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Clip Or Clipless Pedals On Your C&V Bike?

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Clip Or Clipless Pedals On Your C&V Bike?

Old 01-27-12, 04:40 PM
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I love me my Speedplays. I have them on my Freschi and on the Paramount. I'm starting to build a Boulder soon and will put them on that bike also. I have toe clips on all the rest of the herd and shoes/cleats to match. I've never had a problem with toe clips whatsoever so long as I ride with cycling shoes and cleats. Those shoes, by the way, are probably thirty years old and have about fifty thousand miles on them I expect (and they sure look like it too.)
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Old 01-27-12, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Scooper
I use SPD compatible pedals on everything.

For my vintage bikes, I use Shimano PD-M324 "campus" type pedals with platform on one side and SPD on the other side.

Can I ask what disadvantages these might have over typical clipless pedals? I'm looking into my first pair (am leaning towards recessed cleats) and without any experience I see only positives from this setup. Anyone want to shed some light?
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Old 01-27-12, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Miyata110
Can I ask what disadvantages these might have over typical clipless pedals? I'm looking into my first pair (am leaning towards recessed cleats) and without any experience I see only positives from this setup. Anyone want to shed some light?
Only negative I see with ATB type pedals is....they usually look kinda ugly/clunky/heavy (compared to most road pedal designs).......So, they might look lost on a lithe, weight weenie racer.


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Old 01-27-12, 07:09 PM
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Right, but I'm talking a C&V and weight isn't an issue. I actually am thinking these might look a little better (in my eyes), just because they won't look too different than my current setup.
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Old 01-27-12, 07:27 PM
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Spd on everything, some single sided but I prefer the double sided atb ones. The Forte house brand ones from performance rock in the value per dollar. Lighter and cheaper than the similar Shimano, and compatible with their cleats.
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Old 01-27-12, 07:55 PM
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Clipless, .look style
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Old 01-27-12, 11:56 PM
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I ride dual sided SPD pedals and like them a lot. Bought some extra sets off CL , so I could set up some of my other bikes.
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Old 01-28-12, 12:04 AM
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road: keo
o/r: eggbeater
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Old 01-28-12, 12:14 AM
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Depends. Is your "C&V" bike from 1995? Speedplays are fine. Is it from 1985, but a Japanese "sport touring" bike with clinchers and mid-level Asian components? Those off-road SPDs fit right in.

But how about for the classic Italian road racer with a high-level Euro gruppo? IMO, anything but good quality clips and straps just doesn't work.

And if it's your late 60s Cinelli with full Campy? Put clipless on it and you deserve to have your garage broken into before you decide it needs deep Vs and STI too.

IMHO, of course...
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Old 01-28-12, 02:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Scooper
I use SPD compatible pedals on everything.

For my vintage bikes, I use Shimano PD-M324 "campus" type pedals with platform on one side and SPD on the other side.

I'm with Stan, this almost looks like a road pedal, can be used with street shoes if I just want to hop on and go for a spin and I can clip in when I'm ready for a serious ride. I've got two pairs and counting.
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Old 01-28-12, 04:19 AM
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Please allow me to be the voice of dissension.... I am not a fan of clipless pedals even on my road bike - toe clips are Ok. I think it depends on your purpose, but I mainly commute and fitness/fun ride and am just not interested in maximum efficiency or speed. I know that puts me in the minority here. My commute is about 10 miles and my "sport" rides are about 35 miles with an occasional century thrown in. I simply prioritize comfort and convenience over performance. Some would argue the performance difference is negligible, I think this has been debated ad nauseam on the interwebs. Lastly, IHMO, modern clipless pedals on a vintage ride just seem to look out of place to me.

I am riding some MKS Lambda Pedals, occasionally with powergrips and like them fairly well. On my road bike I really like the MKS GR-9 Platform Pedal.

Please keep in mind, I am old, slow and somewhat of a curmudgeon. I am often "that guy" who can been seen riding in sandals with socks.... just not black socks, yet :-)

Last edited by E_merlin; 01-28-12 at 04:22 AM.
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Old 01-28-12, 06:57 AM
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Originally Posted by E_merlin
Please allow me to be the voice of dissension.... I am not a fan of clipless pedals even on my road bike - toe clips are Ok. I think it depends on your purpose, but I mainly commute and fitness/fun ride and am just not interested in maximum efficiency or speed. I know that puts me in the minority here. My commute is about 10 miles and my "sport" rides are about 35 miles with an occasional century thrown in. I simply prioritize comfort and convenience over performance. Some would argue the performance difference is negligible, I think this has been debated ad nauseam on the interwebs. Lastly, IHMO, modern clipless pedals on a vintage ride just seem to look out of place to me.

I am riding some MKS Lambda Pedals, occasionally with powergrips and like them fairly well. On my road bike I really like the MKS GR-9 Platform Pedal.

Please keep in mind, I am old, slow and somewhat of a curmudgeon. I am often "that guy" who can been seen riding in sandals with socks.... just not black socks, yet :-)
I have clips just for the purpose (mostly) of safety. Foot slippage at speed or hills is not pretty. One bike is for serious riding....I dont race anyone but myself or the occasional lonely rider up in front.....and the other is my pretty Moto and will take sandals .

ride on....
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Old 01-28-12, 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
...One bike is for serious riding....I dont race anyone but myself or the occasional lonely rider up in front...
This much for me too. I use the clips and straps for a bit of performance sometimes, especially for rapid acceleration. Except for that I'm usually running at my aerobic or mid/long-term endurance limit. Neither clips nor straps help much for that.
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Old 01-28-12, 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Miyata110
Can I ask what disadvantages these might have over typical clipless pedals? I'm looking into my first pair (am leaning towards recessed cleats) and without any experience I see only positives from this setup. Anyone want to shed some light?
They're the Mullet of pedals: "All Business up front and all party in the back!"

Seriously, they are a great way to start into using clipless pedals. I have a different pair that I have on my multipurpose bike, so I can just jump on without worrying about the shoes I'm wearing and go to the store. On my bikes that are more race oriented, I use a pedal that's faster to clip into, but still SPD. The Shimano A520s are a great road oriented pedal that looks nice with my Cannondale SR300. Double-sided pedals such as the M770 are nice for clipping in fast when needed such as a race situation. They worked well for my CX bike.
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Old 01-28-12, 12:49 PM
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Clips and straps on everything, even my TREK 850 MTB.
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Old 01-28-12, 02:04 PM
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Yes
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Old 01-28-12, 02:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Miyata110
Can I ask what disadvantages these might have over typical clipless pedals? I'm looking into my first pair (am leaning towards recessed cleats) and without any experience I see only positives from this setup. Anyone want to shed some light?
I despise these kinds of pedals.

1) I think they are kind of ugly, heavy, and clunky (but if function is better for you, why not?)
2) on function: they are kind of the worst of both worlds rather than the best for me. You want a clipless pedal that you can clip into quickly and not have to fumble to get into. In an off-road scenario, these disadvantages are even more pronounced. If you are wearing regular shoes, you will have to flip the pedal over to use the platform side.

They work for some people, but definitely not for me.
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Old 01-28-12, 02:46 PM
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I'm all for clipless for any serious riding or covering distance. Late to converting to Look style cleats. Was a clips/straps user for the longest time. I was proficient enough with them to not feel the need to switch. But clipless is superior in safety and comfort as Bikeshearer pointed out. You just can't wear regular shoes when you want to.

But I have enough bikes to equip them for a variety of rides and pick the bike that is most appropriate. I have bikes with pedals/clips/straps for utility/comfort duty where I will be walking. Platform pedals too. The road bikes are for the majority set up with LOOK Delta spec clipless. I have 3 pairs of LOOK spanning the years from the original Delta to ARC, and 3 pairs of Shimano, 105, 6400, Dura Ace. I also have SPD for the non-road bikes...Shimano, Ritchey, Tioga. I also find it too inconvenient to switch out pedals when one has too many rides. So I standardized around these two types, with 5 pairs of shoes (old to newer) set up accordingly.

On a few older bikes that don't come out regularly, I left them as they were....pedals/clips/straps. And keep a pair of shoes with traditional cleats.
My favorites in this category are:
Dura Ace 7400
105 (hidden axle version)
Suntour Sprint
Specialized (MKS) Touring

I'd like to find a more traditional, comfortable touring shoe, with the lateral ridges to catch the pedal cage. Today's cross training sneakers are too bulky to fit comfortably in clips and straps. Those of you old enough may remember the Avocet shoes of old.

Last edited by WNG; 02-01-12 at 04:38 AM.
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Old 01-28-12, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by eddubal
They're the Mullet of pedals: "All Business up front and all party in the back!"
I'm not going to say this comment ruins them for me, but at the very least it will be something I think about every time I look at them if I go that route.
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Old 01-28-12, 03:42 PM
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MKS Touring platforms. Not messing with clipless any more. Platforms are comfortable and safer, and the tiny loss of efficiency means nothing to me.
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Old 01-28-12, 04:15 PM
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In a perfect world there would be some pinned bmx platforms that look like old chrome touring pedals. For my type of riding, the pinned platforms work fine. The only time I might need clipless is in a really high cadence situation. I don't race, and I always coast downhill. I have scoliosis and have to wear a lift on or in my left shoe. I might could put the lift insert in a pair of MTB shoes if they have enough toe room. But anything like a cycling shoe, track shoe or western boot means a lift on bottom. And that means a custom pair of shoes. Which for cycling shoes probably runs at least $200-300 bills probably more. That's not worth it to me. Also I find that the ability to move the feet around on the pedals during a long ride very valuable to relive the feet. As for the hills, I strictly push down with the power pedal and clear the other one. No pulling up at all. The worst part is always having to field the questions constantly from the would be converters to the House Of Clipless.

No that is not the worse thing. The worse thing is that it seems that most every rider wearing clipless I encounter has to slowly take off from a stoplight and lolligag through the stoplight until the get their feet clipped in. To me this creates a dangerous situation as the light goes back to yellow then red. If I am behind them I have to sprint around or else I might get hung out in the intersection. Why can't these people just quickly pedal to the other side out of harm's way and then get clipped in? And don't get me started on the people that won't downshift (if they are geared) coming into a stop sign or red light. Then it takes them forever to get rolling again and they are still in the intersection when their light turns back to red.

Sorry for the vent.
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Old 01-28-12, 07:07 PM
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It took me awhile to recall the name of it, but the MKS EXA pedal may be what some folks are looking for - it's as comfortable as clipless, looks like a regular clip & strap setup, and is very secure even with the straps completely loose. Of course, you have to manually disengage a little lever on the pedal every time you want out...
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Old 01-28-12, 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Six jours
It took me awhile to recall the name of it, but the MKS EXA pedal may be what some folks are looking for - it's as comfortable as clipless, looks like a regular clip & strap setup, and is very secure even with the straps completely loose. Of course, you have to manually disengage a little lever on the pedal every time you want out...
Looks pretty nice. When in clip/strap mode that back cage is well above pedal body so I'd advise against thin soled shoes cuz that back plate will really dig into your foot.

Holy moly! Sticker shock got me BAD right there!

$200
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Old 01-28-12, 11:23 PM
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That pedal is pretty much only for use with stiff-soled racing shoes and the correct cleat. It's the last word in foot retention for the 'roid-addled track racer, but would probably be annoying as all get out for road riding.

Although not as annoying as C&V posters who don't like toe straps. (Or tubulars, or downtube shifters, or steel tubing, or... )
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Old 01-29-12, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Six jours
Although not as annoying as C&V posters who don't like toe straps. (Or tubulars, or downtube shifters, or steel tubing, or... )
Or death stems...
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