Which clipless pedals for a newbie?
 

I'm a mountain biker, but about to purchase my first drop bar road bike. Last time I rode a drop bar bike was when I was a kid in the 70's. I'm using my hybrid more than ever to go on long road rides, so figured it's time to try a full road bike.

I tried clipless pedals with my mountain bike in the past. I hated them. My problem is forgetting to clip out while I rode my bike on the street. Took a couple of falls. And on the trails, I just couldn't get rid of the fear of being locked in during a downhill or uphill single track next to a large drop-off. So I went back to flat pedals after a couple of weeks.

I imagine it's easier on the street (if I can remember to clip out). So I'm gonna try it again (last time was years ago on the mountain bike). I have found roads without that go 7+ miles without a stop sign or traffic lights. This would probably work great with clipless (for someone getting used to them).

First, I see "road" pedals and "mountain" pedals. What's the difference? And I see the Shimano 105 PD-5800 pedals on sale for $73 and the Shimano PD-A520 on sale for $20. Other than the weight, what's the difference and which would be better for a newbie?

Thanks for any advice.

PD-M540s. $50, Prime eligible. Very well made. Double sided, easy to clip into and use walkable shoes.

Avoid the SPD SL pedals as they're more difficult to clip into and require clippity-clop road shoes.

The biggest difference is that road pedals generally have a securely locked front engagement with the latching in the back. As such they are very resistant to vertical pull out, but entry is a bit different, in that you have to slide the toe froward to latch the front before stepping down.

Mtn clipless is more of a vertical press down to latch, and slightly easier to release. But keep in mind that all pedals have adjustable release force.

Then there are pedals with unique designs like Speedplay, which can be pricey but have very easy engagement.

One other consideration, depending on how, why and where you ride. Mtn clip style shoes usually have the cleat recessed in a shoe that's pretty OK to walk in. So these are better suited to commuter and utility rider than typical road shoes which are highly unsuited to walking.

As to brands, make your own choice based on your budget, but put heavy emphasis of the reputation for quality and reliable release force adjustment. Weight is less of a concern.

I'd recommend you look into the Click'r range of Shimano. The pedals are aimed to commuters/newbies and require less force to clip/unclip. I have the PD-T400 (my first clipless pedals) and though they unclip easily (for example if I'm about to fall I just pull my feet off the pedals and it unclips) but not so much that it unclips accidentally mid-ride when not intended. They have a platform so they're easy to get used to (the PD-T421 comes with a flat platform side if you don't always use cycling shoes).

The difference between MTB and road pedals is the cleat system. MTB used SPD which is a two bolt system and road pedals use SPD-SL (3 bolt). The shoes are also very different, MTB SPD shoes have recessed cleats so they're easy to walk in off the bike, in SPD-SL the cleat stand out from the sole so they're not as comfortable to walk in.

Easy -- Shimano Click'r. If my wife can handle 'em without falling over, anyone can.


-Kedosto

Cleats are much wider and protrude from the bottom of the shoes of road shoes and pedals ..

If you intend to do any Walking, in your Bike shoes , consider The MTB type stuff. the cleat is recessed so a bit more walkable,

though still a Click Click on floors walking in stores and on pavement..



You said you tried and hated The MTB clipless pedals, so you lost your Newby status on clipless pedals , its like virginity..



:lol:

I'd suggest Speedplay Ultra Light Action pedals as your first. They're 2 sided and very easy to clip into and very easy to get out of.

Check out Crank Brothers Egg Beaters.

Easy in & out, nicely made, clean design...

Thanks for everyone's comments. Really appreciate it!

I decided to go with the Shimano Click'r. Just ordered the PD-T400 from Jensen for $27 (includes shipping and tax). Figured I can't go wrong with that price. And once I get used to it, I can always upgrade if needed. And I can also try them on my mountain bike for trails once I get used to it on the road bike.

I liked the Click'r since it's supposedly easier to click in and out. Specially for a beginner whose health insurance deductible is over $6,000/year! And I'm 50 years old, so my bones don't heal as fast and I can't afford to break a bone since I take care of my parents (mom is on a wheelchair).

Do I need special shoes for the Click'r? Or will any SPD type shoe work? I like to be able to walk in them. I can't order shoes online since I need to try them on and make sure it's a good fit, so that money will go to my LBS.

Click'R pedals are standard SPD. The springs are lighter and the supplied cleats are SH56 (multi-release), rather than SH51 (single release).

The supplied SH56 cleats work with any SPD pedals, so if you want different pedals, you just swap the pedals and keep the cleat.

These cleats are the best approach to learning clipless pedals.

The SH56's work significantly easier than the SH51's. I highly recommend you stick with the SH56 cleats supplied with the pedals. The multi-positional release of the 56's is the key feature important to newbies. Well, that and the lower spring rates.


-Kedosto

Yay! You won't regret it :) You can use any SPD shoes, I use the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek V, no problems walking around in them.

my wife never could get used to her clipless pedals while riding.She only wears her shoes now to her spinning class.

It's a wonder that anyone learned to use clipless pedals before these things were introduced!

A $20 pedal will almost certainly have a plastic sleeve bearing, and will wear out fairly quickly. You can try different types of cheapo clipless pedals (Wellgo and Nashbar brands come to mind), so if you don't like it, you're only out a few bucks.

+1. I still go on club rides and it amazes me to watch folks who still struggle, who have been riding for years, to get their feet clipped into pedals. On speedplays, I put my foot down, and I'm in.

You can do the same with SPD pedals. I never even look down at the pedals when I clip in. Also, with SPD pedals, you can pedal without being clipped in by placing the cleat in front of the retainer. You can't do that with Speedplays because of the size of the cleat, unless you pedal with your heels.

...or just use pinned flat pedals and Five Ten shoes. The foot-pedal connection is almost as good as SPDs, and disconnecting is easy. I can recommend DMR V12s, but there are lots of competitors.

Or, you can go legit Shimano. These things are bullet proof. I run them on all of my bikes, mountain to fixed to road.

Shimano PD-M520 SPD Pedals > Components > Pedals > Mountain Pedals | Jenson USA

(the PD-T421 comes with a flat platform side if you don't always use cycling shoes). another vote for these. I have used these for years and they are on both of my bikes. There are times I ride the flat side for safety concerns i.e. being able to quickly prevent fall.

Another newbie here...Are these shoes any good? Reviews say 4 stars. I'm on a tight budget since I just bought my first road bike. The wifey will yell at me for spending more $ but I'll make it up to her. lol I guess I could just wait and buy better ones later since I don't need them right now with the weather getting cold.

Pearl Izumi X-Road Mountain Shoes - Closeout

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-iZUMi-M.../dp/B002L3S1QY


I'll probably pull the trigger on those. Reviews said they start clicking but sounds like a easy fix. These are the same correct?

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-M5...no+pd-m520+spd

Same pedal but they are more on Amazon.

Hi! If it helps, I bought my shoes from this ebay seller apparelsave | eBay Stores they seem to stock older models at discounted prices. You have to search a bit because they don't label as "cycling shoes" but if you do a search for brand (for example Pearl Izumi) there are a few models available, though they don't indicate if they're SPD or SPD-SL (you can look at the pictures in the listing or google the model to be sure). Mine came without a box but otherwise they were like new.

I bought two sets of these from Nashbar a couple of years ago. Very good two sided pedal, if that is what you are looking for. My understanding is, the PD-M520 is very similar and a go to budget pedal.

Hard to say. Pearl Izumi is a venerable brand of cycling apparel and accessories. Looks like a pretty casual shoe, which might be a good thing. The main thing is whether it fits, and you won't know that for sure until you try it on.

I think the price is the same since I have Amazon Prime free shipping.

I didn't see anything in my size 12 but I just did a quick search. Thanks for the link.

Yeah probably best to just buy at a LBS like the OP said. Maybe I can find some on clearance at Performance bikes.