Originally Posted by
dlittledlite
Hi all,
I know Im not the most regular poster, and sorry in advance for only posting my questions. I usually just search your great site for all the advice concerning my biking q's and a's. However this time I was unable to find what I was looking for. So I'm asking your advice
I'd like to upgrade to clipless pedals (I think that's what they're called). Of course there is a catch. I'm a broke starving college student living off rice and occasionally beans or cheese. Bicycling is so popular that prices reflect the average people are willing to spend, which is much more than I can afford. I'm afraid if I go with a cheap set of pedals (aprox $80 still too much for me) that I will get what I pay for and it will fall apart or there will be something undesirable about my choice. You know what I'm talking about you buy something you like, you like it, and a month or two later you hate it for everything it is.
So in short, if you had skipped to this last paragraph you might have saved yourself time, but also, I guess I'm simply asking for anyone's personal experience and advice on what you think the best pedal/shoe set up would be for my situation. From hearsay I gather that the soles in some shoes break, and that some clipless pedals are hard to dismount from. So you see my problem: I can't afford quality, but I can't afford to have what I buy not work.
I would go to the LBS but Im sure I'll just waist their time because I don't have the money their regulars do. I mean come on $80 for pedals and $80 for shoes? And that's the cheap stuff
Please help!
As always,
Thanks so much! So many of you have been a great help in the past.
I've tried a lot of pedal configurations, and I've decided that I don't like "clipless" pedals. They limit the shoes you can wear, and they're inconvenient in urban traffic. They're also expensive, since you have to buy pedals and shoes. They do offer a very slight performance advantage, at least while climbing, but it's so slight that it's not worth the hassle unless you're road racing or mountain biking. I used them for touring last year, and also tried them for in-city, but won't ever use them again; clipless pedals are hugely over-rated, IMO, and a gigantic pain in the a** . They also tend to destroy your ability to pedal competently.
BUT: if you insist on going clipless, as it seems you are determined to do, SPDs are reliable, rugged, not too expensive, and have a lot of after-market options.