Clipless pedals for fixie

4kicks
4kicks Posts: 549
edited February 2008 in Workshop
Im building up my first fixie and want to know which clipless pedals are best. I dont have many traffic juncitons in my normal rides, but of course do want something which is easy to get into.

I know flats & toe clips may be the best solution but there are some good reasons why I dont want to do that.

I currently use Looks on my road bike and have absolutely no problems with them, but wonder if I shouldnt get a double sided pedal? I used to have SPDs way back when which I found harder to get into than the Looks, so veto those.

Does anyone use Speedplays on a fixie? If so, do you really dry lube them every ride like the manual suggests or is that just for people in the advanced stages of OCD?
Any other options?
Thanks
James
Fitter....healthier....more productive.....

Comments

  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    I commute on a fixie (well I did today!), through the town, one large intersection/roundabout, then mostly a rural ride. I'm using Time ATACs and find them very good. Fast and easy to clip in and out, walkable shoes. Works for me.

    PS as an aside, on my road bike I use Look KEOs too. Time ATACs are much easier to clip in/out than the KEOs, in my opinion.
  • 4kicks
    4kicks Posts: 549
    Thanks, will look into these - just for clarification, I dont need to walk in them as I dont commute to work.....
    Fitter....healthier....more productive.....
  • tragically1969
    tragically1969 Posts: 358
    4kicks wrote:
    I know flats & toe clips may be the best solution

    Care to tell us why you have come to that rather curious conclusion ?

    I use Time RXE on mine, no problems.
    <b><font>Fixed is for fools, thats why I ride one.</font></b>
  • Haynes
    Haynes Posts: 670
    i use double side spds, but then that is for commuting, dont have any probs clipping or unclipping. Do find it handy to unclip and use the otherside to track stand, mainly because ive got a bit of toe overlap and because my track standing abilities are somewhat variable. Unless your buying new shoes too, why not stick with the looks?
    <hr><font>The trick is not MINDING that it hurts.</font>
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Fixed and toeclips might be fine for trackies where you can find a convenient rail to lean up against, but on the road it can be a right pain if you're strapped in tight and have to stop suddenly. Definitely recommend a double-side pedal where you can just literally stamp and go e.g. Attacs, Eggbeaters or SPDs. Single sided pedals are more tricky if you have to flip the pedal to align it and engage.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've had Time Atacs on mine for years = they're brilliant and I've not needed any maintenance on them at all. And the cleats last forever too.
  • fluff.
    fluff. Posts: 771
    Using ATACs on my fixie too, superb, dont need to worry about them, just stamp on them and go. Bike originally came with single sided spds, which were a right pain if you missed the pedal the first time and had to wait for it to come round again.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    proto wrote:
    I commute on a fixie (well I did today!), through the town, one large intersection/roundabout, then mostly a rural ride. I'm using Time ATACs and find them very good. Fast and easy to clip in and out, walkable shoes. Works for me.

    PS as an aside, on my road bike I use Look KEOs too. Time ATACs are much easier to clip in/out than the KEOs, in my opinion.

    Hi there.

    Snap - ATAC's on fixed and cross bikes, Keos on road and TT bikes.

    Any mtb style pedal should do the trick - something double sided thats stamp-and-go.

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • 4kicks
    4kicks Posts: 549
    Many thanks - Crank Bros Candies coming tomorrow - I prefer them to the ATACs as, well, Time is French, innit?
    Fitter....healthier....more productive.....
  • Pantamoser
    Pantamoser Posts: 1
    I love Shimano SPD-R's (if you can find 'em) or SPD-SL's for fixed. You can even attach straps to some clipless if you want. A cheap pair of MKS platforms/Steel Clips, leather straps are great too. If you can't do a track stand easily because of your toe overlap, or you need double-sided pedals, you might want to practice some basic coordination skills to be more comfortable on your bike. Is realeasing that hard to do, really? On a fixed you don't want it that easy to get out, especially in a sprint. Looks can pull out if you do a hard skid.
    Ciao
  • LeighB
    LeighB Posts: 326
    I have used SPD SL's and old clips with straps; the SPD's were better by far. At the moment the fixe has the old pedals with straps on and it is a pain chasing your foot to tighten the strap on the move.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286698@N06/
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Speedplay Zero's, double sided, low stack height. Perfect really.
  • Kafka\'s Doll
    Kafka\'s Doll Posts: 208
    In a daft flurry of 'Mr Upgrade needs proper shoes for his commute' I bought a pair of Specialized road shoes. But I find walking with them tricky with my SPD-SL cleats. Is there a pedal/cleat system that works with road shoes so that you can walk in them?
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    No, you have to buy MTB shoes and pedals.
  • feel
    feel Posts: 800
    jashburnham wrote:
    No, you have to buy MTB shoes and pedals.

    you see some people like to walk, not waddle :wink:
    We are born with the dead:
    See, they return, and bring us with them.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    It's all down to preference eh... personally when I take the bike out walking is not high on my agenda and on the bike comfort and efficiency is, so it's road shoes and pedals for me. I'm only gonna be walking to the cafe or popping into a shop and cleat covers suffice fine for that...
  • Kafka\'s Doll
    Kafka\'s Doll Posts: 208
    jashburnham wrote:
    It's all down to preference eh... personally when I take the bike out walking is not high on my agenda and on the bike comfort and efficiency is, so it's road shoes and pedals for me. I'm only gonna be walking to the cafe or popping into a shop and cleat covers suffice fine for that...
    Cleat covers? What special magic is this? Can I get them for SPD-SLs?
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    I got mine from the states but you can prob find them in the UK:

    http://www.koolkovers.us/order.html
  • SamuelQ
    SamuelQ Posts: 66
    I use eggbeaters because of the four sided entry - you don't have to worry which way up the pedal is to clip in.
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    Kafka\'s Doll wrote:
    jashburnham wrote:
    It's all down to preference eh... personally when I take the bike out walking is not high on my agenda and on the bike comfort and efficiency is, so it's road shoes and pedals for me. I'm only gonna be walking to the cafe or popping into a shop and cleat covers suffice fine for that...
    Cleat covers? What special magic is this? Can I get them for SPD-SLs?

    you don't need them for SPD-SLs

    as far as walking in road cleats goes - SPD-SL's are as god as it gets! - mainly thanks to those little yellow soft rubbery bits on the corners of the cleat
  • bicyclerubber
    bicyclerubber Posts: 13
    I like the Crank Smarty but not much comes close to the Dura Ace SPD-R from about 5 years ago - why did Shimano stop making them!!

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