Clipless pedals, without the trolls...
 

I was trying to figure out what kind of clipless pedals to use on my mountain bike when the thread becane designated as a gun thread without having a gun discussion. I would like to know what to use.

My qusstions:
1) What should I expect out of clipless on my mountain bike?
2) What advantages do clipless pedals have over platforms? Disadvantages?
3) What advantages do platforms have over clipless? Disadvantages?
4) Which shoes and cleats do I want?

My qusstions:
I have no Idea about what you expect, you tell \Us /me..
You have to buy both the pedals and the shoes

Quote:

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Disadvantages?

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You have to buy both the pedals and the shoes that are compatible
you can wear any shoe you wish

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Disadvantages?

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you wont have your feet attached to the pedals like a ski Binding. maybe you want big air when you come over a jump?

How should I know , go to a Bike Shop and try on shoes to see if they fit, and ask the staff in the store about the various products

the cleat comes with the pedal system .

SiDi Makes the Best Mountain Bike Shoes .. In Italy .. they have a lot of width and sizes
metric whole and half sizes in the middling range where most peoples feet are .. 40 to 50..
and use a synthtic leather , so soaking your feet doesn't ruin the shoe , like Natural Leather has been shown to do .

... where many Chinese made shoes wont fit, the best. though may cost less .. and may be OK as starters ..

I find clipless to be more comfortable riding. If you haven't used clipless before it will take a little while to get used to unclipping. Depending on the type of terrain you ride on you may want to practice a while so you don't have to think about it when you need to put a foot down.
More comfortable. Ability to apply more power by pulling up at the same time as pushing down.
Disadvantage is that if you're not comfortable unclipping or you forget you might have a few more falls while you learn.
Less expensive, ability to use street shoes.
I use Time Atacs. I assume you'll want what I have.

The advantage of clipless is a secure foot/pedal relationship without the binding or toe pinching that clips and straps can cause. Double sided clipless pedals are also marginally faster to enter, and (once you get used to them) quick and cleaner to disengage.

Most mountain bikers use Shimano system pedals and cleats, which is a defacto Mtb standard.

The drawback is that you need dedicated shoes, so it's not ideal for utility biking where you'll be doing lots of walking. (I use clips/straps and wear loafers for the commute for this reason).

As for shoes, like with any other shoes, fit is trumps, everything else is a distant barely important second.

So the decisions are easy. Pedals acording to budget, shoes according to fit, both using the same cleat system.

Shimano for mtn pedals and shoes, SIDI for road shoes.

1) don't really understand what kind of answer you're hoping for here.
2) clipless give foot retention w/o you having to constrict your feet. You need another set of shoes that you probably won't want to use for anything else. You'll probably topple at least once when you forget to unclip when stopping.
3) flatties can be ridden in just about any kind of shoes. If it's cold, just wear boots. It's possible to come off flatties unintentionally. Flatties make it harder to maintain a good cadence.
4) cleats come with the pedals, so it's basically a non-issue. However, some pedals offer cleats with different release angles, in which case you might want to start with some that release early.
I prefer shoes with clasps and buckles as opposed to laces or velcro. Apart from that it's all about fit. Although there can be a small advantage to shoes with replaceable soles. I have a pair of Sidis with that feature, and t has undoubtedly payed for itself.

My O2.. actually with a clipless type shoe there is some constriction of your feet , because if the shoe was un constricting ,

you would pull you feet out of the shoes as you tried to unclip them, occasionally .. or while sprinting ..


sort of like a desmodromic* overhead cam , Ducati Fans , the upward and downward motion is controlled so you dont have valve float at high rpm ..


the 100 rpm spinning of the pedals is thus aided by having that tight connection of foot in shoe and shoe on pedal ..


*Desmodromic valve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for non Ducati Mororbike fans.

While I'd have to look up the spelling I do know what fietsbob says.

I'll add that I find it easier to move the bike via my feet when using clipless pedals. But I suck at trials riding so... Andy.

Straying a bit [like that never happens here] I dont think Observed trials riders are clipped in..
the bicycle trials frames dont even have a seat .

http://www.montybikes.com/BicicletasBiketrialE.html

There was plenty of good info in the other thread. Just ignore the troll posts.

The "pros" and "cons" were covered. As I stated several times, the "right" choice depends a lot on your style of riding. I use clipless 99% of the time, but I ride fairly aggressively in an area with lots of short steep hills and no stopping for walking. I can imagine that for some people, clipless would be a waste of money & detract from their cycling enjoyment.

You have all the info, and need to decide where you fit on the spectrum.

Expect initial embarrassing and hip-bruising tip over(s)

followed by increased ability to rip up the trails and 6" more vert on your bunny hop.

You will also look more rad, especially if you currently ride with arches over the pedal spindle.


I use eggbeaters.

The other thread was declared a "gun thread" and is now gone. We have to start all over.

If I'm gonna try clipless, I need to know what to look for.

I've seen egg beaters. I think Bob's Bikes had them for $70. What kind of footwear should I check out? Also, how well do they hold up to some light hiking? I'm talking pack on the bike, and I "go look" down a trail I don't want to try to get my bike down.

The other thread was moved to Politics & Religion. You can still read it and get the pedal info from it.

It was 6 pages long, and I think everything that could be said about clipless pedals was said.


If you want clipless pedals, and the ability walk, then I think the "SPD" type, used for mountain biking, will work. I don't know much about them, but that's usually what people recommend because the cleat is recessed so it doesn't get in the way when you walk.

Most dedicated road shoes and pedals have a cleat screwed to the bottom of a smooth soled shoe. They are slippery when walking, and walking can damage the cleat, so they are only good for a few careful steps here & there.

Here's a link to an article and some pictures of the different types:

http://drivemybike.wordpress.com/200...als-the-shoes/

I did figure that part out in the other thread, but I still want to discuss that here for other members. After all, "there is nothing there for us." I didn't remember what they were called.

Again, I'm looking for SPD style shoes. Are egg beaters SPD or either/or?

A quick image search suggests eggbeaters can work with spd shoes. To work with regular road shoes, the road shoes would need the 2 hole cleat pattern. Some road shoes only have a 3 hole pattern. Some have both.

Disclaimer: I am FAR from a shoe/cleat expert. Don't buy anything based on what I say.

Just for background, I would consider myself an intermediate level mountain biker. I think that if you are new to mountain biking you would be better of starting w/ a good set of platforms but if you are a fairly experienced mountain biker you will probably be happier with SPD pedals. I like my platforms because they allow me to bail out of a bad situation a little easier. I like my XT SPD pedals because they provide a tighter attachment to my bike, which is really handy on steep climbs.

You can get a lot more power from clipless because you can pull up on the rear foot while pushing down on the front foot and pulling up on the handlebar. This is only doable in short bursts, but in mountain biking that helps.

If you're looking for the magic bullet in clipless, I suggest looking here........

SHIMANO CLICK'R - TECHNOLOGIES - CYCLING FOOTWEAR AND PEDALS - LIFESTYLE GEAR - SHIMANO

Strictly speaking, SPD is a Shimano trademark meaning "Shimano Pedalling Dynamics", but the name has gone the way of the V-brake(another Shimano trademark) and become the generally accepted name for strapless foot retention systems.

So by strict definition, Egg Beaters aren't SPDs, as they aren't made by Shimano.
But in terms of general function, and everyday speech, they are. A shoe that can take a SPD cleat can take a Crank Brothers /Egg Beater cleat. Do note that a CB cleat won't fit in a Shimano pedal, or the other way around.

The whole CB line of pedals have excellent mud/snow clearing ability, and I've been quite happy with entry, release, float, and foot retention. But life is poor. On my commuter I have needed new bearings twice a year. And they can wear nasty gouges in the soles of your shoes. I've been seriously considering replacing mine with Time pedals, which have a similar enough design for good self-clearing, but better life. But with three bikes up and running, it'd cost a bit.

If you choose CB pedals and plan on plenty of mileage, get the stainless steel shields to go between sole and cleat, and order a rebuild kit while you're at it.
For moderate mileage, and maybe a bit of walking inbetween, don't bother. Walking will wear out the tread of your soles before the wear mark caused by the pedal becomes a problem.

Egg Beaters are light and nice, but can feel a bit wobbly at first, and are uncomfortable to ride in regular shoes even for a round-the-block after servicing test ride style of thing. Candy is better from that perspective. A little bit of platform to give some sort of grip and support even if you're not clipped in. For urban riding, better when you need to get going from stop at an intersection or a light for instance.

Well, what do you want?
I like my Sidi Dragon with replaceable soles. Clasps and buckles last longer than velcro and is stiffer than lacing. With a proper bike oriented stiff sole I can stand on the pedals to my heart's content w/o my feet getting sore. Sole is soft and grippy for clambering over wet rock, and can be replaced at far less cost than a new set of shoes when it begins to wear out.
While not exactly a comfortable walking shoe, I've gone miles in mine w/o problem.

I also like my Shimano winter boots, roomy enough for thick socks. A lot simpler and more hard wearing than any shoe cover I've ever tried.
There's some advantage to my Specialized as well. The sole is harder and more slippery, so not so good on rock. But the toebox is roomier than on the Sidis, so my toes stay warmer.

My dream(summer) shoe would be a SIDI Dominator Mega(extra wide), but with a replaceable, soft, grippy sole like on the Dragon.

There are also shoes that are more low-key. Looks pretty much like sneakers or walking shoes, with softer soles and laces. Never seen the point myself really, when I ride I ride.
But if you can't change clothes, and need/want to blend in, sure.
I've had one pair, which were OK while riding. But I ended up splitting the sole right across the cleat attachment while there was still plenty of life in the rest of the shoe. I've stuck with stiff soles since then.

Fairly well. But the ones with grippy soles do wear out in a foreseeable time. Not a problem while on the bike, but eventually you start walking on the cleat instead of the tread, at which point the shoe starts to lose usefulness.

First I want to say that I am not a seasoned MTBer. I ride primarily medium distance endurance and touring on paved roads. I ride off road occasionally for recreation and cross training, so take the following for what it is worth.

Jesus, don't overthink it. Go to your local bike shop with a crisp Benjamin and let them outfit you. Then ride your damn bike and figure out if you like them for yourself.

I don't get why clipless is the leader in 'analysis paralisis' around here.

I think it's a 20 way tie for first: carbon frame (or not), which wheels, Campy or Shimano, tubeless/clinchers/tubulars, gloves (or not), ...... and on & on, over & over.

My reference to trails was a joke. Andy

Shimano(SPD), Crank Brothers(eggbeaters), and Time are the most common mtb pedals but there are a few others. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm a Time guy myself. MTB shoes are pretty much universal and will work with any of the mtb pedal types. You may run into some clearance issues with certain shoes and certain cleats but that isn't common and can usually be fixed with a knife and some trimming. I'd go for a shoe with a ratcheting buckle if you can. You can get those tight enough to walk up steep hills without them slipping off your heals while at the same time not cutting off the circulation to your feet.