Hybrid bike SPD clips and shoes advice?

Lazairus

Hello

I was wondering what are the best SPDS for touring bike.

I have no idea ?!, what is the best shoes to buy?


best brand :? crank bros , shimano , etc

something that you can get easily out of and walk around on.

thanks

CH

**Timbuk2**

SPDs are a brand - they are Shimanos! WHat you mean is clipless pedals!

For a hybrid bike, I'd go with mountain bike pedals - the cleats are much smaller and can be recessed so you can walk.

I have the Shimano M520 pedals. They aren't expensive yet they are quite good!

Get whichever shoes feel comfortable - try a few in your Local Bike Shop - if you are getting ones to suit SPD pedals, like the one above, then you should get mountain bike shoes. They look something like this on the bottom - the cleat is recessed into the shoe, so you can walk without the cleat protruding - very convenient!

I got these MTB shoes in my Local Bike Shop and find them great, but there are tonnes of different brands - Specialized, Sidi, Shimano, etc.

Note: Cleats always come with the pedals, so you don't need to worry about buying those separately. Make sure that the shoe is designed to take the cleat, though. Ask here if you're unsure, a lot of users here can tell you in seconds. With MTB style pedals (There are a lot more than SPD, although SPD are the most common for MTB) you need a 2-bolt pattern. Road pedals are larger, have much larger cleats (that don't allow for recessing into the shoe and thus make walking more difficult) and need a 3-bolt pattern. Some shoes, usually road shoes, actually allow road cleats OR MTB cleats, but are not recessed (remember, the recessing makes walking easier, and actually prevents the cleats from wearing as fast)

Lazairus

Thanks for the speedy reply,


I will do.


thanks again

CH

Headdy

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

SPDs are a brand - they are Shimanos! WHat you mean is clipless pedals!

For a hybrid bike, I'd go with mountain bike pedals - the cleats are much smaller and can be recessed so you can walk.

I have the Shimano M520 pedals. They aren't expensive yet they are quite good!

Get whichever shoes feel comfortable - try a few in your Local Bike Shop - if you are getting ones to suit SPD pedals, like the one above, then you should get mountain bike shoes. They look something like this on the bottom - the cleat is recessed into the shoe, so you can walk without the cleat protruding - very convenient!

I got these MTB shoes in my Local Bike Shop and find them great, but there are tonnes of different brands - Specialized, Sidi, Shimano, etc.

Note: Cleats always come with the pedals, so you don't need to worry about buying those separately. Make sure that the shoe is designed to take the cleat, though. Ask here if you're unsure, a lot of users here can tell you in seconds. With MTB style pedals (There are a lot more than SPD, although SPD are the most common for MTB) you need a 2-bolt pattern. Road pedals are larger, have much larger cleats (that don't allow for recessing into the shoe and thus make walking more difficult) and need a 3-bolt pattern. Some shoes, usually road shoes, actually allow road cleats OR MTB cleats, but are not recessed (remember, the recessing makes walking easier, and actually prevents the cleats from wearing as fast)

Does this mean that when you pop to the shops you need to wear the shoes or is there any comffort with you pedals in say just a pair of runners?

blorg

You can't really cycle comfortably with normal shoes on SPDs. A km or two, sure, but not comfortably. You can get pedals that are flat one side, SPD the other, but I really don't like them personally... They take away one of the main benefits of double sided SPDs and are more difficult to clip into. You can get MTB shoes that are perfectly walkable; I have been wearing Shimano sandals for 7-8 months straight now as my only shoes.

smacl

I went with Shimano M324 being new to clipless. These are clip in on one side and flat on the other, so you can ride comfortably with or without cleats. They are also multi-release, which makes them easier to get out of for those new to clipless, such as myself. Note single sided some times makes clipping in a bit slower, as you need to flip the pedal to the right side, but I found this becomes instinctive very quickly. Also, when you first get them, I find it makes sense to set them to there loosest tension to make getting out very easy, and then increase the tension as you get used to them.

You can fit the cleats to any SPD compatible shoes, so I'd tend to go with an MTB shoe with recessed cleats that is comfy for walking in off the bike.

**Timbuk2**

Headdy wrote: »

Does this mean that when you pop to the shops you need to wear the shoes or is there any comffort with you pedals in say just a pair of runners?

I've done it before, but it's not all that comfortable with normal shoes! The pedal is actually quite small, so it tends to press into your foot more. If you're wearing the shoes, they feel perfectly comfortable - actually it doesn't feel as if there's a pedal, it just feels as if you're moving feet are doing the work!

There is a type of pedal that is double sided and yet allows normal shoes, which I considered getting (but didn't!). Something like the Shimano M424s or the Shimano M545s.

I've never used that type of pedal, but have heard good and bad things about it. They are basically the same as normal clipless pedals but a cage around them to give support for your non-cleated shoes. When you step on them, the actual part where the cleat engages is pressed down flat by your foot. They are double sided so easy to engage into. However, they're not the best looking pedal under the sun!