Clipless pedals

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gavin
After agonising for a very long time (not really!) I have decided that I should at long last make the transition to clipless pedals. The few people I know who use them have told me that once I get used to them I won't look back. I know that they are supposed to be more efficient from an energy point of view but since my favourite pair of trainers "died" last year I can't seem to find a pair that feel as comfortable in my toe clips/straps.

So the big question is what should I chose? I know very little about what's available. I know there is straightaway a choice between MTB pedals and road pedals. From what I have been told the MTB pedal/shoe combination allows for ease of walking when off the bike - and I am by no means a racing cyclist :-)

I also believe that there are different types of mechanism for clipping into not all of which are compatible with each other.

I would be very grateful if you could explain what my options are, the pros and cons of each and if you have any recommended makes/styles. I know the latter is subjective but I would be very interested in your opinions.

Thanks,

Gavin

Clipless pedals - gotta love 'em 😄

On two of my road bikes I actually have MTB pedals (my winter bike and my spring/autumn bike). The pedals themselves are typically smaller in terms of your pedalling platform (but are usually dual sided - easier to get your foot locked into) which some would argue leads to a slight loss in your ability to deliver power to your wheels. (click here for an example) You are correct in that it is easier to walk around off the bike in MTB shoes...

But it all depends on how much walking around you think you are going to be doing. On my "summer bike" I've got Shimano PD-R600 road pedals (click here) and the cleats are on my Diadora ALU road shoes. The Shimano cleat is very large and coupled with the ALU shoes' aluminium sole, makes walking on any tiled surface dicey. However, the large pedal platform and minimal float means I feel that more power is being channeled to the wheels.

In terms of weight, I am sure that you can get road and MTB pedals that are equally as light as one another.

If you are making the transition I would advise that you get a clipless pedal that has a good amount of "float". Locking yourself into these pedals without any play at all could play havoc with your knees if you are used to being able to move your foot around a small amount with your pedal stroke.

I would also advise that you loosen off the lock on whichever pedal you typically remove your foot from when you come up to traffic lights etc. (unless you are a master at track standing), just so that you are able to get your foot on the ground quick for the first few rides.

Not all systems are compatible with one another (e.g. Look vs. Shimano) - I guess this is just a bit of protectionism between manufacturers. Each manufacturer has its own advocates and detractors. Personally I like Shimano (but not their shoes).

gavin said:

I would be very grateful if you could explain what my
options are, the pros and cons of each and if you have any
recommended makes/styles. I know the latter is subjective
but I would be very interested in your opinions.

This was discussed a few weeks ago, the most common types
are SPD and Look. SPD are often referred to a MTB pedals but
they can be used on road machines. Do not confuse these with
SPD-R which are different again. If you want to have
recessed cleats for better walking choose SPD. Look
compatible shoes are usually very stiff with no compromise
and provide a very good pedalling platform. My preference is
Look but I ride road bikes only. SPD compat shoes can often
resemble trainers so make a good choice where you have to
walk around in between riding and can't or can't be bothered
to change shoes.

Bravo!

It can be a scary prospect going clipless. I think it makes a real difference once you get into the "spin" of things. It makes peadling much easier & helps conserve energy on longer rides. It's also handy for stopping you bounce off the pedals when you're traveling on less than smooth British roads...

The one thing everyone will tell you is to stick with it. Yes, you will fall over a few times but it's usually when you stop go to put your foot down then...TIMBER... we've all been there so don't worry. Practice, practice, practice...it'll soon be second nature to clip in/out & you'll wonder how you ever used to get around without them.

Might be worth finding a grassy area to try clipping in moving off slowly, picking a stopping point, slowing down, unclipping & stepping down. Repeat until it become instinctive. Don't try it in traffic straigh off...trust me! I bet in no time at all you'll be able to clip in/out at the lights, in heavy traffic waving to people etc...

Good luck & let us know how you get on!

PS: What do you ride? Road/MTB? You can walk in most road shoes, at least I can take a quick trip in my SPD-SL's, even on wood/tiled floors....I wouldn't want to hike in them though ;-) I use Sidi Energy Road shoes & SPD-SL cleats & I love em'

gavin said:

So the big question is what should I chose? I know very
little about wh=

at's

Quoted message said:

available. I know there is straightaway a choice between
MTB pedals and=

road

Quoted message said:

pedals. From what I have been told the MTB pedal/shoe
combination allow=

s for

Quoted message said:

ease of walking when off the bike - and I am by no means a
racing cycli=

st

You can et road stuff you can easily walk in, but the MTB
avenue will=20 always allow that and give you that at lower
prices as well.

Quoted message said:

I also believe that there are different types of mechanism
for clipping=

into

Quoted message said:

not all of which are compatible with each other.

Cleats are generally specific to certain pedals, but the
important bit=20 is they all (at least all I've come across)
will fit the same shoes. So =

though my Time cleats won't fit SPD pedals, they fit into
any shoes that =

take Shimano cleats

Quoted message said:

I would be very grateful if you could explain what my
options are, the =

pros

Quoted message said:

and cons of each and if you have any recommended
makes/styles. I know t=

he

Quoted message said:

latter is subjective but I would be very interested in
your opinions.

One possibility is a pedal with a cleat attachment on one
side and a=20 "normal" platform on the other, so it's easy
to pedal in trainers rather =

than sliding off every then and now if you can't be arsed to
put your=20 cycling shoes on. Beyond that I wouldn't worry
too much, they'll all do =

the business so see what's on offer. You can get Wellgos for
about =A320= ,=20 or so. Some pedals are cleaner and use
different mechs, like Time ATACs and=20 Eggbeaters. I
personally like the Times, finding they're less affected=20
by cleat wear, don't need fiddling with tension and there's
less gubbins =

to clean, but they'll set you back more and you'll get most
of the=20 available benefit from a cheapish pair. Spend more
once you're certain=20 you like them and think it'll make a
difference,

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382
660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44
1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net
[email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

Cleats are generally specific to certain pedals, but the
important bit is they all (at least all I've come across)
will fit the same shoes.

Caveat with what I wrote: all MTB type shoes should
probably take MTB type cleats, but I didn't make that clear
first time...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

gavin wrote: ..........

Quoted message said:

So the big question is what should I chose? I know very
little about what's available. I know there is
straightaway a choice between MTB pedals and road pedals.
From what I have been told the MTB pedal/shoe combination
allows for ease of walking when off the bike - and I am by
no means a racing cyclist :-)

Nor am I, really, but I like Look racing pedals. They're so
good for *cycling*. I suggest at least thinking about the
option if you don't need to do much walking. Rubber covers
for the cleats can be used to make safe walking possible -
it's just that you can't walk entirely normally (with the
stiff soles and sticky-out cleats) and walking would be
uncomfortable for any great distance... but personally, I
find long walks uncomfortable with any shoes! I should have
been born with wheels :-)

To be fair, the SPD option is a good one to start with,
especially considering the low prices available for pedals
and shoes. Lots of other clipless systems as well. Sorry the
subject is too large to list all the pros and cons of each.
Please dip into the archives of uk.rec.cycling and
rec.bicycles.tech via Google Groups.

~PB

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

Quoted message said:

PS: What do you ride? Road/MTB? You can walk in most road
shoes, at least I can take a quick trip in my SPD-
SL's, even on wood/tiled floors....I wouldn't want to
hike in them though ;-) I use Sidi Energy Road shoes &
SPD-SL cleats & I love em'

That reminds me of a time I tried to visit a cash point at
a very upmarket bank in Honolulu. It was raining and I was
wearing old fashioned rattrap pedal shoes with slotted
cleats. The shoes were not old fashioned though, stiff
plastic with no grip provided for. The path to the cash
point was sloped and marble and the wet and my shoes
afforded no grip at all ! I had to haul myself up using
the railing.

in message <[email hidden]>, gavin ([email hidden]'😉

Quoted message said:

After agonising for a very long time (not really!) I have
decided that I should at long last make the transition to
clipless pedals. The few people I know who use them have
told me that once I get used to them I won't look back. I
know that they are supposed to be more efficient from an
energy point of view but since my favourite pair of
trainers "died" last year I can't seem to find a pair that
feel as comfortable in my toe clips/straps.

So the big question is what should I chose? I know very
little about what's available. I know there is
straightaway a choice between MTB pedals and road pedals.
From what I have been told the MTB pedal/shoe combination
allows for ease of walking when off the bike - and I am by
no means a racing cyclist

That's much too simplistic. I have 'road' shoes (designed
for touring) which are easy and comfortable to walk in, and
my partner has MTB shoes (designed for racing) which are
virtually impossible to walk in (but have huge football boot
studs in the toes for scrambling up steep banks).

All cycling shoes have a fairly rigid shank in the sole. On
designed- for-racing shoes this shank is quite bent, so that
the shoe is like a high-heeled shoe without the heel. These
are the ones that are difficult to walk in, and it's largely
the bend that makes it difficult.

A shoe which has a flat sole (ideally with some degree of
grip) and where the cleat doesn't project beyind the tread
will be fine to walk
in. You can get these in both touring and MTB styles - the
difference being the MTB ones will have more tread,
designed to deal with slippier surfaces.

Quoted message said:

I also believe that there are different types of mechanism
for clipping into not all of which are compatible with
each other.

I would be very grateful if you could explain what my
options are, the pros and cons of each and if you have any
recommended makes/styles. I know the latter is subjective
but I would be very interested in your opinions.

At the cheap end of the market, Shimano SPD pedals are
perfectly good. There are better pedals about but they are
much more expensive. The major problem with the SPD system
is the pedals tend to clog with mud off-road.

SPD pedals are available as beautiful little attenuated
single sided pedals for road bikes, or as doubles sided
pedals for off road bikes; or - useful if you're a
beginner or will sometimes ride without your cleated shoes
- as SPD one side and ordinary platform the other. My
partner likes these.

As to shoes, get a pair that fit (and be prepared to spend a
bit of money, although you may not have to). My own personal
favourites are a pair of SIDI boots, but they're my
favourites because they fit *my* feet so well and are so
comfortable. There's no point in getting shoes in which you
are not comfortable, it will just put you off.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

Morning had broken, and there was nothing we could
do but wait patiently for the RAC to arrive.

Richard Belcher said:

The one thing everyone will tell you is to stick with
it. Yes, you will fall over a few times but it's
usually when you stop go to put your foot down
then...TIMBER... we've all been there so don't worry.
Practice, practice, practice...it'll soon be second
nature to clip in/out & you'll wonder how you ever used
to get around without them.

Worth noting is that once you're used to it it's actually
*easier* than getting out of clips and straps, especially if
you've got straps done up tight and have to stop
unexpectedly.

Quoted message said:

Might be worth finding a grassy area to try clipping in
moving off slowly, picking a stopping point, slowing
down, unclipping & stepping down. Repeat until it
become instinctive. Don't try it in traffic straigh
off...trust me!

In practice I think first time users are *sooooo* paranoid
about them that they rarely come to grief. In most
situations stopping is predictable, so if you look ahead and
see you'll have to stop shortly you unclip *then*, not when
you *have* to. There's no problem riding without being
formally clipped in, so when you do get to the stop point
you just put your already unclipped foot down. And remember
that if you do get it wrong you will almost certainly be at
mph along with everyone else there. The only thing likely to
be seriously wounded is your pride.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

I like Look pedals and shoes with Look cleats on them. I
really haven't regretted making the change to clipless
pedals from standard pedals with toeclips.

Just remember to unclip *before* your bike comes to a halt
;-)

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

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

Quoted message said:

gavin wrote:

Quoted message said:

To be fair, the SPD option is a good one to start with,
especially considering the low prices available for pedals
and shoes.

I agree with this. The larger platform of Looks is possibly
an advantage to a racer or long distance cyclist, but it's
perfectly possible both to race and cycle very long
distances with SPDs. The supposed performance advantage of
Looks is so marginal that the ease of walking in SPDs
outweighs it except for racing IMO.

--
Dave...

Quoted message said:

The one thing everyone will tell you is to stick with it.
Yes, you will fall over a few times but it's usually when
you stop go to put your foot down then...TIMBER... we've
all been there so don't worry. Practice, practice,
practice...it'll soon be second nature to clip in/out &
you'll wonder how you ever used to get around without them.

This is *so* true, and demonstrated to me the only advantage
I know of in having a fat [censored] - padding when falling over
due to forgetting to unclip :-)

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To be fair, the SPD option is a good one to start with,
especially considering the low prices available for
pedals and shoes.

Quoted message said:

I agree with this. The larger platform of Looks is
possibly an advantage to a racer or long distance cyclist,
but it's perfectly possible both to race and cycle very
long distances with SPDs. The supposed performance
advantage of Looks is so marginal that the ease of walking
in SPDs outweighs it except for racing IMO.

I disagree. I don't find walking in Looks a huge problem,
and if I wanted to walk I would have left the bike at home
in the first place. I find Looks more comfortable - less
inclined to hotspots. I also find them easier to clip in
than Spuds. I do use both.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

On 17/3/04 3:07 pm, in article
[email hidden], "Dave Kahn"

Quoted message said:

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:<[email hidden]-
berlin.de>...

Quoted message said:

gavin wrote:

Quoted message said:

To be fair, the SPD option is a good one to start with,
especially considering the low prices available for
pedals and shoes.

I agree with this. The larger platform of Looks is
possibly an advantage to a racer or long distance cyclist,
but it's perfectly possible both to race and cycle very
long distances with SPDs. The supposed performance
advantage of Looks is so marginal that the ease of walking
in SPDs outweighs it except for racing IMO.

I agree entirely. I still have a pair of Look pedals (which
I do like more than SPD) and shoes but have moved both bikes
with clipless to SPD. The major reason was finding a pair of
shoes that were comfortable to walk around in.

The key with any pedal is to have really stiff soled shoes,
the stiffer the better. I am tempted to fit SPD cleats under
some old crampons for winter biking in plastic boots..

..d

Richard Belcher <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

The one thing everyone will tell you is to stick with it.
Yes, you will fall over a few times but it's usually when
you stop go to put your foot down then...TIMBER... we've
all been there so don't worry.

Falling over is optional. It seems that most people fall
once, but it's never happened to me (yet). The fall usually
happens when people forget they're using the new system and
the twist-to-unclip action has not yet become automatic.
When it does happen it's generally a case of humiliation
rather than pain.

The best falling over story I heard was from Doug at Moore
Bros in Twickenham. When he first went clipless he was
worried about falling so on approaching his first set of
traffic lights, naturally provided with an adequate supply
of spectators, he decided to lean nonchalantly on a bollard
rather than attempt to unclip. Unfortunately the bollard was
not bolted down.

--
Dave...

helen said:

Just remember to unclip *before* your bike comes to a halt

Heh. Yes. I've been using SPD-Rs for about a month or so now and I am well and truly converted to the clipless cause. Of course, having only tried SPD-Rs I can't say how good they are compared to other makes/models. But I'm happy with them. But I certainly like them a lot more than toeclips and straps, which I have never got on with at all.

I've only actually fallen off once and that was because I stopped quite sharply without thinking to unclip first. I just went over sideways - fortunately landing on the pavement, and doubly fortunate that there was no-one around to see it happen. It was more comical than painful. A bigger problem than falling is getting my feet back in the pedals when pulling away from junctions or lights, but I'm gradually getting better with practice.

Apart from that, I can only concur with what others have said. And no way am I ever going back to platforms!

Dave Kahn said:

Quoted message said:

To be fair, the SPD option is a good one to start with,
especially considering the low prices available for
pedals and shoes.

I agree with this. The larger platform of Looks is
possibly an advantage to a racer or long distance cyclist,
but it's perfectly possible both to race and cycle very
long distances with SPDs. The supposed performance
advantage of Looks is so marginal that the ease of walking
in SPDs outweighs it except for racing IMO.

I kahn't quite agree with that, I'm afraid.

I switched from SPD to Look pedals (using same road shoes)
and found the greater float and larger platform makes
setting up easier and all normal riding *much* more
comfortable and secure... not to mention more efficient, but
that's hard to prove so I won't mention it :-) Definitely an
option for the non-racer (even the urban one) as well as
racer IMO - although I don't blame anyone for trying SPDs
first/instead.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

I switched from SPD to Look pedals (using same road shoes)
and found the greater float and larger platform makes
setting up easier and all normal riding *much* more
comfortable and secure

And don't forget ATACs: certainly more float than SPuDs, and
you get actual lateral float as well as the normal
rotational float: you can clip in anywhere along the spring
bar, not just one specific spot. Setup is a non issue once
you've decided whether you're Normal (15 degree release) or
Well 'Ard (20 degrees release) and put the relevant cleat on
the relevant shoe. No buggering about with tension ever
again and the cleats still give completely bombproof
attachment even when they're incredibly badly worn.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Pete Biggs said:

Definitely an option for the non-racer (even the urban
one) as well as racer IMO - although I don't blame
anyone for trying SPDs first/instead.

I might have done had SPD's existed at the time :-)

Another reason for Looks, though is the existence of the
black cleat. Personally I regard float as a Work of Stan. At
least Look give you the option.

--

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
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