My first month with clipless pedals
 

Bike: 1993 Trek 720 Multitrack
Pedals: Shimano PD-M324 (clipless on one side, platform on the other)
Shoes: Shimano MT34
Cleat: Shimano SH-56 (multi-directional release)

I should start off by saying I'm a commuter, shopper (I get most groceries via bike) and pleasure rider mostly. I started biking again in May after a long (10 year?) break (mostly due to college). I'd say I bike between 20 and 40 miles a week, depending on work, shopping needs and how much free time I have to ride (that's my primary limitation on longer rides).

Before I decided to go clipless, I read a lot about it, and just wanted to share my experience to help other commuters, new riders etc who are considering them. I guess I should start off by saying I really like clipless. I found it improved my pedaling a great deal, and also having biking shoes makes the ride a bit more comfortable. Also you don't have to worry about slipping off the pedal and whacking your shin in the rain. I will say my pedal strokes feel great, but I'm not sure how much extra power I get on the upstroke. At least some of this improvement may be from having a stiffer shoe. But since you are fixed to your bike you are able to focus on other things than your pedaling technique (for the most part!).

I read a lot of people saying they wouldn't commute with clipless due to all the stopping. I personally have had zero problems with this. There are parts of my ride with several stop signs in a row in traffic, and I never have any problems getting out. I usually unclip my left foot and plant it on the ground, leaving my right foot clipped in. The only issues I have had was clipping back in (often times when I stop midway up a hill cause I'm out of shape). When trying to clip back in, sometimes I will push too much and start swinging toward the clipped in side. When this happens I have always been able to unclip that foot in time, if only bearly. My solution to this has been start pedaling and don't worry about clipping in till clearing traffic. I'm sure one day I will fall and everybody will see, but so far so good.

A quick comment about the gear. The shoes are great. I wear them all day at work. I'm a grad student, so this style of shoe is perfectly acceptable. If its not, you can always change at work. The cleat is recessed enough that I have no problems when walking indoors. However, when walking on surfaces that are not 'perfectly' flat (cement, especially if it has a lot of smaller stones added, and some uneven tarmac), you will hear your cleat rubbing (and it sounds painful!). I have not noticed any major damage so far, but walking on such surfaces may reduce the life of the cleat.

The pedals are nice and work fine. However, I find that I never use the platform side (except sometimes when I'm getting going until I am able to fully clip in). I might use them in the winter if wearing boots, but if I were to do it again I would get one with clipless on both sides. If you think you will bike a lot without a cleat, it might be worth getting these.

Someday, you will ride without them. You will feel nervous, insecure, and naked. Also, your feet will tend to come off the pedal on the upstroke.

I know they're out of fashion but I've always used, and really like, toe clips. Simple platform pedals have long been a nonstarter. See no reason/need to go clipless in the foreseeable future but in the interests of never say never I use Shimano 320 pedals.

We'll be waiting for you at "Club Tombay!" :thumb:

I never actually thought about this... I do not look forward to it.

I rode with them once many years ago. I found them a bit more difficult to get out of especially in that moment when you realize you're falling. I actually fell with them. Maybe they have improved since 2004?

Yup... It will happen when I start getting more and more confident.

No, toeclips are a static technology. I still use them (with slotted cleats, even!), but they haven't changed in decades. That said, I haven't fallen using them in decades, either. Like so many other things, they just take practice.

I was a dedicated toe clip rider for many years, but a few months ago took the plunge to go clip less, I have the same setup, pedals and shoes as the OP and I love them, would never go back to toe clips.

I took a hybrid out for a short ride today... I just couldn't get used to riding without any foot retention.... I did, however, find the balls of my feet over the pedal spindle, and didn't really loose the pedals.

However, perhaps the worst thing was a hill climb... which the hybrid had mighty low gearing for.. But, I just didn't get the feeling of abt power.

I've used them... until last spring.

Perhaps the biggest change was the introduction of plastic clips. I find the plastic clips to be much less damaging to the shoes... so I embraced that technological change.

The poly straps may also be more durable than the leather straps, but I always liked leather.

When I bought my newest bike a few months ago my LBS guy, great guy but...,told me no one uses toeclips these days/anymore because they're harder to get out of and increase the danger of falling. Now that there, to me, was just seriously funny. :)

I own three bikes and mostly commute to work. My toe clips were $7 on line. I ride in stiff-soled skateboard shoes from Wally world, $15 bucks. I leave the toe clips a little loose. Have fallen by the "club" twice in 23 years. That's $36 for secure pedaling on three bikes. I'm not disparaging clipless pedals, I'm just sharing what I do.

Assuming one is talking about toeclips without cleats.

I have been thinking about it some. I think the toeclips may actually be faster to extract one's feet from than cleats/clipless.

The reason is that one can usually yank the feet out of the toeclips with a natural down and back motion.

On the other hand, the cleats one must twist the foot up and to the side.

I'm wondering if one would actually get the foot on the ground following an emergency stop (or loss of traction on a hill climb) a couple of critical milliseconds faster using toeclips.

Of course.... putting the cleats in is faster and easier.

Stop and go riding is where I really like clipless. Stop, lift left foot, ready to go vs stop, take left foot off pedal, put left foot under pedal, raise pedal, place foot back on pedal.

I fell over twice the first month I used clipless. :( Once was at a stop sign in front of a car load of school kids. I could hear them laughing all the way down the street, the little darlings. :mad:

Oh, I did that in gradeschool with toeclips, following (probably drafting) my own schoolbus.
:bike2:
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

After going clipless recently, my only problems have been getting out of the clips late when loosing traction on my driveway :mad:
Hence, also believing the clipless is slightly slower than the toeclips.

When I started riding clipless on Shimano M520 pedals, I set the tension as low as possible until I got used to it. I have never tried the campus pedals, once side flat, the other SPD. I hear that they are hard to use since they tend to spin to the side that you don't want. I do everything from ride a fat bike in the snow and on the trails, to commute on a fixed gear, to some long rides on an endurance road bike. I run M520's on all of my bikes as well. I crashed twice not being able to clip out, and both times were on a mountain bike on a trail within the first month. After that, I crashed, but there wasn't a single time where I crashed and could not unclip. I have caught myself before as the bike goes down, and I manage to unclip and catch myself and stand right up completely uninjured and ego still intact.

OP - Good observations. After a lot of thought I switched to clipless this spring as well, and my experience has been similar to yours.

I too commute with my clipless pedals without problems. I've even handled a panic stop with them with no issues, and that was one of my concerns going to clipless.

I have yet to fall over at a stop. I've never forgotten that I was clipped in, but this may be because I rode with Power Grips for a long time before going to the clipless pedals.

I don't feel like my pedaling form has improved, but the shoes themselves definitely feel better for riding and I notice that, plus I like the feeling of being clipped to the pedals. I use Shimano SPD touring pedals and shoes, and yes, they are very walkable off the bike.

Or after a while you take them back off, so you dont need to change shoes .(for that Job where you stand Up all day on concrete)

Used as they were designed to be used (see John D Thompson's post), with a cleat and tightened straps, he's absolutely correct on both counts.

Now, if you're just using toe clips alone, with no cleat and either no straps or loose straps, then they are easier to get out of. But not always as easy to get into. ;)

Fair enough and point taken. LBS guy and I understood we were talkin' about toeclips with straps and no cleats. If I were going "performance" I would try/use clipless, but I am and always have been a recreational/fitness rider. I normally tighten my straps moderate/a bit loose and find getting into pretty easy...kinda automatic and nothing I ever have to conciously think about.

Changing shoes is a price I would gladly pay. I expect I will have to at some future date.

Were I to do it all over again knowing what I know now, I'd probably go with this pedal. We'll see if I use the platforms at all over the winter and I might consider switching, after all its only $40.

Just saying. Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Drivetrain, Brakes and Pedals > Pedals | Jenson USA
Check the price out. :)

The 324 is one of my favourite pedals as I usually ride clipless but also like the option of wearing street shoes, boots, or regular sandals.

At this price, one can afford to keep both... Thanks!