Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Clipless Systems - After Googling and Forum-Searching, I'm Still Confused

http://www.bikepartsplace.com/images/med/31916154.jpg

Picked these up with a Miche groupo.

I know literally nothing about clipless systems, and after a bit of research I'm still confused by the variety of options and compatibility questions. I have gathered that:
1. These are not egg-beaters
2. These are not SPD
3. They use a 3-hole cleat

Assuming the preceding is correct, my questions are:
A) Are all 3-hole shoes compatible with all 3-hole cleats, and thus compatible with these pedals?
B) Are these ok for riding brakeless? I know the spring tension can be changed + or -.
C) Will I be flamed for the shameless ignorance revealed in this post?

a) hellll no. just 99% of them. you have to find the right cleats to be sure.

b) yeah as long as you don't turn your heels out while skipping or skidding

c) all signs point to yes

a) hellll no. just 99% of them. you have to find the right cleats to be sure.

They come with cleats. My compatibility question centers on the cleat-shoe connection. For instance--would a Look-compatible shoe work with these? How do you tell off the bat?

They come with cleats. My compatibility question centers on the cleat-shoe connection. For instance--would a Look-compatible shoe work with these? How do you tell off the bat?

99% sure they will work but to be sure take your cleats with you when you go to buy your shoes. Ask nice and they'll probably even fit the cleats to the shoes for you for free.


C) Will I be flamed for the shameless ignorance revealed in this post?
only by insecure jackasses.... we were all clueless newbs at some point.

They come with cleats. My compatibility question centers on the cleat-shoe connection. For instance--would a Look-compatible shoe work with these? How do you tell off the bat?

I haven't met a three hole cleat that doesn't conform to the Look pattern, they might exist, but are rare.
Those pedals look like re-badged Looks anyway, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
Note that three hole pattern shoes are mostly all smooth soled road shoes, great for riding, poor for walking.

They're LOOK DELTA compatible...you can but LOOK delta cleats and they'll work. Any 3 hole shoe will work. Lake used to make a CX shoe that was walkable with road cleats...CX100 maybe.

I haven't met a three hole cleat that doesn't conform to the Look pattern, they might exist, but are rare.
Those pedals look like re-badged Looks anyway, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
Note that three hole pattern shoes are mostly all smooth soled road shoes, great for riding, poor for walking.

ive found road shoes with spdsl cleats not as bad as expected for walking short distances. any sort of fast or even slightly long distance movement would likely change things though.

i don't have immediate familiarity with the miche pedals, but you may want the option of adjustable 'float', basically foot yaw, either through a control on the pedal or by switching cleats.

i don't have immediate familiarity with the miche pedals, but you may want the option of adjustable 'float', basically foot yaw, either through a control on the pedal or by switching cleats.

Its interesting--with toe clips, I've spent the entire time trying to minimize the mobility of my foot. But when it comes to clipless pedals, the recommendation to go with cleats with float keeps coming up. My question: does this apply only to riders who are going long distances? I commute daily and go anywhere further than the corner on my steed, but the max leg of most such journeys is 'twixt 7 and 10 miles. Hardly long distance. And I almost never ride further than 15 miles at a time. Am I in danger of the dreaded NUMBFOOT if I ride w/o float? Are there floatless riders in the lurker crowd who vehemently disagree with the floaters?

I ride Look clipless on both my fixed gear commuter and my road bike. I rode a century on the road bike last week and didn't notice any problems with not having float. I could see having some float possibly being nice on the road bike, but I feel like I'd have less control if I rode fixed like that.

Its interesting--with toe clips, I've spent the entire time trying to minimize the mobility of my foot. But when it comes to clipless pedals, the recommendation to go with cleats with float keeps coming up. My question: does this apply only to riders who are going long distances? I commute daily and go anywhere further than the corner on my steed, but the max leg of most such journeys is 'twixt 7 and 10 miles. Hardly long distance. And I almost never ride further than 15 miles at a time. Am I in danger of the dreaded NUMBFOOT if I ride w/o float? Are there floatless riders in the lurker crowd who vehemently disagree with the floaters?

you want float because you want your knees to last

float is just allows people to fudge fitment. get the fit right and few people need float.

road shoes suck. I'm out.

you won't have problems skidding and you will actually have more power and efficiency when riding. just don't twist your feet out when skidding. the main problem you will encounter is walking with the shoes. Road shoes suck for walking around. They have almost zero flexibility and the cleats can be slippery. but obviously they were not designed for walking. good luck! I think you will like them

I'm not gonna ride this bike to the mallwalking championships, so I think I'll be ok clipless.

Thanks, folks, for the help. I'm psyched for this new bike to come together.

road shoes suck. I'm out.

i avoid walking any long distance or running in them, but theyre not nearly as bad as i expected.

I'm anticipating a combination of ski-boots and butt ****. I hope its not that bad.

I'm anticipating a combination of ski-boots and butt ****. I hope its not that bad.

i was expecting the worst also. my specialized road comps are quite comfortable though the spdsl cleat is also not metal and the shoe is not carbon. carbon soles give some discomfort.

Comfort should be noticeably better than your sneakers & toe cages. (while on the bike)
Keep trying on shoes if this isn't the case.
Your feet won't be squished by the straps, and the bottom of your foot will be well supported.

I'm anticipating a combination of ski-boots and butt ****. I hope its not that bad.
ski-boots are to road shoes as butt-**** is to someone kissing your butt.

Its been...a few weeks. Got some 3-hole cleats and Shimano's bottom o'barrel shoes, and things are great. The cleats I'm using have no yaw/play, but I haven't experienced any discomfort in the knees. My non-clipless bike is out on loan--

SEGUE
(--to a girl I watched crash it into a pink vintage Ford pickup truck. This was hilarious, as she was wearing a skirt that provided maximum ass-view during crash and was riding riding at low speeds incapable of damaging my tarckstar deep-vs)
/SEGUE

So I've been riding 100% clipless for short and longish distances and enjoying it very much. Thanks for all advice/help. For the record, these shoes are neither like **** nor skiboots. Also, I apologize to anyone offended by my use of the term "buttrape"...not proud of that. Damn you tasty DIPAs and your impedition of reasonable language.

no float? did you at least have the cleats fitted so you don't F your knees?

Since for some reason nobody mentioned it.
There are two types of clipless systems that have earned their names like kleenex and band aid.
LOOK style after LOOK's system.
And SPD style after shimano's system.

Your's as you should know by now are LOOK style, but not LOOK compatible. ;)
Glad your enjoying them!

And float gives you a lot of room to play when cornering sharply, jumping barriers, skidding, etc. Seems to be more of a mountain biking feature, but it works nicely in an urban environment too.
It's not a gimic to fudge fitment by any means.