clipless pedals and cleats

leana

hi there, i'm training for a triathlon and i have ordinary pedals with straps but want to make the move to clipless with cleats. is there anything i should be aware of.

had a quick look on ebay and there is a lot of choice out there. what i want to know is are all cleats compatible with all cycling shoes and do different brands of cleats fit different brands of pedals.

i'll probably get the pedals and cleats online but i'll buy the shoes in a local bike shop.

thanks
P

Rusty Cogs 08

There are certainly different cleats for different pedals, as to whether every cycling shoe out there can be fitted with any type of cleat (to match the pedals you've bought) I'm not sure. Nor am I sure if certain types of cleats are more suited to triathletes, certain cleats have more 'play' in them (the freedom to move your foot from side to side on the pedal without disengaging) which may suit a climber more than a time-trialer. Other cleats are very easy to click in and out of (egg beaters) which may not matter to triathletes.

Another consideration for your shoe is it's binding mechanism, i.e. you want to stay away from something requiring lacing (time lost at transition). Again, I'd say the triathlete's out there have preference for certain shoes in this regard.

hunnymonster

not all cleats are compatible with all shoes but many shoes are made to be compatible with several types of pedal systems. The first decision is which type of system you're going to go for. Have a look at
-spd (also called shimano sometimes)
-looks (also called road pedals sometimes)
and make sure you understnad how they work to figure out which is best for you (probably looks for triathlon)
minority pedals include egg beaters and speedplays which are also worth a look but I would stick to the two biggies unless you have a specific reason to go for another type.
http://www.caree.org/bike101cliplesspedals.htm#PedalSystems

I use Keo looks.

MrCreosote

+1 for the Keo looks

I've used the spds as well, but I find the looks great. You get a very satisfying "clunk" when clipping in...

MadHatter

Cleat wise you're looking at 2-bolt pattern (SPDs) or 3-bolt pattern (Road).

SPDs shoes/cleats are easier to walk in and the cleats shed mud better so used mainly for off-road cycling (mountain biking or cyclocross). Only worthwhile considering if you always plan to put the shoes on in the transition and the run out of transition wearing the shoes. You may prefer to do this for the first couple of triathlons but you'll probably progress to leaving the shoes clipped on the bike and running out sans shoes, thus the usefulness of SPDs is lost.

Road bike shoes/cleats are harder to walk in, but it's usually not an issue for triathlons. However, some road systems are easier to walk in that others. E.g. the Time RXS Edge cleats I use are referred to as "cafe cleats" as they one of the easier ones to walk around in. They get a good write up here and may be a good option if you plan to walk/run out of transition in the shoes initially.

Note that cleats are specific to pedals and are supplied with the pedals. When it comes to shoes, a cleat for a 3 bolt system should fit any shoe that supports a 3 bolt system (aka road shoe). So 3-bolt cleats like Look, Time, and SPD-SL (not SPD) should fit any road shoe.

For the shoes themselves, most are either 2-bolt or 3-bolt, although some (such as certain SIDI models) support both options. Your best bet is a tri specific shoe, generally one wide velco closure that opens outwards (so it doesn't get stuck in the chainrings if left on the bike) and other tri-specific features. Probably best to buy these in a shop as fit so you can get the best fit.

(You can tell I was shoe shopping recently )

leana

thanks madhatter, did you ever think of becoming one of those personal shoppers for cycling gear:D

from what you say and what i've seen on the interweb the cleats should come with the pedals when i buy them.... i think. would that be right?

in a bike shop recently and the girl behind the counter seemed to be trying to sell me cleats seperately.

P

MadHatter

leana wrote: »

thanks madhatter, did you ever think of becoming one of those personal shoppers for cycling gear:D

Sounds like a great job, sign me up!

leana wrote: »

from what you say and what i've seen on the interweb the cleats should come with the pedals when i buy them.... i think. would that be right?

in a bike shop recently and the girl behind the counter seemed to be trying to sell me cleats seperately.
P

Yes, you're right, cleats come with the pedals. Spare cleats are available for replacing the originals when they wear out or for a second pair of shoes.