Doodle9008

I'm looking for a good budget clipless pedals. Go!

cale

The ones you like on sale. Sorry, best I can come up with based on absolutely no idea what a good budget is without the budget.

TenSpeedV2

Shimano M520. Done

Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Drivetrain, Brakes and Pedals > Pedals | Jenson USA

Currently $23.99. I have used these for years from my mountain bikes to my fat bike, and now on both of my track bikes. For cheap and reliable, this pedal simply cannot be beat.

Wingsprint

Road, MTB, commute?

What is your price range?

Looigi

Look Keo are good budget pedals if you get them from Ribble.

Doodle9008

road,commute and my price range is around 100 or so.

Maver71

Not sure what cleats you are using-

I use Shimano SPD-SL pedals on 2 of my bikes-PD-R540-LA ($40) and PD-5700 ($85)

Both take the 3 hole SM-SH11 cleats which come with the pedals

Both I like given the price difference

dperreno

If you are looking for mountain bike pedals, then I second the recommendation for the Shimano M520, you can't go wrong with those.

If you are looking for road bike pedals, a budget alternative to the Keos, Forte pedals by Performance Bike are pretty good. They use Keo-compatible cleats. Forte Corsa2 Team Road Pedals.

If you don't know the difference between mountain and road pedals, here's my take:

Mountain pedals: multi-sided entry (just step on it), sheds mud better, cleats are recessed in shoes making it easier to walk
Road pedals: single-sided entry (need to flip the pedal over), larger shoe contact area (reduces "hot spots" on your feet), cleats are not recessed in shoe making walking awkward

Note: most cycling shoes can use either mountain cleats (2 hole recessed) or road cleats (3 hole no recess), but not both. I say most because some road bike shoes have both sets of mounting holes in them (I've seen this on Lake road shoes, and I'm sure there are others.)

Many people use mountain pedals on their road bikes because of the convenience of clipping in (just step on it, no need to flip the pedal over) and being able to walk around more easily. Also, if you have road AND mountain bikes, you can use the same pedals on each. Roadies like their pedals because they feel more "locked in" to the pedals and the load is spread out over a larger portion of their shoe. I suppose the road pedals can be lighter as well, though I've seen some pretty light weight mountain pedals.

TenSpeedV2

I guess I just assumed that the OP would be using them for what he/she is. That is why I suggested that M520. Outstanding and affordable. Great entry level pedal that just keeps on going. The price cannot be beat especially at the link posted. For a commuter they are absolutely perfect. Even on a road ride for 60 miles with the right shoes, they are great. I did that and suffered no hot spot effects. The shoe makes the difference.

SkyDog75

I agree with most of what you said, but I hope you don't mind me adding another two cents...

Shimano 105 pedals are another option and can often be found on sale for $50-65. Shimano has less expensive models, too, but when the 105's can be had for so little, that's what I opt for.

Any decent set of clipless road pedals is weighted in the back so the pedal will consistently hang front-end-up, making it easier to clip into. You don't need to manually flip them. I actually find it a little easier to clip into my SPD-SL (road) pedals than my various Shimano SPD (mountain) pedals.

While flipping the pedal isn't an issue as mentioned above, walkability *is*. Mountain-style cleats such as Shimano SPD tend to be smaller than road cleats like Shimano SPD-SL or Look Keo. Because of this, shoe makers can recess the cleat into treads on the shoe so that the cleat isn't getting walked on. If you want to be able to walk around in the same shoes you use to clip in, you'll want to look for a mountain or touring shoe that uses a mountain-style cleat and recesses it into the shoe tread.

dperreno

No problem, I agree with your observations. And TenSpeedV2 as well.

We probably all should add in the importance of good shoes. My beginner's mistake was getting shoes that were too tight. My current shoes are a size larger (45 vs 44). As you ride, your feet will swell a little, so you want to get shoes that have a little room to move around in when you first put them on, especially in the toe box area. That way, you can loosen them up a bit during your ride as your feet swell. Good arch support is also important.

TenSpeedV2

I have found that a really stiff sole is detrimental for my longer rides on MTB pedals. The softer the sole the more my foot hurts. If it hurts to walk in, it should be pretty good on the bike. If it hurts on the bike, and is comfortable to walk in, you might be doing it wrong.