Beginner needs advice

merv.swerve

Hi folks,

bought a secondhand bike last August and after being injured over the winter, I'm finally getting some decent use out of it.
I am riding up to a couple of times a week and am good for 20 odd miles as a minimum.

I have been buying clothing odd bits at a time so I didn't go chucking a load of money at it too soon in case it wasn't for me. I am really enjoying it and now looking at shoes and pedals...

So.. recommendations? Reasonably priced shoes and pedals suited to a casual rider, and where to look?

thanks in advance.
Merv

yiannism

Since you are new cyclist maybe better to chose MTB shoes/pedals, since you can actually walk with them. Now as far as about brands they are plenty good out there. Just try and see what is better for you. My shoes are northwave and i am very happy with them

jgsi

Just never be tempted to wear long socks like testers trying to stop calf muscles breaking out like Alien spewing blood, flesh and other stuff all over a Club 10.
Hideous.

Joshgav

Pedal prices are mostly about weight so no need to go for expensive pedals. Decide if you want MTB type pedals or road pedals then order online from the cheapest place. MTB pedals are easier to walk in, road pedals give you a greater contact area so are more supportive and help put more power down.

Shoes are really personal, go to a shop with a budget in mind and try on all the ones in the type you want (road or MTB). Get the most comfortable ones you can find.

Bobbinogs

Yes, good advice above from Josh, apart from the 'greater power transfer from Road' line which seems to get repeated often but defies the laws of physics :-)

First decide what kind of pedals, the big choice being clipless or flat. Nearly all of us on here will choose clipless for a number of reasons, particularly when you start upping the mileage as clipless will keep the feet safe and secure, share the workload around the muscle groups and keep your feet in the optimal position (assuming the setup is right).

Then go for MTB or Road. It may sound silly but there are many of us who ride only on the road but in MTB shoes. Some of the strongest riders in my club also wear MTB shoes and they don't seem to suffer from choosing the 'wrong' option. There are some great shoes out there now...but the nicest looking shoes tend to be Road, unfortunately. The nicer MTB ones seem to be very expensive (well, my last pair were £125, which I call expensive but they have lasted for ~5 years).

Once you have sorted out the two options (say, clipless & Road), then forget any nonsense about certain pedals being better (improved power transfer or a load of other guff). Some pedals will be more expensive and perhaps weigh 10g less.

An important variable is float, which is the amount your foot will be able to wiggle. I need a little float as one foot slightly moves naturally on the down stroke, other riders prefer no float or lots of it. If you are unsure, when it is safe, have a quick look down at your feet when riding with flats to see if you can see or feel what is happening. This is best done on a turbo and should not undertaken on a busy A road (drivers will be surprised to see you there on a turbo for starters). Many pedal systems sort out float in the cleat, which is fixed on the shoe.

So, the pedals can then be bought online but, as Josh says, there is no real substitute for buying shoes from a shop. You need a decent stiff sole and you need to be comfortable. There is no point having a sexy shoe if it is not comfortable (as I said to my wife only recently). I prefer carbon soles for the stiffness but there are some reasonable non-carbon offerings.

If you were looking for MTB (easy to clip in/out as dual sided and the soles, with recessed cleats, help walking, etc.,) then most of us will go for something like Shimano M540.

Tashman

In terms of pedals, if this is your only bike and you want some flexibility I can recomend pedals that clip in on one side but are flat on the other. I found the really helped me to get going and then i didn't need a second pair of pedals when I went "clipless". Mine are these http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/pedals-pegs/shimano-pd-a530-spd-pedals-single-sided-road-pedals

lakesluddite

I have these SPD style pedals on both my bikes - lightweight but cheap:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-pa ... pedal-2016

I have always gone for the MTB style, for most of the reasons given by other replies. I have these shoes, but in the 2016 version, not these newer ones

https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... e-EV285768

The Specialized Body Geometry fit is a good fit for me, very comfortable - but of course shoes are very much a personal preference.

Joshgav

Bobbinogs wrote:

Yes, good advice above from Josh, apart from the 'greater power transfer from Road' line which seems to get repeated often but defies the laws of physics :-)

Maybe it's not as simple as that, at the cheaper end of the shoe scale a larger contact area will be more comfortable when putting down more power. More comfort putting down more power = more power put down...simples.

Bobbinogs

Nice try Josh, but there are not many maths equations that have the word "comfort" used on one side as an equalisation factor :-)

Let's agree on road shoes generally look nicer.

Joshgav

Bobbinogs wrote:

Nice try Josh, but there are not many maths equations that have the word "comfort" used on one side as an equalisation factor :-)

Let's agree on road shoes generally look nicer.

You mean received wisdom isn't always correct? :shock:

svetty

Bobbinogs wrote:

Nice try Josh, but there are not many maths equations that have the word "comfort" used on one side as an equalisation factor :-)

Let's agree on road shoes generally look nicer.

Not sure why you are so dismissive of the fact that a larger contact area means that the pressure on the sole of the foot is more evenly distributed?

cyberknight

You can get larger platform MTB pedals , i use m530s double sided on the commuter for easy clipping in and out and a600s on the nice bike .A good comfortable stiff soled shoe will be as officiant as a road shoe/pedal combo.I did a bit of research on this and the upshot is according to GCN and a few others is unless your a pro putting out pro watts the difference is so minuscule ( marginal gains ) then for the average rider MTB style shoes are the way to go .Graham Obree prefers them too which is good enough for me .
I use XC style shoes like these
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-mountai ... 06674_vi__

step83

One plus on SPD's, you can walk round the coffee shop more easily! I always get moaned at but a friend for using them. Been using Shimano M520's and Northwave Scorpius 2's for the last couple of years without any problems.
If you do go SPD get the silver multi release cleats the single release ones are lethal.

rushey

Bobbinogs wrote:

This is best done on a turbo and should not undertaken on a busy A road (drivers will be surprised to see you there on a turbo for starters).

+1 for a genuine LOL moment