Which pedals?

timegan2002

I am about to get my first road bike this week from Evans on the ride2work scheme, probably the Trek 1.7 or maybe a Cannondale. It is mainly going to be used for a 7 mile commute across south Birmingham to Solihull but also for some long rides 50-100 miles in Lancashire&Yorkshire. Getting bike this week it it doesn't come with pedals so need to have a bit of knowledge before I go into shop. I have only used cleats once and really liked the extra power you get but am worried for my commute.
Do you think clipped in pedals are safe for commuting?
Are there any pedals that would suit my needs?
Any advice on shoes would also be v appreciated.

Sorry if this has been asked before, Im sure it will have been!

Many thanks

OrbitRider

I use PD-M324s: clips on one side & flat cage on the other. It's a good compromise for commuting: you can ride on the flats in stop-start traffic & clip in when it's free-flowing. Useful as well for popping down to the shops when you can't be bothered to put the cleats on.
Haven't tried enough shoes to be able to advise you....

Rich158

I use Shimano M520 MTB pedals for commuting. Being double sided they're easy to get into and you can set the spring tension so you get an easy release. I tried commuting on my SPD SL's and it was a nightmare, getting into then for the sprint away from the lights was impossible, and they're far harder to unclip from imo.

spasypaddy

i use shimano spds on one bike and some old look pedals on another. Im upgrading this week hopefully to some speedplays which are the only double sided road pedals. these are going on my fixie

Roastie

I was previously a M520 lover - until they jammed on me (my own fault, if truth be told) and I changed to Crank Bros Egbeaters. My knees love me for it.

lost_in_thought

SPDs are the way forward - really easy to get in and out of, cheap and cheerful to replace!

RyanB

I second the eggbeaters. My old M520's never let me down once but I definitely find the crank bros stuff easier to clip out of in a panic.

landrew

M520s are a good pedal to start off with (and relatively cheap) and are perfectly safe starting and stopping. Make sure you practice on quiet roads first before going on any busy roads though.

Heard good reviews about the eggbeaters but they are a bit more expensive.

spasypaddy

eggbeaters are the ultimate beginners pedal.

downwardslide

+1 for the M324's, I've found these to be a good compromise on my cross bike. The A530's look like a good option too

Underscore

I run Time ATAC Aliums on my commuter and there's no way that I would go back to commuting on flats. Were £28 when I got them - but they're £10 more now - with lots on knee-friendly float.

Regarding shoes, the best ones are whichever fit. For me, that's Spesh MTB Sport.

_

Christophe3967

+1 for SPD M520s for commuting. As everyone else has said, they're very easy to get in and out of.

I have Look Keo Sprints on the road bike and they are a real pain to clip into quickly. And the cleats wear out in no time (mine have lasted me about 8 months of weekend riding - although I will take more care of the next set), whereas the SPD cleats last for years.

biondino

Eggbeaters are perfect for commuting as they're a doddle to get in and out of and being 4-sided you'll always be able to engage without having to flip the pedal or even think about it.

always_tyred

biondino wrote:

Eggbeaters are perfect for commuting as they're a doddle to get in and out of and being 4-sided you'll always be able to engage without having to flip the pedal or even think about it.

Do you have the road ones, with a platform, or the original egg beater ones? I used the latter (from my mtb) for a week and I found that they didn't feel very locked in - I always had the sensation that there was fore and aft, and side to side play - and they clicked and creaked a lot.

In fairness, I never pulled out of them and they are pretty easy to use.

Anyway, wondered if the platform versions mitigated any of these issues.

R_T_A

Another +1 for M520s. Not too pricey, and pretty forgiving.

I went with them (with MP66 shoes), and they've been great for commuting.

biondino

Always Tyred wrote:

biondino wrote:

Eggbeaters are perfect for commuting as they're a doddle to get in and out of and being 4-sided you'll always be able to engage without having to flip the pedal or even think about it.

Do you have the road ones, with a platform, or the original egg beater ones? I used the latter (from my mtb) for a week and I found that they didn't feel very locked in - I always had the sensation that there was fore and aft, and side to side play - and they clicked and creaked a lot.

In fairness, I never pulled out of them and they are pretty easy to use.

Anyway, wondered if the platform versions mitigated any of these issues.

I have the bare version - in my experience I'm not sure what benefit a platform would have as it doesn't feel like there's one missing, if that makes sense. No clicks and creaks (slight disclaimer - I currently have a new clattering noise after the weekend's ride but no immediate indication it's the pedals, though it could be!). I wouldn't want to spring in a race situation in them as it is relatively speaking easier to disengage, but commuting this is largely a plus.

always_tyred

biondino wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

biondino wrote:

Eggbeaters are perfect for commuting as they're a doddle to get in and out of and being 4-sided you'll always be able to engage without having to flip the pedal or even think about it.

Do you have the road ones, with a platform, or the original egg beater ones? I used the latter (from my mtb) for a week and I found that they didn't feel very locked in - I always had the sensation that there was fore and aft, and side to side play - and they clicked and creaked a lot.

In fairness, I never pulled out of them and they are pretty easy to use.

Anyway, wondered if the platform versions mitigated any of these issues.

I have the bare version - in my experience I'm not sure what benefit a platform would have as it doesn't feel like there's one missing, if that makes sense. No clicks and creaks (slight disclaimer - I currently have a new clattering noise after the weekend's ride but no immediate indication it's the pedals, though it could be!). I wouldn't want to spring in a race situation in them as it is relatively speaking easier to disengage, but commuting this is largely a plus.

I confess that did buy the crappiest version just to try out and I've never lubed the springs. And I am also used to the oddness that is speedplay.

Gussio

Doubled-sided spds or Crank Bros eggbeaters are great for commuting where you are clipping in and out regularly. Having cleats recessed into your shoes (as you would with these options) is also good if you are stop-starting through the traffic because there is less wear on cleat as you put your foot down. However, you might find a road pedal like the Look Keo Classic more comfortable on the 50-100 mile rides.

Mickey Eye

Always Tyred wrote:

I confess that did buy the crappiest version just to try out and I've never lubed the springs. And I am also used to the oddness that is speedplay.

I also had the crappiest ones, the rubber seals came of and they died fairly shortly after that. They also had a rediculous amount of float and I was often unsure if I was in or not. I'm on Shimanos now and loving it.

biondino

Gussio wrote:

Doubled-sided spds or Crank Bros eggbeaters are great for commuting where you are clipping in and out regularly. Having cleats recessed into your shoes (as you would with these options) is also good if you are stop-starting through the traffic because there is less wear on cleat as you put your foot down. However, you might find a road pedal like the Look Keo Classic more comfortable on the 50-100 mile rides.

I've never ridden more than 70 miles in a day but I've done quite a few 60-70 milers with the eggbeaters and never noticed anything even slightly uncomfortable in that region - the Spesh BG MTB shoes no doubt help a lot, they're fantastic.

With recessed cleat there should be next-to-no wear from just putting your foot down/walking on them.

attica

Back in January I bought a pair of Speedplays second hand to test as everyone said they are far better than the Looks I was using (I rode delta for ages then moved on to Keo)

I also have SPDs on my old MTB, so I feel fairly well placed to comment:-

Speedplay
Good, very good once you're used to them, they need quite a bit of practice to get used to the clip in, but once you've got it they're great, the cleat is a weak spot once you're off the bike though. V expensive compared with:

Look Keo
Very nearly as good as the Speedplay, admittedly one sided but they're weighted such that the back always ends up down, as long as the bearings aren't too stiff and you're not riding fixed they're remarkably easy to get into, once you've got the knack they're as user friendly as the Speedplay with a couple of bonuses - they're lots cheaper and the cleats whilst plastic don't need as much cosseting as the Speedplay ones as they've no moving parts, I've walked across a muddy field in Look cleats and then got on the bike, I wouldn't dream of doing that in Speedplay I doubt they'd work again until you've stripped the cleat, cleaned, reassembled and lubed them.
Oh and the cleats are wider meaning that you feel a bit more stable when walking on them compared to Speedplay.

Look Delta
Very similar to the Keo, everything is slightly bigger and the pedals heavier, they're discontinued but you might be able to pick up a cheap pair on fleabay, cleats are still very much available.

SPD
Clunky yet reasonable cheap option with the massive advantage of having recessed cleats, if you're walking more than 100 yards in your bike shoes then these are the pedals for you.

Shimano Road pedals
Based upon the Look design and as such are not quite as good*

In summary, if you've got lots of walking to do, go for SPD, if you want something with really good performance and IMHO the best bang for your buck on a road bike, get Look, Keo or if you find Delta cheap second hand then you could do far worse.
If you want the best pedal money can buy and don't want to walk anywhere in the shoes, get Speedplay.

Hope this helps chap

*From what I've heard

attica

You didn't really want to read all that again did you?

Double post removed

rally200

Never tried proper road pedals but - M324s are very good for commuting in heavy traffic - there's always something there to pedal on - but they might not be so good for the long distance runs - shimano A520 would be better for that as they have a platform to give a bit more support than normal spd - they're not as handy round town but flipping them over is not too hard to get the hang of (and they look a lot better than M324 do on a road bike if that matters to you)

tiny_pens

+1 for egg beaters. They seem to loosen up a little over a couple of weeks as the metal of the cleat wears slightly.

That said I am currently experimenting with those MKS detachable pedals. Idea is a good set of clipless pedals for commuting and pair of flats for trips to the shops/pub/night out.

Can't comment on them yet as I have yet to work out how to remove the cleats from my spare shoes (even my stud extractor has let me down)

Tiny

Fireblade96

I'm just in the process of choosing a road bike :-)

On my MTB, I have Shimano M424s - double-sided SPDs with a resin cage.
On my commuter, I use either flats or M324s (single-sided SPDs with flat the other side so you can ride in normal shoes)

I was going to go with either the 324s of something like M520s on the new roadie, but the LBS is saying I should go for A520s like these




Anyone tried these ?

I don't want road shoes, I like to be able to walk to the cake shop !

lost_in_thought

A little note on Attica's very good post above: For £10 you can buy covers for the speedplay cleats that make them walk-in-able... and harder to damage. Saying that, I've wandered around on road and grass without the covers and suffered no ill effects!

Another plus for them is the massive amount of available float - up to 15 degrees which is excessive - but they're really good if you've got even slightly dodgy knees.

However, his remarks about every other aspect of them are entirely accurate!

bratboy

You can get covers for most of the popular cleats; Look, Time, as well as Speedplay.

Not tried them myself, however if you don't want road shoes then the choice is much more limiting.