Where to start with Clipless/clipin?

[whittledr]

Hey all.res

I'm not new to cycling but I am to going clipped in! I use a Hybrid with decent road tyres at the moment and have signed up to do the first TDF stage as a charity run in the spring.
I'm thinking of going clipped in and could do with an aid of where to begin.
I've read the FAQ post - very helpful. I've decided SPD over spd-sl's for sure as we go on family rides etc so walking mid ride is needed.
Any suggestions on brands of pedal and shoe, cleat to look out for or avoid. I'm going for Ebay to begin with as cheaper to start off. All suggestions welcome, Thanks Dave

 

[MikeW-71]

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520-pedals/
Those. Cheap as chips and work briliantly. Note that the cleats come with the pedals, watch out if you are buying from ebay as it's pretty common for the sellers to remove the cleats and sell them separately

Shimanos own shoes are excellent, but there is a huge choice out there. You can get good shoes from about £40 in a variety of styles. You might want to look at MTB or Touring shoes.

 

[slowmotion]

MikeW-71 is spot on about the cleat scam on ebay. Read the small print. I have M520 pedals and find them really good. They are set at the lowest force for release and I've never had a problem in three years. Bike shoe sizing is a complete mystery to me. Both Shimano and Specialized shoes were way too narrow for me. If the width was right, I would have about 30mm of empty space at the toe. If you have faintly wide feet, have a look at NorthWave Mission MTB shoes. They are really comfortable, on the bike or off. If you buy shoes on the internet, make sure the retailer has a free returns policy.

Practice clipping and unclipping by leaning the bike against a wall. Good luck

 

[Smurfy]

Shimano M520s are fine for road use, and very good value for money (for off-road use it might be worth spending more to get something with better seals to deal with all the mud). I bought two pairs a couple of years ago (including cleats) for 36GBP, but they might be even cheaper now.

 

[Sharky]

I've been on look pedals for years, so much better than toe clips, but be careful when you first use them. I fell off about 3 times before I mastered them. Kept coming to a slow halt, then with the cranks at the wrong position, could not get my feet out in time and just toppled over.

But well worth the learning.

Keith

 

[LimeBurn]

Same advice as others - shimano 520s if you want spds and shimano shoes were really good for me, then just find a quiet road or park etc and practice clipping in and out. I'm sure you might have some comedy moments but you'll get the hang of them soon enough. I eventually moved to spd sl though as I found them to feel more secure.

 

[vickster]

Cheaper from Evans, also save a few pennies on top with Quidco

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/oe-m520-spd-pedals-ec050919

My m520s didn't come with cleats but that was fine as I already had some

Shoes I'd pay a bit more and try and buy in store as the sizing is variable

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I have some old Look pedals and two sets of delta cleats that you can have for free. A friend gave them to me for nowt and I've just upgraded so you're welcome to them.

As far as I'm aware they'll work with shimano spd-sl shoes.

 

[Martin p]

Hi there , I've just purchased some Shimano " R " type pedals from Evans via an internet price match . They are super easy to clip in & out of . Brill if you have a dodgy knee or new to clipless pedals . Already find them much easier than the A 520 's that I have on my road bike & which I too suffered a comedy moment infront of a line of traffic ! :-)

 

[ayceejay]

Where to start? From the ground up.

 

[whittledr]

Thanks for all the advise, I've been tempted by the Shimano M324, SPD one side and flat for 'normal' shoes the other, I'm thinking it will make it simpler for the family rides etc.. Any experience of these pedals? Thanks for the shoe sizing heads up too, may go trying on first - then ebay.

 

[Bangers]

I have recently started using spd pedals and they have been great, I am choosing not to mention the 3 times I have toppled over........oh I just did But really they have been great.

 

[whittledr]

I see what you mean about the sizing, tried a couple of different brands on today - all over the place!!! looks like Specialized fit my feet well so I'll aim that way. Thanks again for all advise.