Pedals and stuff

NorwegianBlue

I'm planning to start some serious road riding for the first time in over twenty years. There is a problem with money (I don't have any) so anything I do has to be done on the cheap. No, lets be serious, for nothing.

So, back when I rode road bikes properly you rode with clips and straps, which were frankly a bit scary if you needed to dismount suddenly. I did know some riders who had perfected the trick of applying enough upward force to disengage the cleat without slackening the strap, but I never managed to pull it off without unbalancing myself.

Then I took up mountainbiking, tried spuds and found them fiddly to engage and after a season or so I went for big platforms with pins. Never looked back. To be fair it's not a problem with spuds, I think it's a problem with my left ankle and the lack of accuracy in the control of my left foot. I'm not exactly waving my foot at the pedal, but I have to feel about a bit to engage.

I've never tried road clipless pedals and although they look a sight easier to engage than off road spuds I don't want to shell out for new shoes and pedals only to find I don't get on with them.

The question is are there any alternatives, or am I going to have to bite the bullet and deal with it?

I do know one bloke who rides with small toe clips and no straps on a pair of good old quill pedals. He has a knee problem which means he needs more float than you can get with clips and straps or clipless.

Cheers.

GJ

virtuoso

Unless you're causing Carlos Sastre to wake up in the middle of the night screaming, just use toe clips and loose straps. I commute using that because it's just more convenient to not have to fiddle around with different shoes, and it makes sod all differnce to how fast I am. In fact the benefits of making it to the office each day 20 seconds later than I would have are quite enormous, over my working life I will work about a month less than those clipless suckers. Who's the fool now.

topdude

Hi, how about SPD pedals with the cleat on one side and flat pedal on the other ?
You can then get some cheapish SPD compatible shoes (with two mounting holes for the cleats) and ride clipless or just wear ordinary shoes and use the flat side of the pedal.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Wellgo_WPD982_SPD_Pedals/5360006644/

NorwegianBlue

virtuoso wrote:

Unless you're causing Carlos Sastre to wake up in the middle of the night screaming, just use toe clips and loose straps. I commute using that because it's just more convenient to not have to fiddle around with different shoes, and it makes sod all differnce to how fast I am. In fact the benefits of making it to the office each day 20 seconds later than I would have are quite enormous, over my working life I will work about a month less than those clipless suckers. Who's the fool now.

Yeah. I think thats probably the best compromise. I was considering powergrip straps but nobody seems to sell them anymore.

NorwegianBlue

topdude wrote:

Hi, how about SPD pedals with the cleat on one side and flat pedal on the other ?
You can then get some cheapish SPD compatible shoes (with two mounting holes for the cleats) and ride clipless or just wear ordinary shoes and use the flat side of the pedal.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Wellgo_WPD982_SPD_Pedals/5360006644/

Thanks, but I find it almost impossible to clip into little MTB type spuds with my left foot. I was thinking that road pedals looked easier to clip into, but I didn't want to have to buy new shoes and pedals only to find I have the same problem with them.

Jez mon

I think that road pedals are a bit easier to clip into. However, as you have said it's an expensive outlay. Having used toe clips and straps and clipless pedals I would have to say I would never go back to using toe clips, it's easier, safer and more comfortable.

The cheepest way of geting shoes and pedals is probably eBay, however, it might be worth having an asking around any riding friends if you can borrow some shoes and pedals, to see if you can clip in, before spending any money

NorwegianBlue

Thanks to a bit of patience last second bidding I've managed to find some gear on ebay at a reasonable price. Shoes in particular seem to fetch a premium price, but I've managed to secure a pair of old Look Arc pedals and a pair of Shimano SH-T110 shoes (seperate auctions) for just under twenty quid including postage.

The pedals have come, with a pair of cleats, and they're in full working order. Hopefully the shoes will be just as good.

If I don't get on I should be able to make a good chunk of the outlay back by selling them again.

hodsgod

I have used these in the past, you will never get your foot stuck with these.

sub55

hodsgod wrote:

I have used these in the past, you will never get your foot stuck with these.

:?: what's the point :?:

Ambermile

sub55 wrote:

:?: what's the point :?:

Foot location, I use them as well. Why so negative?

Arthur