Looking to upgrade from toeclips ... too many choices!

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

I have two road bikes, one kitted for winter use, the other for dry weather use.
Both bikes have cheap pedals + toeclips and have seen about 1500 miles use each,
meaning the pedals are starting to get noisy/buzzy.

I intend to convert both bikes to clipless, but want to fit pedals that can be stamped on
by trainers/shoes occasionally.

What types of pedals/shoes are good value for money at the moment.
I'm not interested in weight/aerodynamics (have a dslr camera in a case mounted on the winter bike).

 

[mip]

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/c...roduct/review-shimano-pd-m520-pedals-12-10611

Picked mine up for £19 as my first clipless pedals. A bit of a revelation. I have Specialized shoes that I am also very happy with.

 

[byegad]

I use Crank Brothers pedals. The mallets have a broad platform and can be ridden without cleats. (They have an eggbeater style centre so you may feel that through a trainer sole.) They use a similar cleat to SPD MTB ones so you'll need SPD compatible shoes. For a smaller pedal I have CB Candy pedals, a smaller platform so less trainer friendly but doable.

 

[PpPete]

Another vote for PD-M520 from me.
The disadvantage of having to wear cleated shoes is more than outweighed by the convenience of double-sided pedals...IMHO

 

[andrew_s]

If you want to be able to walk, you'll need the small SPD style of pedal cleat that fits in a recess in the sole tread. All MTB shoes are like this.
Road shoes have prodtruding cleats that make walking far difficult, and tiled floors a bit precarious.

There are 4 styles of pedal available
a) single sided. These are weighted so the clip side hangs at the right angle for easy access, but you can't pedal much on the reverse side of the pedal. eg A520. All road pedals are like this.
b) double sided. These have clips both sides and are the easiest and quickest to clip into, but trying to pedal when not clipped in or with trainers is prone to your foot slipping off. eg M540
c) clip one side, flat pedal cage the other side. The flat side allows use with normal shoes, but they are slower to get going with because you've got to get the right side of the pedal first. You can often pedal fairly securely with normal shoes on the clip side, but the lump of the clip in the middle makes it uncomfortable for very far. eg M324
d) big cage for support, but clips both sides. Secure enough to use not clipped in or with trainers, but there's the lump with trainers. eg M424

Shimano pedals & Chainreaction used purely for ease of finding links.
FWIW I use Time ATAC Roc, type b

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The new Click'R T400 & T700 pedals from Shimano should be in the mix, double-sided and with reflectors built in, can be used with flat shoes.

 

[andrew_s]

I've not seen those before. Interesting.

It seems that there is a dedicated range of shoes to go with them. Looking at the pictures, it seems that the front reflector sticks up a bit, so the matching shoes may have a wider recess at the front to avoid stamping the reflector off. I'll wait for real use reports.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've not seen those before. Interesting.

It seems that there is a dedicated range of shoes to go with them. Looking at the pictures, it seems that the front reflector sticks up a bit, so the matching shoes may have a wider recess at the front to avoid stamping the reflector off. I'll wait for real use reports.

Have a look at these pictures...

I suspect the new shoes are simply designed to be less "I'M A CYCLIST" and easier to walk in. Not sure it looks to me like stamping that reflector is likely.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Thanks for the help guys, especially andrew_s.

I've just ordered a pair of M324's for my commuter/evening training bike. (Dual mode pedals, ideal for this particular bike).
Also a set of A520's for my weekend road bike.
And some shoes!
Both sets of pedals come with spd cleats.

Once i'm all settled in, i'll probably order a set of M424's for my mountain bike.

 

[guitarpete247]

Another vote for M520's and if you're lucky you may find your local Aldi still has some shoes in your size. I used M520's for a year until I upgraded to SPD-SL's R540's earlier this year.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

22 years since i last used a form of clip-in cycling shoe (the last ones had nylon blocks with a slit that clipped in/on somehow).

 

[GentlyBenevolent]

Don't forget to slacken the clip-in mechanism off until you're used to them - there'll be an allen key adjuster (one for each side on the double-side pedals). It'll make it easier to clip out, which will be useful until it's second nature.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Don't forget to slacken the clip-in mechanism off until you're used to them - there'll be an allen key adjuster (one for each side on the double-side pedals). It'll make it easier to clip out, which will be useful until it's second nature.

Thanks for the tip ... i'll also make sure my first ride on them isn't the commute to work!
(Falling sideways at traffic lights must be "entertaining" for the car drivers waiting behind).

 

[Robwiz]

+1 for M520s – I have them on my road bike and mountain bike.