Road Cycling - clipless pedal recommendation for roadie newbie

what brand and model clipless pedals would work best for a new road rider? i've never used clipless pedals before. i just bought some road shoes (nike poggio for $70!) and they fit well and look cool too.. i'm 5'10" and 240lbs and would prefer something easy to get in and out of.. the crank brothers egg beaters look cool but could they support my weight when i'm standing on the pedals? LOOK and speedplay pedals are cool...

Shimano SPD-SL's will be your best bet. They really are very friendly pedals and one can walk around in them a bit due to their protected cleat. This is more important that it may seem at first glance. The -SL's are easy to get into and out of, have sufficient float and provide a very nice stable platform so you don't have to worry about hot spots or awkward operation / feelings. They are also light weight (remember to count both the pedal and the cleat when figuring weight).

These are great pedals to start in and, great pedals to finish in whether your ride is an hour or a career. With the new -SL series one doesn't have to think about moving up on the pedal ladder as they gain experience - they will already be riding one of the best.

My experience is confined to Looks but I've been using them since the later 1980s. I'm also of similar dimensions to you though I don't know how important that is to pedal selection.

The only other ones I've tried were the Shimano SPDs which I did not like. I notice that Shimano has gone back to a Look style for their latest pedals and that Lance had always used the older style (Look style) Shimanos.

I have no doubt other systems work well but have always ridden Look and "if it ain't broke....."

I agree with the others on Look and Shimano SPD series. I have the new Dura-Ace pedals and I really like them. They have a relatively large platform and I have ridden for as much as 5 hours and not had any problems.

You are going to find out that everyone has their favorite pedal ... egg beaters, Speedplays, etc etc ... and everyone is going to tell you that what they like is the best.

With that said, I have the Shimano SPD-SL Dura Ace pedals and couldn't be happier with them for the reasons rnhood described above.

speedplay frogs are very easy to get in and out of plus they are easy to walk in on a mountain shoe they are not even noticable. plus they are easy on your knee's

what brand and model clipless pedals would work best for a new road rider? i've never used clipless pedals before. i just bought some road shoes (nike poggio for $70!) and they fit well and look cool too.. i'm 5'10" and 240lbs and would prefer something easy to get in and out of.. the crank brothers egg beaters look cool but could they support my weight when i'm standing on the pedals? LOOK and speedplay pedals are cool...

As a newer roadie, I chose to try out the Shimano PDM324 Multi-purpose pedal. One side is clippable the other side is like a regular platform pedal. If you are ever in dodgy situations you can simply unclip and ride comfortably on the platform side. This is also convienient for shorter rides around town where you dont need to clip in and just want to wear regular shoes. I have found these a major confidence builder. As I ride more, I may change the pedals but these work great for me as a newbie. Good Luck!

Depends on what you want to spend. No use spending close to $200 for top of the line carbon Looks when $30 Performance generics will do.

55/Rad

what brand and model clipless pedals would work best for a new road rider? i've never used clipless pedals before. i just bought some road shoes (nike poggio for $70!) and they fit well and look cool too.. i'm 5'10" and 240lbs and would prefer something easy to get in and out of.. the crank brothers egg beaters look cool but could they support my weight when i'm standing on the pedals? LOOK and speedplay pedals are cool...

I got a similar deal on those shoes...99 bucks though. still, its about halfoff the original price. anyway, I really like the fit and ventalation, but the carbon soles are slick as sh*t when I am going through intersections unclipped. I was thinking of glueing a piece of grip tape or rubber or something to the bottom. has anyone else tried doing this to their carbon road shoes?

I went a different route. I just got clipless two days ago. I thought about it for about a year, and I talked to my lbs owner a few times. I put mtb (Shimano) pedals on my bike, because, they can be clipped in on either side, they also use standard clips. I also got a nice set of Pearl Izumi I-beam MTB shoes. As has been said, you can walk a lot better in mtb shoes, and the cleat is very protected from the asphalt or concrete. Best -

I believe the Nike Poggio only has the bolt pattern for Look/SPD-SL.

As a newer roadie, I chose to try out the Shimano PDM324 Multi-purpose pedal. A second for the 324's. It is handy to be able to pedal comfortably in tricky situations by flipping them over and using the platform. Particularly effective with some of the stops, gos & intersections on one of my routes. I have found them to be an excellent way to get used to going clipless, plus I can throw on some tenny's and run a quick errand. I have them on 3 of my 4 bikes, the 4th is a newer MTB that came with 515's and I'm not sure if I'll swap them out yet or not!

I also second on the MTB shoes, even when I'm riding the road I love to get off the bike to take pictures, run in the store, or stop by the office to drop off or pick up work. I have a pair of Cannondales Aragos that are so comfortable, I can wear them all day no matter what I am doing. May eventually get a pair of stiffer road shoes, but don't want to sacrifice the comfort my current shoes provide.

If you get Eggbeaters + a Eggbeater Road Cleat, they are pretty sweet. I'm a dork so I ride on Eggbeaters w/ the standard cleat and my Mtn shoes... works fine for me but I am sure if I was more of a performance oriented roadie I would feel differently!

pedals are of course a rather personal matter - that's why high end bikes don't ship with pedals, typically.

FWIW, after riding speedplay for the last few years, i just switched to a set of the new ultegra look-style and i'm quite pleased. the larger platform feels better on my foot, power transfer feels great, and they're an easy to clip in and out of.

they're about $140 new, but all over ebay, new in box, for $99 and under.

I really like the Time Impact's you can get a pair of the bottom line ones on Ebay for under $100. I use them and they are awesome a nice big platform, low cleat to shoe height, and they feel solid when you click in plus they allow quite a bit of float.

I really like the Time Impact's you can get a pair of the bottom line ones on Ebay for under $100. I use them and they are awesome a nice big platform, low cleat to shoe height, and they feel solid when you click in plus they allow quite a bit of float.

this is exactly what I'm using with my poggios (you got a better deal than me :mad: :D )
very happy with the pairing

I believe the Nike Poggio only has the bolt pattern for Look/SPD-SL.

nope. its got the SPD and SPD-R holes too.

In my book, it's Look. Hey that rhymes. Seriously, PP206 is a great place to start. Light, cheap (relative) Love 'em.

speedplay frogs are very easy to get in and out of plus they are easy to walk in on a mountain shoe they are not even noticable. plus they are easy on your knee's

ok.. what do you mean exactly when you say "easy on your knees"? should i expect some kind of pain/discomfort when using clipless pedals? i think that's the last thing i'd want and would opt for the pedals that are "easiest" on the knees.. any other insight or recommendations?

btw... thanks for all your responses... i'm definitely learning a lot from the flood of info!

been using time atacs on both my MTB (about 3 years) and my new tourmalet. i find that large float helps with my left knee/leg problems, it seems to make it easier to find a comfortable position.

-- michael

ok.. what do you mean exactly when you say "easy on your knees"? should i expect some kind of pain/discomfort when using clipless pedals? i think that's the last thing i'd want and would opt for the pedals that are "easiest" on the knees.. any other insight or recommendations?

btw... thanks for all your responses... i'm definitely learning a lot from the flood of info!

when people are refering to "easy on the knees" they are talking about float. pedals with float will allow your to rotate a few degrees left and right so that you are in a more natural position. if you have pedals without float you will want them fitted so that you dont run into knee problems.
I ride the shimano r-540 pedals. these are spd-sl and are the same as the ultegra and dura-ace pedals but are a little heavier. i find they have good float to them and are easy to get into and out of when you need to and they dont unclip when you dont want them to. i bought mine for $100CDN.

looks like i'm going with Look pedals but not sure which to get. Performance has these pedals. Can anyone make a recommendation on one over the other?

Look PP206 ($79.99)
Get large-platform comfort in an ultra-lightweight pedal. Bio-light body, ergonomic design and spring tension adjustment make it easy to get in and out. Wt: 320g/pr. Black (BLK).

Look PP247 $69.98 (reg $124.99 44% off)
Aluminum body, adjustable release tension, sealed cartridge bearings, cold forged chromoly axle. Includes red ARC cleats for 9 degree float. Black (BLK). Wt: 370g/pr. France.

I'd go with the 206's from and LBS and have them set them up for you on the trainer. They'll be close to the same $$

supreemo1

When I was using look cleats, I found that the Performance house brand "Forte" weighed less than all of the other name-brand pedals. You may want to check them out too.

FWIW, I started with look and ended up with speedplay - easier entry/exit, better float.

what brand and model clipless pedals would work best for a new road rider? i've never used clipless pedals before. i just bought some road shoes (nike poggio for $70!) and they fit well and look cool too.. i'm 5'10" and 240lbs and would prefer something easy to get in and out of.. the crank brothers egg beaters look cool but could they support my weight when i'm standing on the pedals? LOOK and speedplay pedals are cool...

I bought these (only $75) shimano spd PD-M324 the day after tipping over twice. After I thought it could never happen to me. These give me 5 times the confidence. With my old ones if you weren't clipped in you had no power.
And with my foot on the non-clip side of the pedal there is no way to ACCIDENTLY clip in. The fit and finish of these are excellent. They perfectly match the ultegra group. :D

I used to ride Shimano 515's spd pedals.. they were a good beginner pedal.. double sided entry, worked fine for me....

That being said..

I now use Speedplay X3's... still have the double sided entry, they have great float, so no knee problems. They are a little weird getting used to.. well at least the first few rides... kind of have a "standing on ice cubes" feeling to them.. but after a few rides, you don;t even notice it anymore

Good luck

jeff

Don't think of yourself as a "newbie". You get real used to using clipless pedals in no time, so don't waste your money on a set of pedals that you'll end up tossing in the back corner of the garage when you "upgrade" to some "experienced" models. You bought a pair of high-end shoes, then match them with some great pedals!

Colorado Cyclist is having a sale on the pedals I have been using for years: LOOK PP-357 for $79.99!!!!! These are great pedals with adjustable entry/release tension. Which means: in the beginning, you can set it to a light tension, then as you progress, crank 'em up! I've crashed a couple times and they have released perfectly (knock on wood) and have not been damaged (even at my weight-230 lbs.).

I am 6'1" and have ridden these when I was up to 260+ lbs., now I'm lighter, but that's beside the point. I also have a bum knee from an old football injury, no problems when riding with the Looks. You'll be real pleased with the amount of float and the adjustability of tension. Shimano, scheemano! Get the LOOK-357, at that price, I almost bought back-up pairs, just in case.

I have Time ATACs on my MTB and cyclocross. I also have SS eggbeaters on my fixed. I like them all. If you are big guy stay away from Titanium spindles in the peddles. i have found most have a weight limit.

I bought a set of Wellgo pedals (look style) and love them. I will likely always stay with this style as I find they are easy to clip without having to look at them every time.

Been using my time pedals since the day i first got on a road bike, to me they seem pretty easy to get on and off and i dont even feel them when walking with my shoes.

update:

First of all.. thanks to everyone for all your great advice and suggestions/recommendations.. I've been riding on the Look 206 pedals for about 2 weeks now and they are working out pretty well.. one complaint tho is my right shoe tends to rub against the crankarm around the inside of my foot.. i've already adjusted my right cleat all the way but my foot still occassionally rubs.. no problems at all with my left foot

Bought SPD pedals a couple years ago when I got back into road cycling. Nothing but sore spots on my feet when I road. Recently decided I had had enough of them. Bought some Campagnolo Pro Fit pedals (Look style) to round out my gruppo and improve my comfort level. I also have big feet, size 13 (48 Europe). I'll never use a pedal that isn't Look style again.