loose some power transfer with the added shoe flex but it is a good trade off for me. I loose more due to the fact that the shoes are heavier. Seems everything is a compromise. I enjoy stopping along the ride for a walk and these shoes allow me to do that.

I also have shimano pedals that have a composit outside rim that can be used with normal shoes. The clips float to allow bike shoes or not. Again, this type of pedal is a bit heavier but they allow more flexability of use in my case.

Mark

MarkInNC said:

I use MTB shoes which are better for walking than normal road shoes. I am sure that I loose some power transfer with the added shoe flex but it is a good trade off for me. I loose more due to the fact that the shoes are heavier. Seems everything is a compromise. I enjoy stopping along the ride for a walk and these shoes allow me to do that.

I also have shimano pedals that have a composit outside rim that can be used with normal shoes. The clips float to allow bike shoes or not. Again, this type of pedal is a bit heavier but they allow more flexability of use in my case.

Mark

what about these shoes?
performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

MarkInNC said:

I use MTB shoes which are better for walking than normal road shoes. I am sure that I loose some power transfer with the added shoe flex but it is a good trade off for me. I loose more due to the fact that the shoes are heavier. Seems everything is a compromise. I enjoy stopping along the ride for a walk and these shoes allow me to do that.
Mark

I like to ride to historical areas and then tour museums or walk through areas, reading the historical markers, ala the Gettysburg Battlefield Park. I don't particularly like being attached to the bike, though, so I use toe clips and straps that are loose enough for me to easily pull my foot out but still keep me positioned right on the pedal. Its pretty much just a matter of what I am most comfortable with, having started biking with this arrangement. I would not recommend it to anyone who is new to bicycling as they should get used to clipless pedals. It is hard enough to find the nice 1980's vintage platform pedals without newbes trying to get them too!

MarkInNC said:

I use MTB shoes which are better for walking than normal road shoes. I am sure that I loose some power transfer with the added shoe flex but it is a good trade off for me. I loose more due to the fact that the shoes are heavier. Seems everything is a compromise. I enjoy stopping along the ride for a walk and these shoes allow me to do that.

I also have shimano pedals that have a composit outside rim that can be used with normal shoes. The clips float to allow bike shoes or not. Again, this type of pedal is a bit heavier but they allow more flexability of use in my case.

Mark

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Parent-Shimano-MO75-ATB-SPD-Shoes--per-pair-13051.htm
these are the shoes i have, also MTB shoes. i CAN walk around in them, but its pretty awkward, i dont want to wear the tread down too much, and im afraid i might ferk up the clip.
do you have a link to the clip pedals with the outside rim? sounds interesting...

hello everone. my problem is im on look pedals and cleats, and am looking for some shoes that are look compatable, but that i can walk in as well. anybody got any suggestions thanks.

Diatad said:

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Parent-Shimano-MO75-ATB-SPD-Shoes--per-pair-13051.htm
these are the shoes i have, also MTB shoes. i CAN walk around in them, but its pretty awkward...

Well, the fairly stiff sole does make for a different feel under your foot than what you'd experience with a pair of sneakers. But I use Sidis, whick quite probable are farther removed from sneakers than those, and I'm not the slightest troubled by walking in them. Give yourself some time to get used to it.

Diatad said:

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Parent-Shimano-MO75-ATB-SPD-Shoes--per-pair-13051.htm... i dont want to wear the tread down too much, and im afraid i might ferk up the clip.

That will eventually happen, of course. But unless you intend to make a habit of hiking over rocky terrain you're looking at a couple of years of casual use before that's due. Besides cleats are considered as wear items, they're easily and cheaply replaceable.
Odds are that the velcro straps will have given upp the ghost before the tread wear becomes an issue.

Here is a link to Shimano pedals similar to the ones I have with the rim around the clip. performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

My shimano pedals look exactly like these but are a lower grade and cost about half that much. I use MTB shoes which have the clip burried in the sole tread and with a semi-flex sole which allows me to easily walk several miles if I happen to stop near a trail or someplace interesting. The Nike shoes have velcro instead of laces but also can come with traditional laces.

This combo works for me but I am sure everyone has their favorite.

Mark

Diatad said:

sjscycles.co.ukproduct Parent Shimano MO75 ATB SPD Shoes per pair 13051.htmOpen ↗
these are the shoes i have, also MTB shoes. i CAN walk around in them, but its pretty awkward, i dont want to wear the tread down too much, and im afraid i might ferk up the clip.
do you have a link to the clip pedals with the outside rim? sounds interesting...