New to road bikes. A few kit questions

[AquaFresh]

Hi all,

First post - please be gentle!

I recently bought a used road bike - a Giant Defy 2.5. I test rode it, and I'm really happy with it. But I borrowed some shoes from a friend who I don't see anymore, and didn't ask him what cleats I would need...

Can you tell from this photo? Sorry, it's the only one I have access to right now. I believe they're Keo pedals if that helps...?



So can any of you kind people please let me know which type of cleats I will need and perhaps also recommend a supplier of entry-level shoes (UK based)?

Also can you recommend some decent but budget-friendly padded shorts? And helmet!?

Sorry for all the questions, but I figured this seemed like a friendly and approachable forum...

Cheers,
George

 

[vickster]

Welcome Lovely bike

Helmet wise, have a look at Giro, Specialized, Bell. I would go to your local bike shop, try a few on and buy there, important to get one that is comfortable

Shorts - I like Altura, Gore, Pearl Izumi myslf - Evanscycles often have some good deals on end of line clothing. Others like DHB from Wiggle

Pedals There are two types - SPD (more mountain bike style, the cleats recess into the shoes so you can walk) or SPD-SL / Look style, the cleats stick out, making it harder / more slippy for walking. Keo are the latter

The shoes will to some extent depend on what type the pedals are (some take both cleats, most are one or other). Again, with shoes, I'd try on and buy in store as the fit does vary a lot!

 

[vickster]

Edited - missed the mention of Keo!

Wiggle should have shoes - DHB, Shimano probably the cost effective end of the market

 

[AquaFresh]

Thanks so much for the prompt and comprehensive reply, vickster!

I like the idea of supporting my local retailer - I guess it's important to spend a few extra quid for the service and peace of mind.

Cheers,
George

 

[MikeW-71]

Also can you recommend some decent but budget-friendly padded shorts? And helmet!?

Welcome

I'd need to know what budget you have in mind really and how far you are thinking of riding. In general, shorts get better the more you spend on them and I will spend good money there. I have 3 pairs at the moment, one from Aldi, a cheap Altura pair and a relatively expensive (£55) Endura pair. The first 2 are fine for up to about 2 hours, the Endura pair are much more comfortable and 5 hours plus is not a problem. To begin with Endura/Altura/DHB (among many others) will have shorts of about £25 that will be just fine.

Helmets... Very hard to recommend as people have different shaped heads. The only way is to go and try a few on and see what fits best. I have an older Specialized one that fits well and a new Giro Savant that is very comfy for me. Bizarrely I tried a more expensive Giro one and it was nowhere near as comfortable.

Good luck!

 

[biggs682]

Thanks so much for the prompt and comprehensive reply, vickster!

I like the idea of supporting my local retailer - I guess it's important to spend a few extra quid for the service and peace of mind.

Cheers,
George

well said we should all support our Local Bike Shops more than we do

 

[youngoldbloke]

The pedals have 'Keo' printed on them, so you will need Look Keo cleats (not Delta). There are 2 sorts of Keo cleats - plain Keo, and Keo Grip. I would recommend Grip, as the plain ones can be very slippery. The RRP of the Grip cleats is 19.99 - which is ridiculous, but if you search the web you can find them for maybe 12.99 ish. The plain ones are cheaper, but as I said, slippery! Keo compatible cleats are available too, but I have no experience of them. BTW the Keo cleats come in 3 colours - black = no float, grey = medium float, red = more float. The grey ones are probably the ones that most people use, or start with, and are the ones that come with new pedals.

 

[vickster]

You'll need shoes with 3 holes in the soles to which to attach them LBS should be able to help you out

 

[Saluki]

When you go off cleat hunting, and shoe hunting, why not take a pedal with you then you can be absolutely sure.
The alternative is - and this is what hubby did - is to buy SPD pedals, which come with cleats and then you have a massive range of shoes to choose from. My Lake road shoes had change from £40 from an LBS in Diss and my Shimano shoes were from Go Outdoors of all places. They were about £50 and the cleat is recessed so great if you are going to be walking about at all as well as riding. Hubby says that he finds the SPDs easier to clip in and out of as you can clip in and out on either side of the pedal. Also the cleats are metal and last ages.

 

[PaulSB]

I have Lake shoes and SPDs. The shoes are 9 years old and the cleats are fine. Have to admit the shoes have seen better days!!

 

[Leaway2]

Shorts wise, I like Tenn. They are reasonable and cheap.
http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk and http://www.cycle-clothes.co.uk/

 

[AquaFresh]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all of the feedback and helpful advice.

Here's a better photo of the bike and a close-up of the pedal.

I'm going to try and convince the good lady wife to join me on a shopping spree in my LBS today. Wish me luck!

Cheers,
George

 

[ayceejay]

You will need the proper cleats, the Keo ones are more expensive than Exustar ($12 here in Quebec) their look alike. Those pedals look fairly worn and you show the bottom, does this suggest that you have not ridden clipless before? New bike and a new skill to learn might not be a good idea.

 

[AquaFresh]

You will need the proper cleats, the Keo ones are more expensive than Exustar ($12 here in Quebec) their look alike. Those pedals look fairly worn and you show the bottom, does this suggest that you have not ridden clipless before? New bike and a new skill to learn might not be a good idea.

Hi ayceejay,

Thanks for the reply.

I have ridden clipless twice before - once test riding this bike (as mentioned in my opening post), and once on another bike (40 miles on a friend's tourer).

I managed to clip in and out ok throughout both rides (I didn't fall off!) but I guess my general lack of experience is clear from the upside down pedal photo. And hey, I'm posting in the Beginners' section too...

Does the wear on the pedals matter or should I consider new?

Thanks again,
George

 

[Norry1]

You can buy SPD pedals for about £20 and that will give you new cleats as part of the price. Personally, I like SPDs - and find the shoes are usually much easier for walking in.