What do you boys think about clipless pedals?
 

All the roadies seem to love it, and all the local mtb'ers sing its praises (though i'd rather be caught with a cold than clipless during a tricky manuever)

the thing that stops me from giving them a shot is that i often take the bike on short little jaunts... where having to put on clipless specific shoes would be an inconvenience (perhaps spd sandals or double-sided clips?)


what do you boys think... worthwhile upgrade? or should i drop my dimes on a new wheelset?

Clipless is the way to go. Clips 'n' straps are a definite pain in the äss, as far as I'm concerned at this point. If you get yourself a pair of mountian shoes, which are actually walkable, those little jaunts on the bike aren't an issue.

i rode clipless pedals on one of my track bikes for a while. then the cleats wore out. and rather than buy new cleats so i could be secure on my track bike, i switched them to my roadie. back to clips -n- straps on both trackies now. much happier this way.

cages are definately an improvement over flat platforms... would you say there is a comparable improvement going to clipless over cages?

I have a couple bikes equipped with clips and straps for short jaunts. On my good, long distance, fun bikes I use clipless.

I think there should be absolutely no doubt that clipless is better in general. You will know how easy it is to pull up on the pedals. Straps are good only when tightened, and in order to tighten them well you have to pull up on the loose end after you put your shoes inside, which makes them a hassle. The downside of clipless is that you have to get special shoes. I have a pair of shimanos I got couple of weeks ago from REI. They are black with mesh on top. I wear them all the time like regular shoes, super comfortable and low profile.

Well If your looking for power In the pedal when the pedal comes up you need
clips eh?Recreation users NOT nor ever will be I'm a rec cyclist racing NOT

chip dear, you chop up your grammer like i chop forks.
could you reformulate your statement so it can be understood, please?

<edit> yes, my spelling and grammar also suck in this post, but it's understandable </edit>

It really depends on what you want/need. If you want to hop on your bike with whatever you have on your feet and go, then clips/straps are the best option. If you don't mind changing your shoes, then clipless give you better power transfer, provide a more rigid shoe than your average street shoe and (I find) are easier to get in and out of than clips/straps. Many mountain shoes are reasonably comfortable to walk around in and many manufacturers make streetlike shoes that you can run with clipless. If you have a brake and want both a platform and clipless, you could get something like a Shimano PD-M324 that has both. Running brakeless with no retaining system is a bad idea...

(I run clipless. )

so, i don't know the terminology well... but the pedals i've got are basically a platform with a strap of leather that goes over the shoe and a metal loop that hooks around the toe of the shoe. These are called clips & straps, right?

but the thing is, i just wear my adidas superstars and slip them in. No clips or anything on the bottom of the soles. Is this a problem? Are there clips or something I should be wearing? ones that'd fit on my sneakers?

No real reason I'm not using clipless pedals... i just don't have any money to spend on them.

I'm with you on this. I like my speedplays but flopping around in shoes makes for a pain in my ass.

Thats Yoda Fixin I believe.

Crank Bros Mallet C's adorn one of my rigs. Very easy to ride with just an ordinary shoe. I also sprung for a pair of Cannondale Clogs a while back. Very easy to slip in and out of, keep em next to the bike(s) so I can take either the rig with Crank Bros EggBeaters or Candys.

I just bought a new pair of pedals for my fixie today. Went with the eggbeaters (the local Performance had the price marked wrong and I got it at that price :-)) and I'm more hooked on clipless than I was before. I swear they just make life easier, and the eggbeaters are so much nicer than my old spuds.

What's the verdict on MTB clipless on road bike? Just fashion faux pas or are there logistical reasons for them being bike-specific? I'd think that the mtb pedals would be designed to better shed mud... but are there other differences like float or something that better sets each type for their purposes?

Logistically, I think it makes a lot of sense if you're a city rider. Nuts to fashion - it works. Mountain pedals = small cleats. Small cleats + mountain shoes = walkability. Yeah, road shoes are nice when you're doing a century, but when you're going to the store or going over to drop in on some friends, they're just a pain.

do whatever. i like my clips and straps, but i'm a fashion b!tch. i've not seen any clipless mtb shoes that i like the looks of. if i ever find some inexpensive, mostly black & grey spd-compatible mtb shoes, then i'll go clipless...