UKC

Hi All,

I'm thinking about making the change to clippy pedals for my bike (triban 3). I'm fairly baffled by the choice, and to be honest just want something cheapish but functional. I guarantee any combo will be able to out perform me at the moment!

I've been recommended these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5369

and perhaps these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28895

so my questions are these:
1. will those two work together?
2. if yes, are they any good?
3. which shoes would people recommend? I'd love to go to my LBS and try some on, but work at the moment won't allow it. Any chance of a link to some recommendations?
4. do all shoes fit all cleats or are there yet more intricacies that I don't understand?
5. Finally, is it as worth making the change up as people make it out to be?

Many thanks in advance,

H

In reply to sweenyt: the cleats will come with the pedals and those are the correct ones.

Pay extra and get these.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=50512

The metal plate means they will last longer and the are one of the best bang for your buck pedals you can buy.

Cheers

Toby

In reply to sweenyt:


What Toby said!

In reply to Toby_W: have been using these for a month, great product. So far.

In reply to sweenyt:

They will be perfectly adequate. as others said above, the 105 version will last a bit better (but the other's won't fall apart for many 1000s of miles).

You will of course need shoes to go with them, and it's important to get the fit right, so try on plenty of different makes to see which one's sizing suits you best.

If you haven't used clipless pedals before, then you will be amazed at the performance and control difference once you get over the frustrating first couple of rides getting used to them.

Practise as much as you can getting them in or out whilst holding on to a door way or something before you first go out.

At some point, you will stop without remembering to unclip, and topple sideways. This will hurt (your pride & physically). After not too long, it becomes automatic to unclip, and I can say in all the accidents I've had on road and off, I have never once found myself still stuck to the bike. It does take a bit of perseverance.

On your first ride out, be concious of the pedals, especially at junctions when stopping, but also when starting off - give yourself much more room to pull away if crossing traffic as you will find it hard to push the pedals if you can't get the clips in straight away.

Hope this helps

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Also meant to say, Ribble have some good shoe and pedal deals (just select the right pedals!)
e.g. http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/shimano-r077-spd-sl-road-s...

Fit is important though so don't just buy the cheapest deal you see

In reply to sweenyt: question to you, what do you do when you go for a ride? do you tour around stop often walk about a bit etc. if so then get a touring type shoe as you dont skitter around,

like this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69969

Then you put SPD pedals and cleats on, not the SDP-SL version you are thinking

As a pointer dont buy shoes online sizing is variable, have a look around and try them on, first decide type of shoe you want, road, touring, mtb, trainer style, then find fit, then get pedals and cleats to suit

many people ride SPD on road bikes for convenience

HTH

In reply to sweenyt:

I've got exactly that set up and have the same pedals for the last three years and there's plenty of life left in them yet. I bought a pair of Shimano RO88 shoes http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-r088-spd-sl-road-shoes/ and they've done me pretty well.

In reply to sweenyt:

They will work fine, but the pedals should come with the cleats - you don't need to buy them separately.

You will need shoes with a three bolt pattern which will be road shoes. MTB shoes just have two bolts so won't work with those cleats and pedals. If you can't try shoes on before you buy then make sure you get some from a company that makes it easy to return them (collect+ etc) or you could spend a fortune returning the ones which don't fit.

Finally, as said above, if you are going to be walking any distance in your cleated shoes then consider going for a MTB pedal and shoe as the cleats are are generally recessed into the sole and make walking much easier.

In reply to sweenyt:

Some road shoes can take both types of cleat - 2 and 3 bolt.

I've got a brand-new set of Cannondale road shoes for sale that do just that, if you're size 42.

In reply to Toby_W:

^^ This. And as previously mentioned they are supplied with cleats.

Like with rock boots and mountaineering boots, best to get your shoes from a shop because if you're going to be wearing them for a number of hours at a time you need them to fit right. I'm pretty sure that you won't go too far wrong with any of the main brands.

You may also wish to refer to this: http://www.velominati.com/general/rule-8-its-gotta-be-the-shoes/

In reply to sweenyt:

Do listen to what has been said about shoe fit - it's just as esoteric as rock shoe sizing - for example Specialized shoes are either way too big or way too small for me - my MTB shoes are big enough for big woolly socks and liners, but the next size down I can't get on. My Sidi road shoes are the same size as the Specialized road shoes I can't get on....

In reply: what advantages do these clip-in pedals have over spds? just wondering..

In reply to sweenyt:

Also consider Crank Brothers Eggbeaters

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=53277

I've got a pair on my Triban and they are good. Easy to clip in and out of.

In reply to malk:

They just look right on a road bike.

Also, I found road shoes infinitely comfier, although there may be an element of better selection and spending more in that. And probably some other less important stuff like performance, weight, etc.

In reply to malk:

Depends how important the ability to walk in the shoes is to you.

In reply to malk:

Better power transfer, more stable platform under the shoe, more secure. The downside is you can't hide the cleats within the sole, as you can with MTB shoes and clips, so the shoes are a bugger to walk in and wear out quickly if you walk in them a lot.

OP: The R540s are very good, and as others have said, they will come with cleats.

In reply to stewieatb:

Thanks to all for all the help. Plenty to be looking at now.

In reply to Calder: Excellent guidance sir, rules 2 & 3 adhered to.