Flat pedals on a road bike

therealdeal0_5
therealdeal0_5 Posts: 30
edited October 2013 in Road beginners
Just bought my first road bike for many years. Managed to pick up a nice 2012 Merida Race Lite 904 very reasonably and its come with a set of Crank Brothers Candy Egg Beater Pedals. I don't have any special shoes and don't really want to go down that route yet so wanting to put a set of flat pedals on instead of the egg beaters so would be grateful of any recommendations in the flat pedal department. Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all? Apologies but I am a complete newbie to the world of modern road bikes and haven't had a 'drop handle bar' as we called them back in the day for many years

Comments

  • ForumNewbie
    ForumNewbie Posts: 1,664
    They don't like the sort of pedals you could use with normal shoes. Until you are ready to try 'clipless' pedals, you could try flat touring pedals or you could try these:
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/a530-touring-pedals-ec008662
    as clip-in on one side and flat on the other. I was nervous about moving to clipless at first but I started with double-sided Shimano SPDs, which are really MTB pedals but are easier to use than pure road bike pedals, and I still use them rather than one-sided road pedals.
  • I was nervous about moving to clipless at first but I started with double-sided Shimano SPDs, which are really MTB pedals but are easier to use than pure road bike pedals, and I still use them rather than one-sided road pedals.

    Same here - can't see any reason to move to road pedals at the mo - I like the double sided MTB ones
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.


    That is terrible advice. While you may not damage them, you won't get any grip with regular shoes on those pedals. It'll be dangerous.

    Do not use egg beaters with normal shoes. If you want to use them you need appropriate shoes and cleats.

    If you want to use regular shoes, get a pair of flat pedals (any pair) from a bike shop for not very much money.
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    If you want plain platform pedals, MKS are good ones.
    The Sylvian model comes as a road (single sided with quill), touring(double sided).
    They also make a solid platform GR9.
    I like the touring model, with or without toe clips.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Nukeproof electrons are light weight slim MTB pedals which will do fine until / if you decide to go clipless.
  • Gozzy wrote:
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.


    That is terrible advice. While you may not damage them, you won't get any grip with regular shoes on those pedals. It'll be dangerous.

    Do not use egg beaters with normal shoes. If you want to use them you need appropriate shoes and cleats.

    This.

    As for pedals, MKS would be a good choice, as they are high quality and can accept toe clips.
  • Get some flat pedals. They are super cheap so no reason not to.
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    edited October 2013
    Gozzy wrote:
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.


    That is terrible advice. While you may not damage them, you won't get any grip with regular shoes on those pedals. It'll be dangerous.

    Do not use egg beaters with normal shoes. If you want to use them you need appropriate shoes and cleats.

    This.

    As for pedals, MKS would be a good choice, as they are high quality and can accept toe clips.
    The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use their own good judgment.
  • The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use there own good judgment.

    Ignoring the appalling spelling and outright error of the gentleman who criticises the reading comprehension of others, it isn't safe, however short the duration. It simply isn't a good idea.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    Even for a few miles it's not a good idea.
    How could you even think that it's a good idea? Do you even know what egg beaters look like and how much grip you'd get with some normal shoes? None.
  • I robbed the pedals off my MTB in the end just so I could get out on it and so far so good cant wait to get some serious miles on her though. Decided to go for the shimano SPD A530 pedals which should give me the best of both worlds
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use there own good judgment.

    Ignoring the appalling spelling and outright error of the gentleman who criticises the reading comprehension of others, it isn't safe, however short the duration. It simply isn't a good idea.
    As I stated I think the OP and others have enough intelligence to determine for themselves if they want to ride with these pedals or not. If you want to play nanny be my guest.
  • I robbed the pedals off my MTB in the end just so I could get out on it and so far so good cant wait to get some serious miles on her though. Decided to go for the shimano SPD A530 pedals which should give me the best of both worlds
    Or the worst! Hopefully you'll get on fine with them but my experience with these kind of pedals is that they are always the wrong way up for the shoes you are wearing. If you don't find this frustrating then great.
  • Crank - appreciate all of your wisdom so far buddy, probably be far more stupid noob questions to come from me as I get more into it. Just don't get too wound up by some of the idjiots on here lol
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 4,993

    Decided to go for the shimano SPD A530 pedals which should give me the best of both worlds

    This is a good choice and has done me fine for the last 5 years. I can't really much point changing, although the choice of shoes is limited. You can actually walk in them though.
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Crank - appreciate all of your wisdom so far buddy, probably be far more stupid noob questions to come from me as I get more into it. Just don't get too wound up by some of the idjiots on here lol
    Thank you sir. Yours wasn't a stupid question by the way. 8)
  • The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use there own good judgment.

    Ignoring the appalling spelling and outright error of the gentleman who criticises the reading comprehension of others, it isn't safe, however short the duration. It simply isn't a good idea.
    As I stated I think the OP and others have enough intelligence to determine for themselves if they want to ride with these pedals or not. If you want to play nanny be my guest.

    I wouldn't have commented if you hadn't proffered such poor advice that needed discrediting. ;)
  • I robbed the pedals off my MTB in the end just so I could get out on it and so far so good cant wait to get some serious miles on her though. Decided to go for the shimano SPD A530 pedals which should give me the best of both worlds
    Or the worst! Hopefully you'll get on fine with them but my experience with these kind of pedals is that they are always the wrong way up for the shoes you are wearing. If you don't find this frustrating then great.

    Possibly so. I use the M545, which whilst a couple of hundred grams heavier than the alternatives and built apocalypse-proof, is a good pedal set for commuting in general (large platform, double-sided; fantastic in traffic), which is also usable with regular footwear. The platform isn't very comfortable underfoot, but it's usable if you want to pop to the shops. I wouldn't want to do anything longer on them.
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    Gozzy wrote:
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.


    That is terrible advice. While you may not damage them, you won't get any grip with regular shoes on those pedals. It'll be dangerous.

    Do not use egg beaters with normal shoes. If you want to use them you need appropriate shoes and cleats.

    This.

    As for pedals, MKS would be a good choice, as they are high quality and can accept toe clips.
    The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use their own good judgment.


    I think the problem of people's reading and comprehension skills, isn't down to actual skills, more cultural interpretation.
    CrankyMccrank you've taken a literal interpretation of the OP actually wanting to ride for just a few miles. Whereas I suspect what the OP actually meant, and what the standard British English interpretation of wanting to "put a few miles on the bike" means is, he can't wait to get out and ride the bike for many, many miles.
    Hence the confusion.

    However, I personally think the reality is you'd be hard put to ride to the end of the street without cleated shoes on those pedals, never mind a couple of miles.
  • Gozzy wrote:
    Gozzy wrote:
    Cant wait to get out and put a few miles on the bike and just wondering if I could try using the egg beaters with normal shoes or would this damage them at all?
    No. The pedals will be fine. They probably won't offer too much grip with regular shoes though so be careful.


    That is terrible advice. While you may not damage them, you won't get any grip with regular shoes on those pedals. It'll be dangerous.

    Do not use egg beaters with normal shoes. If you want to use them you need appropriate shoes and cleats.

    This.

    As for pedals, MKS would be a good choice, as they are high quality and can accept toe clips.
    The OP stated he wanted to use them for just a few miles until he could get some flat pedals. For the people here with poor reading comprehension skills and little common sense I suppose I could have elaborated a bit more but I think most of the forum members here can be trusted to use their own good judgment.


    I think the problem of people's reading and comprehension skills, isn't down to actual skills, more cultural interpretation.
    CrankyMccrank you've taken a literal interpretation of the OP actually wanting to ride for just a few miles. Whereas I suspect what the OP actually meant, and what the standard British English interpretation of wanting to "put a few miles on the bike" means is, he can't wait to get out and ride the bike for many, many miles.
    Hence the confusion.

    However, I personally think the reality is you'd be hard put to ride to the end of the street without cleated shoes on those pedals, never mind a couple of miles.

    It's still really poor advice, though. You can ride a bike with a cracked chainstay, but that doesn't make it a good idea. The fact that rider and bicycle might happen to be intact at destination isn't ample justification for recommending the unrecommendable.