'Clipped' pedal recommendations

crackle

Yes I Know, not fashionable anymore but I've considered clipless and have some reservations. One being that if I don't like them I'll have ruined my Taho's and will have to have a clip permanently fitted where the rubber bit used to be, the other main one being that I have less option for moving my foot position around in clippless pedals and I've ridden with clipped pedals for so long old habits are hard to break.

So as my current bike came with some really cheap clipped pedals, which now creak when I need to put some power down going uphill and also don't hold the straps well so the buckle often ends up out of reach beneath the pedal, a tadge awkward when one needs to release and get the old foot out in a hurry! Result I need to buy some new pedals.

So any recommendations for a decent pedal which will take clips, used mainly for fitness/fun riding and some touring. I do have a clipless pedal in mind if I do go down that route but I don't know any good clipped pedal makes.

Cheers

crackle

I guess everyone rides clipless then? Oh well, I might have to bite the bullet. Going to try a mates clipless setup on Thursday, which won't be ideal but it might show me enough to allay some of my concerns and I've read lots of 'clipless moment' threads on here so I know about getting used to them. Urrrgh! I'll have to fit 'em on my mountain bike as well if I go that way.........

MrGrumpy

maybe best buying double sided clippless pedals, of which choice is a matter of cost. When I first used them I had the tension on loose for a while so as i could get out in an emergancy but after a while I got them well tightened up. Honestly they are far better than normal pedals straps IMO.

Big Red S

crackle wrote:

Yes I Know, not fashionable anymore but I've considered clipless and have some reservations. One being that if I don't like them I'll have ruined my Taho's and will have to have a clip permanently fitted where the rubber bit used to be,

Isn't the cover for the cleat recess bolted in? Even if it isn't, you can always unbolt the cleat....

So any recommendations for a decent pedal which will take clips, used mainly for fitness/fun riding and some touring. I do have a clipless pedal in mind if I do go down that route but I don't know any good clipped pedal makes.

Ison do some relatively good ones.
http://www.ison-distribution.com/ison/e ... t=PDGEDRCK

gkerr4

crackle wrote:

I guess everyone rides clipless then? Oh well, I might have to bite the bullet. Going to try a mates clipless setup on Thursday, which won't be ideal but it might show me enough to allay some of my concerns and I've read lots of 'clipless moment' threads on here so I know about getting used to them. Urrrgh! I'll have to fit 'em on my mountain bike as well if I go that way.........

go clipless and be patient for a couple of weeks til you get used to them - no looking back.

I have SPD clipless on my MTB and my fixed and proper road pedals (SPD-SL) on my road bike - all systems are excellent and getting out of them is second nature now - the make a real difference (IMO) to your (my) cycling enjoyment.

crackle

Isn't the cover for the cleat recess bolted in? Even if it isn't, you can always unbolt the cleat....

It seems to have just a glued on rubber cover over where the cleat goes, so once off it's off, you either have a cleat or a hole!

However, it does show signs of starting to peel so perhaps I'm going to end up with a hole anyway.

I presume the cleats have som kind of backing plate to go in the shoe?

kieranb

try online shops selling track pedals with straps, they're still around.

aracer

Just go for it. Unless you have a really good reason for not using clipless - and it doesn't sound like you do - then you won't regret it.

maddog 2

get some M520 spuds, set them up loose, position the cleats correctly, then go and practise on a carpark for half an hour.

You'll be fine and once you've got the hang of it you certainly won't go back to old-style pedals.

unCivilServant

I'm going to sound a dissenting note. :shock:

Since the *3rd* certainty in life is the continued popularity of "clipless?" threads in bike fora, I won't repeat all I've said before on this subject. Just this: with clipless, either you have to wear them for whatever off the bike you're doing immediately before/after/on the same trip, or carry an extra pair of shoes.

Not a problem for clipless enthusiasts, but it would be for me (I won't reprise the list of things I've had to do off-bike in my 'cycling' shoes).

The other issue could be if you're on a trip and the shoe (or pedal) breaks or goes missing.

Choose what suits YOU.

(Sorry, having intimated that I still use clips, I can't help you on your original question about pedal recommendations.)

crackle

aracer wrote:

Just go for it. Unless you have a really good reason for not using clipless - and it doesn't sound like you do - then you won't regret it.

That's just it: I won't know I have a really good reason not to do it until I do it! Hence my continuing prevarication since I first thought about it 6 months ago.

I don't really have a problem with clips, 2nd nature now.

Right foot hard in and tight, left foot semi-loose 'til I get to a hill and then a quick pause;reach and tighten. Pulling up is a quick left wiggle to determine tightness and either a straight pull out or a lean and loosen. In traffic the left foot is alway loose.

I do notice my toe's wiggle a bit in transit i.e. point left or right occasionally and I do worry that the clipless, locking me straight, may give me knee problems.

I also don't want to click my way down the street when walking and don't want to have to avoid puddles to stop my feet getting wet.

BUT these are all things I think may be issues, rather than will be. But the total cost if I don't like it will be the shoes and the pedals and if I do, it will be two sets of pedals for two bikes.

Decisions, decisions......

Uncivilservant, you are not a dissenting voice to me. Unfortunately I haven't seen your other 'dissenting' posts so I'd be intereted to hear your negatives to see if they might apply to me ( I read the website of a couple of tourists who loved SPD's but bemoaned the fact their shoes leaked. However having toured a lot in Scotland I know all about Gore-tex socks!!)

Pedal recommendations still wanted though: 520's were on my 'if I go clipless list' by the way.

unCivilServant

crackle wrote:

Uncivilservant, you are not a dissenting voice to me. Unfortunately I haven't seen your other 'dissenting' posts so I'd be intereted to hear your negatives to see if they might apply to me

Check this out http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12541035&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=rivers&start=0. One or 2 other dissenters in there too.
I'm sure if you use the search facility there are lots more similar threads!

gkerr4

crackle wrote:

aracer wrote:

Just go for it. Unless you have a really good reason for not using clipless - and it doesn't sound like you do - then you won't regret it.

That's just it: I won't know I have a really good reason not to do it until I do it! Hence my continuing prevarication since I first thought about it 6 months ago.

I don't really have a problem with clips, 2nd nature now.

Right foot hard in and tight, left foot semi-loose 'til I get to a hill and then a quick pause;reach and tighten. Pulling up is a quick left wiggle to determine tightness and either a straight pull out or a lean and loosen. In traffic the left foot is alway loose.

I do notice my toe's wiggle a bit in transit i.e. point left or right occasionally and I do worry that the clipless, locking me straight, may give me knee problems.

I also don't want to click my way down the street when walking and don't want to have to avoid puddles to stop my feet getting wet.

BUT these are all things I think may be issues, rather than will be. But the total cost if I don't like it will be the shoes and the pedals and if I do, it will be two sets of pedals for two bikes.

Decisions, decisions......

Uncivilservant, you are not a dissenting voice to me. Unfortunately I haven't seen your other 'dissenting' posts so I'd be intereted to hear your negatives to see if they might apply to me ( I read the website of a couple of tourists who loved SPD's but bemoaned the fact their shoes leaked. However having toured a lot in Scotland I know all about Gore-tex socks!!)

Pedal recommendations still wanted though: 520's were on my 'if I go clipless list' by the way.

520's are a decent bet - they can be had for under £20 from ebay so not too bad if you need to get two sets (thats what I have on my fixed and MTB) The little teeny SPD cleat that goes on your sole (after you rip the rubber bit out - it reveals a threaded, floating plate set into the sole btw) - doesn't really make a sound when you walk - well ok sometimes on a solid surface if you walk 'hard' - but not really an issue. Waterproofing - well I haven;t noticed a whole load of water coming in the cleat mount - it usally pours in the top of the shoe before I notice the cleat hole to be honest!!

also - the 520's give 6degrees of 'float' so your feet can turn on the pedals without disengaging - which will emulate the feel of the float you describe with clips - they won't lock you straight - I know thats a worry!

solocp

I got a very good pair of double flat sided touring pedals from Evans a couple of years back, they were only £12 and have the smoothest bearings of any pedals I've used. I ran them with clips but am now a convert to clipless, single sided 520's I think and some Wellgos. The flats are marked up GT - Lite.

aracer

unCivilServant wrote:

with clipless, either you have to wear them for whatever off the bike you're doing immediately before/after/on the same trip, or carry an extra pair of shoes.

As you say, it does depend on what you plan on doing before and after your bike trip. Personally I find walking round in MTB shoes not to be a big problem (the cleat is nicely tucked away), and would only consider the need for different shoes if I was either attending a formal occasion or going running at the far end. Meanwhile if that is an issue, simply get double sided pedals with clip in bits one side and flats the other for those occasions when you want to cycle in normal shoes.

Given the comments by the OP about all the hassle of reaching down to tighten/loosen straps, I'm convinced you really will prefer clipless as you don't have to go through all that faff - not only that, but you don't get the pressure from the strap across the top of your shoe either. Your worry about being locked straight is completely unfounded, since all modern clipless pedals have plenty of float which lets your feet move around during pedalling. The issue over wet feet is also a non-issue, since shoes are generally sealed above the cleat (and if not, a bit of gaffer tape does the trick) - you can always get completely waterproof winter boots if that really is an issue - they definitely don't leak.

crackle

aracer wrote:

The issue over wet feet is also a non-issue, since shoes are generally sealed above the cleat (and if not, a bit of gaffer tape does the trick)

OK I'm being swayed: gkerr4 I had a quick look at my Taho's and inside seems to be waterproof rubberized section over the cleat area which on the outside is covered by a rubber grip. There's no in-built captive threads that i can see so I guess I have to puncture the inner seal after removeing the outer grip section. Any experience/advice on this?

I also like the look of the A520's for my road bike and the M520's for my mountain bike.

I considered carefully the 'other shoes' argument but the only time this happens is if I tour and depending where I'm going, I might pack a very light pair of non-waterproof boots and some gore-tex socks so I can go hill walking. Also if I use the A520's, there's enough of a platform to use for short distances with an ordinary shoe but i hardly ever wear ordinary shoes for cycling because the lack of stiff sole does my feet in after any distance.

So I'll get a feel for them tomorrow on my friends setup, particulary 'wiggleabilty' and then decide.

I was also thinking of getting a pair of multi-release cleats and having one on my left shoe and keeping the normal for my right. Kinda matches my toe-clip habits that too.

simbil1

I use Taho's with my MTB. Once a cleat is fitted, it is mostly recessed but not completely - you can still here a metallic tap as you walk around but it does not seem too uncomfortable. I wouldn't walk far in my Taho's though as they change my gait to much.
I seem to remember that the seals just pull out - a job for the pliers and maybe a knife for any bonded areas.

crackle

Well I tried some last week. Couple of minutes to get the feel of them and no problems really. I couldn't go far, so it was only an impression I got but I could clip feet in and out quite easily and quickly, pulling upwards felt secure and foot and knee position and everything felt fine. I could feel less support under my foot than in platforms and clips but some of that could've been down to unfamiliar shoes which were one size too big and an unfamiliar bike.

Still haven't decided though!