Pedals..is there a noticeable difference?
 

I recently purchased a cyclocross bike for commuting and leisure riding, it came with no pedals (weird). So, I am just wondering if anyone that is a daily commuter can tell me if there is a difference between clipless (my spelling can be atrocious hope its accurate) and platform pedals? I know there is an obvious difference in appearence and maybe power transfer, but would I benefit more from spending the $$$ on the clipless in the long run?

Its not uncommon for them to come without pedals as its assumed that you will supply or purchase your own. Yes there is a huge difference and clipless wins every time. Being attached firmly to the crank lets you use the full pedal stroke and the shoes tend to have stiffer soles than normal shoes. Depending on your distance it may be worth it in the long run.

Ill be riding 17 miles round trip about 6 days a week just to work. I can approximate that I will ride at least an additional 50 miles a week more in between work. Also I am new to this style of riding. I have ridden bikes all my life, but always mountain bikes or bmx bikes. So the thought of clipless pedals is intimidating

Clipless allows your feet to "clip" into a pedal--theoretically this allows you to bring more power and efficiency to your stroke, particularly if you're climbing hills. However, it also requires you to have special shoes, most of which are terrible for walking in once you get off the bike. There's also a learning curve that leads to a lot of people falling down as they get used to have their feet secured to the pedal.

Platform pedals let you use any shoe you want, but some riders don't like that your feet can come off the pedal if they're going too fast. Also, in rainy conditions some people complain about their feet slipping.

I commuted for a year using clipless, but started using platform pedals (Grip Kings--highly recommend them!) about a year ago. Personally, I think good grippy platforms are fine for the 99% of us who aren't racers, and the advantage of being able to jump on the bike wearing shoes/sandals/boots is a huge plus. I feel like I'm just about as fast on platforms as with clipless and can keep up with my old man on his carbon fiber wunderbike just fine.

Get a MTB style clipless...SPDs, egg beaters, candys are popular ones (I use the ubiquitous SPDs). The recessed cleat allows for shoes you can walk in and the SPDs are easy to get in and out of. It's a great commuter pedal system and I use them with sandals most of the year.

I've never fallen down due to clipless pedals and my wife has had no problems adjusting to them either. You can even get a set that have a platform on one side for days you just want to wear something else.

Bikes often times don't come with pedals (or they come with really cheap ones) because that's one of the first things many people change out for something they prefer.

The short answer is that pedal choice comes down to personal preference and you may end up going through a handful of sets before you settle on what you like. On my commuter I use Shimano PD-A530 dual platform pedals - platform on one side and spd on the other so I have the option of choosing either one.

If you just want to get a basic set to start with, get some inexpensive platform pedals and work from there.

I would suggest that you try out a set of clipless pedals. Once you try them, you will NEVER go back to platform pedals. There is just something about your feet staying on the pedals and being able to get 50% more power to the pedals with clipless that you will just love. Be sure and unclip with one foot before you stop though. :)

My LBS has some shimano 105s for around $100, then they recommended a brand called look. Its all honestly over my head. So I dont know which direction to go...

At 17 miles you will see a difference. Do it without for a few weeks and then switch. You will wonder why it took you so long :)

Id also recommend the SPDs for commuting. Great setup and you can get into the pedals for way cheaper than $100. Looks are roadie pedals and probably not what you're going to want for a commuter. Not sure if they make a SPD/egg beater style pedal. Ask them to see the Shimano M505 or M520. They look like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-SPD-...item256d0aa088

Try 'em both and see how you feel.

I used to use clipless, but now, meh. I don't care for cycling specific shoes and I don't really notice a performance difference. I'm switching my Miyata to platforms with half clips.

what is an spd?

Shimanos recessed cleat...they really are terrific for commuters.

I edited my post above with a link to an ebay auction that shows a nice pic of them.

Sometimes you just have to try things to see if it will work for you or not.
Just as you have decided to go from MTB and BMX to cross, you may end up
switching to another system whatever you choose now. Here's another vote
for SPD pedals with MTB/casual shoes :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimano_Pedaling_Dynamics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFyXxrqWbPA

Thanks everyone. Its just difficult to ascertain accurate information that isn't a sales pitch at some LBS :)

The Shimano A530 pedals are dual-platform SPD. Here's a link at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...60MD40JWD2KXS3

I use them with these shoes:

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SH-MT3...799522&sr=1-11

Thank you megalowmatt, I was just looking that information up :)

Great video, 1nterceptor! If I had a setup like that, you guys could see me futzing with my toe straps and downtube shifters on my commute. ;)

http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/sto...0641282750.jpg

- Scott

Thanks. I just strapped my ContourGPS cam on the rear triangle/skewer,
with 2 strips of rubber from an old inner tube - real fancy :D

I've got platform on my cyclocross commuter, and clipless on my roadbike (speedplays, not SPD). I have no desire to put clipless on the commuter, but I do like them on the roadbike. The biggest advantage to clipless is that you can get very stiff soles on the shoes for more efficient power transfer, but if you go with the casual SPD shoes then that advantage goes away since the soles on those aren't so stiff (which makes them easier to walk in). I just use toe straps on the commuter - I can wear whatever shoes I want and the difference in speed is negligible, though the toe clips can be harder to get in and out of compared to the clipless.

+1 on the A530's. I have M520's which allow you to click into either side of the pedal. I attached a platform pedal to one side of the pedal. This allows me to ride with my mtb shoes (spd) or with any type of shoe on the platform side. The A530 pedal was not around when I bought the M520's, otherwise I would have most definitely bought the A530's. It's the best of both worlds... a great pedal for a commuter. I do ride 90 percent of the time with my mtb shoes.

Here's another vote. I finally got some after about a 1 and half of commuting. Make a huge difference in power. Before I had toe straps - I feel several times. Never have fallen with SPD's. Clipping out is easy. It's clipping in that takes a little more practice.

Clipless pedals make a huge difference, particularly riding that distance. Like others, I recommend SPDs (double-sided) because they are easy to clip in and out of while riding in traffic and provide sufficient support and float. My personal faves are Shimano PD-M540 or M520s. You can buy for reasonable prices if you shop on-line or Ebay. BTW, in over 10 years of cycling with clipless pedals, I have never worn out any of my SPD pedals or cleats.

The notion that clipless pedals let you put more power to the pedal is just that - a notion. Basically they keep you from falling off the pedal. And since road bikes are all about light weight for increased speed, road bike pedals and shoes tend to be lighter (and more expensive than any other option).

If you've already used studded BMX pedals you already know they're also designed to do the same thing and do it very effectively too. They just tend to weigh more. They also let you use a much wider variety of shoes.


After that its really just a personal decision. Some people think red bikes are faster too.

I have no doubt clipless pedals make a difference, but i'm not interested. My commute is just 7 miles roundtrip so I don't need to make it easier on myself. Besides, I upgraded to some massive spikey mtb platforms which are really grippy. I'd recommend a large platform pedal, as a lot of platforms pedals (especially ones that come on bikes) are rubbish.

One last thing is how important your concentration is when pedaling to maximize power transfer when taking on a big hill. Normally I just pedal absent mindedly. But for the couple of hills I have it makes a big difference to get a perfect rhythm... like follow-thru when swinging a bat... try to follow-thru on your downward stroke before bringing the other leg down.