FZ1Tom

I've got a Trek 7200 at the moment with Bontrager toe straps. Really awkward.

Some folks said stay away from clipless, some said stay away from toe straps, some said just use plain old platform, etc.

I'm wondering if there's any one pedal and shoe combo that could be used on the Trek, maybe also a Masi fixed and/or some kind of road bike down the path. I wear a size 10 wide, and money is definitely a big issue.

I would also prefer to be able to walk around in the shoes if necessary, so clopping along in road shoes is out. Something akin to hiking shoes would be nice - I don't need super stiff soles, just something easy to use and affordable

Suggestions, anyone?

Thanks!

Tom

cyccommute 

Clipless is the best way to go. Shimano M520 are about the best value in pedals out there. I've seen them as low as $25. They aren't the lightest nor heaviest pedal around but they are cheap, rugged and double sided. I run them on road bikes or mountain bikes with mountain bike shoes. You can find 'touring' shoes with fairly flat soles but with recessed cleats for fairly cheap at Performance, etc.

FZ1Tom

Okay, M520s it is then! Plenty of good deals on Google. Now to find a pair of shoes to go with 'em?

And while I know that its not recommended, can most pedals of this sort be used as platforms with sneakers in a pinch?

Tom

Trebor Snave

I use eggbeaters on both of my bikes, with MTB shoes. Nashbar has some pretty good deals on multi-purpose shoes right now.

However, they can NOT be used with sneakers in a pinch! Well, I suppose they could, but it wouldn't be much fun.

Argus

I use Wellago half/half pedals simply so I can just get on my bike and go to the corner store or to work and not have to put on my bike shoes.

chewybrian 

I use Shimano 324 pedals. They are clipless on one side, platform on the other. Not super expensive; it sounds like what you want. Add mountain bike shoes, and you can walk around on the shoes, unclip when you want, or ride in sneakers. I like them.

Wogster

There are three schools of thought here, the first, clipless and only ever clipless, if you do not have clipless pedals then you are not a cyclist. Of course they forget the fact that you need special shoes, that can give you a gait when walking that resembles that of a penguin. Of course there is always the unclip right and fall left problem.

Second school says clipless are for pansies, and that real cyclists use clips and leather straps. They forget that clips and straps can be a pita and that the pedal is always wrong side up, until you reach down and turn it right side up, of course more then one cyclist has crashed while goofing with the pedal.

Third platforms, no special shoes, no goofing with wrong side up pedals, not perfect though, in that you can run into a synchronization error, where the foot and pedal end up in different places, less likely when the pedals have teeth, but when it does happen and the teeth bite into the back of your leg, it's not nice.


One thing to remember MTB pedals will work on road bikes and road pedals will work on mountain bikes. A lot of riders find that using the same clipless pedals on all bikes makes it easier, in that different pedals may work slightly differently and you forget which pedal on which bike works which way. Typically mountain bike shoes have the cleat more or less recessed into the shoe, so walking is easier. Although Shimano now has a walkable road shoe, made in a similar way. By using the same pedal on all bikes then you know the same shoes and cleats can be used with all bikes. There are combination clipless/platform pedals, which are clipless on one side and platform on the other, not sure if once turned one way or the other they generally stay that way or whether they flop over like clip & strap pedals do.

Size 10 shouldn't be a problem, cycling shoes often use European sizes, there are shoe size conversion charts available online like this one If you find a Shimano shoe doesn't fit right try another brand, there are several brands, some of the athletic shoe companies also have cycling shoe lines.

sstorkel

I, too, have switched to using Shimano M520 pedals on all my bikes. If you're a newbie, you'll like the fact that most SPD pedals have adjustable release tension. You can set the tension low while you're learning, then crank it up once you get comfortable unclipping. You might also consider the Shimano SH56 multi-release cleats, assuming you buy pedals that are compatible with them.

For shoes, I have a pair of Shimano MT31 shoes that I use when commuting, and a pair of M160s that I use for "serious" riding. Sadly, the SPD cleats are pretty thick; the soles on the MT31s aren't quite thick enough to prevent them from scraping on the ground occasionally. They nice thing is, they look like "normal" shoes and they're pretty comfortable to walk around in. The M160s have a much stiffer sole and the MT31. They're great for pedaling and fine for walking during rest stops, but I wouldn't want to hike any long distance in them.

grimace308

stupid internet ate my post

if you reimburse shipping, i have a set of spds (525?) sitting around doing nothing after i switched to time atacs, that i will send to you + new cleats. i have shoes, but theyre too small, 43/44, so youre on your own.

~chris

if this wasnt too clear, as i tend to ramble, you can have my old stuff, for about $8 shipping.

theetruscan

I think the crank bros candy or smarty pedal is a better sneakers in a pinch alternate. Pretty sure you can find the candy for 50ish dollars. It's an eggbeater with a smallish/medium sized platform to use in a pinch.

jesspal

Pick up a pair of Shimano 105 spd-sl's from PBK. They are only 45ish bucks and they are wider than the spd-sl r540's which i really like. This may be more comfortable for you and may be easier to clip in and out of.

snowman40

What if you took the toe straps off? Sounds like you already have platform pedals once you take the straps off.

I ride in Nike cross trainers, and recently got a pair of Under Armour running shoes. I didn't experience and pedal slip in the Nikes (their were treads right where the pedal went ) and my new ones only have one ride in them, but they have the same characteristics although they need to be broken in more.

YMMV, but get what is comfortable to you, they are your feet. Not mine or anyone else's. You said money was an issue so why contemplate getting a pair of shoes to ride your bike? You could just get a wider pedal for less than the shoes and pedals (M520 and MT31 from Shimano and using Google).

Ultimately, it is your money you do what you want.

FZ1Tom

Well yes I'm willing to pay for another pair of shoes....just not $200 or more for one pair!

I could indeed put the old platforms back on, but at the same time I need the practice. Already have panic stops down to a science. I happen to have Nike running shoes (air zoom vomero's) and the sole pattern fits in pretty well with the toe strap pedals, they're just hard to get in there when you're wobbling along.

At any rate, I'm gonna have to save up a lil' cash first, so I got some time

Tom

lambo_vt

What sort of riding do you do? Clipless is very nice, but for putzing around town, cruising, etc. it's overkill.

Especially if cash is an issue, just get some cheap BMX-style platforms for the hybrid and determine what you want for other bikes when you get those bikes. I have a pair by Wellgo and have never had issues with my feet slipping.

Clipless is great when biking is the priority - a shoe that's good for walking or hiking likely wouldn't be stiff enough to really do much when clipped in.

Griffin2020

Another combo pedal is the Carnk Brothers Mallet. It is double sided. Basically it is an eggbeater with a platform around it. You can ride it with street shoes or with mountain shoes, and it does not matter which side you are on (some of the double pedals have cleat on one side and flat on the other).

IceNine

I like to have at least one utility bike set up so I can just get on it and ride with regular clothes and any footwear from sandals to winter snow sneakers. For that kind of versatility, I think platform pedals with power grips are a great option. I have a lot of shopping options within one-half mile of my home, so changing into bike clothing would be silly for such short trips. Even for a 5 or 6 mile roundtrip errand, I usually just wear regular clothes.

markhr

time atac pedals (either the "Z" platform model or the regular alium/xs model)

some sort of walkable mtb shoes (sidi srs so you don't have to throw good shoes away once the sole is worn out)

https://www.time-sport.com/catalog-20....0.idc.10.html

https://www.sidisport.com/ (4 different srs models)

grimace308

i dont think clipless are overkill for anything. i have putz shoes for the casual situation, but theyre still clipless. just cruising into town or casually riding, pedestrians and other creatures, will still cross your path and its nice to, imo, be able to maneuver around them. with the drivers i remember from that town, avoiding cauliflower heads is also high on your list. ive been riding clipless for so long, i have a hard time not riding clipped in.

ebay or close out shoes and free pedals should get you up and running for under $75

lambo_vt

You can't dodge pedestrians or maneuver in traffic without clipless pedals?

I love my clipless pedals for basically any situation, but when I read "comfort bike," "money is a big issue," and "walking around is a priority," I just wonder why anyone would recommend going clipless.

grimace308

can but dont want to. as a bigger guy, i tend to throw my bike around a lot when avoiding objects, you know, standing up and moving it to the point where it isnt really under you anymore. i steer with my feet a LOT. as i said, ive also been riding clipless long enough that unclipped feels very very strange. i think everyone should be clipped in at all times, but im also a bit ocd.

he needs good shoes for his other bike. good shoes for the rec cyclist that will also double as
putz-around shoes are pretty nioce these days. id say that for all practical purposes, the $20 lakes i purchased off of ebay are more usefull as the $150 sidis i used to race in, 18 years ago. they just as stiff, i can walk around in them, they take a recessed cleat, they cost less than 5 beers. if the kid takes my up on my offer of free pedals, he might even get 2 sets of spds.

ok, while not the bottom line, i try and set up all my bikes as close as possible to one another, so depending on conditions and need, i can jump on one ang go, with little thought about shoes, fit, blah blah blah

ive rambled on for so long, i forgot what the point of this thread is.

FZ1Tom

gee its nice to be 'the kid' again......already had my mid-life crisis (or maybe its just still ongoing ) before hitting the big Four-Oh last December.

If you'll PM me your address I'll be delighted to take you up on the offer!

Bike swag is ALWAYS good to my way of thinking

Tom

flan48

Here is another idea: what I call "grip pin" pedals - can be ridden with any kind of sneaker which grip, or are gripped by, the pedal.

Best regards

sstorkel

Two words: pedaling efficiency. I really feel like I get a lot more out of each pedal stroke when using clipless pedals and shoes than I do when using platforms and PowerGrips. Maybe it's all psychological, but it really feels like I can ride further, climb easier, etc. when using my clipless pedals...

lambo_vt

And I think they're great too. However, in the poster's priorities I don't hear anything remotely performance-oriented (and I'm not convinced clipless would help much on a comfort bike anyway). Especially with his other thread about being so frustrated with riding, sometimes it's nice to just keep things simple.

lutz

I agree these "hybrid' pedals are the way to go. They are also available from a lot of other manufacturers.