Living Car Free - Clipless pedals and running errands.

So, I want to run around town on the bike instead of driving, but my bike has clipless and it's pretty uncomfortable traveling with normal shoes on those pedals. What do you guys do? Backpack with pair of shoes? Just walk around everywhere with bike shoes? Most of my trips aren't going to be much more than a mile away.

Get a pair of walkable clipless shoes / sandals? Swap clipless for dual-sides clipless / platforms? There's lots of options.

What kind of clipless, in particular, are you using?

There are a few shoe models out there that are walkable, and also look fairly normal. The ones I know of will only take MTB cleats though (2 hole). Check out Shimano shoes and Pearl Izumi shoes

Shimano 324s! I love 'em for just that reason!

I have a set of Shimano MTB shoes with Time ATAC pedals. They're the recessed cleat, but they're still not fun to walk in too far. I'm going to be getting a road bike though, so that's going to be an issue eventually. I figure shoes and flip flops. Maybe I'll buy a pair of chucks or some other canvas shoe that wouldn't take up too much space in a bag.

I have a set of Shimano MTB shoes with Time ATAC pedals. They're the recessed cleat, but they're still not fun to walk in too far. I'm going to be getting a road bike though, so that's going to be an issue eventually. I figure shoes and flip flops. Maybe I'll buy a pair of chucks or some other canvas shoe that wouldn't take up too much space in a bag.

2-Bolt Recessed, you have LOTS of options for walkable shoes (note "recessed" cleat doesn't necessarily equate to walkable - you'll find a number of people like the following),

Specialized Sonoma (http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=40334)

Keen Commuter (http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss09/shoes/men/trailhead/commuter/bison-%20bossa%20nova)

Keen Springwater (http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss09/shoes/men/trailhead/springwater/grey-%20keen%20yellow)

Shimano SH-FN51 (http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=9858)

You mentioned Chucks- I find they make a nice cycling shoe with good ole platform pedals with toeclips/straps. For errands and commuting you really don't need clipless, anyway. Even though I use them for "serious" riding, unless you compete I'm not convinced clipless help all that much. The shoes certainly aren't more comfortable, and they put a lot of pressure on one point of your foot.

I just use regular shoes and regular pedals.

If you're using road shoes, bring a change of shoes. If you're using mountain bike shoes, like me, then just walk around in the mtb shoes. They're a little awkward to walk around in, and they make a bit of noise that sometimes gets people looking at you, but who cares? Life's too short.

If I'm going to work, gonna hang with friends/family, or go someplace like a museum then I'll bring a change of shoes. For errands, going to the movies, going to school, and going to parks, the mtb shoes are fine.

I've been riding at least 10 miles 3-5 times a week if not. I find the clipless and making circles helps a lot when I start getting worn out. I'm not going to change pedals as I'm going to start doing trails and the road bike is going to be used for longer distance rides. Trying to get healthy here, so I figured riding instead of driving is part of the "every little bit helps" mantra.

I figure a backpack and shoes seem like the best alternative as of now. Short trips like the video store or grocery store won't be bad, but when I ride to the bar it's going to be a little ackward hanging out and walking around in bike shoes the whole time. Plus, that'll wear the cleats.

Maybe instead of clipless you should just run a set of power grips on your errand bike?

Maybe instead of clipless you should just run a set of power grips on your errand bike?

I don't have an errand bike though. It's just going to be my mountain bike or road bike that I'm going to use for errands. I do have places to store stuff at the bar (sad, I know) so I won't have to carry a back pack around. And that's for any time I need to spend time in town. It's a small college town so I know everyone that works downtown at the bars and my roommate is a bartender at one, so I can stow my stuff somewhere if needed and have a place to park.

Ed: I did see clipless pedals with a platform from crank brothers, but I heard that the platform can get in the way of clipping in. What's the truth in that?

One problem with clipless systems is that I stop a lot, and I also walk a lot as I'm riding around town. Even the walkable shoes or MTB shoes are pretty inconvenient--better suited, IMO, for long road rides or MTB rides when you're not getting off the bike much.

Another problem is that the walkable shoes look like you rented them in a bowling alley. I couldn't wear them at work, and I wouldn't want to wear them in a restaurant, office or any public place besides the bowling center.

I use regular shoes (running, hiking or walking, usually) and old fashioned trap style clips. For city riding, I adjust the clips so they're fairly tight (I have to jam my feet into them) but I don't bend down to tighten them with the little levers. That way it's easy to get my feet out of them when I stop for stop lights or whatever. But they still prevent my feet from slipping off the pedals, and they give you a little power on the upstroke.

This is pretty much the same principle as power grips. I've never tried power grips, but they look like they would work well.

I use road shoes with covers over the speedplay cleats for going into stores. I even use the pedals on my xtracycle when I'm carrying a load of groceries home.
Yes I walk through the entire store pushing a cart with road shoes that have covers on them. Same shoes I wear on 400ks and on my commutes. Recumbent and upright bikes.

Except for the heavy loads where I need to pull out the xtracycle with sideloaders my speed bike and long distance bike are my shopping bike and commuter bike.

I have tried keen commuters but someone mentioned the recessed cleat doesn't mean walkable. Now with the keens they were very comfy and with socks I could wear them through the winter but the cleat grinded against marble and concrete floors and nicked wood floors. So sure the sidewalk is fine but a house, work, restuarant and the like really didn't work.

I don't have an errand bike though. It's just going to be my mountain bike or road bike that I'm going to use for errands. I do have places to store stuff at the bar (sad, I know) so I won't have to carry a back pack around. And that's for any time I need to spend time in town. It's a small college town so I know everyone that works downtown at the bars and my roommate is a bartender at one, so I can stow my stuff somewhere if needed and have a place to park.

Ed: I did see clipless pedals with a platform from crank brothers, but I heard that the platform can get in the way of clipping in. What's the truth in that?

No, not sad. That is stupidly awesome.

So, I want to run around town on the bike instead of driving, but my bike has clipless and it's pretty uncomfortable traveling with normal shoes on those pedals. What do you guys do? Backpack with pair of shoes? Just walk around everywhere with bike shoes? Most of my trips aren't going to be much more than a mile away.
On my main city bike (cough I have too many bikes) I use SPD pedals with a flat pedal on one side and the SPD cleat on the other - so I can ride in either clipless or regular shoes. For instance I usually wear my clipless shoes to work (MTB shoes, or Shimano sandals - both very walkable!) but have a pair of regular shoes in my desk. If I'm running errands at lunch on my bike I can easily hop on the bike with regular shoes. There's a bit of the case of always-wrong-side-up compared to double-sided clipless pedals, but I like the compromise.

In the years since I went car free I gradually shed the toe clips from my bikes. I use the metal pedals with teeth that dig into whatever shoes I have. For errands or going to work I just use regular shoes. If I had a long commute I'd switch shoes, maybe a bike specific shoe for the ride. Sometimes I ride the "long" route to work 10 extra miles and I still use the same work shoes. One year I picked up these pedals at REI, I think the guy said they were for mountain biking, they're narrower than normal pedals. I keep them on my main city bike because I get a little extra ground clearance when pedaling through corners. The edge of my shoe hangs over the edge of the pedal so I feel the ground with the shoe before the pedal strikes. I'd put the toe clips back on if I do another multi-day tour.
That's what I do.

Ed: I did see clipless pedals with a platform from crank brothers, but I heard that the platform can get in the way of clipping in. What's the truth in that?

I have their Mallets on two of my bikes and, although they're a bit difficult to unclip, taking off from a dead stop is as easy with them as with as the plain MKS pedals I have on another bike.

I think they're a great option for a multi-use pedal.

I've got the Shimano M076 and mtb pedals on my road bike. They're really comfortable to walk around it. I wouldn't use them if they were uncomfortable to spend a whole day in.

I have Power Grips on one bike and the rest of the fleet has platform pedals. I have a pair of hiking shoes with moderately stiff soles that I use on all bikes. I like the Power Grips, but the platforms are really nice in poor weather (especially winter...).

I have thought about getting mountain bike shoes and cleats, but, like others here report, I do quite a bit of stopping and walking on my routes and am generally too miserly to shell out $120 for a pair of shoes that are tough to walk in.

I'm still on the backpack and shoes for errands. My MTB shoes are getting muddy and from the biking I've done, clipless seem the way to go. I'll never totally be car free, but I figures this was the place to ask. Maybe I'll eventually end up with a fixed bike with platforms for the town stuff. I want to eventually get to where I'm only using the car for commuting and trips out of town. I'd be a bit scared trying to commute to work at the moment with the way roads are here. One way is terribly paved back roads and the other leads to one of the deadliest roads in the area. They're building a new highway to replace the two lane managerie, but until then it's one of the main roads from town on the way out to anywhere.

I don't have an errand bike though. It's just going to be my mountain bike or road bike that I'm going to use for errands. I do have places to store stuff at the bar (sad, I know) so I won't have to carry a back pack around. And that's for any time I need to spend time in town. It's a small college town so I know everyone that works downtown at the bars and my roommate is a bartender at one, so I can stow my stuff somewhere if needed and have a place to park.

Ed: I did see clipless pedals with a platform from crank brothers, but I heard that the platform can get in the way of clipping in. What's the truth in that?

You already have the same set up as I do and I can walk just fine. I have Specialized MTB shoes and Time Atac pedals. I have then on my Road bike and back up bike and I can walk through the average mall pretty well. I wouldn’t like to walk more than a mile at any pace worth mentioning but they are easy enough. With the size platform the Atac pedals have they are no less comfortable riding than any other shoe. But if you run that many errands then you have the perfect excuse for N+1.

I use these: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/CatalogSearchResultView?storeId=10053&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&pageSize=30&beginIndex=0&searchType=resultSet&sortBy=iphrase%2Brelevance%2F%2F0&cn1=&searchTerm=highlander (http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/CatalogSearchResultView?storeId=10053&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&pageSize=30&beginIndex=0&searchType=resultSet&sortBy=iphrase%2Brelevance%2F%2F0&cn1=&searchTerm=highlander*)

Plain SPD on one side, good platform on the other.

I see this problem can be solved by N + 1.

Even the walkable clipless shoes do look kind of odd when normal clothes are worn above. Even world class racers raced on toeclips until 20 or 30 years ago.
Toeclips in my opinion with the right pedals and just normal shoes are the best choice for normal riding. You really get no noticeable benefit out of clipless unless you ride really agressively. Even pro racers I know use toeclips on the "tooling around town" bikes, and almost all messengers use them, and they can be considered "pro" after a sense.
Give them a shot, you might be pleasantly suprised at how effective over just platforms they actually are.

If you get into actual "training" and stuff you might want to go clipless, but then you would not be doing much walking around anyway right?

I thought the OP said he was already clipless? If he already has Time Atac pedals all he needs is shoes he can walk in. If he is going to change pedals he is going to have to jump through more hoops than just jumping on the bike to run errands. Shoes are a whole lot easier to change than pedals and Time Atac pedals tend to go on pretty tight. But I still say a errand bike is a perfect excuse for N+1. You don’t want to take your best bike to run errands anyway. I got my errand bike at a garage sale for almost nothing. If I were to lose it I might be sad but not as sad as I would be if I lost my road bike outside of a store.

So, I want to run around town on the bike instead of driving, but my bike has clipless and it's pretty uncomfortable traveling with normal shoes on those pedals. What do you guys do? Backpack with pair of shoes? Just walk around everywhere with bike shoes? Most of my trips aren't going to be much more than a mile away.

I'd get rid of the clipless pedals in your position. Clipless pedals are useful in some situations (single track MTBing, road racing), but are completely unnecessary for most types of utility riding. In fact, they're kind of a PITA in more situations than not.

That's my point. I want to do more serious riding then utility and with me looking to purchase a new road bike, I'm not going to have the money to spare on a utility bike for a while.

Now that you mention cost--I say "strapless mini clips" will give you 90% foot retention of clipless, 90% escapability of plain platforms, and 1% of the cost of clipless pedals + shoes.

They're cheap enough that if you don't like them you've hardly invested anything but none of my "disciples" have gone back to other sysltems.

Recessed cleats such as used by SPD pedals are easy/in out.. I am more comfortable using cleated pedals. My feet just feel vuneralbe when not attached to pedals.
. But, the downside, having to unclip every block or two.. Other than that, I'd only go clipless.
While on the road away from urban areas, it's Look style cleats.. They seem to unclip more reliably than SPD.. But, on tour and you find yourself walking about much.. SPD is the only way to go.

Even the walkable clipless shoes do look kind of odd when normal clothes are worn above.

Huh? Unless you know my sandals or my Diadora's that look more like hiking shoes were also cycling shoes with spd cleats on the bottom, you would never suspect they were or think they looked 'odd'.

To the OP: Consider going to either SPD cleats with Shimano M324 pedals (SPD on one side, platform on the other), or Crank Brothers cleats with Mallet pedals.

That's my point. I want to do more serious riding then utility and with me looking to purchase a new road bike, I'm not going to have the money to spare on a utility bike for a while.

Then keep your present bike as your utility bike with regular platform pedals, and use clipless on the new road bike. Till then, I'd just use platforms on your current bike (or one of the cleat pedal combos I mentioned previously)...they are not going to hurt you or hinder your 'training'.

My current MTB shoe.
http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/shoes/mtb/product.-code-SH-M086L.-type-.html

The only part about walking on these is that the Time cleats are looking like they're taking a beating.

Huh? Unless you know my sandals or my Diadora's that look more like hiking shoes were also cycling shoes with spd cleats on the bottom, you would never suspect they were or think they looked 'odd'.


Chipcom, sure if you want to be wearing hiking shoes or sandals, but isn't that a bit casual for everyday wear? What about dressier shoes?

Chipcom, sure if you want to be wearing hiking shoes or sandals, but isn't that a bit casual for everyday wear? What about dressier shoes?

Why? Next you'll be asking me to wear a tie. :eek:

So, I want to run around town on the bike instead of driving, but my bike has clipless and it's pretty uncomfortable traveling with normal shoes on those pedals. What do you guys do? Backpack with pair of shoes? Just walk around everywhere with bike shoes? Most of my trips aren't going to be much more than a mile away.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we use platform pedals for rides under a mile and especially while running errands.

Why not just toss a pair of platforms on before you head out for errands? It'll probably be quicker than changing your shoes at every shop. OR you could get some of those inserts which will transform your clipless pedals into platforms. OR you can get quick release pedals (MKS brand).

I wouldn't choose toe clips over clipless unless you are really good at track-standing and never have to put a foot down at lights. Having to flip the pedal just right so that your foot slips back in after every stop light is a royal PIA.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we use platform pedals for rides under a mile and especially while running errands.

Why not just toss a pair of platforms on before you head out for errands? It'll probably be quicker than changing your shoes at every shop. OR you could get some of those inserts which will transform your clipless pedals into platforms. OR you can get quick release pedals (MKS brand).

What inserts? Are they like platforms you can put clips on? That would be ideal.

What inserts? Are they like platforms you can put clips on? That would be ideal.

You see them sometimes in bike shops. They're a sort of mini platform that clips into an SPD pedal.

Do some more digging and you can find toeclips w/ straps that clip into SPDs, too. There was a thread here on BF in the last month or two talking about them.

Buy your new road bike, most of which come without pedals, and transfer the pedals you have. Then get some platform pedals, add powergrips or clips and straps and put them on your current bike, which becomes your errand bike.

Huh? Unless you know my sandals or my Diadora's that look more like hiking shoes were also cycling shoes with spd cleats on the bottom, you would never suspect they were or think they looked 'odd'.


Dude, I hate to be the one to tell you. They do not look good with your capris.

:D

My current MTB shoe.
http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/shoes/mtb/product.-code-SH-M086L.-type-.html

The only part about walking on these is that the Time cleats are looking like they're taking a beating.

I will say it again. You cannot find a pedal and cleat combination that will work any better than the one you have for the desired post. You can find ones that work as well if you didn’t have pedals and cleats to start with. SPDs would be a good choice as would crank brothers if you are using MTB shoes. I have the same pedal and these shoes;
http://www.ajssportinggoods.com/lifesports/product.asp?s_id=0&prod_name=%2709+Specialized+BG+Expert+Mountain+Bike+Shoe&pf_id=SP_6119-21&dept_id=84011

My cleat does not hit the ground or pavement, sidewalks or hard floors like they have in a mall. The shoe and Time Atac platform give you more support and comfort than a tennis shoe and platform pedal so if you ride more than run errands it is a better choice. If you do errands more than ride maybe get platforms but you would have to switch back to your Atacs the next time you wanted to go for a good road ride.

Here is the question you have to answer. Do you like your pedals now? If so don’t change pedals change shoes. MTB shoes will work just fine and you can get them with a bit more flex than a road shoe. If you don’t like your pedals start over and decide what kind of riding you will do most. Then pick a pedal.

Dude, I hate to be the one to tell you. They do not look good with your capris.

:D

Fashion snob. :p

Clipless/Platform pedals plus walkable shoes. Covers all scenarios.

my bike has clipless and it's pretty uncomfortable traveling with normal shoes on those pedals. What do you guys do?If you use SPD, I suggest the Shimano M545 pedals. I have them on everything. Same on both sides, easy to clip in, and I can ride wearing topsiders if I want to. To me they are the perfect pedal. I get them on ebay usually for around $50-$60 a pair.

I initially got them for mountain biking where I wanted to be able to yank my feet off but keep pedaling, but I found they are good for my road bike and tandem too.

Clipless/Platform pedals plus walkable shoes. Covers all scenarios.

No, it still doesn't cover the scenario where you need to wear "real" shoes on the job after a commute to work. IMO.

No, it still doesn't cover the scenario where you need to wear "real" shoes on the job after a commute to work. IMO.

Sometimes you just have to carry an extra set of paw covers. The women in DC do it all the time, they wear sneakers on the way to work and switch to pumps when they get to the office. When I take bike trips I carry flip flops for the end of the day for hanging out around the tent before bedtime.

No, it still doesn't cover the scenario where you need to wear "real" shoes on the job after a commute to work. IMO.

Why not? You wear your "real" shoes and use the platform side of the pedal.

Why not? You wear your "real" shoes and use the platform side of the pedal.

Yep, you're right. Sorry. :o