Shoes and Pedal recommendation

manafana

Hi Guys

Finally think im ready to start clipping in again after few months back in saddle. Was wondering what pedals people would recommend and what shoe and clet to go with it.

Nothing to expensive. Had look at look keo classic on crc, but it seems the look cleats wear out very easily.

slowcyclist

I had Look pedals and cleats, and after a big trip that involved some major hills/mountains, and one complete new set of cleats mid-trip, I decided to go for an SPD cleat with a two-sided pedal - one flat side willwork with regular shoes/runners,and the other side words with the cleat. I chose a SIDI shoe (Dragon 2 SRS) - they are expensive, but really really good. The sizing tends to be small - I use a 44 SIDI shoe where my regular street shoes tend to be 42.

triggermortis

Road shoe cleats wear of you walk on them, so if you're planning on being off the bike at all I'd go for a mountain bike shoe and pedal as the cleats are recessed into the sole of the shoe.
Best bet is to go to a shop where you can try shoes on and get advice and see the different styles

manafana

thanks just getting an idea what to do, i wouldnt be one to walk around to much in shoes as tend to get off bike for no more than 5mins.

johnk123

I use a Look setup and am very happy with them. Easy to walk in if you have to, easy to get in and out of.... overall extremely happy with them and would recommend them to anyone. That said, I haven't tried SPD-SL so can't comment on those. I went through this same debate last month and this is what I decided to go for and am very happy with them!!

Pablo_

Hi, I have the Look Keo classics and i think they are ideal for my use, not too serious but want them to last mountains and sprints if needed. As far as the cleats go, I could be more careful and the cleat wouldn't wear, i had cleat covers before but lost them, i walk alot now on tarmacadam but in my opinion woren cleats don't offer too much problems if not in saddle 4 hours a day etc

smacl

Just moved from M324 SPDs, which are like the pedals that SlowCyclist described, to M424 SDPs, and really like having the clip on both sides along with a platform for when I'm not wearing cycling shoes. Use both with DHB MTB shoes.

All of the above is cheap, and has worked well for me. You're more than welcome to borrow the M324s if you want to try them out, though I reckon the 424s are a better bet if you also want a platform for regular shoes, or M520s for a cheap option without a platform.

manafana

smacl wrote: »

Just moved from M324 SPDs, which are like the pedals that SlowCyclist described, to M424 SDPs, and really like having the clip on both sides along with a platform for when I'm not wearing cycling shoes. Use both with DHB MTB shoes.

All of the above is cheap, and has worked well for me. You're more than welcome to borrow the M324s if you want to try them out, though I reckon the 424s are a better bet if you also want a platform for regular shoes, or M520s for a cheap option without a platform.

i like look of the m424 spds alright, and the dhb shoes look solid, think that suits me as i use the bike for short rides too when i dont want have wear cycling shoes. what, what cleat do i have buy to go with that shoe pedal combo then? il probably buy off wiggle for pedal shoe combo

smacl

manafana wrote: »

what cleat do i have buy to go with that shoe pedal combo then?

You can use either SH51 or SH56 cleats. The SH51 is single release, meaning that you have to twist your ankle outwards to release, the SH56 is multi-release, which means twisting in any direction releases. Being a noob to clipless I went with the SH56 and set a loose tension, which makes getting out very easy indeed. Downside is if you hit a sharp bump you can inadvertently release, though I've never found this to be a problem, even on unpaved surfaces.

From memory, the shoes came with a free set of SH51s. The 424 pedals also came with a set of SH51s and the 324s came with a set of SH56s.

spurscormac

sorry to hijack the thread, just a quick query on buying clipless pedals and shoes...

When you buy the shoes, they don't come with the cleats - I assume this is because you need the ones to match you pedals.
So when you buy the pedals, do they come with cleats to attach to the bottom of the shoes?

Surveyor11

I went with a set of these pedals http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=4257 (sorry, don't know how to shorten a URL!) and a pair of Specialised Trailtraction MTB shoes on my road bike. http://www.specialized.co.uk/au/gb/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=56863&gold_ses= my shoes don't have the lace cover, which I would recommend after having a few tangles!

As other posters said, the SPD cleats are recessed so you can walk in them with no problems. I have the same set of cleats on since January, probably getting a bit worn now but have stood the daily commute, weekend spins and the odd sportive. Mine are the clip outwards type i.e. one way only, which i think lessens the chance of an accidental unclip - so far no disasters. Would second ensuring the tension is loosened on the pedals until you're used to clipping in and out - it becomes second nature after a while. Also, ensure they are kept well oiled with a bit of Mucoff or something like that - helps the sping action which can become harder with rust / road crud. In saying that, for long spins (My max to date around the 100k mark), a set of SPD-SL's and shoes might be better. As I have one bike, and swapping out pedals will wreck the cranks in a fairly short time, the SPD's and Specialised shoes are a good all round compromise for me. All in all I paid about €80 for the shoes and pedals - both were on sale.

smacl

Still quite new to this myself, but both sets of clipless pedals I got came with cleats. From memory, the shoes also came with a set.

Surveyor11

Both shoes and pedals I got came with a set of SH51 (single release) cleats, so have a spare pair.

ednwireland

if your going to wear road cleats and walk any distance get cleat covers

look ones
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-cleat-cover/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=products

same goes for time and speedplay

ive had look cleats for years before needing to replace them

Captain Havoc

Some keo cleats have rubber so you can walk.

slowcyclist

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Some keo cleats have rubber so you can walk.

I changed to Look cleats that had the rubber pieces; they had more lateral play before I could disengage from the pedal, and this was a bit disconcerting. With the amount of walking I was doing, even these wore out eventually.

Thanks smacl - I may move over to the M424 SPDs -I wasn't aware these were available.