Clipless pedals for the newbie

rainbow kirby

After having to work crazy hard to keep up on a spin at the weekend, I've decided to bite the bullet and get proper shoes, cleats and pedals. Basically looking for recommendations, any good deals etc - I'll be putting them on a 2 year old Trek Lexa S. I'm not very coordinated so something that's very easy to use would suit.

ZiabR

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I am also interested in this!

mikeoh

logik wrote: »

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I am also interested in this!

Me too.........trying to keep the money small!!!

07Lapierre

LOOK Keo are good.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/pedals/product/review-look-keo-classic-10606/

Jabel

http://road.cc/content/review/69035-shimano-clickr-pedals-pd-t400

Have these on mine, bit fiddly clipping in at times but that could be me also being a road pedal newbie. The benefit of these is that you can still wear your runners if your just popping down the shops.

ednwireland

if you dont need to walk in them then look or shimano SPD-sl (both 3 bolt road shoe cleats) apparently shimano cleats last longer (dont know myself because i've used look since longer than i care to remember)

if you think you might be walking in them the shimano spd (which has a 2 bolt small cleat) is what your after

smacl

Jabel wrote: »

http://road.cc/content/review/69035-shimano-clickr-pedals-pd-t400

Have these on mine, bit fiddly clipping in at times but that could be me also being a road pedal newbie. The benefit of these is that you can still wear your runners if your just popping down the shops.

I use something very similar (m424) on my hybrid also with sh56 cleats and find them great. On the road bike, I use the m520 which is basically the same pedal without the plastic cage.

I don't know how much speed increase I get with the cleats, some of course but it is more about improved control / connection to the bike, particularly descending. The road cleats (e.g. look keo, SPD-SL) probably give you better power transmission at the cost of bing awkward off the bike. As a leisure cyclist in no major hurry, double sided SPDs suit me well.

cdaly_

rainbow kirby wrote: »

After having to work crazy hard to keep up on a spin at the weekend, I've decided to bite the bullet and get proper shoes, cleats and pedals. Basically looking for recommendations, any good deals etc - I'll be putting them on a 2 year old Trek Lexa S. I'm not very coordinated so something that's very easy to use would suit.

If you're gonna use the bike around London, you might be better off using SPD pedals as they're easier to clip in in traffic (just mash your foot onto the pedal). You get shoes you can walk around in too and the pedals are just fine for long spins too. OTOH, if it's just for weekend spins, the road pedals should be grand.

rainbow kirby

It's mostly for weekend spins - honestly I'm afraid to commute by bike into central London, so I just accept the squash onto the northern line! Joining my local tri club though and will be going on their Sunday long ride (have an entry for the London Triathlon olympic, and I fancy some training company!), and was strongly recommended to get new pedals and shoes.

hueylewis

I've been using SPD-SLs for a few months now (I bought what I think are the cheapest, PD-R540s) and find them very comfortable to ride in. The only thing I don't like about them is that I've grown to dread stopping and clipping out at lights - not because clipping out is difficult at all, but because clipping in can often take a few attempts from a standing start. It can be a bit awkward trying to get moving quickly with one foot when the lights go green, while you try to clip the other one in at the same time. Most of the time my foot will naturally just get the pedal in the right position immediately and there's no problem, but those odd few awkward times when it doesn't, especially with traffic breathing down your neck, are not particularly enjoyable.

DaithiMC

I got the SPD type when I started SPD - two points were important to me, not falling off and being able to walk off the bike without looking like I had a sh*te stuck in me. These pedals have the clip on both sides so there's no faffing around if you're commuting and kicking the pedal over and the cleats are smaller so you can get shoes that make the cleat almost flush with the perimeter of the base of the shoe so you can walk around sans Penguin style. I think the smaller cleat also makes them easier to clip out of.

Lusk_Doyle

DaithiMC wrote: »

I got the SPD type when I started SPD - two points were important to me, not falling off and being able to walk off the bike without looking like I had a sh*te stuck in me. These pedals have the clip on both sides so there's no faffing around if you're commuting and kicking the pedal over and the cleats are smaller so you can get shoes that make the cleat almost flush with the perimeter of the base of the shoe so you can walk around sans Penguin style. I think the smaller cleat also makes them easier to clip out of.

As Raam said before, "I go for cycles on my bike, not walks". Or words to that effect.

Darkglasses

For riding in the city (frequent stop-starts) or if you're going to be walking around much, I'd vote SPDs for their easier engage and release, and recessed cleats. No need for a flat-side in my opinion, once you get used to clipless you'll never use flats.

For training, or any rides where you don't stop often or need to walk badly, use Looks or Shimano SPD-SL. More comfort once you're clipped in, and far lower risk of accidental clip-outs.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I've used Looks and Shimano and I prefer Shimano I'm using 105 pedals which have a wider platform than regular Shimano pedals.

However for someone starting off I'd advise you to get Look Keo 'easy' they really do live up to their name and are very easy to clip in and out of. My current bike came witha set and I was very tempted to keep them except for the fact I already had my 105 pedals and the bike has a 105 group set so I just stuck with them.