Badgerjohn

Not sure where to post this so I put it here. For road work and or touring on a ridgid frame MTB, do clipless pedals and a touring shoe have many advantages over cage pedals and clips? And if so, please elaborate. Thanks, John

fietsbob

Those that have bought them justify their purchase, saying it's better.

If it does not matter it wont.

double sided MTB pedals are always facing up, to stomp the cleat into the retention mechanism.

there are platform/ spud combo pedals to still use normal shoes ..

I took several multi month long tours with old toe clip pedals
I put the effort into finding insoles to outfit the shoes for maximum comfort.

wahoonc

I prefer pedals and toe clips, gives me a lot more choices in footwear. Double sided pedals are a maybe, if you are insistent on having clip in pedals.

Aaron

Looigi

It really a matter of personal choice. Back in the day, racers using clips and straps had cleats on their shoes. When the straps were tightened the cleats prevented the shoe from pulling out. You'd have to release the strap to get your shoe out. Clipless offers obvious advantages in this regard. You can, of course, use toe clips without cleats, but you can't pull up like you can with cleats. This may not be a concern, but I do pull up quite hard in max climbing or sprinting efforts. I also use clipless mtb pedals for touring.

Leebo

Clipless for mt biking, flats and sandals for road. Lots of opinions over in the commuting section.

Dudelsack 

I started cycling on the trails so I got used to SPDs. When I bought a road bike I transferred my M520s to it. I had a bit of a problem with hot spots, so I changed over to A520s. They work fine. I wear MTB shoes so I can walk about without worrying about trashing the cleats.

Some people like the M324s. I think they're heavy, but for people who want to ride with either clipless or platforms without having to change the pedals out, they work well.

Machka 

First of all, this thread would probably fit well in the Touring forum.

Second, I use these ...


Shimano PDM324 Multi-Purpose pedals - weight per pair: 533g


I think they are great! I can use the clipless side when I want, or the platform side when I want. Best of both worlds.

Rowan picked up a pair of SPD Pedals PD-A530 (weight per pair: 383 g) for his touring bicycle, so we'll see how well they work.

fietsbob

BTW .. Winwood Decksters put an Aluminum platform on any MTB pedal,
with a spare cleat for that pedal.

Burton

I'm thinking that depends on a lot of things. Some people's idea of 'touring' is a series of extended day trips during which they do very little besides bicycle. Personally I like to get off the bike, walk, explore, and climb about as much as I bike. So to me there's 'effecient' which might cover a pedal and shoe combination specifically for people who just cycle, and then there's 'effective' which lets you cycle and do as many other things you want without carrying whole selection of footware. Pedals like Machka posted probably cover both. At the moment on my touring rig I personally have studded BMX pedals.

Velo Dog

For me, at least, pedals make very little difference, if any. I've done the same 25-mile round trip commute at least 2500 times since 1979, on all kinds of bikes, tires from 21mm at 120 psi to 37mm at 65 and pedals from BMX flats to high-end clipless. For years, I kept track of my times (I don't anymore), and there was almost no correlation between equipment and speed. I'm sure there would be in a time trial, but in day to day riding, things like traffic, what I had for breakfast or how hard I pushed made much more difference. My fastest time ever was on an old Bridgestone mountain bike with toe clips and straps, on slick tires.

bradtx

John, Two advantages that a clipless system has over traditional toe clip pedals are that one doesn't have to reach down to tighten or loosen the strap and the clipless pedals have some lateral float.

Brad