lpress

Folks,

I am 66 and ride (hard) about 80 miles a week on an old road bike with pedal clips. I figure it is time to try clipless pedals -- to see if they make a difference.

Have you suggestions for choosing the pedals and shoes?

Larry

Ricardo

Check the wellgo line of pedals. They are cheap and very good. I own a pair and have no complaints.
Shimano, Crank Bros, Look and Time are other brands you should check before spending your hard earned bucks.

Ricardo

John E

I am staying with old-fashioned toeclips on all of my bikes, because I don't trust myself to react properly if I have clips on some and clipless binders on others. I don't see converting exclusively to clipless as an option for my style of transportation cycling.

DnvrFox

I am 66 and use the cheap ($55) Shimano mtn bike clips on my Lemond road bike with riding sandals. They work for me. I haven't fallen for 7 years (knock on wood) and then only 2 times when I started out.

I suppose this means a fall next week!

roccobike

I use Shimano SPD clipless on my road bike. I started using clipless so that I could use them on my mountain bike. But my confidence is not high enough to continue using them on the trail. But for road biking I find they are easy to use and safer, in my opinion, than flat pedals. I have the spring tension turned to very loose to make it easy to get in and out and that made a big difference for me. I have to admit I was pre-occupied with being concerned about falling. I've never fallen on my road bike. (Don't ask about the MTB). I like them because they increase my endurance and when I stand up I'm not concerned about slipping off the pedals. I just picked up a pair for my MUP bike as well.

tribe3

I recommend Crankbrothers "candy" and MTB shoes. Great pedal with no adjustments needed -- and with MTB shoes you can walk around without ruining your cleats and looking like a duck.

Regards.

cyclezen

+1
since there is no needed orientation, yo can get in them very easily. I use the STD eggbeaters now on al my bikes and combined with MTB type shoes, have a very comfortable, all-day combination. They lock in well enough to not release in a hard sprint, but offer enough float to work under any issues.excellent stuff

gear

SPD type pedal/cleats are hard to clip into because the cleat is so small. For someone new to clipless I would recomend SPD-SL or Look as they have a large cleat that is remarkably easy to enter and exit. I would also recomend stiff soled road shoes as there is a great benifit to those over soft soled MBT shoes (if there was no difference racers would wear MBT shoes, they don't).

HopedaleHills

+2 for the Crank Bros. I use the Candies and am going to buy two sets of Smarties for my wifes bike and my other road bike.

Richard Cranium

Get a real nice set of pedals and shoes and then maybe you "have to" get a better bike to match......

But really, why are you interested in upgrading pedal/shoes? Are you hurting?

lpress

No, I love my old bike -- it is about 25 years old, but has all Campy gear and I am totally used to it. I will also be getting a second bike (to keep at a vacation home), and want to get some experience with clipless pedals first.

From the posts so far, it seems there is no clear concensus on the pedal brand or model -- it sounds like one gets used to whatever he or she has, and it works well.

How about shoes?

cooker

If you have osteoporosis beware...there is a high likelihood of falling at least once when learning clipless, and us older guys don't learn as fast as children. I switched to clipless around age 50 and fell twice while learning and once more on ice (not likely to be problem in LA, of course). Fortunately they tend to be low speed falls.

As for shoes, unless you are fashion conscious, I strongly recommend mountain bike shoes because they are much easier to walk in. I have Shimano A520 (road) and M515 (mtn) pedals and use the same shoes and cleats for both.

Bikewer

I've been "clipless" for about 20 years, and greatly prefer them. I agree with Cooker above, in that the double-sided pedals are generally easier to use, and the MTB-type shoes are walkable-in.

I have seen people trying to walk around events in a pair of Look cleats...Really funny.

Don't go for gnarly off-road shoes, the ones with the big cleats and the armor....Not needed. There are a variety of shoes that have a normal tread and stiff enough soles for good pedaling. I'm currently using a pair of Lakes that the department bought us a few years ago.

I have had excellent luck with Shimano SPD-type pedals over the years. I have a pair on my recumbent that are absolutely ancient, but still smooth as silk.

I would suggest putting the bike in a trainer if you have one, and just practice clipping out. Do it until you build up a bit of "muscle-memory" as they say. I fell over once, the first day I used a pair. Just like Artie Johnson on the old Laugh-In. Came to a complete stop and just fell over sideways. Fortunately, no witnesses!

Now as to the why. Not only do the cleats keep your foot in place at the best position for proper pedaling, but they allow a smoother spin and a better power stroke, especially when climbing. When climbing, we are told to "wipe the mud off the bottom of your shoe". That is, to try to pull through the bottom of the pedal stroke; continuing the power stroke for a bit longer. When you get this down, you can definitely feel it, and it will make a considerable difference to your power input.

When I first started riding seriously, long about 1973, I found I had difficulty keeping my foot in place on the pedal without clips. After years of riding clipless, I now "follow" even rattrap pedals precisely, and never loose contact.

tribe3

There are also pro MTB racers out there who need stiff soles so a medium to good MTB shoes is as stiff as any road shoe.

My Sidi MTB shoes and most Shimanos are hard soled enough that you don't feel any flex even when you mash off the saddle when topping a hill.

To the OP; Keep in mind what another poster said. If you are new to clipless you WILL fall at a stop sign or light at least one time.

Retro Grouch 

I've not known anybody who, once they got acclimated to clipless pedals, wanted to go back. I think that your pedal choice should be driven by how you actually use your bike. I'm basically a restaurant-to-restaurant rider so I use Shimano SPD pedals with mountain bike shoes so that I can walk more normally. From your description of your riding, you might be happier with real road-style pedals even though the shoes make you walk like a duck.

fmw

I agree with retro grouch. The advantage of road shoes is that they have really, really stiff soles. While that makes you walk like a duck it also makes power transfer to the pedals more efficient while you're riding. Most of my riding is for exercise so I ride pretty hard too. I use both Speedplay and Look pedals but that's just because they provide a lot of float (side to side rotational movement.)

stapfam

The road shoes are stiffer and if you are racing- then get them. If you are like me and stop occasionally for Pie or to look at the scenery- the mtb type shoe is better for walking about in.

All of my bikes have the cheapest shimano clipless pedals. Bought the first set about about 8 years ago. Second bike came along and got the same pedals for that- Then the Tandem and my co-rider was already using the cheapest Shimano's so got a couple of pairs for the aswell. Finally the road bike and I put on the cheap pair again. Can't fault them, and you do get used to them very quickly.

oldokie

I change to SPD clipless at age 62 and I have been very pleased with them. As noted...plan to fall sideways at least once in the begining. I did it twice my first week and picked up some bruises and road rash...but no broken bones. If you have any hint of bone problems, I would avoid clipless. It is a helpless feeling when you try to put your foot down and suddenly remember you are clipped in ...and panic as you fall sideways with a thud. Glad I had my helmet on...wish the rest of my body had been padded.
However, I like them now. I found that I started using the full pedal cycle for power...something I did not expect I would do. I still find myself needing to unclip in an emergency but it seem much more automatic now without thinking.

Garfield Cat

I guess I'm the only one with Speedplay pedals and SIDI Genius 5 road shoes. The Genius was recommended to me by my bike fitter because of the stiffness of the sole and my narrow and flat feet. I wear orthotics in them.

stonecrd

I use the shimano 105 (PD-R540) pedals they are SPD-SL and use the SH-R80 road shoe, mainly because I could get them cheap. I also like the shimano pedals as they have a wide platform, good float and are easy to get clipped in/out. The clips are not as bad as the Look cleats, but you wouldn't want to do a lot of walking on them. I have >5000mi on the shoes and cleats and they are holding up well. If you really want to look like a roady then you need Sidi shoes and Look Keo Carbon pedals ;>)

DnvrFox

I have no problem. Never have. Anyone else have a problem with SPD's?

miatatbone

No problems here with SPD's

jppe

In use Look pedals/cleats. Probably because that is what I started with and have on ALL my bikes. I prefer the Look carbon pedals as they seem to be quieter than the alloy models.

backinthesaddle

+1 on the Speedplay. The free float is great. I use Zeroes which have adjustable float. I had knee problems years ago that were resolved with "floating" cleats on my shoes (back in the days of toeclips), so I didn't want to experiment with more restrictive pedal systems when I switched to clipless.

Also, I like the easy double-sided entry.

goaliedad30

+2! I also have Speedplay X5' and Sidi Zeta shoes. Love 'em.