Going Clipless on a Vintage
 

I was thinking of switching my 1985 Torpado. I've been looking at a couple options, but had a couple questions before I started spending money all willy nilly.

Do I need to worry about spindle size at all? I'm really nervous to buy a set of pedals and find they aren't compatible with the crank arms.
Should I start with finding the pedals I like best, or finding a pair of shoes first? Then figure out the second to match the first? How have some of you done it?

I'm open to any advise or suggestions :)

Hanna

almost all pedals for modern bikes are a standard size of 9/16 X 20. Unless you buy pedals for a child's bike, or some vintage French pedals (unlikely in clipless) you can be very confident that the clipless pedals you buy will fit.

I have ridden Shimano SPDs for years and really like them, in particular the "walkability" of the shoes and the "float" allowed by some of the cleats.

Be sure to grease the pedal threads when you install and remember - the left pedal is "Left hand threaded". "Righty loosey". Opposite of normal threads. Your shop will know this - but if you install yourself (it's easy if you have a pedal wrench) you'll want to know this.

good luck.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

See if the crank arm are stamped 9/16. If not try out a pair of 9/16 pedals you already own (from another bike if you don't have loose). High quality used pedals typically sell for a tiny fraction of their original cost.

Your bike crank in 1985 has 9/16" x 20 tpi pedal axle threads.

That same era, the clipless pedal was just being introduced and used by some of the pro's, using Look.

Suggest you start out with the Shimano PD-m324. Its a classic platform style on one side with chrome cage, the obverse with SPD.

Plenty of shoes in all styles are available, from conservative to race. The SPD has recessed cleats so walking in them is rather normal.

The Shimano M324 pedals work well and aren't too expensive new. Their advantage is that the other side is a standard cage so you don't have to wear SPD shoes to ride. They are fairly heavy.

The A600 pedals are very nice but pricier than the M324 - much lighter too.

Another SPD pedal you should consider is the Xpedo M-FORCE 3. They look good on classic bikes as they are silver, and they work very well. They're double sided, so you can clip in on either side of the pedal, might be a little easier than the M324 or the A600 as those only have one-sided SPD clips.

Clipless pedals came out in 1985 more or less. Nothing at all inappropriate about swapping them in, especially since traditional slot cleated cycling shoes have not been available for many years.

I also vote for SPD type pedals. It is very convenient to be able to walk, and there really isn't a reason for a recreational cyclist to not use them.

+1 I really like the Xpedo M-Force 3 pedals. They are my favorites so far, and as you say they are silver and do look good on classic bikes. We shall see how they hold up. I liked the Ritchey Micro pedals too, until they broke.

FWIW, I had a lot of problems with A600 pedals making noises from rubbing on my shoes. It drove me pretty batty. Most people don't seem to have this issue. Must be me. I do tend to pull up fairly hard at times, coming from the era of big gears and slot cleats. The build quality of the pedals is very good and can't be faulted.

If you've had problems with cleats creaking or squeaking - here's a free tweak !

every now and then, rub a bar of soap on the pedal "claw" mechanism that engages the cleats.

Easy, free and works great.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

You can have great luck looking for used stuff if you don't want to commit to the investment. I bought a pair of Shimano M-540 pedals for about $20 on eBay.
the biggest difficulty I had was with shoe sizing. EU sizes seemed to have different conversions to US depending on what chart I used .

The Yellow Jersey Bike Shop in Arlington, WI sells slotted cleats that fit Look and SPD bolt pattern shoes. Putting clipless pedals on a vintage bike is akin to putting disc wheels on a Model T Ford. Sure, they work ok but they just don't look right.
Jon

fwiw: use a legit pedal wrench

I'm using a set of cheap Shimano SPD-SLs on my '71 Motobecane. It came to me with ruined toe clips. Never having ridden with toe clips anyway, I just took them off and rode it platform for a while. When I upgraded pedals on my Orbea I moved the old ones to the Moto. Just have the one pair of cleats.

Raspberry's are a right of passage . The more you get the more you learn . I went back to cages , I'm to old for that stuff .

Yeah, you'd think that would work. I tried all of the above and many other assorted lubricants, finally resorting to greasing the platforms before every ride. At that point I had had enough. I've never had an issue with metal to metal creak, it was the shoe interacting with the extended platform. I was using Shimano's touring shoe (RT82), and Shimano's top end touring pedal. You'd think they would have tested this combo. Didn't work any better with my MTB shoes, so I blame the pedal.

I spray the Xpedos with LPS3 every few months, which I do to my Shimano SPD pedals as well. Boeshield is more or less the same kind of stuff. Spray wax in a can.

The Xpedo pedals use a slightly modified cleat. It is an interesting design with some extra surface area compared to a standard SPD, and it makes a very solid contact. It works very well and has been problem and creak free. They have a bit more float than Shimano, which took a bit of getting used to, but now I like it. Probably good for my knees, now that I'm no longer a spring chicken.

Yeah, I know about those. I'm pretty sure they only fit Look bolt pattern shoes. I guess i could get a cheap set of 3 bolt shoes just to run with clips/straps, but most modern shoes don't have compatible uppers. For ceremonial rides on the old bikes, I'm more inclined to get some brit style touring shoes.

I'm not really that purist, but I can appreciate where you're coming from. FWIW I do still have traditional pedals on my actual vintage bikes. At this point they are mostly decorations. If they were my main riders, I would seriously consider bastardizing them with clipless. I spent my youth with slot cleats and straps, and I'm not that nostalgic about it. Pedals can always be switched back anyway.

At any rate, the OP's bike is a 1985 Torpado, and clipless pedals are totally appropriate. I spent half that year drilling peoples old school shoes to take Look pedal cleats, and various others types as well.

Oh wow, so much advise! Thanks everyone :) Great to know there shouldn't be any issues with crank/pedal compatibility. I did check the cranks - they say 9/16 on them. Finally I'll get some use out of the pedal wrench I bought years ago!

I had been looking at Shimano SPD. I really like the idea of the pedals that can be clipped on both sides. Something something easier to get in something something I'm clumsy and will probably have a hard time clipping in :D

My LBS has loads of shoe options, both MTB and road types, so I'll go in and try on a bunch. Honestly, little nervous about the shoe shopping part. I have a nasty scar on my right foots that makes most shoes pretty uncomfortable. I'm betting that hunting down a style of shoe that works with my scar is going to be the toughest part. The folks there are super nice though, so I have a good feeling!

OP,
Be sure to practice your unclipping....stopping/leaning before you set out on the roads...most critical to happy transition/riding.
Best, Ben

Using clipless is easy...but practise on a trainer, against a wall or hallway where you won't fall over. Loosen the adjustment to its weakest tension at the beginning. Shoes just need to be comfortable...the more expensive are lighter and have a different adjustment mechanism...Velcro works just fine.
Good luck...and practice putting both feet in and out...many times...:-)

all right, last piece of advice for today : don't bust your knuckles removing those pedals ! we've all done it.

before you start, spray something (PB Blaster, WD40, I use Aero Kroil) into the pedal where it threads into the arm, front and back. Give it 15 minutes to soak in, give it a whack with your wood block or candy hammer.

then get set up. If you can get the bike in a stand that's the way to go. the pedal wrench is offset /clocked in a funny way. What I do is - on the drive side arm, get the wrench situated so you are pulling toward you to loosen the pedal - and then reach thru the frame and hold the other arm as counter pressure. Does this make sense ? Put on your gardening gloves to protect your hands.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

True- but most clipless pedals have adjustable tension. Putting them at minimal holding tension will prevent falls, but they make inadvertent releases easier. Ride mildly until your "release" maneuver becomes second nature, then start increasing tension.

Also, Shimano offers "S" and "M" cleats for their SPD pedals. That's "single release" and "multi release". Single release holds better, multi release releases better.

FWIW: I see a lot of "vintage" riders with Shimano SPD pedals on otherwise immaculate all-Nuovo-Record bikes. If it's what keeps you riding, do it.