Mountain Biking - Clipless Pedals for Beginners?

I recently started biking in the woods. Little by little I've been gaining confidence and strength. The truth of the matter is that I'd like to try clipless, however, I find myself stalling every now and then or needing to stop. Would anyone recommend clipless or should I keep my flat pedals until I get it? I'm thinking of the Shimano campus pedals, has anyone tried them?

Clipless are fine for anyone - you will want to practice on a grass field first - you will fall, and you should figure out how to get your foot out consistantly before hitting the trails (or the ground).

^^

This guy does clippless for DH!

Several times I tried switching to automatic pedals. Initially I made the mistake of trying to ride my normal MTB routes, and inevitably crashed pretty hard. It was only after spending some time riding roads and easy trails that I got used to them. Now I'm very happy with my Shimano M520s.


I'm thinking of the Shimano campus pedals, has anyone tried them?

Are those the pedals with the cleat-lock on only one side? Unless you need to switch between cleated and uncleated shoes, I wouldn't recommend them. You wouldn't be able to put toe-clips on them, and once you've got used to automatic pedals you won't want to use anything else.

Some people report horror stories when going to clipless. To me, SPDs are so easy to get out of, that I don't even think about it. Definitely try them out on grass the first time (and unclip while you still have plenty of momentum. You don't want to be almost at a stop and have to track stand while you get your foot out).

I'd go with the double sided version. If you want to still ride in normal shoes, they make double sided clipless that still have a cage around them.

Are those the pedals with the cleat-lock on only one side? Unless you need to switch between cleated and uncleated shoes, I wouldn't recommend them. You wouldn't be able to put toe-clips on them, and once you've got used to automatic pedals you won't want to use anything else.

Yea they have cleat-loc on only one side. I've heard that that once you go clipless you don't want anything else. The truth is I also use my bike for going to school, groceries, and if I could check my e-mail with my bike I would too. Having to wear cleats all the time doesn't sound appealing.

Having to wear cleats all the time doesn't sound appealing.

Mountain-bike style shoes have a recessed cleat. You can walk perfectly well in them, but I wouldn't like to wear them all day. They also wouldn't be welcome on a polished parquet floor.

For practical everyday biking I'd prefer a good set of toe-clips, or even a pair of these:
http://images.jensonusa.com/225/pe/pe401z00blk__lgxl_pair.jpg

I wouldn't like to wear them all day.

...although I've just remembered that I wore my MTB shoes for a month in Tibet, and I don't remember them being uncomfortable. On the other hand it was minus-20C, and most of the time I couldn't feel my feet. Brrr.

Has anybody tried these:
188244
they clip into SPD pedals, turning them (temporarily) into normal pedals. It doesn't look like they will accept toe-clips though.

Has anybody tried these:
188244
they clip into SPD pedals, turning them (temporarily) into normal pedals. It doesn't look like they will accept toe-clips though.

Those are usually used for store test rides with bikes that have SPD so people with regular shoes can test ride. The ones I have are plastic and I doubt they would hold up very long on a trail.

Go SPD, fall a few times, and then never look back. I never even think about getting out of my pedals now, it just happens (even when I crash). As for running errands, etc. the clip-ons above would be good. But like johnMATX said, I wouldn't take them on a trail.

I have a pair of the one-sided SPD campus pedals and have found them to be difficult to clip in and out of with recessed-cleat mtb shoes.

Currently running M520s on four bikes including two road bikes and a fixie. They work great for me.

Those are usually used for store test rides with bikes that have SPD so people with regular shoes can test ride. The ones I have are plastic and I doubt they would hold up very long on a trail.

That's a pity, they seem such a good idea. In fact I'm inspired to try building a metal equivalent out of some spare cleats and the cages from a pair of old pedals.

Why not just have two sets of pedals? It doesn't take that long to change them, and any temporary platform that you clip onto a clipless pedal is going to be a big compromise in grip.

The one sided pedals don't look like they have much grip either. And then you have to worry about which side is up all the time. No thank you.

I hate those toe-clip cage things. Effing terrifying. They're hard to get into, it's not an intuitive motion to get out of if you need to get off your bike quickly, they automatically flip upside down when you're not in them and get caught on stuff on the trail, if you lock them down tight enough so they hold you in they're impossible to get out of, etc.

Get a pair of SPDs and loosen the tension. They're easy enough to get out of that way. Then keep a good pair of platforms around and just change them when you need to.

I'm using these until I decide to go clipless. They're clipless on both sideshttp://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/pedals/mountain/product.image.+media+images+cycling+products+bikecomponents+PD+PD-M545_600x450_v1_m56577569830637307_dot_jpg.bm.512.384.gif

Has anybody tried these:
188244
they clip into SPD pedals, turning them (temporarily) into normal pedals. It doesn't look like they will accept toe-clips though.
Somehow I ended up with a set of these. The one's I have are a PIA to clip in and out of the pedal. I'd rather spend the extra 90 seconds it would take to switch between a set of clipless and a set of platform pedals.

The set that brazo_fuerte posted look like a great option, also.

Can someone recommend an inexpensive pair of pedals i can use with clips and with regular shoes? Im a beginner.

I'm using these until I decide to go clipless. They're clipless on both sideshttp://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/pedals/mountain/product.image.+media+images+cycling+products+bikecomponents+PD+PD-M545_600x450_v1_m56577569830637307_dot_jpg.bm.512.384.gif

What kind are those?

What kind are those?

Shimano pd-m545. I've only used them as flats a few times and they work fine.

Search the previous posts for this topic.

I use Crank Brothers Candy. The CB pedals clip in easier and especially out than SPDs which I have extensive use in both pedals.

Search the previous posts for this topic.

I use Crank Brothers Candy. The CB pedals clip in easier and especially out than SPDs which I have extensive use in both pedals.

Can you adjust the CB clips? I use SPDs with the tension set to its loosest possible. Whenever I use the eggbeaters I can never unclip. Just not use to the pressure needed to unclip.

Spd ... :thumb:

I've used both speed play frogs and eggbeaters, both are good in that they are easy in easy out. I tend to prefer the eggbeaters a little in my case. When you get right down to it however, I am back to platform pedals. My feet have never slipped off my pedals even once. In my case clipless don't seem to be worth it. So in the end my vote is with platform pedals.

If you're having fun, forget it... master the basics first. The claimed benefits of clipless pedals are dubious, particularly for a beginner. Buy a pair of 5.10 shoes instead.

There is no adjustment on CB pedals. You don't need them. I have 5-7 different SPD pedals, different models, and even on the easiest settings they are not as easy as CB pedals to unclip from. With CB pedals, as the cleats wear, they become easier and easier to unclip which is the opposite of SPDs, as SPDs wear, they become harder and harder to unclip however, SPD clips are steel so they wear extremely slow, CB cleats are brass and wear much faster. The CB road cleats are harder to clip in than the MTB cleats, they have a different shape though both are interchangeable with all CB pedals.


Can you adjust the CB clips? I use SPDs with the tension set to its loosest possible. Whenever I use the eggbeaters I can never unclip. Just not use to the pressure needed to unclip.