pedal choices
 

Can someone point me to a resource that discusses the types of pedal choices I might have. Up until now I haven't used anything that would look my foot in. I am a little cautious not wanting to fall over if at all possible. Are there choices that would allow you to keep your feet free for city cycling and then lock in on more open roads. Thanks for any help.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...egory_ID=10045

Best of both worlds. platform on one side, SPD clipless on the other.

Performance also has a low-rent version called the "Campus," which I've used happily for serveral years.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...egory_ID=10045

+1 on this pedal. It's great when you're learning to ride with clipless. It's also nice when you're doing a lot of stop n' go riding in traffic.

Some people mention they have a hard time finding the correct side when they want to clip in. I really didn't experience this problem.

I bought a pair of those clipless/platform pedals from Nashbar, and IMHO they are worthless! I could never get clipped in because of interference with the tread on my shoe (also Nashbar). I finally bought Crank Brothers Candy SL pedals. The Nashbar's are for sale cheap if anyone wants them.

Sooo, are there pedals where you can just slide your feet in a basket and not have your feet locked down?

Sure. Old style toeclips and straps. You can most probably add them to your existing pedals.
Most toeclips are plastic these days and show up on lower end MTBs but will mount on any
conventional pedal.
Just leave the straps loose enough to let your foot slip out when needed.

Some of the single sided pedals always seem to be the wrong way up for me. I have only ever had the conventional double sided SPD's and initially I got the Shimano 515's-The ones so many people had problems with. Don't know about the problems but I used to change conventional pedals every year. Since going to the cheapest Shimano SPD's The only pedals I have bought are the ones for the other bikes. Still have the original pair and never had to service or adjust them.

As to unclipping. It is a technique that you aquire very quickly. Set the pedals up loose initially and they are easier to unclip. Both intentionally and unintensionally. Then as you get used to them, tighten the tension up untill it is only the intentional clipping. They will change your pedalling stroke though as with the stiffer shoe- the power gets transmitted quicker. Then there is the way inwhich you can pedal in circles. By this I mean that instead of just putting in power on the Down stroke- you also pull up on the pedal. This does take a bit of training though but when you start pulling the shoe out of the pedal on the upstroke- You tighten up and wonder how you ever got on with conventional pedals or even toe clips.

The problem is what type of pedals to go for. I am a mountain biker and use SPD's on all the bikes- including the road bike. As I have said- I use Shimano pedals and have yet to wear a pair out, and that is in 8 years of using them. Previous to shimano- I used another manufacturer but these did maintenance on a regular basis to keep running smoothly.

If looking at SPD's Go the whole hog and get the double sided- but there are some that have an outer cage to make them larger and this means that they can be used with conventional shoes for the quick trip down to the shops.

If you wanna really go low-tech, you can get something like this for under $10. No clips, no straps, no basket, no nuthin' to get in your way. I put them on one of my bikes when I wanted freedom to move my feet around while recovering from a foot injury. They worked just fine for most purposes. In fact, I decided to keep them.

I'm not putting down high-tech pedals. I've got plenty of that stuff too. Just sayin' it's all good.

If you want to get even more confused with alternative non-clip-in pedals, check out what Rivendell sells.
http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/pedals_clips_straps/

That's what I have done for almost 40 years.

As I commented in the other thread, I've never used anything but platforms. But I just purchased some PowerGrips, which many people like due to being able to use regular shoes, get into and out of easily, and still provide much of the benefit of clipless performance. Some don't like the increase in pressure on the sides of their feet.

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001344.php

Thanks for all the help. I think I'll start with the PowerGrips and see how it goes!

Oh, well. I used PowerGrips for about a year. I loved them, but when I went to the SPD/platform, I had to admit I liked that better, and really wish I had gotten double sided pedals. If you make a large downshift with the PowerGrips, like at the foot of a steep hill, it's still possible for your foot to come out when the cranks suddenly start spinning.

Different things work for different people, and I would definately take PowerGrips over either of the toe clip/cage pedals I've tried.

I'm old school and resist change. After almost crashing several times looking down fooling around with my straps on my old wierd bladed 105's, I decided to get SPD's.

I thought they might be different, but not much better. I was SO wrong! Clipless is like night and day to me. Safer, easier and makes me a better, smoother pedaler.

Tyson

I rode platforms, then toe cages, and now SPD clipless. I love my clipless. IMHO they are much easier to use than toe cages, particularly with a double sided pedal.

I have Look pedals on my road bike and my tandem. I have Eggbeaters on my mountain bike. I have Smartys (eggbeater variant) on my Frankenbike (currently trainer-queen) and toe clips on my beater road bike. Sometimes I swap them around and sometimes I'll use naked platforms on one or the other of the bikes. Whatever the situation calls for or the mood I'm in or whatever happens to be on the bike if I don't feel like changing it. It's all good.

Not for 40 years but the plastic toeclips are great for learning how to ride with your shoes tied into the pedal. You can start out real loose and then as you get comfortable with them, tighten up the straps. That was how I gradually (over more than a year) improved the efficiency of my riding from platform pedals and eventually felt confident enough to try clipless. The efficiency improvement factor for pedaling from platform to toecages is 100%, from toecages to clipless is about 50 % more again.

But in urban riding , stop & go, I still love the ease & simplicity of toecages (toeclips). I'm now trying the PowerGrips straps as another version (with somewhat mixed success so far). Besides, the plastic toeclips are CHEAP and mounting is simple for us mechanically-impaired so experimenting is pretty easy.

Show your bike a little respect. Spring for some steel clips and leather straps.

Yea, you're right - first I tried flat / SPD pedals, then flat pedals with trimmed plastic toeclips (stupid suggestion from someone else that I should have ignored) and now have PowerGrips on it. I just apologize to her every morning and swear that I'm doing the best by her that I can at the moment...:)

I've looked at those cool steel & leather on a couple websites but haven't sprung for them yet. I'm not entirely satisfied with the PowerGrips cuz they're too loose for some shoes and too tight for others. With a size 16 shoe, this pedal/shoe combo is not a trivial issue...:eek:

Wish I had a picture- but my wifes bike has 1/2 toeclips. They are rigid plastic and literraly only cover the toes. No straps or other locating device- but even I can use this form of toe clip. Very easy to get into, and out of, and the rigidity does allow me to pedal efficiently. Then again- the wife will not use any other form of pedal or clip- but she is not riding much nowadays. She is far more interested in her car and she wants to change it to a go-faster machine. She wants something that does 0 to 200 at supersonic speed. I'm going to buy her a set of Bathroom scales.

... or aluminum Campag. clips ... :)

My favorite pedals are strap-in platform pedals, often called touring pedals. Campagnolo C-record, Chorus, and Victory, Shimano 6207 (600), 105, and a contemporary DuraAce. The 600s have a steel clip, the DAs an aluminum clip, and the 105s a plastic clip. All shimano clips fit all shimano platforms, but the plastic ones break easily in my experience.

Of those I use a Chorus, a C-record, a 600, and a 105 with steel clips. The prettiest, lightest, and most comfy is the C-record. A pair just went on Ebay for $76, and I have seen them a lot higher. All these wiill work with streetable shoes or old-style cleats. Sneakers are ok if the bottoms are smoothe enough for easy tip-in, and if the sole is rigid enough that you don't feel pressure from the cleat ridge at the back of pedal.

Lyotard Berthet platforms should also be good, haven't used any yet.

All of these pedals can be use with a tight strap that holds your foot firmly, or a loose strap that lets you get out with total ease. I don't think any of these really lock you in, but they do keep your foot in its correct and fitted position until you want it loose.

Road Fan