Mountain Biking - Going Clipless, What and Where to start?

Ive had my bike for a few weeks, riding nearly every day on the local trails.

on mondays i ride with a bunch of people in a club and i usually am the only person with normal pedals. a few days ago the "cage" on the pedal broke off, and i went riding today and my feet were slipping off during climbs, and on slight up hills or just flat single tracks, it felt like i was bouncing along. Not to mention my quads seem much more tired than usual.

Ive been looking at them before and many people i see have the shimano m520s or something like the Crank Bros system.

the m520s are the cheapest ive seen that ive heard of and my LBS carries them, are they a good pedal?

also what is a good shoe brand to buy, i see a lot of sidi shoes, is it mostly personal perferance?

M-520's are a good pedal. I use platforms, just couldn't get used to clipless, but tried the M-520's and they worked just fine, problem was me, not the pedals. It's just I've used platforms forever and can't change (guess I'm "set in my ways"). As for shoes-I found the best thing is to go to a local shop and see what fits you best. They vary all over the place-sizes seem very inconsistent, some are wider, some have laces with a velcro strap to keep the laces in check, some all velcro. To me, shoes are not something to be ordered over the web unless you know EXACTLY what make, style, and size fit your feet.

The 520's are good. Consider also the multi-release cleat. It's #56. It provides more release options, yet it holds well enough to bunny hop.

Al

My recommendation is to first find a comfy shoe. Try on several brands and choose the one that fits and feels the best. A good shop will even mount the pedals on a bike on a trainer and have you hop on and pedal. That way, you know what the shoe is going to feel like when you're actually on a bike.
That said, the 520's are a good pedal, but try some others in your price range and choose the one that you like.

I use the 520 and some earlier variations on my bikes. For MTB riding I started out with the adjustment screws as loose as possible. I admit, I fell a lot the first few rides, but within three or four rides I had it down. Now I can't blame the pedals when I fall.
If you have an old road bike, practice on it first. I tried that route and found I was more comfortable with the foot action when I made the change to the MTB.
Now I won't ride an MTB trail without clipless.

yea my dad has an ancient road bike that i will practice on for a day.

i will try some other pedals as well. I havent really started looking hard yet, ive tried on some specialized shoes, they didnt fit well, but that is about it.

Looking online i see alot of Wellgo pedals, are they a good brand?

Once you try a pedal you won't go back to anything else.

If you already haven't made the purchase, may I suggest looking at the Time Z-Control Atac pedal. It has a nice platform and an easily engaged cleat. The platform let's you ride unclipped if necessary. It comes in two styles black and silver. The black being the more economical of the two. I think Performance has the black pedal on sale right now for $68. The Silver is closer to $100. The cleat works with just about any mountain bike shoes. I recommend the Sidi Dominator but there are plenty of cheaper shoes to choose from.

As to Wellco... I'm a bit of a snob but personally I would spend alittle more money and get something else.

yea, i have no problem spending more for a better product, but i dont wanna spend massive amounts of money for my first set

Once you try a pedal you won't go back to anything else.

If you already haven't made the purchase, may I suggest looking at the Time Z-Control Atac pedal. It has a nice platform and an easily engaged cleat. The platform let's you ride unclipped if necessary. It comes in two styles black and silver. The black being the more economical of the two. I think Performance has the black pedal on sale right now for $68. The Silver is closer to $100. The cleat works with just about any mountain bike shoes. I recommend the Sidi Dominator but there are plenty of cheaper shoes to choose from.

As to Wellco... I'm a bit of a snob but personally I would spend alittle more money and get something else.+1000 I never hesitate to suggest Time products

I'll beat this dead horse... Time pedals are the best on the market. Just do a search at mtbr.com and you'll see many others agree with this thought.

Speedplay frogs.

^^ I 2nd that nomination.

Time pedals are the best on the market.
This is i guess is a silly question but here goes anyways... How many different pedal systems have YOU tried to qualify you to state that,Dirt Farmer ?
What exactly makes them the "best on the market"?

Were your bike pedals the stock ones on the bike? I invested in some Azonic platforms and they grip really well. I had a set of Times and I really loved them (on the road bike) but I couldn't bail out fast enough when trying some new tricks.

I started with the M 540's and upgraded to the 959's--awesome pedal/system. I chose to stick with SPD because: 1) I like to small cleat profile, 2) cleat engagement is easily and secure, and 3) I share it across all 3 bikes. There's also enough platform to ride unclipped in a pinch. These have been reliable pedals even in light of my "clydesdale" status.

This is i guess is a silly question but here goes anyways... How many different pedal systems have YOU tried to qualify you to state that,Dirt Farmer ?
What exactly makes them the "best on the market"?

I have tried Shimano 505 (came stock on my bike); Eggbeaters (too fragile); and I rode a friends bike for an afternoon that had Frogs. They did not feel quite as nice as my Time Atac's, but they were a close second.

Now justify your existence, er... I mean your choice.

Now justify your existence, er... I mean your choice.
Well, CONSTANT riding since about 1972 & i don't need to justify anything to you.
Thatis nothing but an opinion you stated, not the gospel as you layed that bone on the table.

I ride the SPD 959's. They're more gooder. I'd recommend starting out with Crank Brothers though. There's almost zero maintenence and easy to click in and out of. Fairly cheap too. Anyone used the XTR pedals? I wanna try those out next.

ok... well, you said you wanted to go clipless without breaking the bank. eggbeaters are awesome, as are time, but they cost a lot. the higher end Wellgo's are pretty nice, easy to get into and out of, and i havent had problems with popping out of them when i don't want. the higher end Wellgo's are on price point for like $39, and well worth it. you will love 'em.
as far as shoes go, i think people get the Sidi's because they are really comfortable. but, in order to save dough, but have nice stuff, check out the 661's. the are really quality shoes for like $45. plus they look cool, and are pretty comfy.
to be honest, if you went with a combo like that, after a year, you'll probably wanna replace the shoes for nicer ones, but you'll probably stick with the pedals.
http://www.airevalleycycles.com/smsimg/74/m2010_shoeexpt.jpg (http://www.airevalleycycles.com/products.php?plid=m8b0s68p1645&z=1129)


http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/Z_240%20WELM34.jpg

ok... well, you said you wanted to go clipless without breaking the bank. eggbeaters are awesome, as are time, but they cost a lot. the higher end Wellgo's are pretty nice, easy to get into and out of, and i havent had problems with popping out of them when i don't want. the higher end Wellgo's are on price point for like $39, and well worth it. you will love 'em.
as far as shoes go, i think people get the Sidi's because they are really comfortable. but, in order to save dough, but have nice stuff, check out the 661's. the are really quality shoes for like $45. plus they look cool, and are pretty comfy.
to be honest, if you went with a combo like that, after a year, you'll probably wanna replace the shoes for nicer ones, but you'll probably stick with the pedals.
http://www.airevalleycycles.com/smsimg/74/m2010_shoeexpt.jpg (http://www.airevalleycycles.com/products.php?plid=m8b0s68p1645&z=1129)


http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/Z_240%20WELM34.jpg

I totally agree. I'm something of an anti-snob when it comes to cycling gear. I've bought some of the expensive stuff, and some of the cheap stuff, and unless you're lighting your gold-plated cigars with the flames off a $100 bill, it's just not worth it, at least for the semi-disposables like pedals and shoes. Yes, they'll last you a few years of hard use, but they'll need to be replaced eventually -- and sometimes the expensive (light) stuff wears out sooner than the cheap stuff.

I have a nashbar pedal that looks just like the wellgo pedal above except the spindle is a little different. It works great. You might want to take a file to the rough edges when you get it to give it a smoother feel, but once you do, it'll match the Shimano 520s, and cost you 1/2 the price or less. I have struck these on rocks, ridden mud, dust, and wet, all without a problem. Oh, and they were $19.99 on sale, and I had a 10% off coupon. ~$18 for some totally serviceable pedals, at 340g/pr -- not too damn shabby.

Shoes are a bit more important, because they are one of the three body-bike interfaces. These are the areas to splurge if necessary to achieve comfort. That said, I have a pair of $35 shoes from nashbar that are stiff as hell and as comfortable as I need. No problems with them after 2-3 hours anyway.

The only down side about buying shoes online, like someone said above, is fit. If you're willing to take a chance, you can get lucky and save some serious cash. At worst you're out return shipping, so it's not too big a gamble.

Good luck in your search! Remember, it's not what others think about your gear -- it's what you do with it. If you ride it all the time and love it, that's all that matters, cheap or expensive, flashy or ugly.

first off look for a pair of stiff soled shoes. the stiffer the better. they dont have to be uncomfortable but stiff on the bottom = more power transfer and ease of learning. a soft soled shoe will make it take longer to acclimate and the power transfer will be much less.
there are lots to choose from. as stated before check out MTBR.com for reviews and DEFINETLY get them at a local shop as different shoes will fit differently, even if the same size.
next, look at the 520s vs ay TIME product. I say this because ,I too had the 520s as stock on my bike and didnt adjust too well, and when I got my TIME Alium there was nothing to adjust. nothing. all TIME off road pedals use the same cleat and like I said before the acclimation time is much less because there is nothing to adjust wrong, too tight, too loose, too far to the left or right, etc. they work like chinese handcuffs, basically.
Ive seen tons of spds, eggbeaters, Ritcheys,TIMES etc. and from what Ive seen on the trails TIMES are tough as heck and easy to learn and have been the most reliable overall.
I have nothing against any other pedals but for durability,value,longevity and ease of use TIME is a winner every time, every model they make.

I have nothing against any other pedals but for durability,value,longevity and ease of use TIME is a winner every time, every model they make.
Amen

Well, CONSTANT riding since about 1972 & i don't need to justify anything to you.
Thatis nothing but an opinion you stated, not the gospel as you layed that bone on the table.

Silly me! I thought the OP wanted opinions. I never realized we were after the MIT School of Engineering's test of top 100 pedals in form and function from a mechanical standpoint. Can you find those results, by the way? Google comes up empty for me.

You say you don't need to justify anything, yet you asked me to. Hypocrite? Or just plain, old arsehole?

WhileAtRome,

I remember my first time in clipless pedals which wasn't long ago. They were stock Shimano 505s which came on my Specialized FSR XC Pro, kind of by accident because by the time the bike to work cheque came through, specialized had announced the 06 models and the pro came down to the same price as the comp which I was originally going to buy. Anyway, I bought the cheapest shimano shoes and off I went. I didn't mind the float because everything was fine. Until I had problems :)

Clipping in and out was trivial and only twice have a fallen because I couldn't clip out (only once on the shimanos, the other time with eggbeaters). The second day of using them I cycled through London traffic in Monday morning rush hour, which is probably moronic, but there you go. Everything was fine. If you're like me and don't just cycle along in your own little world you'll be fine.

I was dead lucky with the cleats and I didn't have any knee pain initially. What I should've done is leave the damn cleat alone, but as it was I couldn't believe I had just got it right. I monkied around with them and that's where it all went wrong. I continued riding because I loved them but my knees weren't loving me. I managed to have several different things going wrong, one was peddling style the other was float. I binned them and went to a set of platforms. Things were mostly fine but not totally, this is when I realised that I need to stretch off my legs after riding to resolve the major issues. I also had pain at the bottom of my knee where there are some small fat pads. This was because I was cycling the whole revolution with my toes pointed down, heel up. Clipless pedals not only force your legs to be in one position (float not withstanding) but they allow you to adopt riding styles that might not be good for you. Without clipless pedals I'd never have ridden like that, because my feet would have slipped off the pedals.

Annecdotal as it may sound a friend of mine who has had the same pain in the same place commented he was riding in a similar manner when up out of the saddle. Which perhaps has less to do with float and more to do with angle.

I then bought a road bike and decided to try clipless pedals again but this time with more floaty pedals and changed the stock cages to a set of eggbeaters. I also bought new shoes (Specialized lightweight MTB ones with Carbon soles). I have had no problems to date and the ride is really smooth.

I've now bought Mallets (eggbeater cleat with a cage) for my mountainbike and am giving them a go, I've got issues at the moment but they may get resolved by lowering the profile of the tread on my shoe and regaining the float as I don't think I'm getting all of it.

After all that, I'm planning to pick up a new road bike in the next few months and I may try speedplays on a road shoe.

Most important advice, if it feels wrong, stop. Have a rethink. Doesn't mean bin them, perhaps they need adjusting or you need more float.

Regards,
Max

p.s. :)
1) While doing bunny hops on my MTB nearly stationary I lost my balance and fell over, wound up on my back still clipped into the bike as 7 (YES, SEVEN!) blokes rounded the trail to see me and offer me "advice" on being a clipless noob. Despite having done ~1000 miles in them.
2) Friend of mine buys the same road bike that I have on my commenting it's a great machine. Anyway, we go out for a spin after picking it up from the shop. While trying to figure out what was ratteling on my bike I'm looking at my front hub rather than where I'm going. He stops as a car hoves into view, I spot his rear wheel in my peripheral vision and break *hard* and stop. Glad not to have hit him. Ooops. Weeeeee! bang! ouch.

Silly me! I thought the OP wanted opinions. I never realized we were after the MIT School of Engineering's test of top 100 pedals in form and function from a mechanical standpoint. Can you find those results, by the way? Google comes up empty for me.

:lol: :beer:

Google up some empty for me.
Keyword; Dirt Farmer= empty

You say you don't need to justify anything, yet you asked me to. Hypocrite? Or just plain, old arsehole?
To keep this one here civilized... Where do you see in my post where it states "justify"?

I'll beat this dead horse...
Pff, you oughta get back in your barn & continue, Dirt Farmer.

thanks for all of the input. i got my pedals, the Shimano M 520s, since that was all i could afford, and have heard plenty of good things about them.

as for shoes i got the diadora ergo for a lot off, they were listed at 179.99 originally, i got em for 99, i tried a few shoes on and they just felt great. pretty stiff shoes.

took the bike for about a 5 mile ride today, i got close to falling 1 time when i tried to jump over a knee height log, but other than that i cant be happier. Compared to platforms, i feel so much less tired and just feels so much for efficient. plus the bike is so much better to control on bumps and over stuff.

thanks for all of the input. i got my pedals, the Shimano M 520s, as for shoes i got the diadora ergo
Wise choice. Those cleats/pedals Will last a whole lot longer & take a far more beating than any Times will.
Diadora's are very nice shoes too.:beer:

To keep this one here civilized...

You blew the chance on your first reply to me. Your rapier wit, I wish I could say, is unmatched. But, alas, it is not so.

While At Rome, congratulations on the Shimano's. While I prefer another brand ( here to remain nameless to prevent a certain poster from soiling his panties), it is great that you have finally jumped on board the clipless wagon! You will never go back. It's a world of difference.

You blew the chance on your first reply to me. Your rapier wit, I wish I could say, is unmatched. But, alas, it is not so.
You have confirmed my suspicions about you ,Dirt Farmer.
I wont even get down with that one above you bean po' dirt farmer.

congratulations on the Shimano's. While I prefer another brand
Wtf does it matter what you prefer/like? Just cause you read something on Hollywood blvd may mean dirt to you but not nessasssarily to anyone else. Btw the thread is "Going clipless & what & where to start" not What's the best pedal in the industry.
Oh yeah, I wanted to get a piece of your invaluable knowledge here.... uhhh,, what came first the Dirt Farmer or the Dirt Hauler & which one has more significance?