Pedal/Shoe upgrade advice for newbie

nick5573

Hi,

I expect this has been done to death in the past but please humour me!!

I want to upgrade my pedals and buy some bike shoes but don't really know where to start at the moment.

I am quite new to cycling and recently bought this hybrid for £290. Its a fantastic bike and is giving me the bug!!

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/p ... um=organic

I've been on it every night since I got it around 10 days a go and I plan to commute to work when I start a new job Monday week. If I stick it out and get into cycling properly (which I think is looking very likely) then I expect I will splash out and get a full roadbike next summer and just use this bike for my commute.

But this bike comes with the strap type pedals which I am not keen on. Should I get clip ons? what are the key things I need to know? Any pedal/shoe recommendations for my type of use? I would ideally like shoes I can wear comfortably off the bike as well.

Thanks for your help?

wellbeloved747

You may or may not benefit with Clipless pedals most Clipless users tend to be full road bike riders or ocassionally some mountain bikers you will need to decide which clip you want

Spd-- are a small clip which use very small pedals which can be clipped in from both sides.

Spd-sl-- are a larger clip and tend to be used for road biking the clip In from one side and more aero.

If you would transfer them to a road bike I would recommend spd-sl. However I suggest you don't get Clipless if you are commuting as it meand you need to wear cycle shoes to and from work and a decent pair of pedals cleat and shoes will cost a minimum of £120. I would recommend you get some flat pedals as you can wear any shoes and step of when you need to and you don't need to change shoes.

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

declan1

As I recommend to anyone:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimano-E-PDM52 ... 824&sr=8-1

+

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-mb ... oes-149024

nick5573

wellbeloved747 wrote:

You may or may not benefit with Clipless pedals most Clipless users tend to be full road bike riders or ocassionally some mountain bikers you will need to decide which clip you want

Spd-- are a small clip which use very small pedals which can be clipped in from both sides.

Spd-sl-- are a larger clip and tend to be used for road biking the clip In from one side and more aero.

If you would transfer them to a road bike I would recommend spd-sl. However I suggest you don't get Clipless if you are commuting as it meand you need to wear cycle shoes to and from work and a decent pair of pedals cleat and shoes will cost a minimum of £120. I would recommend you get some flat pedals as you can wear any shoes and step of when you need to and you don't need to change shoes.

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

Thanks for the advice there mate. Just to clarify, I was slightly put off by getting a road bike at first due to cost mainly, but also the cycling position and I wanted to see if I would get into it before I spent to much, weighing it up I decided a hybrid was prob my best option. Now I have the bug I am almost certain I will get a road bike too down the line and keep the haro just to get to work.

In the mean time I am still going on lots of bike rides whenever I can so the commute is only a small part of my time spent on it I live in a very hilly rural area and for that reason I think I would benefit from proper pedals and shoes.

declan1

SPDs are best if you are commuting and/or you want to easily walk around off the bike as the cleats are recessed. Road shoes are stiffer but the cleats stick out half a mile and they are difficult to walk in.

I'm fine with SPDs at the moment, but I think in the future I might go for nice carbon road shoes and pedals.

ben@31

Once you get pedals and shoes they are that good they are addictive. I struggle (just mentally) to pedal a short distance without them.

I've heard mountain bike SPD's are easier because they are double sided. But I use Keo Look pedals and if I can clip in and out off them no problems, you can too.

Road cleats are not hard to walk short distances. I.e, out the works door to the bike rack. I find the cleat just wears down.

Just remember to clip in and out on the move. I've only fallen over at a standstill.

nick5573

ben@31 wrote:

Once you get pedals and shoes they are that good they are addictive. I struggle (just mentally) to pedal a short distance without them.

I've heard mountain bike SPD's are easier because they are double sided. But I use Keo Look pedals and if I can clip in and out off them no problems, you can too.

Just remember to clip in and out on the move. I've only fallen over at a standstill.

haha - is falling off inevitable im a bit more brittle than I used to be these days.

Thanks I am going to look into SPD's seems the place to start. Anything I should really know about them before I look for some?

ben@31

It must be a right of passage even tour pro's still do. But after a second it does'nt hurt falling over from a standstill

stoneb09

I can't believe nobody has recommended Look Keo Easy pedals yet! I have some and they are fantastic. Really easy to unclip out of when needed but hold the foot very firm in the pedal when climbing those big hills! They are about £30 off ebay along with some specialized bg road shoes which make a fantastic combination! All in all they come in at less than £100 and they are a great investment!