Flat Pedals for a Road Bike

Bianchi Boy

My Wife is just getting in to Road Cycling. I've fitted her Bike with Look Keo's but she is finding them awkward, and having trouble both clipping in and unclipping.

My question is what are the best flat pedals for road use, until she builds up her confidence?

Thanks

:?

maddog 2

she needs to get confidence from learning how to use them, not from avoiding them. 1 hour on a carpark and she'll have it sussed. Flat pedals are rubbish for road work.

always_tyred

Try some spd's with a platfortm. Fine for use without cleats, plus you get keep trying the cleats when she gets sudden bursts of confidence.

Sidi

I am in a similar situation, I'm returning to cycling after a number of years out and after a couple of falls and several scares in trafic, am going to take the SPDLs off my bike until I improve my bike handling skills and re-gain confidence on the bike.

I am considering system ex pedals with toe clips, does any one have experience with these, and what are the best shoes to use?

I know everyone is going to tell me to persevere with clipless but as I am only riding for pleasure I am happy to take the performance knock for now.

maddog 2

you could try some spuds with the spring tension backed right off. They're very easy to disengage.

Tom Butcher

Nothing wrong with flat pedals - my brother is an occasional cyclist and comes out on 40-50 mile rides with me using flat pedals and trainers and averages maybe 16mph over a ride.

synchronicity

Yep. It's unwise to advise using clipless pedals if the rider doesn't feel confident riding the actual bike. It's one more thing to worry about if you're wobbling all over the road as it is. Take it one step at a time.

And c'mon. Flat pedals aren't that bad. I just climbed 500 vertical metres using them this morning.

There are a ton to choose from:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... goryID=209

roger_merriman

maybe try some DMR V8's or simular will look a tad odd, on a road bike, but they are very very grippy, no slippery when wet moments, and she can move to the clipless as and when she gains confidence.

mostly harmless

You do need to be careful of fitting too big a pedal. I had these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... odelID=563 on my hack bike whilst at uni and they'd strike the ground if I pedalled round corners. Which was exciting. And sparky.

roger_merriman

you can pedal strike quite easly with the smaller older types of road pedals as i found out, when i got my first road bike heh!

i would think that the fact that the pedal was grippy, yet wasn't clipped in, should be better than the slightly less leaned over one has to be to get pedal strike.

rossgalway

I got these for my winter bike. spd one side, flat on the other. Handy for nipping to the shop and stuff when you can't to bothered with cycling shoes. http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... 0000000000

wilwil

Try Speedplay pedals. I had Keos, and I'm experienced with one sided SPDs, and I hated them. I have Speedplay Zeros but you can get an even easier model called Light Action. They are two sided and naturally locate in the correct place, then all you have to do is push down. No trying to flip the pedal over the right way.

They are a bit pricey but well worth it especially if you want to keep your wife interested in cycling.

andrewjoseph

Another option is any shimano spd with the multi release cleat.

acorn_user

The best flat pedals I have used are MKS Sylvan tour pedals. They are amazing. For cummuting, MKS comfort-lite pedals are really good.

synchronicity

+1 for speedplay road pedals when she gets used to handling the bike.

Jez mon

I feel less in control when using flats, especially in the wet. Clips and straps are more difficult to get into, and if you are going to get the best out of them you need to do them up, which can make them impossible to get out of!

We all get nervous, when starting out using clipless but it quickly gets better