clipless pedals

MungoMan

I got a road bike which came with clipless pedals, but I never used them, and they ended up in the bin.

I didnt want to use them because I sometimes use the bike for short trips to the shop, and i might be just wearing a pair of trainers or shoes

I heard today that there is a type of pedal which is clipless on one side, and not clipless on the other......exactly what I want

Can anyone recommend such a pedal, and point me to an example which i can purchase.

Finally, do clipless pedals make a positive difference when on a bike (compared to ordinary uncaged pedals) ?

TinyExplosions

Here you go

Do they make a difference? Well, I wouldn't really cycle anywhere now without some foot retention (toe clips/straps on one bike, 'proper' cleats on the other). It's just more efficient and comfortable

smacl

Been using the ones TinyExplosions linked for the last while now, and find them great. When you get them first I'd loosen the tension way down, while you get used to them and then tighten back up. Getting stuck at lights trying to balance while you're stuck in the pedals is much more freaky than inadvertently unclipping and reclipping when you hit a pot hole or bump at speed. Also, get the other ones out of the bin, and stick them in a drawer for later, chances are you will want them in the future.

Loads of other threads on here about starting out with clipless with some good advice, well worth doing a search.

ThisRegard

Quick question for you smacl, I just happened to be looking at those myself and spotted the link to this thread in the "Assortment of beginners questions..." one, can they take something like these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28933

From the pics of the shimanos it looks like they can, the holes look to be in the right place.

smacl

They'd fit ok, which would leave SPDs on one side and straps on the other. If you go for this though, I'd tend to take the straps of if you're using cleats, as I'm guessing the straps would get in the way. I find with the double sided pedals I tend to clip in the right way most of the time, but still have to flip the pedal over to the other side while cycling a number of times over a long spin. This could be awkward with straps in the way, though the extra weight might mean that the pedals always rest SPD side up.

Not sure of the benefits of having straps when you've got SPDs available, unless you particularly want to arrive at your destination in regular shoes without bringing a spare pair with you. MTB shoes with recessed cleats might be a better solution if this is the issue.

ThisRegard

Sorry, my fault for the misunderstanding, the straps would not be on when wearing cleats, I have a pair of specialized similar to those in your link.

But I'd then have the straps on as I'd be wearing trail runners for example when doing a multi-sport race.