Pedals for women

[brokenflipflop]

I've just bought my wife a bike a road bike and I'm just getting it ready for her to use. With her being a women and all what kind of pedals do you think I should get for her. I don't want her to be nervous and I'm worried that if I put some Look easy's or SPD's on it it might put her right off.

Should I put some normal flat pedals on at first or just go for it and hope she gets used to it. I have already got her some shoes that will accept both types of cleats so she's good to go but now I'm getting second thoughts. Tried to talk to her about it last night but she was dashing off for a spray tan and a strapless bra while I made tea.

Advice appreciated.

 

[upsidedown]

Why not get the ones that are SPD one side and flat on the other ?

 

[fimm]

No such thing as female specific pedals.
If she's never ridden a road bike before, then clipless is an additional thing to get used to. My experience was that I appreciated having flat pedals to start with, and then going on to clipless once I'd got more used to the bike.
<feminist rant mode>None of this has anything to do with gender, it would apply equally to a male who was new to a road bike</feminist rant mode> (Can't quite work out of the OP was serious or fishing...)

 

[Brandane]

Why not get the ones that are SPD one side and flat on the other ?

+1

I've got these on a Tricross and a Secteur. Very rarely use the SPD side because I prefer the flats, but it is there if I ever need them.... If you DO buy these, I suggest you give the pins a quick tighten when you get them or you might lose one of them. How do I know this?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=52885

 

[Crackle]

Impossible to say without telling us more about her riding.

 

[Alun]

No such thing as female specific pedals.
If she's never ridden a road bike before, then clipless is an additional thing to get used to. My experience was that I appreciated having flat pedals to start with, and then going on to clipless once I'd got more used to the bike.
<feminist rant mode>None of this has anything to do with gender, it would apply equally to a male who was new to a road bike</feminist rant mode> (Can't quite work out of the OP was serious or fishing...)

The bit about the strapless bra is gender specific, but I couldn't see what that had to do with pedals!

 

[Bicycle]

I'm not sure gender is an issue with pedals.

Clipless pedals are just a slightly funky thing to get used to whatever your gender. Some people also find they induce a sort of self-fulfilling expectation of a hurty fall. This is not uncommon in men, women, boys and girls. Expect initial resistance to them and don't rush things by buying some and getting sort of 'blokey' about nudging her towards using them. Apparently we do that....

My children (girl, boy, boy) all started to ride clipless between 10 and 15. Gender was not an issue. The girl was the fasted to adapt and adopt.

My wife (who is a woman) rides a Pinarello road bike but simply can't accept that clipless pedals are for her. This is not a gender issue. She uses cheapo plastic flat pedals. She likes them. She may come over to clipless, but it will happen (if it happens) in her own time.

I'd leave it with flats if I were you. It sounds as if your wife may be about to ride her first road bike as an adult, so there will be enough to get used to:

Her saddle will feel as if it raises her bottom higher than her shoulders.
She'll feel as though her whole weight is on her wrists.
The brake levers will feel foreign and the gearchange illogical.
Every time she brakes, she'll think she's going over the bars and every time she blinks she'll think she's going to slam into the kerb. After years on only an MTB or a hybrid, a road bike feels strange enough without introducing new pedal systems.

If (or when) she decides she'd like to try clipless, I'd avoid Look initially. They are lovely to ride with but are not always friendly when putting a foot down. The shoes can feel funny to walk in. They have more 'otherness' than most new users will want.

Cheapo Spuds are probably the thing. Easy to clip in and out and a nice platform.

If clipping in is hard (as it was initially for one of my children who is mildly dyspraxic) I found Crank Bros Candy pedals very good.

On a related theme, my wife is thinking of getting me a vacuum cleaner and some saucepans for Christmas. Can anyone advise me on brands and models that would be good for a man?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

On a related theme, my wife is thinking of getting me a vacuum cleaner and some saucepans for Christmas. Can anyone advise me on brands and models that would be good for a man?

Yep. I hear the Dyson cordless are great - the charge lasts only 5 minutes!

 

[brokenflipflop]

Sorry, yeah. My wifes a bit of a girly girl and not too sporty. I got her a mountain bike with normal pedals which she is really comfortable on. When I relatively recently went clipless and had a couple of falls due to forgetting I was clipped in, hurting myself and looking a pillock, falling off didn't really bother me but it might put my wife off and I was just wondering what everyone thinks. If my wife has a bad experience she's not the type to persevere, she'll just jack it in and I'd like her to cycle with me. The bit about the strapless bra isn't gender specific because she was buying it for me because we're going to a vicars/tarts party and I'm going as a tart.

I wasn't aware you could get spd one side and flat on 'tother, but if you have the spd cleats under the shoe, would that not give a poor contact on the flat side or am I being thick.

 

[brokenflipflop]

+1

I've got these on a Tricross and a Secteur. Very rarely use the SPD side because I prefer the flats, but it is there if I ever need them.... If you DO buy these, I suggest you give the pins a quick tighten when you get them or you might lose one of them. How do I know this?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=52885

Oh right yeah, sorry I didn't notice the link. I think I get it. You can wear normal trainers and just use the flat side and use spd cleats and just use the spd side.

That sounds good I think I'll get those they seem just the job.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Silver Fox]

Stick with flat pedals if that's what she's comfortable with.

 

[Brandane]

I wasn't aware you could get spd one side and flat on 'tother, but if you have the spd cleats under the shoe, would that not give a poor contact on the flat side or am I being thick.

Are you talking about wearing SPD shoes, and then riding on the flat side of the pedal? I sometimes wear MTB shoes with recessed cleats so you can use them perfectly well on the flat side. Proper road shoes (which I do not possess so could be wrong) might be a different story. Most of the time it's just trainers and pedals on flat side for me. The pins give excellent grip on the pedals.

 

[Crackle]

I wouldn't bother with spd. Flats or flats with half toe-clips, the latter is what my wife prefers.

 

[brokenflipflop]

Are you talking about wearing SPD shoes, and then riding on the flat side of the pedal? I sometimes wear MTB shoes with recessed cleats so you can use them perfectly well on the flat side. Proper road shoes (which I do not possess so could be wrong) might be a different story. Most of the time it's just trainers and pedals on flat side for me. The pins give excellent grip on the pedals.

I've only just purchased some of those DHB road shoes off wiggle. They will accept both look and spd cleats but unlike MTB shoes they are not recessed at all so I doubt they would be any good on the flat side.

At least my wife can either wear trainers and use the flat side or use the DHB's and use the spd side. Failing that I suppose I could always buy some MTB shoes so there would be no need to swap shoes at all.

Complicated this cycling lark isn't it ?

 

[brokenflipflop]

I wouldn't bother with spd. Flats or flats with half toe-clips, the latter is what my wife prefers.

She has something very similar on her mountain bike which she finds perfectly OK. She's out with her mates tonight so what I'll do is tomorrow when she's eaten her breakfast that I've made her I'll see if she'd like to give her shoes a try, then trainers then I could even take the ones off her MTB and see which ones she prefers.