bradtx

Look for the Shimano mountain bike shoes with laces (mine are too worn for a model number), seriously. The tread pattern is cut so that the triangular cleat on the pedal fits perfectly!

Brad

Looigi

There are several types of Shimano SPD cleats. Among them are "single release" and "multiple release". The single release only comes out by twisting the heel. The multiple release will come out in any direction with overload. I use single release cleats and the only time I come out unintentionally is when I twist my foot inadvertently. Check the second page of the following Shimano instruction sheet for details on the two types:

https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830617303.pdf

roccobike

If you're concerned about falling while you are new to clipless, here's a suggestion. Find a nice flat grassy area and ride on that clipping in and out and starting and stopping. I tried that and within 10 minutes I realized how easy it was and moved to asphalt.

twobadfish

I'm a little hesitant to go clipless because of the additional strain on my hip flexors. I have had trouble with tendonitis there in the past so it concerns me a little.

DGozinya

Also keep in mind that as stiff as these shoes will be, there is little to no "break-in" that will happen like on a pair of street shoes. You want to get something that fits and feels good RIGHT NOW, and don't think "eh, that'll loosen up in time" or "that rub will go away"

stapfam

Pedals and you can probably get cheaper online than at your LBS--But shoes-- Find a shop with good stock and plenty of manufacturers. I have problems with exposed laces catching in the chain rings so think about shoes that have a flap covering them.

And unless you can afford them-----Do not even try the Sidi shoes. Once you have worn a pair- nothing else will be good enough.

jackb

Interesting to see all the advocates and convertees to clipless I went the other way this past summer, putting toe clips back on my bikes. I found that the ease of walking in running shoes, which is what I wear when I cycle now, is much more convenient than walking in bicycle shoes with cleats, even shoes with recessed cleats. I also find it easier to get out of toe clips. As for pedaling efficiency, I'm sure that it is negligible. That said, it's always fun to get some new gear and use it for a while. Try them for a while and see how you like them. You can always go back to your old system.

BluesDawg

That makes sense if you do a lot of walking when you ride your bike, and sometimes I do. Other rides involve a fair amount of walking. Others involve very little if any walking. I have a bike set up with plain pedals, one with SPD pedals and one with SPD-SL pedals. I also have a mountain bike with Crank Brothers Candy pedals.
Whatever works best.

Mojo88

I have used Shimano PD-R540 after trying several others. I like them because the adjustment is simple and consistent. As other posters have mentioned it is best to practice before going out on the road.
I negelected to make sure the first set of cleats I had were adjusted properly and fell the first time out. I always make sure that I have a multi tool that I can make adjustments with, what feels right initally make change slightly in a longer ride. For me it's that feeling of security when I am climbing that makes it worth it for me.

M21

I don't think anyone mentioned the new shimano PD-A600 Ultegra SPD-SL Road pedals. These are new and I think you can get them from Amazon for about $86.00 they weigh about 285 grams per pair and have a true Road pedal type of platform which makes it very comfortable. They are a step up from the 520's and they are a very good pedal and still allow you walk around normally when its time to get off the bike.

seedsbelize 

I have used spds in the past, but now just platforms without toe clips. It just wasn't worth all the extra fuss, for me.

BluesDawg

Nice. Does look like a fancier version of the A520. Someone made a mistake in the copy for the Amazon listing and it is now spreading across the internets. Those are clearly SPD pedals, not SPD-SL. I can't find them on the Shimano site.

billydonn

As I said in another similar thread.... If all the 100s of doofuses here can all ride clipless, how darn hard can it be?

Dan Burkhart 

Here ya go.
https://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont...00.-type-.html

BluesDawg

Nope. That is the PD-6700-SL, not the PD-A600. Completely different animal.

CraigB

I went clipless as soon as Look made that first generation white pedal available to the public back in the '80s. I'd been riding with cleats, clips and straps for several years and liked the security of being attached to the bike, but hated having to reach down to tighten and loosen the straps. Plus the straps cut across the outside edge of my feet where I tended to have some recurring plantar warts, which was major league painful.

In all the years I've ridden with cleats, clipped or not, I've never fallen because I couldn't get a foot out. I've come close (and I've fallen for other reasons), but so far my tombay record's clean.

I can't stand the feeling of riding without that connection to the bike.

M21

Thanks for pointing that out. They are an SPD pedal, made for Road bikes, I love mine and I can't understand why some posts have said that they do not want to hassle with clipless. They are not a hassle they work wonderfully are comfortable, functional and you can walk in them if these are your goals this pedal works for that. I have used toe clips in the past and will would never consider going back.

Dan Burkhart 

Doh! Right you are.

StanSeven

I have SPDs on my mountain bike and SPD-SLs on my road ones. I wouldn't use SPDs (mountain bike cleats) for a raod. The surface area is small (like a walnut) and feels uncomfortable for long rides. The larger surface/contact areas of the SPD-SLs is much better suited for road bikes - that's why Shimano makes the two types.

As far as keeping the tension loose, I also wouldn't do that. I've come unclipped twice - once when sprinting and another tile climbing a steep hill. You need enough tension to keep that from happening.

Despite all the posts about being afraid of using them, it's easy to get it down. If necessary, put your bike on a trainer and practice clipping and unclipping. Then go to a parking lot and practice. After a short time, it all becomes second nature.

ItsJustAHill

I like having a platform underfoot, even if it's a small one, so I've gone Crank Bros. across the board (Candys or the now-defunct Quattros). And the new Specialized Elite Touring shoes are very nice; the two-bolt cleats recess into the walking sole. I tried Speedplays and liked the float, but having to deal with the cleat covers was a pain.

Rowan

My experiences.

I started out with clips and staps and rode a lot with them, including from Perth to Adelaide in Australia. I fell over at traffic lights and other spots several times when I first fitted them. I thought a dent in my patella (knee cap) was never going to disappear. I wore basic adidas tennis shoes. I had no significant pain issues with my feet.

I bought a "proper" touring bike, a Fuji Touring, and remained with clips-and-straps.

Then I bought a "proper" road bike (Merida 900 Extreme) which just had to have clipless pedals. After some research, I veered away from using Shimano clipless pedals, and opted for Time Atacs. I have stuck with them since, getting on to nine years, in three iterations -- standard Atacs, platform Atacs, and XS Carbon Atacs.

Why the Atacs? For the float they offer. At the time, SPDs offered no float in either MTB or road. The Atacs also are dead simple. Just two springs. Nothing else, no bolts to drop out, no mechanism to clog and jam, and no need to adjust tension. The springs will eventually wear flats on top of them, but it takes a lot of riding to do that.

They have performed beautifully for me whether on commutes, 24 hour TTs, randonnees, MTBing in mud... in fact, in almost every form of my cycling.

Because I toured and commuted and then rode randonnees, and then got a full-time job in cycling advocacy, my shoes were mutli-purpose. My first ones were a pair of blue Shimano MTB shoes. I wore them into the ground -- the sole wore down so much, I was walking on the cleat, and tried to get some new soles, but the cobbler I went to wouldn't be in it. Since then, I have had quite a few pairs of MTB shoes -- Shimano, Diadora and Specialized. They've all been comfortable on an off the bike.

I have one pair of Shimano SPD road pedals and a pair of Shimano road shoes. I used them only for some training rides, and I wouldn't consider them for any of the other cycling I do. Oh, and the damage done to the platform cleats walking the bike back home less than a kilometre after a puncture was very surprising.

The one drawback with the Atac system is that the cleats are made of brass and do wear more than the steel Shimano MTB cleats.

Some advice:

For your type of cycling, MTB pedals, clips and pedals are probably the way to go, not road pedals and platform cleats/shoes..

Irrespective of the system you choose, spend some time to find the right cleat position. Some people ride toe-in/ankle-out, others ride toe-out/ankle-in, and yet others in a neutral position. The cleat rotation is different for each, and if you don't get it right, you will have knee problems.

I'd also suggest that you start out with the cleat set as far back as it will go... it's a position favoured by long-distance riders to avoid problems with Morton's neuroma (hot foot).

If you choose MTB, you may have to pare away some of the soles of the shoes where the cleat depression is to ensure there is enough clearance around the pedal mechanism.

Spend time with the bike between a door frame with your sitting on it, and leaning against one jamb, and practice clipping in and out, in and out, in and out with the foot you currently favour to unclip first. It will help you get used to the feel and routine.

If you do get on the road with clipless, concentrate on your riding. You should be concetrating anyway, but you might be like so many who say "I lose myself when I cycle". Well, if you lose yourself, you lose your concentration, and that's not helpful. And even if you think you have clipping out down pat, you will fall over.

Going clipless doesn't mean you can't go back to platform, or clips. For several years, I commuted in work boots too big for straps, so I just went platform. But all my other riding was with the Atacs. A 20% increase in performance is an exaggeration -- I can't quantify it, but on the hills I used to ride, there was a significant difference in feel, comfort and probably performance.

If you've made it this far... I hope it has helped.