Dublin city commute advice - to cleat or not!

jon1981

Hi,

I'm going to start cycling into work on the bike. The cycle is only 6-7km from Clontarf to the Camden st area.

I have cleats and spd-sl pedal type, would I be mad to stick with those or should I swap them for normal cheap and cheerful pedals? I'm thinking with all the lights and stopping i'd wear through the cleats in no time, not to mention that likelihood of sudden stops!

what you reckon?

Alanstrainor

I switched to these after toying with the same idea as you:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/shimano-pd-t420-click-r-clipless-mtb-pedals/rp-prod108681

And I was glad I did. Have never had issues, however they are easier to get out of. That being said, if you are used to clipless then I see no reason for that to be a concern. As for wear and tear, I'm not too sure...

I like being secure in the pedals, not worrying when it rains that my feet will slip off the pedals. And it allows me to put the power down easier.

BTW, my commute is 11km from Rathfarnham to Fairview, have had the pedals maybe 6 months or so.

CramCycle

Go for it,

Also cleat wear is a good reason to practice track standing like a pro :cool:

eeeee

I commuted in SPD-SL's until November, I much prefer being clipped in. No insecure foot slippage, and my cleats are still going strong.

My trackstands have not improved. And by not improved I mean yet to happen. I can, however, cycle really, really slowly, which enabled me to win a slow bicycle race. Probably the proudest win of my track 'career'.

Pinch Flat

I use mtb cleats - similar to the link above - and mtb shoes on my road bike - easy to walk around in. And you can jump on the bike with a pair of shoes / runners if the situation arises. For you this would mean new shoes and pedals - not a major deal as there's always deals to be had out there.

Proper road cleats would drive me nuts in traffic / stopping-starting etc.

tomasrojo

Have never used clipless, so can't comment on that part. I switched to rubber-soled shoes and BMX-style pedals years ago and never saw any reason to change. Never slipped in the wet.

Enduro

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I switched to these after toying with the same idea as you:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/shimano-pd-t420-click-r-clipless-mtb-pedals/rp-prod108681

And I was glad I did. Have never had issues, however they are easier to get out of. That being said, if you are used to clipless then I see no reason for that to be a concern. As for wear and tear, I'm not too sure...

I like being secure in the pedals, not worrying when it rains that my feet will slip off the pedals. And it allows me to put the power down easier.

BTW, my commute is 11km from Rathfarnham to Fairview, have had the pedals maybe 6 months or so.

Just bought those last week precisely for commuting! So far so good.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I have been commuting about 10KM for the past 2+ on stock pedals. I upgraded to Shimano 105's recently and find them fine. The shoes are really nice when walking but when I cycle they hurt. I had my first fall today after 100 meters. I just couldn't clip out. Wasn't bad though, there was a bollard to catch me :P

Wishbone Ash

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm going to start cycling into work on the bike. The cycle is only 6-7km from Clontarf to the Camden st area.

I have cleats and spd-sl pedal type, would I be mad to stick with those or should I swap them for normal cheap and cheerful pedals? I'm thinking with all the lights and stopping i'd wear through the cleats in no time, not to mention that likelihood of sudden stops!

what you reckon?

Probably depends if you are going to cycle in normal clothes or lycra. If using normal clothes I probably wouldn't bother with SPD SL's on a 6km commute.

For €23.50 you could fit a set of Shimano M520 pedals http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/shimano-m520-clipless-spd-mtb-pedals/rp-prod3759 and get a pair of shoes to go with them. The shoes will have recessed cleats for easy walking and it's possible to get ones which look like normal shoes/runners.

not yet

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I use mtb cleats - similar to the link above - and mtb shoes on my road bike - easy to walk around in. And you can jump on the bike with a pair of shoes / runners if the situation arises. For you this would mean new shoes and pedals - not a major deal as there's always deals to be had out there.

Proper road cleats would drive me nuts in traffic / stopping-starting etc.

Same here, bit like that bread they are always going on about......best of both.

C3PO

Definitely cleats but I use SPDs for the commute - mountain bike shoes are much more practical for walking around, stopping at the shops etc

uvox

Similar route here... even given the cycle paths that run down the canal and the ones on the Northside, I think you're better off with SPDs rather that SPD-SL's. You're gonna have to step down and walk occasionally. Plus, SPD-SLs for such a relatively short distance are prolly wasted.

Mercian Pro

Use double sided Shimano pedals. Flat side and normal shoes for the regular short commute especially if I am calling somewhere on the way. SPD side and MTB shoes if I am adding in a bit of a spin after work. With the flat side I do find it useful to be able to slightly change the pressure point on the pedals - using the front of the foot for a bit more short-term acceleration. Wonder if the Pros ever experimented with variable cleats?

Fian

I have tried both spd (MTB) pedals and plain old platforms. Also a 7km commute, from dundrum though rather than clontarf.

Platforms all the way, especially if you are using a different bike to commute than for the weekend. clipping in is more trouble than benefit on that sort of commute imo.

If I had to swap pedals every weekend i might stick with double sided to avoid wearing out the threads I guess. But as it is I use my hyubrid to commute and a (cheap) road bike with SPD pedals at weekends.

Tigerandahalf

The toe clip without the straps would be a good option. It holds your foot in place and you can just wear runners. Need to be safe in traffic and even if you have recessed cleats frosty ground can make walking in road shoes tricky.
http://americancycle.com/m/product/wellgo-lu-961-toe-clip-pedals-and-straps-10494.htm
Just googling also shows toe clips that come right around foot.

Type 17

I've always commuted with MTB toeclips and straps (MTB versions are bigger, so you can wear any shoe you like, except toecap safety shoes ).

Toeclips with straps are 90% as good as cleats and you can hop on/hop off wearing any footwear. You can also leave the straps loose for dawdling/convenience, or pull them tight for track-standing at the lights/commuter-racing

cdaly_

Type 17 wrote: »

I've always commuted with MTB toeclips and straps (MTB versions are bigger, so you can wear any shoe you like, except toecap safety shoes ).

Toeclips with straps are 90% as good as cleats and you can hop on/hop off wearing any footwear. You can also leave the straps loose for dawdling/convenience, or pull them tight for track-standing at the lights/commuter-racing

But they're much harder to get out of in an emergency.

mal1

I cycle about 7km to work. I don't bother with clips or cleats. I prefer it that way. I find it too short and flat and too many stops. If the commute was longer then I might change.

Type 17

cdaly_ wrote: »

But they're much harder to get out of in an emergency.

It's only hard if you're not used to them, and I never pull the straps tight when commuting, as "stuff" is more likely to happen in the city - there is a sweet spot where they are snug, and you can really lift your rear-most foot upwards when starting off or accelerating, but you can still slip your foot out without any resistance.

BrianHenryIE

Type 17 wrote: »

It's only hard if you're not used to them, and I never pull the straps tight when commuting, as "stuff" is more likely to happen in the city - there is a sweet spot where they are snug, and you can really lift your rear-most foot upwards when starting off or accelerating, but you can still slip your foot out without any resistance.

I've crashed once when using SPDs and my shoes came out of the pedals without me noticing. If they were in straps they'd've been more likely to stay attached to the pedals, i.e. I'd've fallen in a much more rigid way, attached to the bike.

Here are the shoes I use, Giro Rumble:



I cycle town/Clontarf and when I'm not in SPDs I feel stupid. I've dual sided pedals that came from Lidl (I think).

DanDublin1982

13k commute to city and currently use SPD SL for it on the road bike. Been thinking of switching back to the hybrid for the commute though as it does get a bit frustrating clipping in and out at times. Might also look into different pedals but in short I'd say I don't find it worthwhile for the commute.

fillup

+1 on the toeclips/straps combo

You get the security of the SPDs without the hassle of wearing specific shoes.

The only down side is that you can't wear overshoes for keeping your feet dry/warm.

CramCycle

Never found the clipping in and out annoying for the spd-sL's. The few falls I have had I have clipped out without noticing. Also able to wear shoes and runners with them. Rubber 9 my runners grips as well as regular flats and my shoes seem to grip it with the heel for pushing down.

I can see the benefits of straps but I can't believe in a crash where you go into autopilot they are as safe as spds or sls.

Just my opinion though, haven't used straps for years.