Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Clipless pedals

whats up all? id like to get to some advice regarding entry level clipless pedals. what are good brands to get for both cleats and pedals? do they come in sets? can i install the pedals myself? any other general tips? thanks!

Yes, they come in sets, are easy to install, and name brands are usually higher quality. Make sure you pick up some pedal washers, to help avoid gouging your crank arms.

SPD are easy to start with, and many prefer them all the time.

Mountain shoes are more walk friendly.

Practice in the grass, until you stop falling over.

I just got a set of Shimano clipless pedals, entry level ~$75 sorry not sure of the name, and a set of specialized shoes about the same $. I have wider feet so I asked specifically if there were any particular ones I should look at and was told that the shimano pedals have a nice wide platform, which they do I could see just comparing them to the others that were for sale, and aparently specialized makes their shoes a little on the wide side. First off let me say, other than the bike of course, these were my favorite bicycling purchase. So much more comfortable and you really do see results in efficiency, both with stats and the way pedaling feels.

If you are going to be doing a lot of walking in your cycling shoes you may want to look at mtn. bike shoes/pedals. For me the SPD style has worked out better than I ever thought and the cleats will be pretty cheap to replace when the time comes, but I do not do a ton of walking around in them so hopefully it wont be for a while.

And yes do take some time getting used to them in a soft spot, it is easier than you think to forget you are clipped in, panic, and end up with some sweet road rash. Just ask my knee and elbow.

http://www.bicyclebuys.com/pedals/PedalsRoad/0414445
my pedals, damn the lbs got me on this one, that's ok they put them on for free.

http://www.kegelsbikes.com/product.asp?product_id=116
shoes.

one other note is that I was told that small changes in cleat position can have big changes on efficiency and impact on your knees and hip, based on the way that you pedal. Just position them in a nice neutral spot when you start (manual should be able to show you where) and go from there as you get more used to riding clipless

I like Crank Bros pedals. The Candys are good for starters and don't have tension screws like SPDs. I did a wholesale swap from SPD to Crank Bros. a couple years ago and don't regret it. Simple, easy, no messing w/ tension screws and they look good.

Pedals come in a set with matching cleats. To install you will need a wrench to remove the existing pedals. A regular crescent wrench often works, but if there isn't enough clearance you need a pedal wrench. Watch out that the pedal on the left is reverse threaded.

Your shoes need to match the pedals/cleats you get. There are two kinds of shoes: one kind is like a plastic clog with three screwholes in a triangle attaching a big cleat and is for hardcore roadies who don't really want to walk around off the bike much. The other kind of shoe has two screwholes for a small cleat and a rubber sole and is for regular people.

I like the Shimano PD-M520 which can often be found for under $40 on sale somewhere or another. Perfectly functional, better than off-brand clones at similar prices and handles mud better then most other SPD style pedals (not as good as Eggbeater or ATAC, but decent.) However the area of the pedal that supports the shoe is small, so if the sole of your shoe is flexible you might find that the flex bothers you.

Pedals come in a set with matching cleats. To install you will need a wrench to remove the existing pedals.

You also need assembly paste for the pedal threads: NEVER put pedals in without it unless you want to strip the threads and ruin the crank when you need to get them out.

It's like learning to drive stick shift- practice in an empty parking lot.

Practice in the grass, until you stop falling over.

Do you ever stop falling over? :) Four way stop last weekend with a crosswalk and train tracks, kids went one way, car went another and I went down...made for some road rash and embarassment...:eek:

That being said I've been using the SPD style for about three years and love them. I would stay away from the dual platform pedals, especially when learning. The side you need never seems to be up.

You might also want to get a little help from your LBS positioning the cleats. That made the difference for me between popping knee caps and happy knee caps.

It's like learning to drive stick shift- practice in an empty parking lot.

Best analogy ever! :thumb:

They are super easy to get used to...nothing to worry about. I used candy-c (crank bros.) and shimano SPD's and like them both....about the same.

Note: Haven't used either since 2006. I like platform pedals and regular shoes for ease of attire. Yes, I commute far enough for them to probably make a difference (32 mile round trip)....but I don't care.

Going to throw in a vote for Time pedals. I have Aliums on my TriCross, and ATB (older) on my mountain bike -- both work great, stay attached until you want to get out, then easy to twist out in a hurry if needed. Using SPD shoes -- a bit heavy, but ok for now.

BTW, pedal wrench isn't always necessary. Many pedals can be installed using allen wrench (I think 6mm) from the reverse side of the crank arm. Not sure what assembly paste is -- I use a bit of grease and havent' had trouble, but do be sure to start the threading by hand and clean dirt out of the threads and restart if you feel any resistance. As noted, left pedal is reverse threaded (tighten counterclockwise as you face the left side of the bike).

It's like learning to drive stick shift- practice in an empty parking lot.

Only if the parking lot is grass, to prevent scratched up areas to you and the bike.

Unclipping is second nature now, and i no longer even consider any problems. I use dual sided Shimano 324's and absolutely love them. It's a non issue, if you are on the wrong side. Easily and quickly remedied, and now second nature to get the right side up, as they always hang the same way.

Assembly paste is, either, a moly based lube, or, anti seize.

Here is another vote for double-sided spd pedals. No matter which side your foot lands on, you can click-in. I like double-sided SPD pedals over Crank Bros and Speedplay double-sided models, because they have SPD pedals on the stationary and spin bikes at my gym (for when it is icy outside), and SPD pedals are just more common (renting or trying out someone elses bike, etc.).

For your first pair, it doesn't really matter what brand you get. I bought a $26 on-sale pair of Forte/Performance double-sided SPD pedals that lasted me over 6000 miles.

When they finally wore out this past spring, I took them into Performance, and they gave me the $26 credit that I paid for the original pair towards a new pair. I paid about $25 more, after the credit, for a better pair of on-sale Shimano double-sided SPD pedals. This is the great thing about buying from places with unconditional guarantees on equipment like Performance and REI.

Have fun!

just remember you are using them...

I havent ever had a problem "un-clipping" seems like all the threads of people that do 'forgot' they had em on!!!

get on clip in and go...