What pedals?

[idontlikecoffee]

Hi,

I'm new to road bikes and i'm hoping to get a bike soon. I have mountain bikes but could never get used to pedals where you are clipped into them, i use platform pedals with spikes.

I was wondering if it is ok to ride road bikes with flat pedals or if pedals where are you clipped in are much more efficient, I'm willing to give them another try if needed.

Any suggestions of which pedals might be suitable would be great, if i go for pedals that i clip into are there any types that are easier to get used to?

Thanks

Julie

 

[idontlikecoffee]

Opps sorry, i have just noticed the FAQ at the top of the page, I will go and read that

 

[fossyant]

Personally, I perfer clipped in.

For convenience, then Mountain bike style SPD's have the advantage of you can walk in the shoes without looking like a penguin ! I use SPD for the MTB and the commuter bike, but LOOK pedals for the road bikes.

 

[MikeW-71]

Plenty of people ride road bikes with flat pedals, usually with toe-clips and straps. Nothing wrong with it, but I do prefer clipless. Like Fossy I use SPD's on the commuter bike (actually single-sided A530's with a clip on one side and flat on the other) and Look's on the roadie. I avoid going through town on the roadie now unless it's late, Look's are a bit of a pain in the ar$e in traffic.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

@idontlikecoffee : platform pedals are fine if you don't do a lot of distance. Once you start riding often and far, you may find SPD or SPD-SL pedals better, as they can reduce the strain on your ankles.

 

[vickster]

Or not in my case where clipping out has annoyed my left ankle and consequently my knee after a leg injury!

Ride with whatever you feel most comfortable

 

[Coggy]

I am a newbie and I ride my road bike with a set of SPD MTB pedals that are clips on one side and flat on other.

I love them and get on fine with them. Have set clip to the slackest point for now so I can get in and out easily.

Made a massive difference to my cycling in my opinion and I would definitely recommend.

 

[bigmig]

I use M530 pedals and the DHB mtb shoes. I think they make a massive difference simply through increasing your pedalling efficiency. I notice the most difference when climbing out of the saddle. It just seems more stable and I don't have any worry about my foot slipping at the wrong moment when grinding up a steep hill. YOu get used to them fairly quickly and providing the first few times out you play it safe i.e unclip early before getting to junctions etc, you manage to avoid hitting the deck

 

[Coggy]

I use M530 pedals and the DHB mtb shoes. I think they make a massive difference simply through increasing your pedalling efficiency. I notice the most difference when climbing out of the saddle. It just seems more stable and I don't have any worry about my foot slipping at the wrong moment when grinding up a steep hill. YOu get used to them fairly quickly and providing the first few times out you play it safe i.e unclip early before getting to junctions etc, you manage to avoid hitting the deck

Exactly my experience.

Glad I decided to make the leap fairly early on.

 

[slowmotion]

I bought my first road bike about three years ago and got some Shimano M520 SPD (MTB-style) pedals for under £20. You clip in on both top and bottom surfaces. I bought some NorthWave MTB shoes for about £60 to clip in with. I fell over within a few minutes of taking to the road, but no damage was done. Over the course of the next two weeks, I fell over a couple of more times. You learn quite quickly, and the accidents are more amusing than painful. Trainer-style SPD shoes can be extremely comfortable. I wear them most of the time except weddings, funerals and suit meetings. Having mesh uppers, they don't smell at all, unlike ordinary trainers always did. The pedals are great for commuting. You learn to anticipate when it would be a good idea to unclip. I set the release torque at the very lowest setting the day I bought them. I have never felt the need to increase it.

Give it a go. It's fun!

 

[cyberknight]

Or not in my case where clipping out has annoyed my left ankle and consequently my knee after a leg injury!

Ride with whatever you feel most comfortable

What she said, ride whatever you feel the most comfy with .

 

[idontlikecoffee]

Thanks for the replies, I did try SPD's on my mountain bike once, I never got the hang of it, and unclipping properly when stopping caused me to fall over a few times, I probably gave up to early and should have persevered, but i'm not keen on trying them again.

 

[vickster]

Were you trying to unclip both feet? Best is to unclip one foot in plenty of time and slow to a stop. The difficulties come in heavy traffic when you have to unclip in a hurry, but doesn't sound like that was an issue. Pedals on lower at tension and practice, time to get used to it

 

[HLaB]

I personally find clipless (oxymoron) SPDs, SPD-SL's and the like much more efficient on a road bike and would suggest you give them another go but at the end of the day if you are happier with flats I'd rather you cycled than not, in summary flat pedals are perfectly fine if thats what you are happy with.

Another option may be a toeclip or similar but strap free urban toe clip.

 

[Coggy]

Thanks for the replies, I did try SPD's on my mountain bike once, I never got the hang of it, and unclipping properly when stopping caused me to fall over a few times, I probably gave up to early and should have persevered, but i'm not keen on trying them again.

You probably didn't have the tension suitably adjusted. Have never fallen over or struggled to unclip.