SPD pedals for flat shoes

Hidden Hippo

I'd like to get some SPD pedals for my bike, but don't want to wear SPD shoes for the commute to the station in the morning and have to change shoes.

I've seen pedals that have a larger cage around them - do these work ok for short trips in flats?

Here is the pedal I've been debating: http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/m ... edals.html

Thanks.

nicklouse

Nope. The mechanism still sits proud.

And don't bother with dual sided.

The 520s used to come with clip on flats.

But I would spend the same on a bike from the police auctions.

Hidden Hippo

How proud are we talking? The ride to the station is only 1.5 miles each way, so isn't too bad.

Edit: Also, why not dual sided? Surely they're more forgiving than single sided pedals?

ilovedirt

Because dual sided are a pain to use when you're actually riding off road.
I just ride with normal shoes on my SPDs sometimes if I'm riding to the train station or something, no big deal.

Hidden Hippo

How come they're a pain, is it a mud thing and the mechanism getting clogged?

That's what I was thinking - just get pedals with a slightly larger platform (perhaps Crank Brothers Candy) and ride them to the station with regular shoes.

ilovedirt

Because you have to physically find the right side of the pedal to clip into, rather than it just being there and clipping in instinctively.

Hidden Hippo

I'm confused. Surely a single sided pedal only has oneside you can clip into, therefore if you have unclipped and the pedal has flipped over you need to find the right side, but a dual sided would just have a clip mechanism on the upperside whenever?

bails87

I think nick meant the pedals that have an SPD on one side and a flat pedal platform on the other side, he's calling those 'dual sided'.

70\ʹspenguin

I ride a 7 mile round trip commute in my shoes on clip in pedals a few times a week. Its not great but its very doable. I used the caged Shimano's and found the cage really did nothing as the mechanism sat high. Perosnally i found that Candy bros Candy pedals were easier to use with normal footwear. The spring mechanism seems more forgiving and grippy.

Neither pedal will feel wonderful and they are pretty scary in the wet with a hard soled shoe and can be painful with a soft soled trainer. However if you ride gently then its ok. For your short ride it really shouldn't be a problem.

I would not advise the half and half pedal. The shimano model with the black plastic flat side is awful. The platform is so narrow you may as well use the spd and then when using clipless shoes its almost impossible to clip in without looking at your feet and doing some fancy foot shuffling.

paul.skibum

I have often thought that a platform that could be clipped to an spd pedal and removed when you wanted the spd back again would be a good idea. I guess the biggest issue with them would be getting leverage to remove them (I know when I first had spds I test fitted my shoe without my foot in and it was quite tricky to then get the shoe back off!)

edindevon

paul.skibum wrote:

I have often thought that a platform that could be clipped to an spd pedal and removed when you wanted the spd back again would be a good idea.

Like this you mean:



http://www.decathlon.co.uk/smpd22-clipless-pedal-adapter-id_5626992.html

I have some of these and they do the job just fine.

Edindevon

cooldad

You do get little plastic platforms with some bikes - have some lying around, but they are rubbish - think they are just for test rides around the carpark.
I think they are actually meant to make SPD 's legal by adding reflectors.
Although I've seen enough lying around on trails so I suppose some people use them as pedals.

The Rookie

They work fine for what the OP wants, clip them on for the commute, take them off for real riding, its ground strikes that pop them off easily.

nicklouse

We used to mahe some out of some spare cleats and some alloy checker plate.

handful

Another option is these http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Clipless-SPD-T780-XT-Trekking-Pedals/SHIMPEDM252000000000?utm_campaign=Googlebase&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=Googlebase

I have them on my flat bar road bike and find them very easy to clip in and out of when on a 'proper' ride but also perfect for the flip down to the shop when I don't want to wear spds.

They are quite expensive but fitted the bill for me. Not sure how they would stand up to rough use but they seem pretty well made and strong.

rockmonkeysc

Hidden Hippo wrote:

I'd like to get some SPD pedals for my bike, but don't want to wear SPD shoes for the commute to the station in the morning and have to change shoes.

I've seen pedals that have a larger cage around them - do these work ok for short trips in flats?

Here is the pedal I've been debating: http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/m ... edals.html

Thanks.

I use those pedals. It's not anywhere near as comfortable as a flat pedal but I quite often ride a couple miles across town with just some Vans trainers on those pedals. It's not that bad but riding up hill can get uncomfortable.

edindevon

The Shimano SPD M324 MTB Pedals seem to be a good option for the OP.

Combines SPD mechanism on one side and flat pedal body on the other, you can ride with cleats or normal shoes.



For anyone who hasn't noticed Halfords have these bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for just £28.78.

Here's the link - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_194079_langId_-1_categoryId_165566

They also have the Shimano SPD M520 Pedals bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for £19.18.

Edindevon

lostboysaint

Those Shimano M324 (as I used to use) or Crank Brothers Mallets which I now use. As someone has said, the CB has a much less intrusive clip and is also more forgiving. That, combined with the bigger platform and pins, means that they can be used with flat shoes very comfortably.

cooldad

Edindevon wrote:

The Shimano SPD M324 MTB Pedals seem to be a good option for the OP.

Combines SPD mechanism on one side and flat pedal body on the other, you can ride with cleats or normal shoes.



For anyone who hasn't noticed Halfords have these bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for just £28.78.

Here's the link - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_194079_langId_-1_categoryId_165566

They also have the Shimano SPD M520 Pedals bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for £19.18.

Edindevon

Which is two rubbish products in one deal.

prawny

As a teenager I used to regulary ride my bike in trainers with tioga clipman pedals, no real issue especially just for a mile and a half. The SPDs with the cage around are no more comfortable than normal spds in regular shoes. If you were doing it every day you'd probably be better off leaving you flatties on in the week and swapping them at the weekends.

plasma_man

cooldad wrote:

Edindevon wrote:

The Shimano SPD M324 MTB Pedals seem to be a good option for the OP.

Combines SPD mechanism on one side and flat pedal body on the other, you can ride with cleats or normal shoes.



For anyone who hasn't noticed Halfords have these bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for just £28.78.

Here's the link - http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_194079_langId_-1_categoryId_165566

They also have the Shimano SPD M520 Pedals bundled with a 400ml can of GT-85 for £19.18.

Edindevon

Which is two rubbish products in one deal.

Been using the M324's on one of my bikes for around 15 years now, never had an issue, work really well for biking to work or with my SPD boots. Feel and function the same as the better SPD's on my other bikes. Would highly recommend them for the OP. Not sure what problems you have experienced with them???

cooldad

Might be ok for commuting, but as flats they are cr4p.

pilch

Change your shoes http://antranik.org/the-practical-guide-to-casual-and-stylish-looking-clipless-shoes/

Some of them do a little bit err special though...

Lambretta_Special

Edindevon wrote:

paul.skibum wrote:

I have often thought that a platform that could be clipped to an spd pedal and removed when you wanted the spd back again would be a good idea.

Like this you mean:



http://www.decathlon.co.uk/smpd22-clipless-pedal-adapter-id_5626992.html

I have some of these and they do the job just fine.

Edindevon

I have just got some of these and can I hell as like get the adaptor off the pedal.
They aren't fitted yet and I have loosened the adjuster and tightened the other side and fitted the shoe to get some purchase but the shoe comes out first.
other than fitting the adaptor in a vice and putting a tube over the pedal shaft is there an easy way of removing them ?
I was hoping to use the adaptors for short rides in normal shoes myself but I imagine it will be a nightmare trying to remove them again once on the bike.

Lambretta_Special

Found this,,,,,,

http://bikeshed.johnhoogstrate.nl/bicyc ... m_adapter/


off to get a screwdriver



LoL, just tried it. easy when you know how :roll: