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Beginner’s advice on pedals & shoes?

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  • January 29, 2014 at 2:20 pm #20597
    parksey

    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.

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  • January 31, 2014 at 1:33 pm #771071
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    Chuck

    Simon E wrote:Chuck wrote:If

    Simon E wrote:
    Chuck wrote:
    If I’m honest I probably went for SLs because of some vague ‘it’s the rules’ roadie thing.

    Which is why I automatically consider anyone who cites this kind of made-up ‘rule’ as an ignorant fool whose opinion is worthless.

    If I’m reading you right here then you won’t mind if I leap to my own conclusions about you and your opinions.

    January 31, 2014 at 1:07 pm #771069
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    Simon E

    Chuck wrote:If I’m honest I

    Chuck wrote:
    If I’m honest I probably went for SLs because of some vague ‘it’s the rules’ roadie thing.

    Which is why I automatically consider anyone who cites this kind of made-up ‘rule’ as an ignorant fool whose opinion is worthless.

    January 31, 2014 at 1:04 pm #771067
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    parksey

    Chuck wrote:If I’m honest I

    Chuck wrote:
    If I’m honest I probably went for SLs because of some vague ‘it’s the rules’ roadie thing.

    This does play on my mind a little, but then I try not to be “that” sort of cyclist and the overwhelming consensus on here seems to be that regular SPDs are absolutely fine anyway.

    My thinking is that I see how I get on with SPDs, and if my riding changes to such an extent that I feel an upgrade to SLs to be necessary, I can change them then. From what a lot of people have said on here though, that need may never arise.

    January 31, 2014 at 12:12 pm #771065
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    allez neg

    One thing to consider is the
    One thing to consider is the construction of the shoes too – I have a pair of old Shimano leisure mtb shoes and while they look quite conventional they weigh a ton and are both porous and absorbent, so overall they’re a bit shit, really.

    I also have some Specialized mtb ones that look a lot like road shoes with velcro fastening. They’re significantly lighter, cooler in the summer and dry out a hell of a lot quicker. Much better.

    January 31, 2014 at 12:00 pm #771063
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    Shades

    I run SPDs (+ compatible
    I run SPDs (+ compatible Shimano shoes) on my road bike and agree with all the SPD comments above. I use SPDs on my MTB, Hybrid (combo pedals) and thought I needed road cleats when I got my road bike. LBS advised SPDs and I’ve been 100% happy. Borrowed a bike/shoes a while back with road cleats and walking around on them off the bike was a nightmare.

    January 31, 2014 at 10:49 am #771061
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    gdmor10

    I ride SPD SLs on my road
    I ride SPD SLs on my road bike and SPDs on my winter/commuter hydrid but I can remember using double toe straps and leather boots with a slot in the cleat

    Agree with the comments on SPDs, if you are riding in traffic then they are safer, easier to get in and out of with minimal loss of benefit. Certainly the best starting point then change later once more confident.

    Remember, everyone falls off at least once when they start to use them, the key is to anticipate and clip out a bit earlier than you think. SPDs make that easier

    January 31, 2014 at 10:31 am #771059
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    Chuck

    I’ve got SPD-SLs on my road
    I’ve got SPD-SLs on my road bike at the moment, but if I were buying again now I’d probably go for SPDs instead.
    If I’m honest I probably went for SLs because of some vague ‘it’s the rules’ roadie thing. I think for most people the actual performance difference when you’re in the saddle is basically zero, and SPDs are better in pretty much every other respect.
    I won’t be binning my SLs anytime soon, but I were starting from scratch that’s the route I’d go. And I wouldn’t even consider commuting on SLs.

    January 31, 2014 at 9:27 am #771057
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    parksey

    Jack Osbourne snr wrote:(The

    Jack Osbourne snr wrote:
    (The reality though is that I’m the cycling version of Imelda Marcos)

    =))

    I do like this!

    January 31, 2014 at 9:25 am #771055
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    parksey

    I’m liking the look of those
    I’m liking the look of those A600 pedals, not least because they can actually be had for around the £50 mark, being what I broadly had in mind to pay for a reasonable set of first clipless pedals. That said, the A520 ones for half the price do look like an absolute bargain.

    As I’ve been riding with toe-clips for a couple of months, I have already developed a knack for flicking the unclipped pedal round when setting off, so I wonder whether a single-sided pedal will be such an issue?

    I guess it brings the discussion round to shoes…

    I have to admit that I do prefer the trainer-like style of the MTB-oriented shoes over the more football-boot aesthetic of proper road shoes, these recently-reviewed ones on here seem decent.

    http://road.cc/content/review/100233-bontrager-evoke-mountain-shoe

    January 31, 2014 at 9:23 am #771053
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    VeloPeo

    drmatthewhardy wrote:Shimano

    drmatthewhardy wrote:
    Shimano RT82 shoes take SPD cleats and look like a road shoe, so you won’t attract comments from the roadies and the Rules…

    Having wide feet I find Shimano cripple me on longer rides. Specialized are the ones to go for if you’re slightly wider of foot – their lower end road shoes also have fittings for both 2 hole (SPD style) and 3 hole (roadie style) cleats

    January 31, 2014 at 9:23 am #771051
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    VeloPeo

    drmatthewhardy wrote:Shimano

    drmatthewhardy wrote:
    Shimano RT82 shoes take SPD cleats and look like a road shoe, so you won’t attract comments from the roadies and the Rules…

    Having wide feet I find Shimano cripple me on longer rides. Specialized are the ones to go for if you’re slightly wider of foot – their lower end road shoes also have fittings for both 2 hole (SPD style) and 3 hole (roadie style) cleats

    January 30, 2014 at 11:00 pm #771049
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    matthewn5

    Shimano RT82 shoes take SPD
    Shimano RT82 shoes take SPD cleats and look like a road shoe, so you won’t attract comments from the roadies and the Rules…

    January 30, 2014 at 8:44 pm #771047
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    Simon E

    @movingtarget – yes, the
    @movingtarget – yes, the A520s are single-sided SPDs. You need to get the knack of gently flicking the pedal before clipping in so not as convenient but I like mine. Shimano A600 (http://road.cc/16799) are a slightly lighter version.

    January 30, 2014 at 8:03 pm #771045
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    Sniffer

    I have used Shimano A520s on
    I have used Shimano A520s on my commuting bike for the last 5 or 6 years. They were my first experience of clipless pedals and they have been reliable, maintenance free and feel very stable with the relatively big platform. I have not found the one sided design a big deal. They are great value at £25.

    You will need a little practice and yes most of us have fallen over at some point on the early days. It is worth the effort to learn though. Recessed cleats are by far the most sensible if you walk more than a few steps around your ride.

    I do have SPD-SLs on my ‘best bike’. I like the feel of them, but they are less practical. It also an investment as I ended up with two pairs of shoes and winter boots.

    Start with SPDs and there is no compelling reason to make a leap to anything else. I have not tried Speedplays though.

    January 30, 2014 at 7:51 pm #771043
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    Jack Osbourne snr

    Mtb pedals and shoes are
    Mtb pedals and shoes are probably fine up to Cat3 racer level. If you don’t race then don’t even consider road pedals as they have no practical advantages and one major flaw ie lack of walkability and several other minor ones such as being harder to clip into and being harder to set up to avoid knee issues.

    I switched from Look (after years of slipping and sliding off the bike) to Crank Brothers Candy and mtb shoes and do thousands of miles every year on them. The commuter has the same pedals as the audax bike which technically means I only need one pair of shoes for everything. (The reality though is that I’m the cycling version of Imelda Marcos)

    I have bog standard shoes and boots for commuting and carbon soled jobs for “performance” riding. In my experience, at a non-competitive level the stiffness of the shoe makes more difference than whether it’s a road or mtb pedal.

    Aesthetics are perhaps a factor, in that road pedals may look prettier, but that’s really the only reason to go down the road pedal line for 90% of people who ride road bikes.

    I can also recommend Time Atac mtb pedals as several people I know swear by them.

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