New Pedal Advice....

andred280980

Hi folks,

I'm relatively new to road cycling, ( well cycling in general), I have bought a bike on the cycle to work scheme, which I was persuaded to purchase a set of 'recommended' pedals, namely KEO look pedals, i'm now saying there no good, they seem perfect for out on the open road when I dont need to stop and start much, but for cycling round towns ( to and from work etc..), for me the way you have to clip them in and out is a nightmare.. I have lost count at the near misses i've had struggling to get the shoe clip out form the pedal, then attempt to start off again.

Can anyone recommend pedals, shoes etc.. that are more suited for urban cycling? im keen on staying with clip-in's if possible, just ones that maybe more user friendly for the casual cyclist.

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated

Andy...

maddog 2

Shimano spuds - M520 or 540

and any decent MTB shoes (Spesh, Shimano, Sidi)

check out ebay for the pedals - usually some good deals going.

unixnerd

Shimano spuds - M520 or 540

and any decent MTB shoes (Spesh, Shimano, Sidi)

+1. I've had the same pair of Shimano shoes for years. They're comfortable and last really well.

Avezius

maddog 2 wrote:

Shimano spuds - M520 or 540

and any decent MTB shoes (Spesh, Shimano, Sidi)

check out ebay for the pedals - usually some good deals going.

Works for me too.

Shimano M520's with Spesh BG Sonoma MTB shoes (they were the nicest fit out of all the ones I tried, firm sole but walkable & still going strong).

Several friends have M324 spd pedals (clip one side, plate the other) but I definately prefer the simple double sided 520's & their £20 price tag!

Yossie

I must disagree - sorry!

I use Keos on the commuter/training bike and find them no problem at all. I also recommend them to newbies if asked.

Can I just offer a couple of quick tips:

1. Full cleat pedals take a bit of getting used to - if you've had a bad experience or two then like anything you'll have lost confidence- give them some time and you'll find that clipping in and out comes as second nature.

2. At the back of the pedal (clip in side) you will find a small 3mm allen bolt. This adjusts the tension of the spring that releases the cleat. If its too tight then you will find it difficult (at first) to release your foot. My advice to anyone who is new to clippy pedals is to release the tension right off until you get used to it.

2. The release movement is a definite sideways movement of the foot - at first you have think about it, then it comes naturally. Point 1 will make it so much easier to get used to.

3. As you get more used to the bike and the pedals, and your confidence grows, you'll find yourself clipping out less and balancing on the bike more - this comes with confidence.

peddlefever

Yossie wrote:

I must disagree - sorry!

I use Keos on the commuter/training bike and find them no problem at all. I also recommend them to newbies if asked.

Can I just offer a couple of quick tips:

1. Full cleat pedals take a bit of getting used to - if you've had a bad experience or two then like anything you'll have lost confidence- give them some time and you'll find that clipping in and out comes as second nature.

2. At the back of the pedal (clip in side) you will find a small 3mm allen bolt. This adjusts the tension of the spring that releases the cleat. If its too tight then you will find it difficult (at first) to release your foot. My advice to anyone who is new to clippy pedals is to release the tension right off until you get used to it.

2. The release movement is a definite sideways movement of the foot - at first you have think about it, then it comes naturally. Point 1 will make it so much easier to get used to.

3. As you get more used to the bike and the pedals, and your confidence grows, you'll find yourself clipping out less and balancing on the bike more - this comes with confidence.

I completely agree. I think most people find clipless pedals to be challenging when using them for the first time, but it becomes natural with time.

Chances are you will have this problem with any pedal because it takes time to get used to the fact that you are mechanically connected to your pedals and you have to break that connection every time you stop.

Give it some time and you won't be thinking about clipping out and in at all.

nmcgann

As lots of other people have said - double-sided SPDs for urban/commuting.

You can use Keos for that purpose, but it's not really what they are best at - they are a race pedal designed for hard riding when you don't clip/unclip that often. You will also find that the cleat on the foot you put down will wear pretty quickly (although the "grip" cleats last longer - but are less slick to clip in with).

northpole

I have shimano dura ace road pedals on my commuting bike and fancy look carbon pedals on my other bike.
The looks spin superbly but I find them a complete nightmare clipping in to. The dura ace are a piece of cake in comparison - I clip in without thinking about it 95% of times. Clipping out is no problem on either, it's just clipping in that's a nightmare on my looks.

Peter

guttertrash

I'm dumping my Keo's for the same reason as the OP. Been riding clipless double sided SPD on my MTB for the last few years, so used to riding them, and used them on my road bike for the last 12 months. Switched to Keo a couple of months ago, and just can't get to grips with them. Hill starts at traffic lights, which most of my stops seem to be, are just a nightmare, and end up pushing the bike on some occasions.

Going to try some Speedplays I think.

rolf_f

Keos for my weekend bike, M520s for the commuters. For trouble free, stop and start, M520s are in a different class to the Keos; the clip in action is much simpler. And the cleats seem to be much longer lasting as well. And you can get them for £20 whereas Keos, irrc, come in about £30.

ba68

I use Shimano A530; SPD clip on one side and a flat platform on the other so when you don't want to clip in you just use the flat side. I can't tell you how they compare to what you have at the moment but these work for me, I use them with the Shimano RT 81 shoe and it's a good combination. You can get the A530 pedals for less than £35 if you shop around.