bradtx

eric2523, Welcome to the forum.

For your first set of clipless pedals I suggest a combination of SPD mountain bike shoes and pedals. They are simply easier to adapt to with the double sided pedals and easier to walk in and are less likely to damage certain types of flooring. There are other clipless designs with their own pluses and minuses compared to the original SPD design, but that can be a subject for later.

Unless you learn and practice using a retention pedal design there's no advantage to having them.

Brad

vanttila

You're no faster with clipless if you use them the same way as flat pedals. I recently switched to clipless and I can guarantee that I'm definitely faster with them. But, it does require the technique. If you pedal "mindlessly," as if you were in regular shoes, of course they don't make a difference (besides not having your feet slip). But the point is, with clipless you can pull up, push forward, press down, and pull back. With flat you can only press down (unless I'm missing something). This means you can exert less force for more of the rotation and as a result go faster than with flats while still staying in the aerobic range of exercise.

Looigi

Fastening the feet to the pedals is a rather long-lived fad. Riders started using toe clips before the turn of the last century. Riders wore shoes with "cleats" that prevented the shoe from being withdrawn from the toe clip without first reaching down and loosening the toe strap. Most more casual clip users didn't use cleated shoes because of the hassle and increased propensity for falling over when stopping. Clipless were invented before 1900 too, but didn't replace toe clips and cleated shoes until the mid 1980s.

Here's a pictorial history of toe clips, straps,cleats, etc: https://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?f...lmuseum.straps

Yo Spiff

As you can see, opinions are all over the place. Everybody has their own preference and once you try some you will have your own.

If you want even more fun, start a thread asking opinions about hydration packs!

HillRider

Yes there are a few dissenters but the vast majority of serious riders use clipless pedals nearly all the time. The make and model of pedals and shoes are highly personal choices but the clipless concept is nearly universally accepted. Garhr is a member of a small subset.

Paramount1973 

As pointed out by Grant Peterson, in his usual bombastic fashion, studies of pedaling efficiency would argue otherwise. Pulling up during pedaling does not appear to result in an increase in overall (gross) efficiency. One study mentioned that the muscles that flex the leg (pull up) appear to be inherently less efficient than the muscles that provide downward force.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17545890
https://wattagetraining.com/files/JMa...gTechnique.pdf
https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejour...s-2008-1038374

Interesting stuff and it is telling me that riding clipped and pulling up during pedaling doesn't necessarily confer the overall efficiency that many seem to think it does. If one prefers to ride clipped in, that's fine but those of us that ride on platform pedals don't necessarily need to feel like second class citizens. There are as many arguments for riding on platforms as not. Not that I really expect to change any minds. I'll never ride clipped in on my commute. I like riding in my running shoes or Tevas too much.

fietsbob

the reducing the weight of your other leg, resisting the upstroke , like picking up your foot
inorder to place it ahead of you, walking, is a more realistic assumption,
than actually pulling up, with much force.

vanttila

Very interesting; I must say I wasn't expecting that. What you're saying is certainly true, but I don't see anything about aerobic vs. non-aerobic in the studies. That, I think, may be where the real advantage to clips is (in addition to what's been mentioned). Though your efficiency may not be higher, if you can go faster while still staying aerobic (less force required for rotation at same gear, same speed due to a longer distance to exert it over), that's a clear benefit. I wonder...

Garthr

Pulling up is something that some people do , and some people don't. I never have, even with clipless, as it never made any sense to. I pedal like I'm scraping dirt off my shoes

I prefer the feel of smooth pedal movement. I don't ride for speed , I ride becasue I love the feel of riding.

We all have at one time, and often continue to think like "sheep". Follow the perceived leader. Perception is everything. Just becasue X works for so and so, does not mean it's good for anyone else. But one may do it anyways as they value and trust the "other" , more than in themsleves. Trust in your Self. There is only one to please ... and "I" am it This doesn't mean up your nose at others, it means the only one TO trust in is ultimatley within yourself.

For example, I learned that the old myth about pedalling with your mid foot as somehow "wrong" ... was just that. It's actually very efficient. Yep, I laughed at such people pedalling like this at one time. Well, I was the goof ! All I can say is try it for fun at first, you just may like it... maybe not !

HillRider

It's the usual conceit of the iconoclast to claim the majority are just following the trend sheep-like and really don't think for themselves. I maintain that being different isn't automatically, or even often, being correct.

One real disadvantage of pedaling with your mid-foot is toe clearance. Your foot is so far forward it is going to hit the front tire on any slow tight turn.

Garthr

BTW Hillrider , I am far from the "small subset" for not using clipless pedals. If one took a count of every bicycle rider on the planet, of all ages and countries, one will find that by far most people do not use clipless pedals Most would not even know what they were, let alone want them or find them of any use at all.

It is the clipless pedals and shoes that are in themselves, the "small subset". Comparitvely few people ride a bike for competition or even "fitness" worldwide.

HillRider

OK, if you include "all the bike riders in the world" in your population, you are absolutely correct, clipless pedal users are truly in the minority. However, using the same population as a standard, I expect derailleur and multi-gear users are also a small fraction of the total bike riding population. Carbon and aluminum frames? Even a smaller fraction. How third world so you want to become?

eric2523

I'd love to get them if i can. Do you have the clips as well?

cranky old road 

Different pedals require different cleats, if you are referring to the cleats for clipless pedals. I ride Speedplay X's and pretty much use up the cleats before replacing them. I don't think you'd find an old pair of them useful.

I understand that you cannot send private messages with a low post count. I'll send you a PM with my email address and I'll ask my wife to determine the cost of postage.

vanttila

As in, make sure when you're buying pedals that they come with the cleats that you screw onto the shoes, as they usually do.

Bezalel

Maybe it's just me but I have a much easier time clipping in with Look Kéo cleats than with Shimano SPDs.