Excellent. Picking up bike today! Thanks again.

Don't forget to unclip before you stop. Have fun!

I have been very pleased with my purchases from Planetx.

Areo Aluminium CNC Minipump
Planet X 700c Lightweight Road Inner
Velox Repair Kit
or Jobsworth Emergency Mini Tool Kit
You will need some lights too, front and back to let others know you are there.
of course you'll need a helmet and some cycling clothing.

great, update this thread with pic of your new ride.

great thread - I had the same questions - ended up ordering these:
Shimano PD M530 SLX Trail Clipless Pedal > Components > Drivetrain, Brakes and Pedals > Pedals | Jenson USA - Mobile
Shimano SH-M162 SPD Shoes > Apparel > Shoes and Footwear > Mountain Bike Shoes | Jenson USA - Mobile

Good choices, I sure hope the shipments are quick and you enjoy your new goodies.

Almost everybody falls once when they switch to clipless pedals. Usually there will be a crowd to witness it. You'll be slowing down, on auto-pilot, forget to clip out, and wind up on the ground. And then you'll never forget again. Might not happen, but if it does, don't let it bother you, it happens to almost everyone.

People like you are a plague on bike shops. Don't think the mechanics and salesmen don't know what you're doing. "Customers" like that are never given any extra help at the shop, just the minimum. It's a great way to ensure your LBS doesn't like you. If you're going to buy online, don't use us as your shopping assistant.

Thanks Seattle Forrest. Pretty much the exact words my neighbor shared :-)

Would love to know what you think of those shoes when they come in. I bookmarked them in case the ones I ordered don't work out.

When I got my first set of clipless pedals, the guy at the bike store told me I was going to wish I'd done it years ago. He was right

So, complete newbie here. Are my SPD pedals and cleats considered "clipless?"

...they're called clipless but you still have to clip in and out...?

In the old days, before cleats that fit and locked into pedals, people used "toe clips."

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-qllSVLXL.jpg

Clipless pedals are ones that don't have clips, and you'd think that would be any pedal you don't basically tie yourself into. But "clipless pedals" was invented (as a name for them) to mean pedals that hold onto your foot, but don't have clips.

So your SPDs are clipless.

It's like how you park in your driveway and drive on a parkway, or pineapples aren't apples and don't grow on pine trees. :)

Great explanation, thank you!!!

I'm happy SF didn't generalize like people usually do and say EVERYONE falls. I started with clipless right out the gate. I have never taken a fall, not one time. I have never even come close to falling. Maybe it's a person-to-person type thing, but that person doesn't have to be you.

It's not as scary as some make it sound. Install your pedals, mount the cleats to your shoes and put the shoes on. Put your bike in a doorway and get on. Clip in with both feet and start unclipping and clipping in over-and-over on both sides. If the tension is to high, there is a tension screw on the pedal for you to adjust. When you feel comfy go outside to a parking lot or non-busy street and give it a go.

It's probably a wise idea to adjust to the new bike for a while before installing the SPDs, yeah?

Not really sure. It might be better to get used to the bike before taking on the pedals, or it might be better to get used to them right off the bat (and not start forming bad habits?). Hard to say.

Really good idea. Or grab hold of a fence with one hand to hold yourself up. Practice clipping out, back in, out again. It becomes second nature in no time.

One more vote for the New Shimano PD A530 Aluminum SPD Road Dual Platform Pedal Set w Cleats Silver | eBay.
I use them with MTN bike shoes on my road bike so I can unclip and use the platforms in heavy pedestrian MUP areas.

Completely up to you, but I didn't go that route. I wanted my body to adjust to the bike as I would be riding it. If you feel more secure riding in sneakers first, there is nothing wrong with that. I just wouldn't want you to train your brain/muscles to the idea that you can just put your foot down.

If you practice clipping and unclipping before you ride, you will know if you're ready or not.

I've used:

speedplay zero

speedplay frog

shimano spd

look

I currently run speedplay zero on my road bike. Zero's are very light, double sided and have the most free float of any pedals on the market. Your knee/legs can track in their natural direction. SPD's have spring tension which recenter your cleat, even though they have some "float."

Zero's are not as easy to clip out of as other pedal systems. Especially when the pedals are new. They gradually break in but are still a bit more challenging to clip in and out of.

The cleat is large so not ideal for walking, but I put rubber covers on the cleats, and actually have little problem walking around on the cleats for short distances.

Also they are not cheap. They start at around $130, but they are great for their light weight and knee protection.

---

I've used and like the look pedal system a lot as well. You can get cleats that come with free float but not as much as the speedplay's. Also they are one sided, not two sided. Not quite as light as speedplay's either.

This is a terrific pedal system: you can buy "look style" pedals from nashbar and performance at a rock bottom price.

---

I don't have many positive things to say about spd systems. They are very popular and inexpensive. I don't like spring centered "float," so if you want free float, stay away from spd's. Make CERTAIN your knee alignment is spot on. I injured myself with improper alignment and it took me a long time to recover fully.

They are relatively light, relatively inexpensive and double sided. But the lack of free float means I will not be a customer.

---

As far as shoes, I have relatively wide feet, so the only brand that works for me is shimano. I bought a fantastic pair of shimano's with three straps at a rock bottom price (half off) which are wide enough for my feet!

I bought my speedplay zero's on clearance for I think $40 or $50 instead of $140. So my shoe/pedal system only cost me about $110 total. Retail around $260!

If you have wide feet, try shimano's. If you have narrow feet, a wider (no pun intended) range of cycling shoe brands is available to you.

I've run almost all the major pedal systems for quite a while. Shimano, Look, Time, and Speedplay. My favorite is one that few people have heard of - Keywin pedals. They have several features that no other pedal have. Plus they've been around longer than just about any of the other clipless systems.

where do you source yours?

I know you already chose your pedals, but I really, really love these and prefer them to the SPD's with the platform around them: http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-M52.../dp/B000WYAENC

They weigh less too, which is good. :)

I throw plently of work at my lbs.I just dont buy stuff thats way marked up. And if i tried some on and they wrent to much more than online it wouldnt bother me to buy them.but i have seen tires and other stuff x2 online price or other bike shops price. Lots of times on stuff they are a good price just not allways. And his lbs is gonna hate him for trying on a pair of shoes and deciding not to buy them? If i remeber shoping around isn't a bad thing. so to say they wont like someone for deciding not to buy something at your store once is pretty harsh?

Shoes over $200 is not necessary if you're a casual rider like myself. I bought mine for $80 while on sale and works well. The higher end ones are lighter in weight and possibly more comfortable (subjective from one person to another)

I just order them from HERE. I just ordered some new cleats a couple weeks ago. They came from a distributor here in the US - somewhere in Colorado I think. I also talked to them on the phone and they were very helpful.

It tends to be customers that come in and tire kick but never buy anything, that gets you noticed. It's a good practice to not be that guy. Remember that bike shops make most of their money on accessories and clothing, not bikes or service (although they do make something on labor), and going the online route really eats into their ability to keep the doors open. It's good form to leave the lbs out of your online transaction, because even if you don't do it often, a lot of people do, and you can't think they don't notice.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=469596

Sweet Bike NLB, ready for miles and miles. Congrats on your new purchase.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=469606