joyota

Hey, I just bought clipless shoes/pedals this year and found from what I can tell everywhere else I've looked to be a screaming deal on them.

I posted about it in the MTB forum, but I initially started out using this on my commuter and loved it. I'm currently trying to scrape together a little more money to put another set back on my commuter and get a more walkable pair of shoes.

Thinking about Clipless Pedals? Try 'em for $55

I would NOT recommend the shoes I bought for cold weather unless you want to buy them a size or two larger and stuff a few layers of socks into them. My feet were a little cold on the 50° morning rides and the temperature will only go down from there.

The thing that I loved about this deal is that I was able to try them for not a lot of $$, figured out that I love having them, and now have a better sense of what to look for in shoes. Plus, those pedals seem to be widely regarded as great pedals for newbies or experienced riders alike as long as a few extra grams of weight isn't of any concern to the rider. Every bike shop I've been to sells them for around $54.99, so to get them for $26.99 is a steal, even if you pay for shipping and free shipping deals aren't hard to come by on Nashbar or JensonUSA.

Just my $.02...

spare_wheel

520s are really heavy and mine all failed due to bearing problems. I have become a big fan of the wider foot bed of the pd-m780 XT and pd-m980 XTR models. They have more stability and virtually eliminate clip in failures. The XT can be bought via Ebay for $50 and the XTR is available at Merlin for $100.

joyota

spare_wheel, point taken and I mean no disrespect, but I just have to add some perspective. The 520's claimed weight is 370 grams, the M780 XT's claimed weight is 343 and the M980 XTR's are 310 grams. A difference of 27 grams (.95oz) between 520 and 780s or 60 grams (2.1oz) between 520 and 980.

I know I can't speak for everyone else, but 1-2 ounces of added weight on my commuter is hardly a concern considering the difference in clothing I bring to work from day to day differs in weight significantly more than that 1-2oz. I'd rather pocket the $aving$. I'm also the guy who'd rather putz along at a respectable 15-16mph and enjoy the 13 mile ride than try racing for a 18-20mph overall average.

As far as the bearings, I know people who've used 520s for years and say their the pedals still spin like new. I guess "mileage may vary" seems appropriate. The only clip-in "failures" I've experienced have been due to mud getting caught in my shoes when hiking up a muddy trail, never had a problem with the pedals. Plus, that's only been on my MTB. I doubt I'll ever have that happen while commuting.

Finally, the wider foot bed makes sense if the shoes you have are not a really stiff sole. In which case I was recommended the M530s by a buddy of mine who swears by them. The 530s are essentially 520s with a cage wrapped around the clip mechanism adding more contact surface and they're a mere $32 from Nashbar or JensonUSA.

noglider 

I highly recommend SPD. I like the recessed cleats and the wide variety of shoes and pedals available. I love the Nashbar Rodeo pedal that has the cleat attachment on only one side. I own four pairs of SPD shoes. One of them is a pair of sandals. With neoprene socks, I can wear these in the winter. Or for winter riding, you may want to get a pair of shoes a size too big so you can wear them with thick socks.

kingsqueak

The SPD with a wider platform around them, like PD-M530 are pretty nice as if you miss the *click* your foot still has a decent purchase to push off with.

spare_wheel

The bearings in the 520s are in my experience of very low quality. I've owned two pairs and both developed problems with play and/or crunchiness after 7-10K. I would rather spend $50-100 on pedals that last 10 years than 30 on pedals that last a few years.

The "contact" patch of the foot bed is wider, not the foot bed itself. Road bike pedals have a larger contact patch precisely because it increases stability and causes less stress. The XT and XTR have a new design that, for me, not only results in more stability but also less numbness on climbs or long rides. I have owned 520s and 770s (same basic design) and find the new design of the 780s and 980s to be a huge improvement.

XT pd-m780

Those new flat areas do not look like much but boy do they make a difference!

XT pd-m770 -- same design as the m520 and m540s



I think most of us have had the occasional clip in failure on a rapid start. I simply noticed that with the 780/980s they are much more rare. (I suspect the more elongated shape gives rigid soled shoes more purchase.)

allan6344

If you go with SPD pedals you can use the "training wheel version" of cleats, i.e. Shimano multi-directional release cleats (SH-56). Experienced clipless riders don't like them since they don't hold as firmly, but they allow the foot to be pulled out of the pedal in almost any direction. Once the transition learning period is over they can be replaced with the standard SPD cleats.

noglider 

Speaking of which, I adjust my pedals to hold the cleats as loosely as possible. I pull occasionally in panic stops by pulling straight up. I have never come out accidentally when I didn't mean to. This works for me, though I'm sure some people like to be in tighter. If I raced, I would tighten them.

chaadster

It's not fair to call them "training wheel" cleats, since they're optional. Shimano include single release cleats with every pedal, I believe, so their approach is that you start (i.e. get trained) with standard, single release cleats. The optional Multiple Release SH56 cleats, therefore, are properly considered 'remedial cleats,' for those infrequent instances where riders can't get used to standard operation.

Learning to use SPD is just not that challenging for the vast majority of riders.

noglider 

Indeed, I think they would be easier to learn than toe clips!

asmac

Not sure why you would characterize multi-release cleats as" training wheels." They are simply the right product for the intended application.

It seems to me there are two types of clipless users. One group wants performance so gets light very stiff unwalkable shoes and wants to pull on the upstroke for extra power so gets very tight, single release cleats.

Most commuters just want a comfortable, secure foot positioning with reasonably stiff but walkable shoes. IMHO, when riding in traffic (i.e. commuting) it is more important to be able to release quickly in an emergency than it is to ensure your foot never comes out under stress. Therefore, multi-release clips with a fairly loose setting are preferable in that circumstance and that is why I use them along with Shimano campus-style pedals. I have never had my shoes release unintentionally. Performance-oriented riders would likely choose something else.

BTW, for shoes I highly recommend Specialized Tahoe. Very nice.

fietsbob

how about a Bike Shop.. where you can put the shoes on your feet?

chaadster

I think this line of thinking really overblows things; really, I just don't think that using single-release cleats is difficult (again, witness the fact that Shimano only supplies this cleat with pedals; multi-release are optional). I, and many, many others, have used single release cleats for lots of commute miles. I think multi-release exist simply to satisfy the concerns of the neurotic (and I use that term not to insult, but rather in a clinical sense; clearly this thread shows many have anxiety about possible situations in which they wouldn't be able to release their feet, which of course is, in reality, is never the case. Single release cleats can always be exited). I mean, the notion that a commuter, urban or otherwise, would be in more need of an unanticipated ("emergency") foot plant than an aggressive mountain biker (or really any MTBer, but for the sake of the example, let's say aggressive) is clearly ridiculous, and at the same time, I think most MTBers would find multiple release cleats dangerous, since they don't provide the security of retention during the most demanding times when they really, and quite literally, depend on their feet to pull them through.

Again, I'm not trying to be mean, but as someone who has used both SPD cleat types and seen many, many riders of all skill levels using SPD in many, many circumstances, the idea that mutli-release cleats are either easier to use or safer just doesn't comport with either my experience or reason.

noglider 

I agree, and I'll reiterate that adjusting your pedals as loose as possible can help. It works for me.

mtb123

I'd recommend Crank Brothers Egg Beaters pedals. They have four sided entry so they are easy to learn to get in and out of.

I'm sure most folks here will disagree with me but I think the benefits of clipless pedals are vastly overrated. Yes, they are beneficial for racing but they are far from necessary for the daily riding that most of us do. That being said there is no harm in trying them out. Just don't buy into the cycling industry hype that says you "need" clipless pedals if you want to be a "real" cyclist.

asmac

Keep in mind this is not the MTB forum so their needs are irrelevant here.

Chaadster, I always hate myself when my preference in SPD cleats makes me look neurotic and ridiculous. It happens more often than I care to admit. I too have ridden both -- mostly single release -- and really don't understand what the objection is to an easier exit for commuting purposes. Do as you wish, just like I will.

HydroG33r 

I tend to disagree. I am not a racer, and have just been commuting for ~4 months. I went clipless after about a month of commuting on platforms and would never go back. I love that I can spin at a nice, steady cadence without having to readjust my feet or worry about slipping off the pedals, especially when it's raining. Also, by ensuring that my feet contact the pedals at the exact same point whenever I ride, I can reliably nail down my bike fit, especially seat height and forward/back position. I've also found it handy for climbing hills.