best road pedal for a begginer

MRB2008

HI,

I am a beginner--just bought my first road bike a month ago! That being said, I am new to everything bike-related.

I currently have LOOK pedals but I keep falling whenever i clip in and almost slipped many times just trying to walk on my shoes with LOOK cleats. Thinking about Speedplay pedals as something easier than LOOK for a newbie. Any thoughts?

I also have the women's Sidi genius road shoes--do you guys know if speedplay is compatible? I did not see it on my millenium 2 sole handout (only the carbon sole for sidi has the instructions for speedplay cleats installation). Thanks. :?:

johnnyhotdog

i use look keo pedals and their new keo grip cleats which have rubber pads to stop you slipping. still awkward to walk in but they're not designed for that! you can also buy rubber cleat covers from look.

see here:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/list_search.asp?Make=LOOK

you may want to try mountain bike pedals/shoes as the cleats are recessed to help with walking.

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portuguese mike

I use speedplay pedals now after having used both look and time pedals over the years and i find them much much easier to clip into than either (important when cycling in traffic).Since they're double sided you don't have to try and hook the tip of the pedal with your cleat before engaging - you can more or less just put your foot on the pedal and in it clicks. They also offer a large amount of float so they're good for my knees but they are a bit awkard to walk in - though you can get cleat covers - and they're not cheap (especially the cleats) but i wouldn't use anything else now.

il_principe

+1 for speedplay. If you have the budget then they are worth going for. I've used Zero's on my best bike for a couple of years and have just put them on my commuter as well. My knees love them as well; they let my feet find their natural position on the pedal. The cleats also last for ages especially if (as has been suggested) you invest in a pair of cleat covers. They will fit Sidi shoes.

JWSurrey

Probably an expensive option for you, but I actually use MTB "Shimano SPD" cleats, having originally bought clip-ins for my MTB. (This will probably require you to buy a new pair of shoes).

I'm using Specialized "SPD compatible" shoes, which are fantastically comfy with their design features.... Being MTB shoes, I can also walk short distances in them.

The SPD pedals are generally lighter/smaller than road pedals, and the majority of them are double-sided, like the non SPD compatible Speedplay/Crank Brothers pedals.


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=4000000039&N=Shimano%20M324%20Combination%20Pedals

In addition, Shimano do a pedal which have a traditional cage on one side (also useful for mounting reflectors) and a clip-in on the other. To be honest, I rarely use the cage side now, as I actually find most situations more secure to either be clipped-in or with the centre of my foot over the pedal when I know I'm rolling up to a potential stop.

Have you cranked-down the tension to the lowest setting to aid getting out in a hurry?[/url]

redddraggon

Nout wrong with the Shimano SPD-SLs

rossbarney2003

I'm a beginner as well and I have the same pedals and cleats as you and I think they are good.

I do find them kinda hard to walk in, but as mentioned about, they aren't really meant for walking in. I only walk as far as my front door in them. After that it's all cycling

Felix-da-house-mouse

another for time keo's great pedals , great cleats. depends when you mean walking, are you going to do a weeks shopping in them or what??

Smokin Joe

You can't beat SPDs, I have gone back to them on both roadbikes after years of so called road clipless pedals. No matter what people say about cycling shoes not being meant for walking in, you do have to walk and waddling across a tiled cafe floor like a drunken Donald Duck on ice is no fun.

jellybellywmb

I use the shimanoes swapped of an old mountain bike ,as I ride both did not want new shoes for the road bike. Shimano shoes are very easy to walk in and I don't think I would buy anything else.

I went to a bike sale thing in Leicester at the weekend in a leisure cntr sports hall and it was quite entertaining watching guys skating around the hall in there shoes

spasypaddy

i use looks on my best bike and egg beaters on my commuter, i hadnt ridden my commuter for a while but had ridden my best bike. I dont like the small platform of the egg beaters anymore. I will keep them on my commuter as i wouldnt want to risk not being able to get in and out of the pedals quickly if need be which i can do with egg beaters and not quite so easily with the looks

sean65

MRB2008 wrote:

HI,

I am a beginner--just bought my first road bike a month ago! That being said, I am new to everything bike-related.

I currently have LOOK pedals but I keep falling whenever i clip in and almost slipped many times just trying to walk on my shoes with LOOK cleats. Thinking about Speedplay pedals as something easier than LOOK for a newbie. Any thoughts?

I also have the women's Sidi genius road shoes--do you guys know if speedplay is compatible? I did not see it on my millenium 2 sole handout (only the carbon sole for sidi has the instructions for speedplay cleats installation). Thanks. :?:

Try these new Shimano pedals. They're one sided SPD and a platform on the other, which would allow you to pedal comfortably in any shoes (within reason). And you could then get a more leisure style shoe with SPD cleats that are better when you're off the bike but still give a fair bit of support when you're riding.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... g%20Pedals

JWSurrey

Felix-da-house-mouse wrote:

another for time keo's great pedals , great cleats. depends when you mean walking, are you going to do a weeks shopping in them or what??

Well, in my case, I live about half a mile up a rutted track, so there aren't too many alternatives short of buying a crosser!
It also saves joining the local roadies sliding their way up the concrete steps in to the local cafe on the weekend, and if I do want to go shopping on my way back home, I can do, and the pedals on all bikes will work with my shoes.
I'm hoping I never have to walk home, but at least that option's open too.

Sure, if you're a super-roadie with uber powerful legs, then they are better.

Ooh, those A530 pedals look interesting. I have A520s on the summer wheels.
The only disadvantage to the A520s is that I may possibly be finding the pedal float is not enough on them though I haven't used them enough to conclusively say.... I think Speedplays have more float.

synchronicity

Another long time user of speedplay here...

nasahapley

Another for SPDs here; I had them on my mtb so bought exactly the same for the road bike. I've got some Pearl Izumi mtb race shoes that are basically road shoes with stud-like grips - easy to walk in, comfy and as stiff as you'll ever need.

Daft newbie question here - but do proper road shoes have cleats that stand proud of the sole?

Mog Uk

nasahapley wrote:

Daft newbie question here - but do proper road shoes have cleats that stand proud of the sole?

In a nutshell, yes.....

Image blagged from Google:

Philip S

Another basic pedal/shoe question:

I got bought some SPD-SL pedals when I bought my bike a couple of months ago, as they were in the sale and the LBS chappy recommended them. I've yet to use them on the bike as I figured i'd save the clipless fun for when there was a bit of warm weather to enjoy. I haven't bought any shoes for them yet.

Query is, do SPD-SL pedals allow me to use shoes that I'll be able to walk in (touring shoes?), or am i stuck with roadie-style skating/hobbling anytime I get off the bike?

Cheers
PS

redddraggon

Philip S wrote:

Query is, do SPD-SL pedals allow me to use shoes that I'll be able to walk in (touring shoes?), or am i stuck with roadie-style skating/hobbling anytime I get off the bike?

I think you'll be stuck with Road shoes. The SPD-SL cleats are rather larger than the MTB SPB, so I'm not sure they be able to fit between the tread on MTB shoes.

And then SPD-SLs are 3 bolt, and SPDs 2(Am I right? Definitely a different number anyway) so you'd need a conversion plate.

To be honest, I think you need road shoes

Dunedin397

Philip S wrote:

Another basic pedal/shoe question:

I got bought some SPD-SL pedals when I bought my bike a couple of months ago, as they were in the sale and the LBS chappy recommended them. I've yet to use them on the bike as I figured i'd save the clipless fun for when there was a bit of warm weather to enjoy. I haven't bought any shoes for them yet.

Query is, do SPD-SL pedals allow me to use shoes that I'll be able to walk in (touring shoes?), or am i stuck with roadie-style skating/hobbling anytime I get off the bike?

Cheers
PS

You won't be able to walk around in SPD-SL cleats I'm afraid. The cleat is quite large, as most other "road" clipless systems are, ie Look, SpeedPlay, Time, etc and the cleat attaches to the outside of the sole of the shoe.

If you wanted to be able to walk normally you'd be better off with SPD pedals and cleats (or similar systems from Time and Crank Brothers) as many off-road or touring shoes have the cleat recessed in to the sole.

I've a good few pairs of Shimano shoes each for my road, hybrid and mountain bike. For the road bike I use SPD-SL, for the hybrid I use SPD M520 pedals but I use shoes that have the cleats recessed (such as my winter boots) and also on the outside of the shoe (I've slightly older shoes that take SPD or other 2 bolt systems and SPD-SL or other 3 bolt systems). On my mountain bike I've shoes that have the cleat recessed.

My partner uses SPD A520 pedals on her road bike and she gets on fine, so you've got a few options:

Keep the SPD-SL pedals and cleats and use them knowing you can't walk about.

Change to SPD (or another 2 bolt system) .

Change to a pedal that has SPD on one side and Look compatbile on the other, giving you an option on which shoe to use.

Dunedin

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

I've always used MTB SPD's and have found them great on my commute: easy to clip in and out of because they're 'double sided'.

Then Father Christmas brought me some lovely new Ultergra SPD-SL's to replace them with and frankly they've nearly killed me about 10 times. I just can't get used to having to flip the pedal the right way up every time you want to clip in. End result - a lot one legged coasting and cursing whilst old dudes on pig iron butchers' bikes whip past me with smirks on their faces.

I can't bring myself to abandon my new pedals and return to my SPDs, but please somebody, tell me this gets easier with practice!

jedster

If you've got a dedicated commuter bike then I think it's mad not to get double-sided pedals that take recessed cleats. They are clearly more functional for commuting. I use SPDs.

At the moment I dont have a "best" bike but if I do get one, I would probably put road pedals on it because when I ride for more than an hour at a time, I do feel the smaller SPD platform through the sole. Less than an hour, it's not a problem. I'd need to get another pair of shoes of course but that it hardly going to make a big difference if I was spending more than a grand on a bike...

J

Philip S

Ultimately I want to be doing 2-3 hour trips on the bike, without any lengthy stops, so I guess SPD-SLs are probably the best bet. It's the stepping into the unknown that's making me a bit wary, plus the fact that I live in the centre of town and any trip is going to involve negotiating a lot of traffic lights and traffic light/hill combintations before I hit the open road, so I'm not sure where I'm going to ge the chance to practice the art of clipping in/out before I'm in traffic...

heavymental

SPD A520 - I'm going for a piar of these as it looks like the platform is nice and big but I can still use my SPD shoes with them. I can't be doing with the fact that you can't walk in the more racing style combos.

johnnyhotdog

Philip S wrote:

Ultimately I want to be doing 2-3 hour trips on the bike, without any lengthy stops, so I guess SPD-SLs are probably the best bet. It's the stepping into the unknown that's making me a bit wary, plus the fact that I live in the centre of town and any trip is going to involve negotiating a lot of traffic lights and traffic light/hill combintations before I hit the open road, so I'm not sure where I'm going to ge the chance to practice the art of clipping in/out before I'm in traffic...

set them as loose as they will go and practice at home, leaning against a wall if you have nowhere else to play. empty car parks are good places to learn new skills too.

once you get used to them, they're fantastic!