# Pedal advice please?



## tomb1960 (14 Oct 2007)

It's coming up to a month since I started riding 'fixed' I'm doing OK, enjoying it, and no disasters so far (touch wood etc etc). However much the most difficult manouvre I find is starting off, especially as I have stuck with toe-clips for the time being, getting my second foot in is often a bit awkward. My other bikes have clipless pedals, so I am sort of used to clipless riding, I was nervous about being attached to a bike that cannot freewheel. Now I just wonder if it's time to go 'fixed and clipless' and whether egg beaters are the answer as I think I am right in saying you can pretty much clip in whatever the pedal's orientation at the time is. Do any of you have 'egg-beater experience'? I am particularly keen to know how easy they are to get out of as I nderasatnd the clip's spring is not adjustable.


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## peejay78 (14 Oct 2007)

i can't think of any real reason why anyone would not want to ride clipless on fixed. 

i use SPDs. i used to use a big flat look road cleat/pedal.


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## piedwagtail91 (14 Oct 2007)

i've used double sided spds for the last 13 months. they're a lot easier than toeclips for both clipping in and out.
a clumate who's ridden toeclips and straps all his cycling life recently went clipless (spd) on fixed and wished he done it years ago. he said it was much easier to clip in .


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## gkerr4 (14 Oct 2007)

as Peejay really - i think fixed & clipless go well together and wouldn't want to ride the fixed without being attached - I'd be fearful of my feet parting company with pedal on a downhill at about 140+rpm!

Anyway - the egg beaters - well, I don't have any actual experience of them, but they look the biz - bit expensive though, the cheapest egg beaters are £35 and if you need to replace the cleats they are £18 on their own!

I have regular spd pedals on mine - the shimano M520 double sided things that can be bought at ribble for £15 at the moment. They are excellent if a little heavy. i have not had many problems clipping in as the pedal is double sided. My only issue would be the weight of the pedals - for small neat things they don't half weigh a lot!!


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## Blonde (15 Oct 2007)

I can't imagine not riding fixed, clipless. I think it's safer than with flats or with toe clips. I use Looks (the old ones - with 'Delta' cleats) - same as on all my bikes.


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## tomb1960 (15 Oct 2007)

Well! you've utterly convinced me that I should stop poncing about with toe clips. I just thought egg beaters would offer the most opportunities per revolution to clip in. I shall give this some further thought and let you know.


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## peejay78 (15 Oct 2007)

i recommend SPDs. cheap, sturdy, good.


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## GrahamG (16 Oct 2007)

Time to go against the grain! Although I appreciate that clipless pedals are superior for riding fixed, with quite a few stops on the way to/from work and a short walk to the office from the secure parking (including about 7 flights of stairs) I just can't be bothered to wear shoes specifically for cycling and find getting in and out of traditional clips a bit easier. I always found that I was unclipping accidentally everytime I tried to trackstand thanks to a lack of any reasonable float on SPD's, that problem's gone now too.


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## GrahamG (16 Oct 2007)

Oh and my trainers with thick socks are far warmer so I don't have to bother with overshoes. Proper cycling gear is just overkill for me on less than 6 miles e/w and soon to be just 3 1/2m e/w!


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## scm (21 Oct 2007)

GrahamG said:


> Time to go against the grain!


You're not really going against the grain, it's just that for your short trips "proper" shoes are more convenient. Can't argue with that.


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## Blonde (24 Oct 2007)

Depends on your commute or what you're using the bike for. My commute is 13 miles each way and there's no real stopping (except at lights/junctions) till I get right up to the steps outside the building where I work. I walk up the steps with my cycling shoes on and go indoors with my bike, but then I take off my shoes and walk through to the lift, get in the lift and go up to the office with my bike so there's no need for me to do any real walking at all in my cleats. I used to use SPDs but on long rides I was getting foot pain associated with the small surface area and the softer touring/atb shoes, so I switched to the larger Look pedals/cleats and stiffer road shoes.


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## Christopher (24 Oct 2007)

Blonde:
Do you use red or black Look cleats? I ride fixed with the reds, just wondered what the no-float blacks are like.


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## romans (19 Jan 2008)

I used Look for a couple of years and had to buy covers as they slipped too readily when walking. I changed to Shimano which hav little slipperiness and do not wear like the Look. They are also easier to clip in which is a bonus on a fixed when I would not use Look.


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## dave r (20 Jan 2008)

Someone else who goes against the grain. I have used toeclips most of the time I have been cycling, most of my life. I had SPD's on my geared bike last summer, took them of after six months, did'nt like them.


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## Dave5N (21 Jan 2008)

If you are getting clipless pedals, wouldn't it make sense to get the same system as your other bikes? Cheaper/more flexible shoe options?


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## dudi (30 Jan 2008)

I've just run with clipless pedals on my fixie for the first time. they were on my normal road bike, but I swaped them over to see what it's like... I'm not changing back. it's a much more secure ride with clipless. 

I use shimano double sided SPD, the cheapy bullet proof ones... I like them as they are pretty easy to clip in/out of. which is handy when you're a bit clumsy like me!


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## rob_mcp (8 Feb 2008)

Always clipless on my fixed. Used to use SPDs - now use SPD SL and have no trouble at all - though strangely I have found that 105 ones are easier on the fixed than ultegra - i think because they hang slightly better - probably the inferior bearings cause less swing so it is less likely that they will flip over when trying to clip in. I have considerably more trouble with the ultegra pedals on my road bike


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