Finally a decision has been made BUT

[lavoisier]

I use SPDs and shimano road shoes, RT81s http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/31752/Shimano_RT81_Touring_SPD_Shoes. The cleats are recessed enough to let me walk but the shoes aren't great big things as on a MTB. The only thing I would say if you buy shimano shoes is that you will need a size bigger than you normally take.

 

[4F]

be serious.

Anyway, re the walking thing:- shoes with a three-bolt Look/SPD-SL/Time RXS cleat fitting are not designed to be used for walking - they are (for obvious reasons) intended for cycling. You can walk in them, but it is neither easy nor convenient for any more than a few yards.

Two bolt SPD (off road type) cleats can be walked in without problems, provided they are fitted to shoes with an appropriately recessed sole. In cycling terms, and for the average cyclist, there is little practical difference between pedal types, so if you plan on walking any further than the distance between your back door and the garage door (which is as far as I walk in mine) then I would go for the recessed/SPD type. Don't worry about one type being 'cooler' than the other - nobody gives a stuff.

Spot on, I have SPD's on all my bikes and have done so for the last 10 years. I like the fact that the M520 is double sided and gives a good degree of float as well.

 

[Crankarm]

I don't know, some people make things just sooooo complicated. Get yourself down to a good bike shop and try a few pairs on. Some shoes fit certain shaped feet better. It's like with all normal walking shoes or boots. The bike shop if they are any good will make sure the shoes fit and show you or may even fit the cleats for you. I detect an element of cheapskate in the OP as he doesn't want to buy shoes in a bike shop but on-line and will complain that there are no good bike shops near him. Well go figure. Instead he wants us HERE to fit them for him. Sorry mate this isn't going to happen. You need to do your own leg work to exuse the pun.

As regards the shoes I would go for a simple Shimano SPD shoe, easy to clip in and out, and easy to walk in. Forgive me but you DO sound like a beginner as you have posted in the BEGINNERS forum so you need simple beginners shoes. I would suggest you DON'T buy road cleat shoes at this stage in your cycling career as you will be asking for trouble as they generally lock in to pedals a lot tighter than SPDs although you can alter the clamping tension. With road cleats you won't be able to walk in them easily even without a calf injury. They are NOT designed to walk in. MTB shoes/boots are designed to be walked in as riders competing sometimes have to get off and carry their bike. They would be right fecked if they couldn't do this. I wouldn't bother with SPD pedals that only have entry one side. Waste of time as when you are riding, commuting you don't want to be faffing with your cleat not engaging with the pedal because it is on the wrong side. I once unwittingly bought a pair of one sided Shimano SPD pedals when I didn't know very much about pedals - never again. I binned them after a couple of months. I now use double sided SPD pedals using the factory clamp settings which are just fine - not too tight so you can't get your foot out quickly but not too loose that your shoe comes out when pedalling hard. You can get a pair of cheaper Shimano SPD shoes that you can easily walkin for about £40 such as the MT31 or if you want a winter pair go for the MW80 insulated Goretex ones which I use and which are pretty brill. If you decide to get some road bike shoes then go SIDI they are simply the best cycling shoes you can buy. I got mine from Condor 15 years ago and they are still going strong, my shoes that is, not Condor although they are. The chap at Condor let me try all the shoes on they had, very patient and then set the cleats on the shoe and on the bike for no extra charge. If you buy shoes online, unless you know exactly what shoe and size you need, you are setting yourself up for so much hassle if they don't fit and you have to send them back.

And for the elimination of doubt road cleats ie Shimano SL pedals can only be clicked in from one side. It is SPDs that have entry both sides of the pedal which is fairly niffty IMHO ie Shimano M520 or 540s cheap and extremely durable. When I first started riding I had some LOOK shoes and pedals. I struggled with them until I discovered Sidi shoes and Campag Chorus road pedals. The Look shoes have sat in the bottom of my cupboard for 15 years. They are in pretty good condition if you want a cheap pair. They are black and size 45.

I have been blunt in places but I hope this has been of help.

 

[SHornswaggle]

What you have all said does make a lot if sense and has narrowed me to look in one area and I will go for spd and not the SL type.

The reason I have been asking on here is that at the moment I can't leave my house due to my muscle in my calf. The nearest bike shop that will be any good (from another post that I made) is approximately 20 miles away. I guess I still have the 'car mechanic mentality' in that if a person doesn't know what they are talking about - that they can be sold anything. I was also looking for advice on whether shoes are widely available for when I try them on. My nearest stockists would be Halfords and I was not sure if they would be a good place to try considering the bike that I have chosen.

After reading the advice that has been given I will certainly not be buying the shoes online or the pedals now. I do actually want to learn how to fit them myself because I also want to know for future purchases. I just want to get everything right first time and avoid unnecessary added expense of 'dammit these are no good - I must try something else'.

I had read (online) that the two hole system is not as good as the three hole system and that if I went to that then I would be wasting my money for pedals and shoes. That's what I was trying to avoid. I had (until now) presumed that the two hole system was specifically for mountain bikers and the three was for road bikers. This post has now meant I have a far better understanding of what I have been reading.

On the 'cheap skate' side of things - the bike is going to be bought online and I was hoping to buy everything in one place so that the day it arrives I can get started. As it is I shall order the bike and then go to a shop for pedals and shoes. At least now I have a better idea of what I am looking for.

Thank you very much for all your excellent advice. I would rather look an idiot here than face to face with a shop that I will hope to go back to for help in the future.

Regards

Claire

 

[youngoldbloke]

Shimano A520's look good on a road bike - SPD, 2 hole (good price by the way). The other consideration is cost - Look cleats wear down very quickly if you walk on them - and the rrp is 19.99(!). A lot of club riders use SPDs on their (road) bikes, as it makes cafe stops etc much more practical.

 

[DooDah]

In my opinion go for Shimano PD-M520 such as these. I have these on my road bike and are easy to use as they are double sided, so you don't have to worry about flipping the pedal around to clip-in. Buy a pair of recessed cleat road shoes (sometimes called touring shoes), then you won't have any problems walking. I originally bought a cheap pair from Decathlon until I got used to them but then I bought a Specialized pair like these. You can buy the pedals online, but I would buy the shoes in a shop such as Evans, because the sizes and fit vary enormously between manufacturers.

I think these options would be better for your calf muscle problem. One thing to bear in mind though is that a lot of people complain about numb feet using SPD's after 50km or so.

 

[Andrew_P]

I have never understood the not being able to walk in SPD-SL cleats, never really posed a problem for me feels almost identical to walking in football boots on a pavement. Only caveat is it does tend to damage the bottom of the shoe/cleat.

 

[Trail Child]

Start with everyone's advice here and get SPDs. It's very easy later down the line to change to something else after your calf is healed. Very easy. Even I can change pedals and I even go to my LBS to adjust my derailleur.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I have never understood the not being able to walk in SPD-SL cleats, never really posed a problem for me feels almost identical to walking in football boots on a pavement. Only caveat is it does tend to damage the bottom of the shoe/cleat.

of course you 'can' walk in them - but it puts your foot at a strange angle, which will inevitably limit the distance you can comfortably walk. I wouldn't want to be doing the London Marathon in my Bonts....

 

[youngoldbloke]

of course you 'can' walk in them - but it puts your foot at a strange angle, which will inevitably limit the distance you can comfortably walk. I wouldn't want to be doing the London Marathon in my Bonts....

+1 - I make sure I'm always carrying an allen key that fits my (Look Keo) cleat bolts, so that I can remove them in the event of a serious problem which might result in my needing to walk a long way ........

 

[Boon 51]

Dont think anyone has mentioned this but get a pair of nylon toe clips for a fiver and it will give you a good idea as to how full road stuff feels..

 

[Crankarm]

Dont think anyone has mentioned this but get a pair of nylon toe clips for a fiver and it will give you a good idea as to how full road stuff feels..

Ehhh?

 

[Diggs]

I compromised and bought Shimano A530 pedals for my first clipless foray. These are a 'half and half' pedal, that is one side is cleat enabled, the other side is for standard footwear. Shoes came from Aldi for £20. I've set the tension on the retainers to the minimum, and so far had no trouble at all, including at least one 'unplanned' emergency stop.

+1 on the A530 with touring or recessed shoe .

 

[Devonshiredave]

I went with a pair of Specialized Tahoe shoes (SPD) but opted for flat platform pedals for the first month or so of receiving my new bike so I could progress onto clip in pedals once I'd got used to the bike. I'm glad I did coz I fell off within the first 5 miles (not looking what I was doing whilst looking at my cassette to see which gear I was in!)

 

[Crankarm]

What you have all said does make a lot if sense and has narrowed me to look in one area and I will go for spd and not the SL type.

The reason I have been asking on here is that at the moment I can't leave my house due to my muscle in my calf. The nearest bike shop that will be any good (from another post that I made) is approximately 20 miles away. I guess I still have the 'car mechanic mentality' in that if a person doesn't know what they are talking about - that they can be sold anything. I was also looking for advice on whether shoes are widely available for when I try them on. My nearest stockists would be Halfords and I was not sure if they would be a good place to try considering the bike that I have chosen.

After reading the advice that has been given I will certainly not be buying the shoes online or the pedals now. I do actually want to learn how to fit them myself because I also want to know for future purchases. I just want to get everything right first time and avoid unnecessary added expense of 'dammit these are no good - I must try something else'.

I had read (online) that the two hole system is not as good as the three hole system and that if I went to that then I would be wasting my money for pedals and shoes. That's what I was trying to avoid. I had (until now) presumed that the two hole system was specifically for mountain bikers and the three was for road bikers. This post has now meant I have a far better understanding of what I have been reading.

On the 'cheap skate' side of things - the bike is going to be bought online and I was hoping to buy everything in one place so that the day it arrives I can get started. As it is I shall order the bike and then go to a shop for pedals and shoes. At least now I have a better idea of what I am looking for.

Thank you very much for all your excellent advice. I would rather look an idiot here than face to face with a shop that I will hope to go back to for help in the future.

Regards

Claire

Yes the cheap skate remark was probably below the belt but I have bought all my bikes from bike shops, ie a building not an internet site. Things like clothing, shoes and bikes have to fit properly otherwise you waste your money or just end up not enjoying the product as it doesn't fit. OK you can send accessories and kit back but bikes are a little different. I only buy consumables on-line ie chain sets, tubes, tyres, Shimano shoes now I know my size if I can save money. I bought my Shimano MW80 winter boots from a local bike shop about 18 months ago. I also get club discount (20%) if buying in shop in person so again cheaper than even the cheapest places on line, sometimes.

Regarding your calf injury - how did you do it? You have my sympathy as as calf injury is painful. You need to give it plenty of massage. I suffered from a left calf injury earlier in the year from running, over did it and ignored the signs, ouch! The best time for self massage is either at the end or start of the day in bed or when soaped up in the shower which is the best as the muscle is nice and warm and really easy to massage covered in lots of soap. It's very soothing working all the muscles fibres and achilles, just a bit tender at first, but you are trying to stimulate blood flow in the muscle. Do NOT stretch it. Massage until it is healed and then only stretch it gently when the muscle is warm very warm.

You can buy pedals on line. A SPD pedal is a SPD pedal, there are no sizing issues like shoes or bikes.

As quite a few have suggested I would suggest you go for Shimano M520 double sided pedals - cheap and cheerful, well made and bombproof, not literally. Just remember when you are fitting them you will need a pedal spanner about a tenner (Pro make one that is good and cheaper than Park Tools) and that the left pedal non drive side is reverse thread to stop it coming undone as you ride. Make sure you use anti-seize paste or light dab of copper slip or failig this grease so stop them seizing thus making them impossible to remove. Shimano pedals mighthave an Allen key head in the pedal shank to screw them in and out meaning you don't need a large pedal spanner, just an Allen key or multi-tool should have the right size on.

You can fit SPD cleats to most cycling shoes with a walking sole - Shimamo, Specialised, etc. I suppose you could fit them to a smooth sole road bike shoe designed for SL cleats but with SPD pedals but I wouldn't as they would be even more hazardous than cleats to walk on. Some road bike shoes have little studs you can screw in on the underside of the soles to improve balance as you walk and also take pressure off the cleat itself. With SPDs the cleat sits just below the level of the tread of the shoe.

HTH.