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Beginner's advice on pedals & shoes?

Ok, so in a blatant show of my complete lack of road cycling knowledge, I'm after advice please on the subject of road bike pedals and shoes.

Having had my road bike for a couple of months now, I feel sufficiently confident on it to be thinking about upgrading from the toe clips that came with it.

However, I literally have no idea where to start...

I'm broadly aware that there are different types of pedal system out there, but quite how they differ (or put another way, which one is better), I don't know.

What are people's thoughts on this?

I don't spend hours on the bike or ride competitively, so I'm not looking for the lightest, stiffest, high-end stuff, just some serviceable kit to help me do some reasonable weekend mileage.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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100 comments

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VeloPeo | 10 years ago
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Just another random thought, Specialized do insoles with high and medium foot arches. Will fit most makes of shoe - and make a big difference in comfort to those of you who don't have flat feet.

http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/search?query=bg+footbed&pg_start=0&fq=&pg_ro...

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700c | 10 years ago
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Yep, spd's a perfectly good solution for the OP.
Spd sl's have less 'walkability' but I disagree that they're only for racers/pro's as some have said.. With SL's there's more options for float (zero to 9 degrees), and a wider platform, which when combined with maximum release tension I really like as you feel very connected to the bike and transfer of power feels better, esp when standing on the pedals

But each to his own, and I wouldnt make a judgement about someone whether they're in all the top end gear, just as I wouldn't judge them for using standard spd's.

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SounDaz_7 | 10 years ago
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+1 for SPD's

I started out with SPD-SL's about 3 years ago, got on fine with them. Tried SPD's last year and there's been no looking back. Comfy to ride and walk in. Oh and the cleats will definitely last longer.

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Critchio | 10 years ago
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Clip in pedals are not for everyone, mind. I have used every type of pedal clip-in system there is and truly believe cleats have fecked up my left knee, the right one not so bad but far from perfect. All down to prolonged clipping in use over the last 5 years. I never had them prior to that and knees were fine. I put it down to having weird limb/bone structure I guess.

You get lateral play/adjustment, your foot and can swing up and down freely but you get no tilt play, you foot is pulled flat and firmly onto the pedal and I am sure thats whats damaged my knees. You can get shims that allow the cleat to be given a couple of degrees of tilt and you can get in foot orthotics (I have them in my current shoes as prescribed by mu physio) but I reckon they provide very limited benefit.

I still ride with MTB spd's but only ever clip in now when I am sprinting against my mates for fun or going up a hill in the wet, but even then I think I dont need to. That means 90% of my ride time is unclipped and they have not affected my own performance on the bike to any noticeable margin. I have never had a foot slip off a road bike pedal whilst wearing correct shoes and going unclipped. Ive been doing this following a course of physio and exercises for the last year and my left knee is not worse and possibly slowly getting better, but I fear the damage is done. Over 25 years of serious riding my knees were fine until I got clip in pedals 5 years ago (and spent countless hours making adjustments, using shims, orthotics, etc.)

I never clip in in town traffic either, too dangerous, which also reduces clip-in time. Unless you are pro, semi-pro level and need to eek every bit of power and efficiency out of your cycling there is no need for clip in pedals in my humble opinion, despite the insane peer pressure to do so. clip-in pedals are just not a definite must-have but please yourself. Just trying to provide a balanced view. They can, in rare situations cause more harm than good, and can be bloody dangerous where there is any traffic in any kind of volume.

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parksey | 10 years ago
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Thanks all for the continued input on this topic, it really is appreciated.

Interestingly, I went into both of my LBSs today, and they both advocated Look pedals, in either the Easy or Classic forms (despite both of them also selling other brands).

When making reference to SPDs, they suggested they'd always prefer the stiffer sole and larger platform of a Look/SL type pedal/shoe setup, to avoid the possible hotspots that can arise from prolonged riding on SPDs. The walking issue was however acknowledged!

So, properly confused on the subject now... I do value the advice of the staff in both of the stores, but there is a lot of positive input for SPDs on here.

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movingtarget | 10 years ago
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I had some problems with numbness/burning on here balls of my feet way back when I had these Pearl Izumi MTB shoes with an SPD platform that currently escapes me (old timer's disease). While MTB shoes that look like sneakers are stiffer than trail runners, they still have a rather flexible footbed to allow for scrambling. I switched over to Sidi's when I started using my Speedplay Frogs and while their MTB shoes aren't as stiff as their road shoes which have carbon fiber in the sole, they're still stiff enough that I can't really stand up on the ball of my foot when standing on the ground so much stiffer than the sneaker style shoes. I did initially have some numbness/burning with longer rides (70+ miles) but after adjusting my saddle a bit that pretty much disappeared. The Frogs are slightly bigger than the road pedal lollipops (ie Zero and Nanogram) ~6.5 cm squared but not that much smaller than most SPD platforms. I wonder if you could borrow a set of SPDs from a friend with similar shoe size and swap out your pedals to test it out for a week (commuting and your longer weekend rides)? Would your LBS be willing you let you do some test rides on their Look pedals for comparison? Just a thought.

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Trull | 10 years ago
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I used to ride Look but found the cleats wore out when I was walking, and who doesn't want to walk to a cafe?

I bought into the SPD thing and now all 3 bikes have it, and I only need one pair of shoes.

KISS!

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paulfg42 | 10 years ago
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Wish I'd started a thread like this before I bought mine. The LBS recommended spd-sl pedals so I went with that. Have never felt secure in traffic and that has affected where I'll ride.

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dave atkinson | 10 years ago
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my most comfortable ever shoes are a pair of cheap shimano SPD ones a bit like the current RT32s. I've done very long rides on them (up to 24 hours) with absolutely no problems at all. and you can walk in them. and they're only fifty quid. and they've lasted about ten years.

Shimano RT81s are a bit more, but they're also excellent

http://road.cc/content/review/16381-shimano-rt81-shoes

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700c | 10 years ago
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Re sole stiffness - that will depend on the individual - your size and power, specifically..

One of the advantages with SL's (for serious riding perhaps more than for commuting), is that the three bolt pattern is available on a wide range of shoes, low end to high end, and so offers good choice for the wearer. That's not a reflection of the cleat mechanism, just the market for shoes which support it..

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matthewn5 | 10 years ago
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I use Shimano RT82s (about £80) which look like road shoes from the top with a ratchet strap and all, but have a recessed SPD cleat space on the bottom. They're not too heavy, 650g. I've got carbon Look Quartz pedals that I got on eBay for a song and can't imagine needing anything more.

The pedals are about 110g each so v. light and the cleats about 20g so it adds up to a very light system. I can walk all I want (just getting down the dodgy front steps here would be a nightmare with SPD-SLs) and there's plenty of float and a good solid connection. Nobody on the road has commented on my shoes, ever, so I'm happy!

Yes, it's violating one of the Rules but hey.

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edster99 | 10 years ago
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I've ridden clipless for the last 20 years - look, spd, eggbeaters and spd-sl. I ride eggbeaters on my MTB and they are the easiest to get in and out of. I currently use SPD-SLs on my road bikes and I like the really positive engagement, but they are more tricky to get into, sometimes. I do wind them up to maximum spring pressure, which in combination with Sidi Ergo shoes gives a fantastic platform. I use SPDs at the gym and they are somewhere in the middle, (not that it matters how hard it is to get in on a spin bike). Having said that, I prefer the float that you get on SPD-SLs to those on normal SPDs.

If i was just starting out, I'd go with eggbeaters and some mid range shoes.

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Jack Osbourne snr | 10 years ago
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Don't restrict your thinking to just Shimano spd. I wasn't a fan when I tried them.

Other small platform mtb pedals to consider are Crank Bros Candy, Look Quartz and Time ATAC. All of these allow the lugs on an mtb shoe to take some of the strain off the cleat area and minimise the possibility of "hotspots". You'll see a lot of Crank Bros Candy and Time Atacs at Audax events (and virtually no "road" pedals) simply because they are very comfortable over long distances. They also all look a bit less "mountain" than others on the market and come in a range of specs and prices.

Any of these three will work equally well with cheap or expensive shoes, from flexible £50 Diadoras to "I can't believe I just paid that much for a pair of shoes" Carbon soled dancing slippers. Take it from Imelda. Imelda knows shoes.

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oddbydefault | 10 years ago
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Also, plenty of people swap between the systems, preferring the ability to walk safely and shed any dirt in the winter months.

Ergo - SPDs are a good place to start, as you an always relegate them to the winter hack if you ever feel the need to 'upgrade'.

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parksey | 10 years ago
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Just to update on this topic, if anyone is interested, I went in the end for a set of Shimano R550 SPD-SL pedals and a pair of Shimano R088 shoes.  16

Having visited another L(ish)BS to look at few options, these came away as my preference on a combination of factors, not least the surprising ease of walking in them.

I'd expected it to be a nightmare but it really was anything but, even on the polished floor of the shop, so I've got no concerns about mooching around the mid-ride cafe in them (I will of course update you as soon as I fall on my arse in them!).

I have to admit to having then ordered them from Chain Reaction at a little over £91, absolute bargain in my view. The LBS where I actually got my bike from were after more than £150...

Only managed a quick 15 mile ride in them so far, with no mishaps yet, albeit I am unclipping well in advance of any need to stop. They're set to the lowest tension so they're easy to get in and out of, although I seem to find it easier to twist my heel in rather than out to release them.

So far, so good.

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Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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My personal opinion is that double sided MTB style PDs are a waste of money unless you MTB. Start with toe clips and then get the one-sided clipless. The Shimano 105s represent good value.

Toe clips get you used to rotating the pedal for the one-sided clipless. The MTB two-sided has far too much play and so quite a bit of the 'efficiencies' are negated. I have both (an MTB and road bike) and now hate my MTB pedals. Though wearing shoes for those clips is more convenient if you should have to walk anywhere....but why would you?!?

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parksey | 10 years ago
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Look Keo Easy pedals were one of the recommendations from my LBS, so will definitely bear those in mind if I don't get on with the SPD-SLs.

My shoes seem to take pretty much any 2 or 3 bolt cleats, so it's only a case of £40 or so on the new pedals if I do want to change.

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parksey | 10 years ago
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Nearly went for the 105 pedals, but just couldn't really see why they were worth the extra £30 or so over the R550s, other than to match the other kit on my bike...  29

Have to admit that rotating the toe-clip pedals round was a pain in the ass, whereas at least these clipless ones seem to be weighted so they always hang in the same place when you're not clipped in.

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omikin | 9 years ago
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I'm so glad I came across this thread as I was going to ask exactly this question. As a result of the feedback and input above I have taken the plunge and ordered some RT82s and a pair of A530s as this would seem to give me a good balance of clips that are easier for a newbie to use, plus the convenience of pedals I can use with normal shoes when doing slow family rides / Centerparcs etc.

My questions is - do I need to get a professional to fit the pedals to the bike and/or the cleats to the shoes? I know pretty much nothing about bike maintenance, so unless it's utterly foolproof then advice would be great.

Thanks guys!

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sergius | 9 years ago
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Fitting pedals requires nothing more than a spanner (note that the thread is in the opposite direction to the pedaling rotation), be sure to apply some grease to the threads before adding your new pedals.

There is loads of information out there about cleat fitting. You can either pay a professional or have a go yourself. I personally wasn't particularly impressed with my fitting at my LBS - they just don't have the time to set up anything other than the "average" person ideal position - which may or may not work for you.

There are lots of articles on the web about this topic (http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/articles/footloose/ is one of my favorites), personally I'd give it a go yourself to start with after doing some reading - see a professional if you start doing lots of distance and start experiencing pain.

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parksey | 9 years ago
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Ah, always good to see an old thread resurrected.  1

As for the fitting, this is a simple job if you've got the right-sized spanner, I had a cheap adjustable one knocking about the toolbox with a head narrow enough to fit between the crank and the pedal itself so as to tighten the nut. They don't need loads of torque as they effectively self-tighten as you pedal, and watch the reverse threading too.

Cleat fitting is again a DIY job with an allen key, but a bit of trial and error with the outright positioning as to what then feels comfortable when riding the bike. I don't know exactly what the adjustability is like with SPD cleats, but experiment with moving them around over the course of a few rides. There may be other threads on here re cleat positioning which address it more, err, scientifically...

Good luck with getting used to them. You *will* fall off a few times whilst practising, in my experience it was simply due to not thinking to unclip when coming to a stop rather than not actually being able to release my foot from the pedal. After a few goes it really does become second nature.

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Him Up North | 9 years ago
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They say everyone falls over three times when they make the move to clipless pedals. I must be special because I've done it four times so far, including once in a column of traffic at a junction and once in front of my wife and kids on a family joyride. But hey, perseverance is the mother of, you know, whatever...

 4

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omikin | 9 years ago
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Thanks for the help - I am reassured that I might be able to manage this!

I'm not sure I do have an appropriate spanner for the pedals - will have a rummage in the tool box this evening to see.

That link on cleat fitting will be really useful when the shoes arrive.

I was going to hold off longer until I clipped in, but I find the toe cages really fiddly, and I figure why struggle to get used to them then switch to clips and struggle to get used to them when I can just struggle to get used to clips straight away!

Plus - I have noticed that as well as the friendly nods I get from other road cyclists, these are also accompanied by a puzzled glance at my feet as I have been wearing Converse hi-tops...

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edster99 | 9 years ago
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As with many cycling related things, there is a bit of unnecessary bad press on the difficulty of some things, like clipless pedals. Really, given a bit of dedicated time somewhere like an empty carpark practicing (in, out, in , out, left , right, both, in, out, right , left... ad nauseam) for an hour or two its not that hard! It is tedious doing that but think of it as an investment in your cycling pleasure for the future. Once you have done a few hundred in and outs, you'll be sorted.

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sergius | 9 years ago
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You learn something new every day  1

All the pedals I've ever had (a few pairs of shimanos + various flats on the MTB/BMX) have used a spanner, I've not had Look pedals before.

I've never had a problem finding a spanner that fits when changing pedals, but I do happen to have about 40 of the things in my toolkit.

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omikin | 9 years ago
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Just remembered I bought Cycling Plus magazine this month so I have that pedal spanner!

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omikin | 9 years ago
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I have an update:

Last night I fitted the pedals to the bike, and the cleats to the shoes. Then I practiced.

I managed to fall over just getting the bike out of the garden as I had already clipped in one leg. Then I mounted properly and rode about a bit clipping both feet in and out - no problem. I was feeling pretty confident. I then decided to stop and practice going from a standstill. I clipped my right foot out then fell over to the left. Big graze on my left knee, and bruised hand and shoulder. Ouch.

Was more concerned about any damage to the bike / shoes, but they seem fine. Felt really stupid as I clearly hadn't thought it through.

What advice do you guys have about technique to help me develop a good unclipping routine? Do you usually unclip the same side all the time?

Fortunately I work for a wound dressing manufacturer so I have a very expensive and high quality dressing on my knee and it is healing nicely, but obviously if I can limit the amount of falls I would really like that.  1

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Him Up North | 9 years ago
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I first practiced with the bike stationary, one hand against my garage wall, clipping and unclipping without going anywhere. If you have an exercise bike or a turbo trainer that would work too. Only after I felt comfortable with my technique did I (with much trepidation, I have to say) do a few lengths of the road where I live.

Easiest mistake to make is to leave unclipping til it's too late. Panic ensues and it's not uncommon to unclip one foot then lean the wrong way. That split second between realisation and hitting the deck...  102 It's not a crime to unclip in advance; you can pedal one-footed with the foot that is still clipped in if you feel you're coming up short. Anticipation is the key and comes with practice.

Now I've had some experience I unclip the left foot and that is my standing foot. I keep the right foot clipped in for taking off again.

I bear the scars of getting used to clipless pedals too. I've also found myself questioning whether they are for me, but I persevered. Keep going and good luck!

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Suffolk Cycling | 9 years ago
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I've not had a clip-in fall yet, so it can be done. Been one or two near misses, though, including when crossing the finishing line at a sportive in front of dozens of people  1

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jollygoodvelo | 9 years ago
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I once pulled a big skid-to-stop in front of my wife.

While clipped in.

Timmmmbeeerrrrrr.  4

Everyone does it. I'm the worst person in the world at clipping in - just the other day I thought I was in and put "the power" down, only for my foot to slip out and gash my ankle against the pedal...

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