Clpless pedals- whick ones?

[Tharg2007]

Here is my dilemma

I fancy getting some clipless pedals for my new bike, however I don't want to spend loads of money because I might want a second pair for my other bike, obviously it would make sense to get the same type otherwise I would need two pairs of shoes and this makes it all very expensive. Plus if I dont like them then I havent wasted my money, and should I buy cheap crap and find I do like the clipless world then I will have to buy twice to get a better model/brand.

So, whats the best clipless pedal for a budget.

My needs are for commuting/road use.

 

[domtyler]

If it is for a road bike then I would recomend road specific pedals and shoes, you will benefit a lot from the increase in efficiency over the MTB specific SPD type pedals. That said, many people do like SPD's if they are not so confident on the bike as they are a little easier to get used to.

 

[Tharg2007]

yea, definitely want to get the road shoes as they are less bulky and offer a stiffer sole. Just undecided on pedals.
Was thinking about trying to snag some used eggbeaters on ebay as you can swap the pedals round to get a wider release angle for ease of use.

 

[domtyler]

I haven't used egg beaters myself, I have always used Ultegra SPD-SLs. The 105's are identical though but probably weigh 0.05 grammes more!

It is definitely a good idea to have the same pedals on all your bikes so you only need one pair of shoes.

 

[John the Monkey]

The key (imo) is how much you need to walk in the shoes.

If you ride for more than an hour or so, road shoes/pedals make sense, and I reckon there's a fair difference in the comfort and efficiency they provide. (Much under that time and I don't think it's as significant). however, I wouldn't like to waddle much more than 100yds or so in road shoes and cleats.

For me, because my commute includes a walk through the railway station, and a walk to the beginning of the cycle path on the way home, I use SPDs, with M520 pedals.

At weekends, the M520s come off, and the bike gets 2nd hand (scuffed, but functional) Ultegra PD6610 SPD-SL pedals fitted, and I wear Shimano R075 road shoes for my long ride(s).

My M520 pedals and MT41 shoes were £50 all in from Merlin Cycles (new).

My road pedals were £5, shoes were £20ish and I got two pairs of SPD-SL cleats (and some R540 SPD-SL(?) - wanted the cleats really, and bought this bundle as cleats seemed to be at least £12 a pair) for £18, all on ebay.

If I had to choose one system, it would be the SPDs, largely because of the walking I have to do on the commute. If I still had my old commute (door to door pretty much by bike) I'd use SPD-SL.

I compared the two systems in a post here, for what it's worth.

 

[Tharg2007]

from what i can see in phtos the spd sl's look quite bulky under the foot so walking might be an issue, however I just ride to work and back, no walking.
One thing i noticed is that the spd's and the eggbeaters have less "flat" surface area and this would make it very difficult to pedal with normal shoes, so very thief proof, you could conceivably pedal off with spd sl's with only some discomfort.

 

[John the Monkey]

One thing i noticed is that the spd's and the eggbeaters have less "flat" surface area and this would make it very difficult to pedal with normal shoes, so very thief proof, you could conceivably pedal off with spd sl's with only some discomfort.

I do sometimes see the local students pedalling in flat shoes on road pedals - I'm never sure if they've bought a 2nd hand bike and just assumed it had some sort of posh cyclists pedal on it (whilst not knowing about cleats), or are weekend racers without pedal spanners...

 

[domtyler]

One thing that seems to have been missed is that SPD-SL cleats have a built in 'pontoon' to allow you to walk in them. I have actually walked miles in mine, it is fine once you get used to it. I think this may be the bulky bit that you refer to. This contrasts with, say, Looks that will have you sliding all over the place if you try to walk in those.

 

[Joe24]

I have Shimano 15 SPD-SL pedals. The cleats are easy to walk in, easier then Look Keo cleats and i think give you more grip on slippy-ish surfaces. But really i dont think you can walk long distnces in road shoes and cleats. You do get used to walking in them though.
The ones i have are really good. They are better then the Look Keos to clip and un clip.
I have cycled(around campsites and shrt-ish distances) with normal trainers and road pedals. The Keos i think were more grippy, but the 105's are wider and more stable. It feels very strange to ride in them though, not as stable as when you are clipped in obviously.
I have been told not to get egg beaters by the LBS because i would break them. I've heard about them breaking alot aswell.
If i am right, all the Shimano cleats are the same? So you could have a nice set on one bike and a cheaper set of pedals on the other and use the same shoes. But then i could be wrong about the cleats?

 

[John the Monkey]

One thing that seems to have been missed is that SPD-SL cleats have a built in 'pontoon' to allow you to walk in them.

The coloured bits? (They're yellow on mine, and red on the ones without float). I doff my cap to you if you can walk comfortably in them, I don't think I can/could (maybe my SPDs have made me lazy).

 

[Nick1979]

OK but apart from walking, what are the differences when cycling? I've heard Time are good because they have lateral float as well (you can adjust the Q factor to your liking), is it useful?

 

[John the Monkey]

I've only ever used SPDs and SPD-SLs.

SPDs are fine, but the relatively small area of pressure means that they can get uncomfortable over a long time (I don't like pedalling with mine for much over 50 minutes-an hour).

SPD-SLs spread the pressure over a wider area (the cleat is much larger) and I find them much more comfortable once I pass an hour in the saddle.

Subjectively, the SPD-SL cleats and pedals seem to apply power more efficiently too (I've a feeling that the wide area in the pedal means less flex, but no hard data to back that assertion up).

 

[mootaineer]

yea, definitely want to get the road shoes as they are less bulky and offer a stiffer sole. Just undecided on pedals.
Was thinking about trying to snag some used eggbeaters on ebay as you can swap the pedals round to get a wider release angle for ease of use.

I used to use EggBeaters on my MTBs and Quattros on my singlespeeds but have now switched to Time ATACs for all of them.
The standard Eggbeaters were bulletproof (though they did quite often give you some scuffed shins if you missed the engagement).

I've changed to the TIME pedals for several reasons:
1) I didn't want a road sole because I'm frequently walking around
2) The Quattros were very unreliable...(after having 2 pairs) both had problems so that the pedals stayed attached to my cleats, leaving just the sharp spindle threaded to the crank!
Both times I was taken by surprise, once along Victoria Enbankment and once along the Finchley Road.

After that I lost confidence in them (I nursed the bike home being careful not to stand on the pedals).
Crank Bros (when I spoke to them at a cycling exhibition) were happy to fix them for free but I wasn't interested anymore.

The ATACs (XS model, not the Alium) have much better engagement and after using them for over 8 months I've had no problems whatsoever.

Anyway...if you're thinking about Quattros I'd avoid, based on my experience.

 

[Plax]

I've only ever used SPDs and SPD-SLs.

SPDs are fine, but the relatively small area of pressure means that they can get uncomfortable over a long time (I don't like pedalling with mine for much over 50 minutes-an hour).

SPD-SLs spread the pressure over a wider area (the cleat is much larger) and I find them much more comfortable once I pass an hour in the saddle.

Subjectively, the SPD-SL cleats and pedals seem to apply power more efficiently too (I've a feeling that the wide area in the pedal means less flex, but no hard data to back that assertion up).

That's interesting. If I do a longish ride of over an hour then my left foot tends to get a tingling type feeling. I thought it was my positioning, so I tweaked the cleat position and saddle and it is a lot better, but sometimes still get that tingling if I cycle for a long time, but always just with that foot.

 

[Chris James]

I can comfortably pedal all day in SPDs without any problems, so it shows that we are all different.