Clipless Pedals FAQ

[ianrauk]

Attach the pedal to the bike

 

[J1888]

thanks Ian, that's what I was thinking.

Changing pedals ain't as straightforward as I thought, this might take me a while! :-)

 

[tfg71]

bought a pair of cycle shoes to see how I get on. luckily managed to get a pair of 2nd hand ones that don't even look like they have been used. they are have from what I can tell holes for 3 bolt and 2 bolt cleats. there are spd cleats fitted ( 2bolt) and I am looking at pedals to try . Came across these PD-T420 by shimano and was wondering if anyone has used them ? .

 

[mustang1]

Make this a sticky!

 

[J1888]

First commute on the SPD-SLs this morning, gave it a practice run last night.

One or two hairy moments, but the main issue I'm having is clipping my foot back in; I eventually get in, but it's not good to be faffing around in busy London!!

I'm hoping that I'll get the hang of it quickly.

 

[Glass Kites]

I switched over a couple of weeks back and haven't had any issues. Done about 200miles with them and haven't had any near falls or anything like that.
It is a bit of a pain when I get off the bike for a break and need to walk though as it difficult to walk/and I look daft.
People say you do get more power out of them because you can pull the pedal up as well as pushing down. This probably does have a small impact during normal cycling, but there are times when I decide to just pull up and not push down at all - just to give a different part of my leg some work. The pulling/pushing at the same time definitely adds speed to sprints - but burns my legs out really quickly!
Overall though, I wouldn't go back to straps/clips and would recommend the switch.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm not sure this will add a great deal, but anyhew, here's a guide I have just published on clipless cycling shoes for beginners - http://lucky-x.com/cycling-shoes-buying-the-right-pair/

 

[J1888]

Got a bit better on the way home - still struggled to clip in a few times but after stopping off, once I relaxed and clipped-in slower and more deliberately, I had more success. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better.

Loved the ride once clipped-in btw

 

[J1888]

Ps I think i should have maybe gone spd instead of spd-sl

 

[J1888]

Meh - I'm finding it too hard to clip in to the spd sl pedals - just not practical when commuting in London.

Do you think SPDs would be better? Ie easier to get into?

 

[Gez73]

I commute in spd pedals and recessed cleats. Dead easy to engage and release too. Spd-sl would not suit my commute and seem far more useful for road cycling where you are less likely to need to clip in and out quite so much. Whatever suits your needs I guess. Gez

 

[ianrauk]

SPD over SPD-SL every time for commuting.
One of the reasons being that you will be buying SPD-SL cleats on a very regular basis due to wear, it can become very expensive to keep replacing. With SPD, your shoes will wear out before the cleats.

 

[J1888]

Thanks guys - I've whacked the flat pedals back on but will get some SPDs next week - luckily my shoes take both SPD and SPD-SL

 

[GuyBoden]

I've been many years off a road bike, I've always used clips, so can you tell me what's the disadvantage of using clips to clip-less.

Edit: because I may change to clip-less.

 

[Glass Kites]

I always found it more of a faff trying to get my feet back into the footstraps personally.