Spd pedal information please?

shed head

Hi,

Thinking of changing to spds and was looking at these pedals, i like the look of these as one side can be used as flats.

Any opinions appreciated, also, is there much difficulty in transitioning to spds from flats?
Will these pedals fit all road shoes? thanks

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28050

Wishbone Ash

shed head wrote: »

Will these pedals fit all road shoes? thanks

They will be suitable for SPD road shoes/MTB shoes - not SPD SL road shoes.

SPD SL shoes have a larger 3 point platform.

t'bear

I have a similar pair on the bike now, had them a couple of months and as i was skeptical about moving to SPD it was a revelation. I know that sounds like a cliche but it's true. So when it's pi$$ing down rain I wear bog standard trainers on the flat side, same old thing there. For longer spins I use the SPD side, much more comfortable, much easier to keep rhythm and also appears to deliver more efficiency.

Do take your time to setup the tension correctly and practise before going anywhere, you will be surprised how natural it becomes after a while.

I hummed over getting the shoes online, but went to my lbs and fitted a pair there. Cleats come with the pedals.

Best of luck

beazee

shed head wrote: »

is there much difficulty in transitioning to spds from flats?

Loosen the spring as much as possible before you get use to them.

You'll fall down two or three times before you'll learn to unclip at slow speeds, in tight spaces and inbetween pedestrians.

Otherwise you'll be grand.

seven stars

I have those pedals and I think they're great. A bit fiddly to begin with, but you soon get used to them.

Lumen

I had those pedals and hated them. The flat side is quite slippy so I ended up just using the SPD side.

Wishbone Ash

beazee wrote: »

e you'll learn to unclip at slow speeds, in tight spaces and inbetween pedestrians.

With the recessed cleats in SPDs, in difficult stop/start traffic situations you can flip over to the flat side of the pedals - something that can't be done with SPD SLs.

t'bear wrote:

when it's pi$$ing down rain I wear bog standard trainers on the flat side

SPD shoes would be more effective and safer than trainers in rain as your feet wont slip or more around in the pedals.

le petit braquet

Lumen wrote: »

I had those pedals and hated them. The flat side is quite slippy so I ended up just using the SPD side.

+1

if you want a double sided option then Shimano m324s are a better alternative in my opinion

smacl

Lumen wrote: »

I had those pedals and hated them. The flat side is quite slippy so I ended up just using the SPD side.

Similar experience with another single sided SPD. Double sided spds with a cage, such as the M424 work fine as flat pedals with most shoes, as well as being a good cheap clipless option. Not the most elegant perhaps, but very functional on the commuter.

t'bear

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

SPD shoes would be more effective and safer than trainers in rain as your feet wont slip or more around in the pedals.

True, but I am protective of my shoes as they are shiny and new. I dont have those exact pedals and the non spd side is actually quite grippy so not encountered the foot slip/pedal on the back of the leg thwack yet!

Whats trickier though (aka last night) is wearing tesco bags over any shoes!!

com1

The pedals should come with the SPD cleats included so it will just be a case of attaching the cleats to the shoes - the cleats should fit on either a road or mtb shoe.

If you are getting shoes I would recommend MTB shoes as the cleats are recessed so it is easier to walk in them and it is also easier to pedal on the flat side of the pedal - it is no fun skidding off the pedal in road shoes. The SPD shoes and cleats provide less of a platform on the pedal than the SPD-SL but I have not found a noticable difference myself (for spins up to about 70K anyway). So much so that I have swapped the pedals on my road bike to SPDs so I can use either my road shoes (for spins) or mtb shoes (for commuting)

How easy it is to migrate from a flat to an SPD pedal? I found it very straightforward. At this stage I feel uncomfortable on a bike if I am not clipped in, but I would advise that you adjust the clip on the pedal to the loosest setting initially as forgetting to unclip a tight SPD until you have actually stopped will normally result in the slow fall of shame unless you can get out of them really easily and quickly

cdaly_

shed head wrote: »

Hi,

Thinking of changing to spds and was looking at these pedals, i like the look of these as one side can be used as flats.

I didn´t bother with the flats, just went straight for double-sided SPDs. Took no time to get used to unclipping. I´ve been commuting on them for the last 2 or 3 years without a problem.

lizzylad84

having recently made the switch from normal pedals to clipless pedals, i find bbb pedals great, got mine in my lbs and never looked back. a great investment

Canis Lupus

le petit braquet wrote: »

+1

if you want a double sided option then Shimano m324s are a better alternative in my opinion

I have them and they've lasted over 13,000km although the hub on one seemed to release grease after 5,000k but it hasn't seized or anything.

Bear in mind some of the reviews on the pedal are a bit ishy and more so this particular pedal needs a special tool to service the hub that some shops mightn't have.

Otherwise, it's a little heavy but absolutely fine imo.

catch.23

Does anyone know if its possible to get a flat pedal that would clip in and out of a clipless pedal when you need it? I have a vague recollection of seeing one on ebay once but haven't ever managed to find one since.

Darkglasses

catch.23 wrote: »

Does anyone know if its possible to get a flat pedal that would clip in and out of a clipless pedal when you need it? I have a vague recollection of seeing one on ebay once but haven't ever managed to find one since.

They do indeed, I think this is what you're talking about



I have a set, the black bit comes off when you want it to be double-sided, and you can stick it back on when you want the platform. Think they are called Shimano PD-M520s. To be honest, once I got the clipless pedals and shoes I just never went back to flats. I think I've only actually used the flat side once ever. SPDs are very easy to get in and out of anyway, and you can easily get SPD shoes that are perfectly fine for both walking around and cycling. Big big fan of SPDs

catch.23

Darkglasses wrote: »

They do indeed, I think this is what you're talking about



I have a set, the black bit comes off when you want it to be double-sided, and you can stick it back on when you want the platform. Think they are called Shimano PD-M520s. To be honest, once I got the clipless pedals and shoes I just never went back to flats. I think I've only actually used the flat side once ever. SPDs are very easy to get in and out of anyway, and you can easily get SPD shoes that are perfectly fine for both walking around and cycling. Big big fan of SPDs

Thanks, yeah thats exactly what I was on about!!!

Felloffmebike

I'm about to take the plunge and move to clip less. A bit nervous about it. Which is the best option for a novice? SPD or SPD SL. My mate uses Look and swears by them. Or are there pros and cons to all? I quite like the idea of the dual pedal that started this thread. Might get me through the stop/start first mile of my local roads.

Wishbone Ash

Felloffmebike wrote: »

I'm about to take the plunge and move to clip less. A bit nervous about it. Which is the best option for a novice? SPD or SPD SL. My mate uses Look and swears by them. Or are there pros and cons to all? I quite like the idea of the dual pedal that started this thread. Might get me through the stop/start first mile of my local roads.

If your spins do not involve getting off the bike, any walking or heavy traffic/traffic lights you should probably go for the SPD SLs as they are considered to be more efficient. Otherwise you may be better served with the recessed cleats offered by SPDs. Don't worry about the clipping/unclipping bit. You'll get the hang of it within minutes. Before you go out, lean yourself against a wall with your shoulder and practice a few times adjusting the tension if necessary. When you do go out, practise a few more unclips before you have to come to an actual stop. You'll never look back and wonder how you ever cycled without them.

Felloffmebike

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

If your spins do not involve getting off the bike, any walking or heavy traffic/traffic lights you should probably go for the SPD SLs as they are considered to be more efficient. Otherwise you may be better served with the recessed cleats offered by SPDs. Don't worry about the clipping/unclipping bit. You'll get the hang of it within minutes. Before you go out, lean yourself against a wall with your shoulder and practice a few times adjusting the tension if necessary. When you do go out, practise a few more unclips before you have to come to an actual stop. You'll never look back and wonder how you ever cycled without them.

Thanks for that. Where I live the first mile in every direction is traffic, lights, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings etc. So everytime i go for a spin I spend as much time off the bike as on it at the start. I'll check out the SPD as first option.

Maidhci

Can anyone please suggest a light clip pedal set for a road bike - I do not race but do quite long cycles etc etc and wear ordinary running/walking shoes.

I have never used clipless or SPD pedals and would appreciate your suggestions. Any suggestions please. I would prefer not to opt for the dual pedals at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

JMcL

Maidhci wrote: »

Can anyone please suggest a light clip pedal set for a road bike - I do not race but do quite long cycles etc etc and wear ordinary running/walking shoes.

I have never used clipless or SPD pedals and would appreciate your suggestions. Any suggestions please. I would prefer not to opt for the dual pedals at the moment.

If you want to be able to walk about, you're most probably looking at SPD pedals with MTB/touring shoes. If you want a lightweight pedal then Shimano A600s are probably the lightest SPD pedal you'll come across (price has gone down by a fiver or so on Ribble since I bought mine a couple of months ago so great value there at the moment). Very happy with them so far I must say. They wouldn't really be suitable for runners though

Pedals you can clip into from both sides or with one side flat as referenced by the OP can give you a level of comfort if they're your first set, but TBH I initially got a set of BBB pedals with SPD clips on one side, flat on the other, and I never really used the flat side - in fact it became a bit annoying as I was having to look down constantly while trying to clip in to see which side was up

Maidhci

Thanks for your suggestion JMcL - actually, I am getting confused between clip and clipless pedals - what I am looking for are a light flat pedal set that I can attach a toe clip or cage, for a road bike. Sorry about the confusion - my ignorance of these matters!