Clipless pedals - where to start?
Comments
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Oooh.
Fingers hovering over lots of 'Buy' buttons.
So much stuff to want, so little money!
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What's the difference between the 'standard' and 'road' cleats on the eggbeaters?
EDIT: and I don't think they're ugly at all!0 -
There are quite a lot of reports of Egg Beaters breaking
(this one is 4 minths old).0 -
Depends on what you get up to on your bike really... I have the M324s (SPD mechanism on one side, normal flat pedal on the other) on my commuter and they're actually pretty handy. I use the SPD as the default but there are times when I want to wear normal shoes at the other end without getting changed, and then the flat side is dead handy.
Might also help a bit if you're getting used to spuds and have certain sections you don't want to be clipped in to begin with.
Getting the right side up can be a minor irritation but nothing you can't live with- mine tend to rest SPD-side up most of the time. But I wouldn't consider them for anything else, 'proper' MTBing for example.0 -
Commuting and padding around town. It'll get the occasional longer ride, Brizzle-Bath or one day my bloke tells me the route to Cardiff would be a good one worth doing - but all of these will be on smooth ground.
Part of me wonders if I should just get myself some smaller strapless toe-clips and have done with it!
I think the double-sided pedals with the that black flat guard may be the best option so far, offering me a little bit of choice if just zipping into town (barely a mile in).
One of my annoyances with the current toe clips is faffing-about on set-off from lights trying to beat cars /and/ find purchase on the correct side of the pedals, so I'm thinking single-sided wotsits may only cause me the same trouble!0 -
sarajoy wrote:Commuting and padding around town. It'll get the occasional longer ride, Brizzle-Bath or one day my bloke tells me the route to Cardiff would be a good one worth doing - but all of these will be on smooth ground.
Part of me wonders if I should just get myself some smaller strapless toe-clips and have done with it!
I think the double-sided pedals with the that black flat guard may be the best option so far, offering me a little bit of choice if just zipping into town (barely a mile in).
One of my annoyances with the current toe clips is faffing-about on set-off from lights trying to beat cars /and/ find purchase on the correct side of the pedals, so I'm thinking single-sided wotsits may only cause me the same trouble!
I agree with you about the annoyance - that's why I progressed from toe clips and straps, to single sided SPD's then to double sided - the latter is so much easier (and I can ride albeit sedately, with trainers for the odd trip to the shops). I wouldn't bother with strapless toe clips - all the downsides, none of the benefits.
My girlfriend started cycling last June - a complete newbie, by august I had bought her some M520 double sided SPD's (I didn't ask her, just did it, 'cos she had been "iffy" about the idea :oops:) , spent a few miles on the Railway Path teaching her, and since then she has been full of praise for them. She says hills are much easier, and her previously sloppy foot placement on the pedals (her feet would migrate to the outside of the flats when going up hills) has been resolved. She has had no clipless moments. We do all sorts of rides, around Bristol and Bath, over the bridge to Chepstow, Clevedon, and cycle touring in Wales (Italy in April).
So go for it - I think you will be impressed with the improvements they offer. If SPD's, just set the cleat tension as slack as it will go to start with.0 -
With eggbeaters you never have to flip over, you just connect to one of the four sides and off you go.
Don't get toe-straps
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sarajoy wrote:One of my annoyances with the current toe clips is faffing-about on set-off from lights trying to beat cars /and/ find purchase on the correct side of the pedals, so I'm thinking single-sided wotsits may only cause me the same trouble!
Yeah, they're not as bad as with clips/straps but there is occasional faff when you want the non-SPD side. On balance the compromise works for me but YMMV!0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:What's the difference between the 'standard' and 'road' cleats on the eggbeaters?
EDIT: and I don't think they're ugly at all!
Same as the Shimano ones we were talking about a while ago:
standard 2-hole mtb type cleats
road type 2-hole cleats.
The road ones have little rubber 'pontoons' to stop you going A over T 0 -
Ohh this is hard!
I think my plan of attack is to buy the LIDL shoes, see if I get on with them and would be happy to keep them on round town (though I guess I won't know how far the cleats protrude until I get myself some pedals), and go from there.
I kinda like the look of the egg-beaters - though yes I've heard stories of them failing too. I might not be as hard on them as a mountain-biker, mind.0 -
sarajoy wrote:Oooh.
Fingers hovering over lots of 'Buy' buttons.
So much stuff to want, so little money!
As it happens, I have 3 pairs of Crank Bro's pedals, 1x Candy C and 2x Candy SL going spare. All in good condition. I've been meaning to eBay them but not got round to it. If you are interested PM me and I'm sure we can sort something out
I've gone back to Time pedals, but only because I prefer the slightly stronger springs on them.0 -
Eggbeaters, fall to bits randomly.
That said, I've got 3 pairs of CB pedals, actually, now 4 pairs. One pair has a bent axle cos I'm so very fat...
They are terribly pretty though...0 -
That's 3 people now who've offered me pedals. You lot all just going up through the ranks of prettier and shinier bits?0
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No, it's a cyclist's courting ritual. We offer you shiny things. You take the nicest shiny things, then mention that you have a boyfriend. It's the way of nature 0
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Courting? Gosh, I've already called linsen a Mr, I don't want to get the wrong idea again... She did offer me pedals though...biondino wrote:No, it's a cyclist's courting ritual. We offer you shiny things. You take the nicest shiny things, then mention that you have a boyfriend. It's the way of nature0 -
sarajoy wrote:
Courting? Gosh, I've already called linsen a Mr, I don't want to get the wrong idea again... She did offer me pedals though...biondino wrote:No, it's a cyclist's courting ritual. We offer you shiny things. You take the nicest shiny things, then mention that you have a boyfriend. It's the way of nature
:roll:
Some of us are just nice people...
Not all of us though
Emerging from under a big black cloud. All help welcome0 -
Clipless in Seattle - well Chingford
Can't believe all the cyclists out there - putting off the novice like me with tales of clipless falls etc. It's all been a rouse to slow me down hasn't it!!!!
Got a deal on some Shimano 540s so got two sets for me two bikes and some shoes in the Lidl special. Put it all together Friday night and had a short test ride and
Whoooossshhhh!
My legs were initially very happily congratulating themselves on the extra speed with no extra effort - until heartily tapped on the shoulder by some muscles that hadn't been used before asking agrily "WTF is going on"
Rest day saturday but a great run out today. Can't believe how much easier it is to ride, faster and much less effort up hill. Oddly, being attached to the bike I also feel so much more secure. My bike is slipping its gears badly at the moment and such occassions mean I'd put my foot down - mash mash mash TWANG shudder and foot off in the air. Now I stay attached to the bike and simply have to absorb the shudder (It's in for a full service tomorrow).
Loved the experience and just wish I'd taken the plunge a long time ago I'm a very happy Duracel Bunny 8) Pain is only weakness leaving the body0 -
Argh and here's me still trying to decide whether I can completely ditch the flat pedals or not!
I hear mixed things about the Shimano M424 pedals which are basically what I want - some people get on well with them while wearing flat shoes as well as SPDs, and some don't! Some report the middle sticking up a bit...
...as much as I reckon the commute will be wonderful clipped-in, I'm still not sure about nipping into town on the bike in SPD shoes (the ones from LIDL are pretty comfy but feel a bit odd if you start walking around due to the stiffness etc).
Gaaahhhhhhh.0 -
Well due to this thread I got sorted.
Got the SPDs and the Lidl Specials and haven't looked back. Changed over Saturday and had a ride then, followed by the work commute this morning.
All good so far and I have the pedals set to the slackest setting for now.
When do you start tightening your pedals then? After a week or two when I am more confident?
Where is best to have the cleat seated? I have put in generally in the middle for now.FCN 100 -
Sara - I often pop into town (only about a mile) with my m520 pedals and normal shoes, and have done my commute (only 7 miles) on them with normal shoes a few times. It's fine, so I conclude that the m424 ones will be too! What's more, I'm sure the Lidl shoes will soften up a bit.
A-W - tighten them little by little after a couple of weeks, and each time you do have a little go at clipping in and out somewhere where you can hold yourself up on a wall. Cycling along then discovering you can't physically clip out is not fun! :shock:
I don't have mine super-tight, just tight enough that I don't pull my foot out by accident.
And move the cleats around on your shoes until you find somewhere that's the optimum, I try to position the ball of my foot over the pedal spindle.0 -
Thanks LiT. FCN 100
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Oh, M520s are possible with normal shoes, eh?
Seeing as they appear to be available for just over £15, maybe I should just bite the bullet..0 -
My lovely Spesh BG MTB shoes are great to walk around in - I can certainly do daily chores and stuff in them, walking miles rather than feet, and the cleats are never an issue.0
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Oh, M520s it is :P
I can get then for £15.99 plus £3.50 delivery from SJS cycles - barring eBay, that's a pretty good deal, right?0 -
sarajoy wrote:Oh, M520s are possible with normal shoes, eh?
Seeing as they appear to be available for just over £15, maybe I should just bite the bullet..
POSSIBLE, yes, perfect, no. They're meant for clipping in, so aren't as stable as a pedal with a platform.
But yes, possible.0 -
They're a great buy, mine have given me years of reliable service with little or no maintenance. I wouldn't use anything else for commutingpain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................
Revised FCN - 20 -
Yes, possible is all I'm afterlost_in_thought wrote:sarajoy wrote:Oh, M520s are possible with normal shoes, eh?
Seeing as they appear to be available for just over £15, maybe I should just bite the bullet..
POSSIBLE, yes, perfect, no. They're meant for clipping in, so aren't as stable as a pedal with a platform.
But yes, possible.
Chuff it, I can always buy some comfier shoes otherwise....!0 -
Ooo, black or silver...0
