Touring - Need advice on new shoes and pedals

Hi, I recently bought the revolution country traveller and I am looking at adding pedals and buying shoes. I am not clued up at all on what type of shoes to buy and pedals. I was told by someone the best pedals for touring would probably be time, is that right? as the give 5 degrees, so better for the knees.

I am a uk size 10, would I be better buying online or in a shop? Any advice would be great.

Remember I am from the UK.

Cheers

Paul

Should probably add that I have never used the shoes with pedal clips before; complete beginner. Also not wanting to spend more than £100 on the combination.

http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

I use MKS touring pedals and whatever shoes I feel like wearing.

consider shimano spd sandles plus sealskin water proof socks,oh and check out chainreaction site for best price.

If you're just getting started, I'd say stick with standard pedals for now, and just use a nice and comfortable shoe (or sandal) with a reasonably stiff sole. I happen to prefer the feel of clipless, but don't regard it as super-critical.

If you're going to go clipless, SPD's with a recessed cleat are a good option. You can walk fairly easily, as opposed to the larger cleats.

Cool well on my old bike I had to clips but now I wanna get the shoes that clip into the pedals for touring. What you recommend? What do you mean by clipless? Really I just want something that is comfotable over long durations and improve the efficency of my cycling.

Cheers

Find a shoe you like. I get mine sized like running shoes, at least a half size too large, with lots of room in the toe area. For touring you don't really need super rigid shoes, carbon or ratcheting anything. A basic shoe with laces and maybe nice insoles for walking will work fine.

I use Crank Brothers Smarty pedals. IMO the easiest to clip in and clip out. No springs on the cleats and two way clip in. (they say four, but it's really two) Cheap and good.

Personally, I think clip-in pedals (called clipless for some reason) are vastly overrated, and very inconvenient in some instances, like heavy stop & go traffic or very rough single-track. I find that their performance is identical to platform pedals on flat ground and only slightly better uphill; this very slight advantage is not worth the aggravation while riding, or the very pronounced limitations of the special shoes you have to wear. I prefer pedals with a large surface area and little studs that keep your feet from slipping off; that way, you can wear whatever shoes you want and are still able to crank up hills respectably in wet weather.

That said, if you insist on clip-in pedals, and a lot of tourers do, take a look at SPD; at least they're fairly simple to get into and out of, and the cleats are more or less recessed, which makes you sound like less of a horse when you're walking around on pavement.

Personally, I think clip-in pedals (called clipless for some reason) are vastly overrated, and very inconvenient in some instances, like heavy stop & go traffic or very rough single-track. . .


I find quite the opposite to be true. I much prefer riding clipless, and in tight single track, prefer to be fastened on so that I can pedal through the obstacles.

Different strokes for different folks . . . .

I am using Time MTB pedals and Sidi MTB shoes on my tourer, and love them. The MTB shoe allows for easier walking, and better traction when you have to dismount off the road. On my roadbike, I run Bebops and love the float. I will probably go back to Speedplays when they wear out . . . Bebops are no longer being made. :-(

I find quite the opposite to be true. I much prefer riding clipless, and in tight single track, prefer to be fastened on so that I can pedal through the obstacles.

Different strokes for different folks . . . .

I am using Time MTB pedals and Sidi MTB shoes on my tourer, and love them. The MTB shoe allows for easier walking, and better traction when you have to dismount off the road. On my roadbike, I run Bebops and love the float. I will probably go back to Speedplays when they wear out . . . Bebops are no longer being made. :-(


I agree that, if you're going to go with clip-in pedals, MTB shoes are vastly superior. They're way better for walking (and touring does involve a certain amount of walking around), and for for pushing off the ground when you're still on the bike (and sometimes you need to do that, too). Plus, they make you look like less of a ballerina when you go into a pub.

Personally, I think clip-in pedals (called clipless for some reason)
Because they don't have clips

are vastly overrated, and very inconvenient in some instances, like heavy stop & go traffic or very rough single-track.
I find them way more convenient in heavy traffic. They are much easier to get in and out compared to clips and you don't need to tighten the straps and loosen the straps.

I find that their performance is identical to platform pedals on flat ground and only slightly better uphill; this very slight advantage is not worth the aggravation while riding, or the very pronounced limitations of the special shoes you have to wear.
I agree, as long as the foot is attached to the pedals, the performance is the same. But I find clipless to be safer, since I don't have to loosen the straps to get my foot out. I also find clipless more comfortable. With clips I have to tighten the straps pretty tight or my foot will slip out while pulling backwards. Also, clips don't allow any float or very little. For longer rides, I go clipless. For rides where I want to wear normal sneakers, I pull out the platforms. But this is only on shorter rides because of the lack of float.

I prefer pedals with a large surface area and little studs that keep your feet from slipping off; that way, you can wear whatever shoes you want and are still able to crank up hills respectably in wet weather.

That said, if you insist on clip-in pedals, and a lot of tourers do, take a look at SPD; at least they're fairly simple to get into and out of, and the cleats are more or less recessed, which makes you sound like less of a horse when you're walking around on pavement.

I do like SPD pedals and shoes. Shimano has a touring shoe, but I can't seem to find a link. It's built more like a road shoe, but has the recessed SPD cleat and a smooth rubber sole for walking. Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600084&subcategory=60001041&brand=&sku=23496&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Mountain%20Shoes) has a Shimano shoe that I like for commuting.

Cool guys, a lot of info there and a lot to take in. Going to the bike shop today so I'll have a word with the guys there. Seems like SPD's are favoured, whatever they are,lol. and then just chose a shoe that is comfortable, and I suppose that is where shopping online for cheaper shoes aint an option. I was in the bike shop last week and the guy recommended the pedals with clips on one side and just the pedal on the other so you could use both bike shoes and normal.

I find quite the opposite to be true. I much prefer riding clipless, and in tight single track, prefer to be fastened on so that I can pedal through the obstacles.
+1

I never understood why people feel safer or more in control when not clipped in. I originally started using clipless pedals specifically for riding tight singletrack. I clip in and stay clipped in until a nanosecond before I put my foot down.

I like SPD pedals for touring and prefer the lower priced Sidi Bullet 2 shoes rather than the pricier Dominators.

I always wear my bike shoes and clip in to ride when touring. The only time I don't when on tour is if I ride a couple hundred yards in camp or something. For that distance I can manage to ride in my crocs even on the clipless pedals.

http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

I use MKS touring pedals and whatever shoes I feel like wearing.

IMO... Anything on the Rivendell sight should be taken with a grain of salt.

I find them way more convenient in heavy traffic. They are much easier to get in and out compared to clips and you don't need to tighten the straps and loosen the straps.


Really. I was exploring Fort Wayne IN once and came across this "secret" area where a bunch of kids had built a bunch of jumps. I went to twist my foot to unclip and realized that I had these straps on. Went to reach down to undo the strap but was too late. I fell over. It was embarassing to say the least.

Really. I was exploring Fort Wayne IN once and came across this "secret" area where a bunch of kids had built a bunch of jumps. I went to twist my foot to unclip and realized that I had these straps on. Went to reach down to undo the strap but was too late. I fell over. It was embarassing to say the least.
Correct, that is what I am saying. Clipless is easier because you don't need to release the strap, there are no straps. I just rotate my heels out and my foot is free. Getting the foot in is easier, if you have double sided or quad sided pedals. Just put the foot on the pedal and push. No need to then reach down and tighten the strap.

SpeedPlay Frogs. Unlimited float. Double sided. Step on it and you're in—twist your ankle outboard and you're out. MTB shoes for sure as you can walk normally in them. Love'em.

Preferences for this sort of thing is intensely personal. I like 661 launches for shoes. the cleat is well-recessed, and they don't look too ridiculous. just kind of oafish. they're very walkable, and my main commuting spd-compat shoe. I tend to wear them the whole shift at work, despite crunching noises on concrete.

As for pedals on-tour, consider something like the shimano pdm-324. Yes, they're ugly and heavy and freddly, but they have a platform(no clip) side and a spd side. On topur, you may find yourself in a wide range of conditions. If you're to be hiking a bit, you might not want to wear spd-ompat shoes. Or you may wish to bring a second set of shoes (if you're not very worried about weight) so you can let the main pair "breath" a bit, for odor control. the one-sided spd of the 324's will allow you to comfortably tool around in sneaks or boots or flip-flops or whatever you prefer.

Of course, this concept won't appeal to many people, but it is versatile, and reasonably affordable..

the pedals (about $80)
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=709&category=389

also, fwiw. shimano cleats come in either 0degree or 4degrees of float. I forget which cleats came stock with the 324's, but I have 4degree cleats on 'em now.

the shoes (also about $80):
http://www.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/314/567/a40/14254/product_page/sixsixone-launch-spd-shoes-.jpg


hth,
-rob

For shoes, pay whatever it takes to get a good fit, with space in front of the toes and no wiggle at the heels. You wont notice much difference if you save money by buying inexpensive pedals

For shoes, pay whatever it takes to get a good fit, with space in front of the toes and no wiggle at the heels. You wont notice much difference if you save money by buying inexpensive pedals
I agree wholeheartedly. I use sidi dominators (I scored them slightly used for 45 bucks on craigslist) and shimano SPD mountain pedals with a plastic platform on the other side. I wish I had bought the 324's, and might soon shell out for the much cheaper nashbar version.
http://nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000108&subcategory=60001078&brand=&sku=6223&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

IMO... Anything on the Rivendell sight should be taken with a grain of salt.

About this size

http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www.speedace.info/speedace_images/salt_flats_bonneville_utah_usa.jpg&usg=AFQjCNHozdp7FA76ONWk9zn6XEEk5WHNnw
:D

Cool guys, a lot of info there and a lot to take in. Going to the bike shop today so I'll have a word with the guys there. Seems like SPD's are favoured, whatever they are,lol. and then just chose a shoe that is comfortable, and I suppose that is where shopping online for cheaper shoes aint an option. I was in the bike shop last week and the guy recommended the pedals with clips on one side and just the pedal on the other so you could use both bike shoes and normal.

Shimano Pedaling Dynamics. Look at double sided mountain bike pedals. Shimano M520 are about the best out there for pretty cheap. Go cheap on pedals but go expensive on shoes.

SpeedPlay Frogs. Unlimited float. Double sided. Step on it and you're in—twist your ankle outboard and you're out. MTB shoes for sure as you can walk normally in them. Love'em.


Not quite. I think it's 25 degrees each way. Also, they are single sided entry. In the out position, your foot is actually not cleated to the pedal, which can make accidental releases more common. Still, very good (although expensive) pedals.

About this size:

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

As for pedals on-tour, consider something like the shimano pdm-324. Yes, they're ugly and heavy and freddly, but they have a platform(no clip) side and a spd side.The pd-m324 is clipless on one side and a quill pedal on the other side. They are not platform pedals, though they accept clips.

That pedal never made sense to me. Why would you have clipless on one side and clips on the other? When riding clipless, your clips would constantly be hitting the ground. Of course, you could just not install the clips or take them off every time your rode clipless. But then you would be riding on a quill pedal with no clips, I don't find that very comfortable for anything but a very short trip.

Shimano has come out with a new pedal, the a530. This pedal is clipless on one side and a plain pedal on the other. I think this is a much better choice since the plain pedal has a lot of surface area for your foot to rest, spreading the pressure over a wider area.

Cool guys, a lot of info there and a lot to take in. Going to the bike shop today so I'll have a word with the guys there. Seems like SPD's are favoured, whatever they are,lol. and then just chose a shoe that is comfortable, and I suppose that is where shopping online for cheaper shoes aint an option. I was in the bike shop last week and the guy recommended the pedals with clips on one side and just the pedal on the other so you could use both bike shoes and normal

I got a pair of those installed on my bike. Good pedals, but honestly I wish I saved the $189 and just stuck with my plain double-sided pedals. I never wear the cycling shoes anymore, just my normal shoes, sandals, and boots.

I'm not really sure what your goals with bicycle touring (which is a fairly broad category of cycling) are, but if you're not looking to race or place emphasis on the athletic aspect of cycling, clipless pedals are really unnecessary. Even if you are into the athletic aspect of cycling, clipless still aren't necessary.

But if you're set on giving them a try, go for it. They can be fun, and it's pretty cool having the option of pulling up on the pedals when climbing and sprinting.

Also, they are single sided entry.

I love my Frogs. They are double sided. Engaging and releasing is easy, the cleat is tough, and there's no springs to wear out. The cleats can however get clogged, which makes engaging very hard. Scrape out the debris and you're good to go again. No big deal.

For versatility I believe the best solution are pedals that clip in on one side and have a normal pedal on the other side. I love my Shimano M324 (http://www.rei.com/product/668198) pedals and will neveruse anything else. I use my bike for commuting and using these allow me to wear my street shoes when I bike to work or make a short trip. For touring get Mountain Bike SPD shoes. They let you walk normally and are available in non-garish styles that let you walk into restaurants without embarrassment.

The pd-m324 is clipless on one side and a quill pedal on the other side. They are not platform pedals, though they accept clips.

That pedal never made sense to me. Why would you have clipless on one side and clips on the other? When riding clipless, your clips would constantly be hitting the ground. Of course, you could just not install the clips or take them off every time your rode clipless. But then you would be riding on a quill pedal with no clips, I don't find that very comfortable for anything but a very short trip.

Shimano has come out with a new pedal, the a530. This pedal is clipless on one side and a plain pedal on the other. I think this is a much better choice since the plain pedal has a lot of surface area for your foot to rest, spreading the pressure over a wider area.

goodness, nobody should rock the pdm324's with toe-clips. that'd be a ghastly idea! the point of these things is to be able to clip-in for clip-in types of rides, and to be able to comfortably and effectively ride the same bike with your vans slip-ons or doc martens on the way to work or the tacqueria on other rides. the a530's do look way, way hotter, and will probably be my next victim if/when my 324s die. but, gosh, only a delirious masochist would want to put toe-clips on 324's. that'd be like putting marmalade on top of jam. sort of.

and, for the record, from the shimano website, re: pdm324's-
"Combines the efficiency of the SPD system and the convenience of a platform pedal.
Adjustable cleat tension for each rider preference.
A sealed mechanism and serviceable cup & cone bearings."

but, thanks for the heads-up about the a530s. I feel a powerful lust for those pedals

-rob

and, for the record, from the shimano website, re: pdm324's-
"Combines the efficiency of the SPD system and the convenience of a platform pedal.
Adjustable cleat tension for each rider preference.
A sealed mechanism and serviceable cup & cone bearings."
I assume you put this in to correct me about saying that the m324s are not platforms. They aren't. Just because Shimano says, "convenience of a platform pedal" does not make it so. They are quill pedals on the one side. Platform pedals are usually smaller, intended to be used with clips and have a wider flat area. They are designed to be used with soft sole shoes. Unlike quill pedals that are designed to be used with clips, have two narrow cages and meant to be used with stiffer soles.

I think people might be getting the names for the types of pedals confused.
This is a type of clipless pedal:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5994/m520yu1.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m520yu1.jpg)


A Platform pedal:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3306/mksplatformcx8.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mksplatformcx8.jpg)


A Quill type pedal:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2484/mkssylroadox8.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mkssylroadox8.jpg)


A plain pedal:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4165/plainpedalmb5.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plainpedalmb5.jpg)

I have been confused lately by people saying they are using platform pedals, without clips or straps. I have thought this to be strange because there are better options than a platform pedal. Then Sheldon (pbuh) explained (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_p.html#platform) it to me.
There is a current tendency to misuse the term "platform pedal" to refer to plain pedals that have no provision for holding the foot in place. It seems people are using "platform" as plain pedals and now it seems like they are using it for quill pedals also. As though there are only two types of pedals, clipless and platform.

common usage dictates the prevalent definitions of things. go into any contemporary bike shop and ask for a "quill-type pedal." There's a very good chance they won't know what you're talking about, but even if they do, they're going to wonder about what sort of patinated world you're living in. functionally, these things(quill-types, plains, platforms) are all very similar. Many "quill-types" and "platform pedals" alike will accept toe-clips, but "plain pedals" typically (and, agruably, by-definition)will not. But, whatever, if Shimano (the people who make pdm324's), on-line retailers like lickbike (the people who sell pdm324s) and guys like me (the people who use pdm324s) refer to these jekyl/hyde pedals as being "clipless on one side, and platform on the other", that's good enough for me. I applaud you for making distinctions, as they add colour and precision to the discussion. but they're not entirely necessary.
-rob

Far out guys, a lot of info there, havent been on this page for a week, but ive caught up now. Seems like a can take a couple of things from what i have read: go cheap on pedals and expensive on shoes, go for clips on one side and plain on the other.
Now, remembering that I'm in the UK, where is the best place to buy? Local bike shop or online? If online, where?

Cheers guys

Personally, I think clip-in pedals (called clipless for some reason) are vastly overrated, and very inconvenient in some instances, like heavy stop & go traffic or very rough single-track. I find that their performance is identical to platform pedals on flat ground and only slightly better uphill; this very slight advantage is not worth the aggravation while riding, or the very pronounced limitations of the special shoes you have to wear.


I got my first set of clip less pedals a month or two ago and I have noticed a large improvement. Being able to apply force at every position of the pedal allows for a fairly large increase in efficiency. I also love my cycling sandals. I have been wearing them literally every day for almost a year. I even took them on a 4 day canoeing/camping trip. Just as comfortable as any other shoe I've owned, and in general I dont mind spending extra to get nice and comfortable footwear.

Power Grips. (http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/)

Hi, I recently bought the revolution country traveller and I am looking at adding pedals and buying shoes. I am not clued up at all on what type of shoes to buy and pedals. I was told by someone the best pedals for touring would probably be time, is that right? as the give 5 degrees, so better for the knees.

I am a uk size 10, would I be better buying online or in a shop? Any advice would be great.

Remember I am from the UK.

Cheers

Paul

Should probably add that I have never used the shoes with pedal clips before; complete beginner. Also not wanting to spend more than £100 on the combination.

Dude, why waste the money and add the hassle of having clipless pedals and shoes? The increased pedaling efficiency is (arguably) negligible plus walking in shoes with cleats is usually a pain in the butt. I've used two different kinds of clipless pedals (SPD and Speedplay) but I love going out on my touring bike wearing my steel-toed work shoes on my SKS flat pedals, they cost $20CAD for the pedals and I can go from pedaling to walking without a problem. Plus the bigger platform and comfort of regular shoes is much more comfortable for a whole day of pedaling. Oh and if you plan to get used to clipless pedals, do it on a bike you don't mind dropping because you WILL fall over, probably quite a few times at first.

Plus the bigger platform and comfort of regular shoes is much more comfortable for a whole day of pedaling.
Different strokes, but when I will be pedaling all day, day in and day out for weeks or months I find real bike shoes (a good brand like Sidi with stiff soles) and clipless pedals indispensable. For quick short hops to the grocery or for other errands I find non-bike shoes are nice and convenient, but not on tour.


Oh and if you plan to get used to clipless pedals, do it on a bike you don't mind dropping because you WILL fall over, probably quite a few times at first.
Why do people always say this? I never had this problem and the two riders I introduced to clipless didn't either. The required motion gets ingrained pretty quickly. When the two riders that toured with me in 2007 first tried clipless the drill was as follows:
1. Set cleats up with all adjustments in the middle of the range.
2. Have the rider straddle the bike and clip in and out a few times while not moving.
3. Verify the the initial cleat position is close enough that they feel OK to try it.
4. Have them ride a few hundred yards and come back.
5. Remind them to unclip as they are stopping.
6. Ask them how the cleat adjustment needs to be changed.
7. Make changes to one foot at a time.
8. Repeat steps 4 -7 as needed increasing the distance ridden in step 4 as they feel they need to.

This will probably take 30 minutes to an hour and the rider will have clipped in and out probably 100 times before they actually start just riding. By then they had no problem remembering it was just an automatic thing.

I guess I should have added IMO after the post about using flat pedals and regular shoes. It really is great though, don't need to bring more than one pair of shoes this way (most of the time).

And regarding the clipless pedals thing: few people go through that kind of trouble at first but it's a good idea! Wish I'd have thought of that.

I had some 324s on my tourer. I really liked them. Platform on one side and SPDs on the other are definitely a great system. However, when one broke (developed a "clunk" on the upstroke), I replaced the 324s with Shimano's 530s. They're even better. Same system, but a larger platform.

Wellgo makes a two-sided pedal (SPD / quill) that's much lighter than Shimano's, because the cage is aluminum rather than steel. Look on qbike.com for model WPD 95, or Performance sells them as their "Campus" pedal. BMX shoes that are SPD compatible work good for touring because they're walkable, but lack the aggressive soles of MTB shoes. Hope this helps

all of my touring has been done with either shimano spd mountain shoes or shimano spd sandals. Both of these are around 7 or 8 years old andhave I'm guessing 15k miles on them each. I'll never use anything else (alhough I've tried to ride with straps just for fun. Not practical if you plan to stop much).

I can walk around camp or where ever with ease.

I've never fallen over due to being unable to unclip, even when I was learning to ride with that. That goes for riding recumbents, normal upright bikes, and tandems.

I don't know what else to say about that except that they are perfect for my touring, commuting, and weekend riding needs.

Power Grips. (http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/)

I dunno... I toured with a guy this summer and I was always clipped in and pedaling while he was still wobbling about trying to get his foot in the strap. Looked like a PITA, although he said it was not.

I use Speeplay Frogs and shimano sandals to tour, good to ride in, good to walk on. In real life (road biking) I use Look Keos and like them a lot once I'm in, they're a bit finnicky to get clipped in to, and you can't walk for ****.

(El Pelon, your post didn't make sense to me, maybe you are thinking of a different pedal?)