Pedal advice?

MTB noob
MTB noob Posts: 272
edited August 2013 in Road beginners
I call myself a newbie because I have never cycled a complete road bike before.

I am currently using some very cheap plastic pedals from a 80s commuter bike which are now worn out but they can get me to a decent pace.

I am thinking of occasionally commuting which would be a 40 mile trip.

I've always used flats and have no experience of cleats so I am unsure about whether I would make a costly mistake or not.

Is it worth it to convert to a cleat pedal?

Thanks :mrgreen:
My god road cycling is scary! I'm going to keep my relaxing rides to the trails where everything is green, fast and less crazy.

Comments

  • dannyharris
    dannyharris Posts: 217
    Yes it's worth it.

    I had straps before moving to cleats.

    The difference in your ride is very noticeable.

    Do it. You won't look back
  • MTB noob
    MTB noob Posts: 272
    Can you suggest a set of pedals and shoes for a Tiagra/105 spec bike? This is because I have no idea what I'm doing.
    My god road cycling is scary! I'm going to keep my relaxing rides to the trails where everything is green, fast and less crazy.
  • dannyharris
    dannyharris Posts: 217
    Don't know a great deal myself sorry.
    I started with a pair of aldi spd trainers and a £30 set of pedals from decathlon.
  • suzygarbo
    suzygarbo Posts: 52
    I bought shimano spd-sl pedals from Halfords, they priced matched an offer they had on their website so I ended up getting them for about twenty something pounds, I then bought shimano road shoes from go outdoors and they price matched to Halfords price plus 10% (Halfords didn't have my size) they cost me £40. I hope this is useful :)
  • MTB noob
    MTB noob Posts: 272
    So it isn't that expensive then. Thanks for your advice!
    My god road cycling is scary! I'm going to keep my relaxing rides to the trails where everything is green, fast and less crazy.
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    I've just switched to clipless pedals and I was VERY unsure about doing it. I was advised to try Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals and it was a fantastic piece of advice, they are so easy to use for someone starting out with clipless for the first time. Had a bit of a trial with SPDs and I found the eggbeaters to be easier to use and (more importantly to easy my nerves) easier to clip out of. I would recommend them to anyone.

    Got mine from Planet-X for £30 delivered (next day).
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    SPDs are the obvious choice, being available double-sided with long-lasting cleats. They're cheap, too. I haven't any experience with Eggbeaters, though.
    Retro(ish) TT 2017-
    Fixed TT 2015-2016
  • arranj
    arranj Posts: 66
    I just got Shimano M540 pedals (£17 Chainreaction/wiggle/everywhere practically) and some Rockrider SPD shoes from Decathlon (Had a voucher, but any SPD shoe will do tbh), hadn't used cleats before....installed cleats as comfortable as I could, almost fell over in my bedroom practicing.

    Then the next day went out and did ten miles, average speed was up to 14.5 from my previous 11/12 and didn't feel very tired at all.

    I would say it's definitely worth it due to extra power you can put on, and it's not difficult to get your feet out either, especially with tension set to lowest.

    Go for it!

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