Road Cycling - Pedal Recommendations?

Looking to switch over to clipless pedals. Any recommendations/advice for someone not looking to spend an extravagant amount of money?

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16365&subcategory_ID=5245

That's the Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL ... and you can use a 20% coupon code to knock that price down.

I have the Dura Ace version and LOVE the pedals. Do a seach on this topic though - you WILL find out that that 10 different people are going to have 10 different opinions on what pedal is best.

Switched from clips/straps to LOOKS sometime in the later 1980s and haven't looked back. Markedoc is certainly right about differing opinions. I do think the new Shimanos are probably pretty good (I haven't ridden them hence the qualifiers) as they've switched back to a large "LOOK style" cleat. I understand LA had something to do with this as he insisted on riding the older style Shimanos a few years ago rather than their then-current SPD style road pedals.

I do not like SPDs.

:beer:

I have Wellgo brand pedals. The are a cheaper knock-off of the look style pedals. I like them alot

[QUOTE=Markedoc]http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16365&subcategory_ID=5245

That's the Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL ... and you can use a 20% coupon code to knock that price down.

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Where can I find this coupon code?

It is a pretty personal choice. The 1st question I think would be what kind of riding you do? or Do you want to be able to walk in your shoes when you are not on your bike? I found for me that my choice in shoes sort of made my choice in pedals easier.

[QUOTE=Markedoc]http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16365&subcategory_ID=5245

That's the Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL ... and you can use a 20% coupon code to knock that price down.

-------------------------------------

Where can I find this coupon code?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=56855

I also joined Team Performance at the beginning of the year for $20 and get 10% credit for future purchases and also 2 day air shipping for the price of ground.

It is a pretty personal choice. The 1st question I think would be what kind of riding you do? or Do you want to be able to walk in your shoes when you are not on your bike? I found for me that my choice in shoes sort of made my choice in pedals easier.

I'm looking to switch also. I've heard of these shoes where the cleats are sunken down into the sole of the shoe. What kind are they?

SPD Sandals have the cleats sunken down into the sole.

Mountain bike shoes(and casual or touring types and sandals) have recessed cleats. Many road pedals use cleats with a 3-bolt connection and can't be used with mtb shoes which use the two bolt pattern (spd compatable). I've only used mtb pedals. I have Time ATAC on my street bike. They work well, easy to use, sufficient float to protect my knees, durable. Speedplay are lighter and more float.

Looking to switch over to clipless pedals. Any recommendations/advice for someone not looking to spend an extravagant amount of money?

I've been riding Look Pedals for over 10 years on my road bikes and have never had an issue or problem.

Yeah, but you walk funny (smiley winking).

personally, i never understood why everyone needed to walk everywhere in cycling shoes anyway.

where are you people walking in your cycling shoes? i may walk around the bike shop or into a store to get something to eat on a long ride, but we're talking maybe 40 steps here :)

anyway, back to the subject, get yourself those new ultegra pedals and you'll be set for a long time. they're reasonably lightweight, engage and ride beautifully, cheaper than most looks and are very well made.

personally, i never understood why everyone needed to walk everywhere in cycling shoes anyway.

where are you people walking in your cycling shoes? i may walk around the bike shop or into a store to get something to eat on a long ride, but we're talking maybe 40 steps here :)

anyway, back to the subject, get yourself those new ultegra pedals and you'll be set for a long time. they're reasonably lightweight, engage and ride beautifully, cheaper than most looks and are very well made.


Funny - I was thinking the same thing! Plus, you want a STIFF sole for a riding shoe, and the lighter the better. Whereas for walking, you need flex in the sole. But like you said, I don't walk in my bike shoes anyways, unless it's a few steps in a convenience store to get H2O of something ...

I didn't say everyone walked funny everywhere! If you use bicycle for tranportation, skating behind shopping cart might be fun but... Hey, if you drive everywhere you go, shave legs, sport lycra, then yeah, you WANT to walk like a duck, it's part of what sets you apart. Regular folks use clipless pedals too, bikie brunning.

Ultegra cost more and weighs more than speedplay frogs (steel axle, the Ti version costs more than ultegra by $40, 2/3 the weight) and you can walk in the shoes. Not sure if ultegra has 20 degrees of float., but I doubt it...

If you need to use road shoes, the speedplay sp-x3 on sale at bikenashbar.com for $99.95. Approx 2/3 weight, 2/3 cost of Ultegra. Also a better pedal on the knees I believe.

the weight of the speedplay is in the cleat.

speedplays should be tried before you buy. the float is a lifesaver for some, but the power transfer and solid feeling of look-style pedals is just not there.

i rode speedplays for a while and then switched to look style pedals and was just amazed at what i'd been missing.

of course this only applies to those who are concerned with riding fast, but you should see if you can try them first!

Well I *do* walk a lot in my cycling shoes. I ride to a lot of places I go on errands, and switching between shoes all the time is a pain, so I just walk in my cycling shoes. Not bad once you get used to it, but it does mean I need walkable shoes. I use Diadora mountain shoes and ride Crank Bros Eggbeater pedals. Great combination. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Eggbeaters to anyone. Easily the most comfortable and most user-friendly pedals I've ever ridden. Some may like a bigger platform, but if you're using cycling shoes I don't really see why it matters since the sole is stiff. Anyhow, yeah, that's my two cents on this.

Pedals can get pretty personal. Personally I prefer double-sided stomp-and-go so I went with the Speedplay Zeros. These look like the Speedplay X-series pedals but offer adjustable float and centering. The cleats are made of metal and can be walked on without damaging them although you will still walk funny and you will still probably want to get cafe covers to keep from marring people's floors. As for power transfer, I've compared them to Looks and I notice no difference in being able to transfer power. I feel just as connected.

Thanks for all your advice, guys.

Just as a follow up, I decided to go with the Look5.1 from Performance over the Shimano Ultegras, mainly based on price. BTW, the coupon still works!

Total (including shipping to Canada): $90.99 How can I go wrong?

personally, i never understood why everyone needed to walk everywhere in cycling shoes anyway.

where are you people walking in your cycling shoes? i may walk around the bike shop or into a store to get something to eat on a long ride, but we're talking maybe 40 steps here :)

anyway, back to the subject, get yourself those new ultegra pedals and you'll be set for a long time. they're reasonably lightweight, engage and ride beautifully, cheaper than most looks and are very well made.

I commute and I do a lot of shopping from my bike. I want to be able towalk around. if I cna't walk in my cycling shoes then I have to carry something so I can walk or not ride my bike.

There you have it. Look wins. Brunning, khuon, and fugazi chose pedals based on their needs. True about the heavy Speedplay cleats, and more powerful connection w look. I was only saying clipless pedals are not only for the racer or racer wannabe.

True about the heavy Speedplay cleats, and more powerful connection w look.

Hmmm... let's see. My Speedplay Zero Ti pedals weigh 164g/pair and the cleats weigh 105g/pair. Combined weight per pair is thus 269g. Add some hardware such as cleat bolts and the claimed weight is 283g/pair. Incidently, there's someone making replacement aluminum alloy bottom plates for Speedplay cleats. They're lighter than the stock steel ones but they're not as durable. I don't know how much lighter they are though.

Look CX6-Ti pedals weigh 298g/pair and that doesn't include the cleats or mounting hardware. How much do you think Look cleats add?

As far as feeling connected, the surface area between the Look and Speedplay mechanism where they actually connect are comparable. The loading/support surface area (platform size) of the Speedplay system is actually greater.

http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.platform

Again, choose what feels most comfortable but don't disregard the numbers either.

personally, i never understood why everyone needed to walk everywhere in cycling shoes anyway.

where are you people walking in your cycling shoes? .....


Funny that I was thinking exactly the opposite!

When I wake up, if it's above freezing and if I think I'll cycle more than 1-2 km in the day (i.e. 200 days/year), I'll wear cycling shoes for the entire day unless I specifically need dress shoes or safety footwear. Likewise, when touring, I tour with only one pair of shoes, which means they have to be good in the office (hidden under the desk, mind you), in the store, at the library, when camping...

... prefer double-sided stomp-and-go so I went with the Speedplay Zeros. These look like the Speedplay X-series pedals but offer adjustable float and centering. As for power transfer, I've compared them to Looks and I notice no difference in being able to transfer power. I feel just as connected.

I also switched, but to Speedplay X2s. I was having right knee issues and the switch from SPD to true float has made a world of difference. I also used the original Dura Ace Look-style pedal for 12+ years. You will definitely want the Coffee Caps for the Speedplay cleats. I might also add that if you spin smoothly, there is NO difference between any of these pedal systems. If you mash ..., you may encounter the "pedalling-on-ice" feel with the X2s. I try to spin at 92-108 so I notice no difference in the power transfer.

Best.