Cleats, clips or better pedals??

[MancRider78]

Hi all,

Having spent a fortnight commuting, 15.5mpd, I am finding that the pedals on my bike, shop standards, are very slippy in the wet. Is it worth looking at cleats, or would clips or just a better pair of pedals be the answer?

Thanks for the info.

 

[wafflycat]

The day I started using clipless pedals is the day I wondered why I hadn't started using them years ago.

 

[MajorMantra]

Clipless are the best option for efficiency and comfort. Toeclips and straps work fine but aren't quite as nice. The other option is grippier flat pedals but IMO it's definitely worth going clipless.

Why not pop down to Lidl next week and get some cycling shoes for £16.99? Then you just need some Shimano M520s for £20 new on ebay and you're sorted.

Matthew

 

[HLaB]

Clipless is certainly the way to go, as you've already hinted at as well as the efficiency benefits there a lot more sure footed (to use a pun) than plain pedals in the wet.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

could someone explain the difference between all these words (simply) to me?

Is there anything that you can do to improve existing pedals / shoes (not cycling specific) without needing to get special cycle shoes & matching pedals?

I don't really fancy getting special pedals which require special shoes if I'm just nipping to the shops in my 'normal' clothes....

 

[gaz]

you could just get a wider pedal that is metal and has good grip (genreally means they are spikey or hsve metal pins sticking out) this are good for grip in the wet, but no doubt getting cleats is a huge step up.

 

[HLaB]

could someone explain the difference between all these words (simply) to me?

Is there anything that you can do to improve existing pedals / shoes (not cycling specific) without needing to get special cycle shoes & matching pedals?

I don't really fancy getting special pedals which require special shoes if I'm just nipping to the shops in my 'normal' clothes....

An inbetween is fitting toe straps to you're bike, I use to have the type which are just cages (no actual straps), something like these.

 

[nigelnorris]

I have the straps/clips that came stock on my bike, nice to wear with trainers. I find them comfortable and effective so far. Is there enough of a difference using clipless to justify the expense of new pedals and shoes to a buget conscious consumer?

 

[gaz]

I have the straps/clips that came stock on my bike, nice to wear with trainers. I find them comfortable and effective so far. Is there enough of a difference using clipless to justify the expense of new pedals and shoes to a buget conscious consumer?

short answer - yes. long answer - yes!

 

[marinyork]

There is a huge bias towards clipless pedals on this forum, much larger than in real life. That said, they are great .

I have the straps/clips that came stock on my bike, nice to wear with trainers. I find them comfortable and effective so far. Is there enough of a difference using clipless to justify the expense of new pedals and shoes to a buget conscious consumer?

No.

 

[Cubist]

could someone explain the difference between all these words (simply) to me?

Is there anything that you can do to improve existing pedals / shoes (not cycling specific) without needing to get special cycle shoes & matching pedals?

I don't really fancy getting special pedals which require special shoes if I'm just nipping to the shops in my 'normal' clothes....

Savage
Three basic pedal options. 1st is to use the flat cage pedals most bikes come with as standard. They work, are simple and uncomplicated. Best way to get the most out of them is to try them with different shoes you already have, but a soft ish trainer will give best grip, at the expense of comfort (you feel the pedal throught the sole at times) and efficiency (your foot flexes as you pedal)
2. Toeclips and straps. You can buy any number of aftermarket add-ons, the most basic being simple nylon clips that go on the front of your standard pedal, holding your foot in the right position, and giving some more efficiency to the pedalling stroke. Add straps to those, which effectively bind your foot to the pedal, which in simple terms means you can pull upwards on the upstroke, adding more pedalling efficiency. A bit old school, but efficient and don't mean the extra outlay for specialist shoes.
3. Clipless systems (referred to above as Cleats) There a loads of different versions, but basically the pedal itself has a sprung clamping system, and your specific cycling shoe has compatible metal cleats which are screwed into the sole and engage with the clamps onthe pedals. Worth the extra outlay if you can afford the systems, because the shoes themselves tend to have stiffer soles for best power transfer, and you can pull backwards as well as upwards on the pedals thereby offering greater efficiency.

 

[simon_brooke]

could someone explain the difference between all these words (simply) to me?

Is there anything that you can do to improve existing pedals / shoes (not cycling specific) without needing to get special cycle shoes & matching pedals?

I don't really fancy getting special pedals which require special shoes if I'm just nipping to the shops in my 'normal' clothes....

I have the straps/clips that came stock on my bike, nice to wear with trainers. I find them comfortable and effective so far. Is there enough of a difference using clipless to justify the expense of new pedals and shoes to a buget conscious consumer?

OK, the bottom line is this: 10% more power out for the same amount of power in. That's a lot. It's the biggest single improvement to efficiency you can make on a bike short of borrowing Sam Whittingham's ride.

If you're doing any distance and especially if you have any hills to climb it's a complete no-brainer. You go faster, and further for less work; and (apart from the regulation one prat-fall that everyone has before unclipping becomes automatic) there really isn't any downside.

As to cost, Lidl and Aldi often sell very low price pedals and shoes; but good shoes last a long time.

 

[nigelnorris]

OK, the bottom line is this: 10% more power out for the same amount of power in. That's a lot.

Is that a reply to my comment? Because I don't see where the efficiency comes from over clips and straps? They're done up nice and tight so I still get vertical and horizontal power transfer.

I can certainly see a convenience there, and imagine that clipping up is easier and quicker on a clipless pair of pedals once you're used to it.

[Mind you looking at one of the myriad other clipless threads it looks like 40 quid for lidl shoes and 520s might be worth a gamble to find out first hand.]

 

[monnet]

Unless your your strapped pedals come complete with old style shoes with plates on the bottom you won't get the same stability on the pedal. I guess differences vary between the type of pedal system you use. As a roadie using SPD-SL's, carbon soles etc. the difference is vast; for the budget concious, leisure cyclist the difference won't be as great. regardless of the clipless system you use, the shoes will be stiffer in the sole allowing more of your power to be translated into the pedals.

Another advantage over straps is that if you fall off you are immediately detached from the bike. If your straps are tightened then it's going to hurt a hell of a lot more as your leg is twisted to the direction of the fall. My old man broke his femur in this manner on a commute home nearly 30 years ago.

 

[Flying Dodo]

When I first got back into cycling 4 or 5 years ago I used toeclips and then after a year went clipless. My average speed went up by just over 1 mph, so it's definitely worth switching.