General Cycling Discussion - Looking for Pedals...

I am in search of some good (sub $100) pedals.

I was wondering if you guys/gals had any suggestions about what would be a good fit in that price range.

I recently got some road bike shoes http://www.performancebike.com/bikes//CatalogSearchResultView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&pageSize=16&beginIndex=0&sortBy=Dollar+Rank%2F%2F1&searchType=resultSet&cn1=&searchTerm=ventilator and they are compatible with 3 bolt look style and 2 bolt SPD style cleats.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

As a side note, the Louis Garneau shoes fit my 12 4E feet and actually had ample room in the toe box as well as the heel.

Thanks

-antimike

Since you already have a road shoe, I'll recommend a road pedal. The Shimano 105 (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1091286_-1_1522500_20000_400048) pedal is in your price range and I had them for a couple years and was very satisfied with them. Great thing about them is the cleat is very walkable which is good for a road shoe.

I'd stay away from any pedal that uses a metal cleat such as SPD or Crank Brothers because that's pretty much all you'd be walking on with these shoes. Talk about ice skating........

i have Look pedals for my road bike and i've been really happy with them.

i've been intrigued with Speedplay (http://www.speedplay.com/)'s pedals. i currently use Shimano SPDs (not for road shoes), and while i have little love for them (mostly because of the wretchedly small platform/contact area), they have been reliable enough.

173447

the Shimano 105 was 110.00 and seem to be a very good pedal. i was using spd and mountain bike shoes but the spd would cause hot spots. so far i have not had any discomfort using the 105 pedals.

Look pedals have been made a long time and shimano licensed that design.
so used pedals can easily be found , then buy new cleats.
others just copied it , minus patent royalty payments..
like Performance/nashbar house brand ..


there are External SPD cleats with Pontoons that flank the cleat, to the sides
to get stability, contacting the edges of the pedal.

But they are not very walkable , Hobble up to the podium to get your prize,
or into the coffee shop.
Not as walkable as recessed cleat SPD..
neither are the Look style cleats, so you take off your shoes when you get off the bike.

Buy some other stuff, and get a set of the new 5700 version of Shimano's 105 pedals for $45:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Pedals-Road-Shimano-Clipless-Spd-SL-5700-105-Pedals/SHIMPEDA845

Thanks everyone for all of your input.

I am particularly interested in the look-style pedals with its larger surface area especially because I have big wide feet. I figure that a wider foundation will make me feel a little more stable than some of the seemingly silver-dollar sized pedals.

Is there really any real benefit to investing in pedals that are in the 100+ range other than weight and material? I'm curious to see what ya'll think.

-antimike

As a side note, the Louis Garneau pedals fit my 12 4E feet...
I too have wide feet. i have been riding on Look Keos for the past couple of years. Their width sometimes allowed my foot to feel like it was rolling off the outside of the pedal. I recently switched to SPD-SL Ultegra pedals. They're much wider than the Keos and support my wide foot much better. I like them. :thumb:

The 105 pedals that knobster recommends is the same pedal. Give them a try.

I sent you a pm but I believe I have a pair of look keo classics if you are interested. They were used once or twice on a bike I bought and Ive never used, email me if interested, username @ gmail

Thanks everyone, I'll definitely give a look at the 105 pedals. I still have to get the bike though. I'm kind of putting the cart before the horse. The CFO of my household finally gave me the go ahead so within the next month, barring anything crazy $ wise, I'll be getting my bike.

I already have a trainer (which I use with my MTB, 1 pair of lycra bike shorts (pearl izumi quest), and now shoes).

I know peace-mealing it isn't usually the way to go, but have to watch how I spend the $ so the CFO won't flag or deny any of my purchases :).

-antimike

Another vote for the 105 pedals - on sale at Performance right now: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1091286_-1_1522500_20000_400009

I also bought these shoes (on sale now, too!) at the same time: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1056340_-1_1549000_20000_400009

The shoes are great. Fit me perfectly, snug but not too tight anywhere. I especially like the ratchet-style adjustment on the top strap. I can reach down and click it to tighten or loosen and once it's set right it stays that way. You already have your shoes, but thought I would mention them for anyone else looking for shoes.

I bought the shoes and pedals about a week before going bike shopping. I test rode several bikes with just platform pedals and wearing cross trainers, but when I found the bike I wanted to buy, I had the shop put the cleats on the shoes and put the pedals on the bike before doing the fitting.

Time RXS road pedals, if you can find them cheap enough. Or their i-Clic pedals, too. I have the RXS First model for now, and it's been good. Nearly dirtproof (I haven't clogged them yet, anyway) and a bit more walkable than the Crank Brothers Quattro road cleat I was using before. I'll be on the lookout for any trouble I might have with them.

Per various suggestions, I picked up the Shimano 105 SPD-SL pedals last night. I installed them onto my bike, installed the cleats on my shoes, and got on the trainer.

Currently they are at the most slack (easily able to clip in and out of) setting that is available.

An interesting experience was attempting to walk with the cleats on the bottom of the shoes. It definitely is awkward, but I'm not sliding around like I'm skating.

Thanks for all the help! Hopefully I won't fall down when I come rolling to a stop.

next time you are out riding, can you stop into sun n spokes and tell them max said hello?

I can do that. I take it you used to be in the area?

cool, thanks. i lived in the thriving metropolis of SV back when Aaron worked there, before he went to specialized, before there was a skate shop involved.

If you plan to do any organized spin classes they use SPD. I like my SPD but my feet do get hot sometimes.

Joe

If you plan to do any organized spin classes they use SPD. I like my SPD but my feet do get hot sometimes.

Joe

I've seen spin bikes with either Look or SPD-SL attachments on their pedals (didn't bother to figure out which they were). But, yeah, SPD is pretty much a guarantee. I'd settle for cheap SPD-compatible shoes, or repurposed old shoes, just for spin classes.

I too have wide feet. i have been riding on Look Keos for the past couple of years. Their width sometimes allowed my foot to feel like it was rolling off the outside of the pedal. I recently switched to SPD-SL Ultegra pedals. They're much wider than the Keos and support my wide foot much better. I like them. :thumb:

The 105 pedals that knobster recommends is the same pedal. Give them a try.

+1 I was using Ultegra 6620's with the wide platform, and saw some of the 105's that look the same, so went to Shimano's site, and the pdf's show spindle and bearings to be the same. I bought 105's when I needed another pair.

Per various suggestions, I picked up the Shimano 105 SPD-SL pedals last night. I installed them onto my bike, installed the cleats on my shoes, and got on the trainer.

Currently they are at the most slack (easily able to clip in and out of) setting that is available.

An interesting experience was attempting to walk with the cleats on the bottom of the shoes. It definitely is awkward, but I'm not sliding around like I'm skating.

Thanks for all the help! Hopefully I won't fall down when I come rolling to a stop.

I am newbie too, and that was what I got as my first clipless pedal(Shimano SPD-SL). I almost fell,but I haven't fallen yet. :) Be sure pratice that twisting move to get your foot out quickly before you have to stop. Coming from using toe straps, and I still do, it is confusing. On the toe straps I can wait to the last second to take my foot out if I had to stop suddenly. Not so with the SPD-SL. I am talking about newbies here, not experienced riders..

Luck and safe peddlin to you,

I am newbie too, and that was what I got as my first clipless pedal(Shimano SPD-SL). I almost fell,but I haven't fallen yet. :) Be sure pratice that twisting move to get your foot out quickly before you have to stop. Coming from using toe straps, and I still do, it is confusing. On the toe straps I can wait to the last second to take my foot out if I had to stop suddenly. Not so with the SPD-SL. I am talking about newbies here, not experienced riders..

Luck and safe peddlin to you,

It helped me (when I first switched) to loosen the clip-in pressure adjustment to the lowest setting--it is a lot easier to get out in a hurry.

I just installed my new 105 pedals, and at the lowest setting they are significantly stiffer than the lowest setting on my Look Sprints. I hope my ankles are up to the challenge (I have very weak and overly flexible ankles that have not responded to strengthening exercises).

--UPDATE

I fell...it hurt! I unclipped from the left on a hill because I was tired. I went to put my left foot down and I fell to the right!!

MMM blood & guts!

It helped me (when I first switched) to loosen the clip-in pressure adjustment to the lowest setting--it is a lot easier to get out in a hurry.

Good point! :thumb: Didn't know there was a adjustment for that. I SURELY will look into that. I have more then a few near miss/fall over from not getting my foot out in time..

--UPDATE

I fell...it hurt! I unclipped from the left on a hill because I was tired. I went to put my left foot down and I fell to the right!!

MMM blood & guts!

Daymn! I was too late!! :cry:

I figured you were a new to the clipless pedals like me, and I should mention the pitfalls to newbies with those pedals.. Shucks, my wife fell the same way and she had toe-straps..

Also, going up hill while clipped in, I make sure I can take the hill all the way. In addition, if I do need to unclip while going up a hill, I try to ride on an angle, and make sure I got some coasting space.
Like I said, I am a newbie and just relaying the experiences I have come across and maybe they will help you duck some of the shortcomings. Getting close to cars in traffic, I unclip and have my foot ready to stop. I will clip back up when the way is clear.

Just take this fall as part of the learning curve, and what you learned from this fall, will save you better in the future. Glad that part is over with too..

Wish you a fast and speedy recovery, :beer:

--UPDATE

I fell...it hurt! I unclipped from the left on a hill because I was tired. I went to put my left foot down and I fell to the right!!

MMM blood & guts!

Welcome to club Tombay! I joined early, and renewed my membership often until I figured out how to lower the clip-in pressure adjustment. Think of the tricycle rider on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.:eek:

Welcome to club Tombay! I joined early, and renewed my membership often until I figured out how to lower the clip-in pressure adjustment. Think of the tricycle rider on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.:eek:

I actually have the tension, it seems, down to the lowest setting that the pedals allow. I practiced a bunch, but after riding for so long I was tired, and it appears that it was just a brain fart!

Do you experience hard times unclipping when you're tired? It seems like the more tired my legs get the harder it is to unclip.