UKC

I'm new to road bikes and want to get my first clip in pedals and shoes. I'm a bit nervous about using them and falling with out getting my feet out. Any advice about what to go for ??

In reply to speedymushmouse:

You will fall, until you are use to them. Its like climbing, do it and get use to it. But its sooooo much better. I ride a full sus mountain bike in clip ins. they let me climb like a mountain goat, I can push and pull the pedals out of corners. lots faster then normal pedals. you wont go back.

In reply to speedymushmouse:

I have been told to go for MTB shoes and Spd pedals . Right info ?

In reply to speedymushmouse:

The SPD system tends to be used by mountain bikers and cycle tourers, road bikers tend to go for systems like Look or Speedplay. There's no real reason why you can't use SPDs on a road bike, my wife always has.

The one advantage that SPDs have over say the Look system which is what I have on my road bike is that the cleats are usually recessed in to the sole of the shoes so they are easier to walk around in when off the bike.

In reply to speedymushmouse:
Not if you're on a road bike - Rule 34.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

More seriously, spd pedals are good if you're commuting and may have to walk much - but road pedals give you a bigger platform and road shoes are lighter and (usually) stiffer.

I use Speedplay as they're two sided and give you more "float".

In reply to speedymushmouse:

I started to use clip in pedals a couple of month ago. On the road there are fine. I only fell over once, when a dog unexpectedly ran in front of my bike.
Mountain biking though I have fallen over much more. The problem is that there are a bit more committing on technical stuff. You either get off the bike or stay on it. No more half hearted trying and putting a foot down. I find this hard to get used to.
I am about to purchase a new road bike and I am inclined to go for SPD, since it means I can use the same shoes. This is because the bike is a training tool for me and the I ma not too bothered about the extra wight and loosing a tiny a bit of performance. That's what my friends have done, and none of them complain about any issues. If I only had a road bike, I would go for proper road bike system though. There's got to be a good reason for the incompatibility.

In reply to speedymushmouse:
I use SPD SLs, which are pretty much the 'basic' road pedal... I was starting to find that as I got more serious I was getting annoyed by having too much float, but there are different cleats to give different amounts of float, so actually just some cheaper shimano SPD SL pedals are fine. The problem with using SPDs compared to SPD SLs is that, although they seem 'easier' as you can clip into both sides (road pedals are single sided, so occasionally will be the wrong way up when you try to kick in), they are not compatible with most road shoes- so if you want the stiffness of a road shoe (which you do) you need to be getting road pedals. Of course this allows you to upgrade shoes easily too later down the line. Using a one-sided system is actually really easy, and the target area is much bigger than on SPD pedals, so don't be put off by that, or by the fact that road pedals are not recessed- they're not hard to walk in, and over the negligible distances you'll be walking in them they're not going to wear out.
A friend has just bought Time Xpresso 2 pedals, and she seems to be getting on well with those too- just another one-sided shoe-compatible road system- only really quite a lot cheaper.
Having used both types on my road bikes, that would be my opinion. HTH

In reply to speedymushmouse:

Thanks for all advise. Sounds like SPD SL's then !!!! One final question could I fit them onto my MTB as well ? Only use MTB for bridleway rides to pub etc with family so not to bothered about it...

Thanks again

In reply to Got a job rob:


Are you really faster?? I have read studies that say using sod's for mtbing is largely psychological.
I use both but have to say that I'm pretty fast whatever i use….not sure that I'm much faster clipped in

In reply to Kimono:



You probably are faster.probably safer being secured .although that may sound a bit mad.

When I got my Cx bike ,I got Spd's ,and was like Bambi on ice for a while.

Me keeling over like a mighty oak was getting very common.

The reason was found to be loose cleats on my shoes.

Love the spd's now and use them on the road . Keep your feet in that ideal sweet spot .

Not bothered about road pedals as I don't see the point of having another pair of fancy Sidis or whatever when the MTBshoes I have now are great.

Also. I have had to walk home a few times with a broken bike on my shoulder.didnt do the shoes any great harm .road shoes would have been a nightmare.

There's a lot of bollocks talked about cycling.

depending how serious you are ,the majority of the time you don't need to waste money on kit you don't need.suppose it all boils down to looking the part .

In reply to StefanB:


I ride technical rock XC stuff with spds. I can clip out of them basically just as easily as taking my foot off the pedal, so if you have to dab it's easy enough. I'd check your cleats are tight, not too worn, and your pedal springs aren't too tight.

In reply to andymac:

glad you agree with me about the Bollocks talked in Cycling ,nearly as much as on here talking about shoes ,nuts ,Bouldering Pads !!!! and the rest ,most of it driven by Advertising and the money made from it

In reply to TobyA:

It's just a question of getting used to them I suppose. I had used cages for ages and if I am concentrated on a technical bit I just forget and try to pull the foot backwards to get out of cage. Muscle memory I suppose.

Go for a short ride where you just clip and unclip about a bazillion times to start to wire in the action. You'll have a favoured side but do the other one a bit too. If you go for the SPDs you can set the release tension fairly low whilst you get used to them.

In reply to Strachan:


I just bought a set of Expresso 10 pedals - and I'm sending them straight back, as you can't service/adjust the bearings. Otherwise, I thought they were quite a neat system, but I object to spending £100 for disposable pedals. I'm going back to Shimano, although I've been recommended Look Keo Blades.

I digress.

OP: It is usually possible to adjust the release tension on pedals with steel springs (less so on new carbon sprung ones), so get a basic set of, say, Shimano SPD-SL pedals and start with light tension. Practice clipping in and out lots while holding onto something. Then ride round somewhere safe with no traffic until you get used to them.

They will become second nature. I've been using them for years and can't remember the last time I fell off due to not being able to unclip, either on road or MTB. It is true that road pedals are "stiffer" to release than MTB ones, so start with them and a pair of shoes that take both bolt patterns (Shimano and Diadora do them, for a start) and upgrade from there. If you do that, then worth also getting a pair of the stability pads.

In reply to speedymushmouse:

I use Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals and cleats with mountain bike shoes on my road bike. They clip in and disengage easily and have a pleasant amount of float. I chose these as they looked the most promising for doing both mountain biking and road biking. I've yet to buy the mountain bike!

I've never used SPD or SPD SL so I can't compare.

In reply to speedymushmouse:


One the road bike I use for work, I have a pair of double-sided pedals (SPD one site, flat the other) - bit heavy, but really convenient...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m540-pedals

In reply to Got a job rob:

I did, I found the innability to disengage for a split second and the desire to get feet on and clipped for technical riding , was out weighing the pros which werent many, I now ride faster better and more confidently with flat pedals