Clipless LBS or Online
 

Hi, I'm going to get some Shimano A530 pedals. The LBS has them for $90.00 installed and time on the trainer to make sure everything is fitted and I can get in and out of them......OR.......I could get them for 1/2 that on line and put them on myself (first time with clipless) and I would get a friend help me install them. I like saving $ like everyone else but I want to make sure everything works. What would you suggest I do ?? On-Line or LBS

Thanks

Do you own a pedal wrench? If you do, you can install the pedals yourself. On the other hand, I am all in favor of supporting your LBS. My last couple of sets of SPD pedals I bought online as I couldn't justify the cost of buying from the LBS. I got two sets of SPD pedals (one for myself and one for my wife's bike) for less than one set at my LBS.

There are things I am OK paying a markup at the LBS, like new rims, as I trust their wheel building skills over mine. More or less the same for cassettes, though I should learn how to remove a cassette from a freehub body. Other items, like bells or brake pads are small expense items where the savings in absolute dollars is small so it makes sense to give the LBS the business.

For some reason, pedals are really marked up, price wise at the LBS. So in a nutshell, since I own a pedal wrench and grease, and can install cleats in shoes, it is hard to say what value the LBS adds in that case.

Hell, a standard 15 mm wrench does the job just fine. I mean, a vise grip or adjustable wrench would even work for the vast majority of pedals.

To the OP, SPD pedals aren't hard to clip in and out of. Do it a couple times leaning against the wall and then ride slowly around the neighborhood. No real need for a trainer. Adjust cleat position after you get used to riding them. If you feel like you need to, Google "spd cleat position" and read through a couple of the thousand articles that will pop up on what you're looking for when adjusting them.

I agree with MRT2. Pedal markup in LBS is pretty outrageous, rivaling or even surpassing groupset markup.

I have Shimano pedals on both of my bikes and neither of them required a pedal wrench. They are secured by tightening a recessed hex on the back side. I believe it is 6mm size.

Make sure the mechanism is set for minimum tension at first.

Some clipless are secured with an Allen wrench, others require a wrench. I believe the A530 requires a wrench.

Hah! You learn something new every day. I never thought to look for that, though an open end wrench likely made the job easier than a hex would have in my particular case.

Let those pedals stay on for a year or two or three and a proper pedal wrench may be needed to loosen them. Or not, if the threads were greased on installation and you are lucky.

Ah, good call. Also, I almost forgot the most important part: remember that the non-drive side is reverse threaded. You don't want to tighten the pedal so hard - thinking you're loosening it - that you have to take the bike in to the LBS anyway so they can uncock your cockup.

it's the shoes that you should try on in person , then maybe the 2nd pair, replacements of same shoe you may find online.

if not then order 3 pair around the size you guess are the right size, and ship the other 2 back.

Newbie perspective-

Buy the pedals from amazon or whatever, I paid $53 for mine, a standard 15mm wrench DOES NOT fit on these pedals unless you grind it. Buy a $10 park tool wrench from amazon.

Try on the shoes in the store, and either buy them there or buy them online.

Put the cleats 1/4" behind the ball of your foot, if youre anything like me angle them slightly outward (looking down at feet \ / )

Set pedals to minimum tension with an allen key.

Go for a ride and fall over when trying to move your unclipped foot.

Ride again and adjust your cleat angle until they feel "natural" and like theyre not twisting your foot.

Huh, odd. I just installed a pair of these exact pedals a couple months ago ($36 on chainreaction, btw) and I used a standard 15mm because I couldn't locate my pedal wrench. I don't remember having any issues with the install. Maybe it depends on the angling of the particular crank arm one is working with?

If you want the advice and fitting aid LBS if you want to wing it then DIY.

I had to use a thin wrench on an FSA, Sora, Ultegra, and XT crankset. The allen from the back side is much easier.

LBS made way more sense back before the internet. Now, for any given scenario there are at least 100 people who have had the exact same issue you are having and have posted about it online with an ultimate solution. It's not so much winging it any more as doing 20 minutes of research.

But I love fixing stuff and DIY, and recognize that some other people might not. For those people, it's great to have an LBS handy. Which are you, OP?

I agree 100%. I'll never let someone else do the work because the amount of information on the internet is amazing. Having said that, some people do not have the mechanical inclination or desire even if a video spells it out. That is what the LBS is for. Unbelievably that seems to be the case more often than not since all the ones around here are a minimum of 2 weeks behind on any given day.

I had a fairly cheap craftsman wrench and it was too wide to tighten the pedals the entire way. This was on standard Sora Cranks.

Ahh. Gotcha. Yeah, mine was thinner likely.

Dirtbag.

Amazon isn't a tool loan business. If you need it, buy it and pay for it like a man. Returning it after using it is low.

ok....Gotcha on the suggestions from all of you. I'm going online.

I'm all for supporting local business also but its hard to justify spending double for some thing I can do my self and spend the extra money on some other cycling goodie.

I have already gotten the shoes from the LBS so I'm good there and supported them with that purchase.

I don't have a wrench but mind as well buy one and have it just in case I need to change them again or any of the other 3 bikes in our house hold. I'm doing this pedal replacement on a now bike so they might not be to tight.

I am a hands on guy and would rather do it myself....then I have learned how to do it and and know what I have when I'm done....I'm picky to so...I would know its done right. Forums like this are filled with helpful people that have all kinds of helpful hints and tips so there is no reason not to learn how to do some of our own repairs and upgrades.

Thanks for the suggestions and input :)

Id actually feel bad if they hadnt jipped me out of a $60 container of protein powder.

I used to work in auto parts retail, I cant tell you how many times things like that happened.

It doesn't matter. Wrong is wrong.

Even if you had a dispute with Amazon in the past over a 60 dollar deal, recommending that this other guy screw them over is wrong. Should I screw them over because you were wronged by them ? My neighbor, should he ? Everyone on this board ?

Integrity starts with oneself. You can't control other people but you can surely control your own behavior.

And thats all I'm going to say about the matter. Have a good day...

Thats a very true point.

Installation isn't the issue. That's so easy it's only worth a buck or two (if that).

OTOH only you can assign a value to the post installation attention to adjusting the release, aligning the cleats, and walking you through getting in and out, plus the comfort factor in knowing (or supposing) that all is good to go. Of course it also depends on how diligent the dealer is, and how knowledgeable your friend is.

Another option may be to lay it all in front of the dealer and see if he'll come down a bit and clinch the deal for you. Not all people - both buyers and dealers - handle this well, so there's no knowing how it'll play out, but you might go back and say you want to give him the business and benefit from the relationship, but can't bring yourself to pay double for that.

1. Remove pedals by loosening them in the correct direction
2. Don't forget to liberally grease the new pedal threads before installation.
3. Might wanna clean the threads in the cranks with a q-tip or something as well
4. Remember the pedals tighten by turning in different directions
5. Go easy the first several turns to make sure you don't strip the threads
6. Panic when you see your cat eating from the tub of grease

This. Every pair of Shimano pedals I own can be put on with a hex.