Clipless suggestion for beginer
 

I have a hybrid bike and am going to purchase a new road bike (this will be my first), most likely a Trek Emonda ALR 5. I'm open to other suggestions in a similar price range.

Before purchasing the new bike I would like to try clipless pedals and was thinking I'd purchase a set of pedals and shoes using the SPD system. It looks a little more friendly for a beginner and If I'm going to crash, I'd prefer it be on my current bike. Can anybody recommend a reasonable setup to try? I've looked at so many pedals my head is spinning. I look at this as one of those situations that I know so little about cycling that I don't know where to start. I've read countless threads and many, many opinions on the different types and why. For me, I just want a decent starter recommendation to get going. Weight isn't really a big concern, I'm overweight and can easily lose 10x what any pedal weighs in a single ride. More of a concern is, I notice my feet tend to work outward on the pedals, clipless should fix that. I'm also concerned about what appears to be a very small pressure point with these. Thank you for any recommendations you may share.

I am by no means an expert...but more of a beginner. I have been riding a road bike for almost three years now. I used platform for the first few months then decided to go clipless. I went with SPD not because of the ease of beginner friendly, but because I like to walk around some during my rides....I went with Shimano PD-A600 pedals. I think they look nice and have worked just fine for me for a while.

I do recommend getting the Shimano SH56 cleats as they help with unclipping in a hurry.

Good luck,

Jonathan

Shoes are pretty personal so I would try a few on.

As for pedals: Shimano M520. Inexpensive, bombproof, last forever, easily adjustable, do what they're supposed to do.

These in the link below and some MTB shoes. Trying to clip into SPD pedals with flat soled road shoes is mission impossible. Not to mention walking blows with that little steel cleat sticking out on the bottom.

https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/...h-pdm520l-base

Shimano SPD is a good system to start with; my first clipless were Shimano M520:

Speedplay Frogs.... double-sided and very easy to use. They are mountain bike pedals but I use them on both of my road bikes and a gravel bike. Plus, you can use mountain shoes which are much more practical if you get off your bike and walk around during a ride.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. I'll go to REI and try on some shoes and look at all the petals suggested in stores on online, Bluesky seems to have a good selection and pricing online. One last really basic question. Are all SPD shoes and pedals compatible or do I have to match the shoe brand with the pedal? Thanks!

Yes, spd shoes and pedals are compatible.

It is the cleats you have to worry about. Those are the metal bits that attach to the shoe that engage with the pedal.

They have either 2, 3, and possibly 4 bolt patterns. Road shoes are usually 3, and Mountain shoes are 2 or 4. Some shoes have adapters, so check that they match up before you buy.

Second this recommendation of A-600 or the cheaper A-520 Tiagra level (the model I have). Easy to clip in and out, SPD shoes are much nicer to walk around in, and these pedals don't look out of place on a road bike. In theory/marketing hype the platform supposedly reduces hotspots by supporting more of the foot vs traditional MTB spd pedals - in reality not sure how much pedal/sole interface there actually is. In any case never had any hotspots or issues myself, and have recently set plenty of Strava PRs climbing with these + Shimano RT82 touring shoes, so they're not slowing me down any.

For point of reference I also ride Speedplay Zeros/Carbon soled shoes on my other bike. Also very easy to clip in and out of, but I'd say the A-520s are more "approachable" for a beginner as regards maintenance, ease of walking in shoes, cost of entry etc.

I've just fitted m520 pedals, took a couple of rides to get used to clipping in, but now it's a doddle!

+1 on Shimano M520 pedals.

Get a pair of inexpensive touring shoes which look like sneakers.

Keep in mind that there are two versions of the cleats. SH51 "single release" cleats are more secure but more difficult to release and are for aggressive riding and racing. SH56 "multi-release" cleats are a bit less secure but easier to unclip and suited for touring and more casual rides. Make sure you get the right cleats.


-Tim-

M530 pedals were even cheaper when I bought them from Nashbar. I bought some SH56 clips, definitely get those as a beginner if going with SPD.

Another vote for Speedplays - frogs (MTB) or Ultra Light or X (road). "Beginner" doesn't mean cheapest or ubiquitous necessarily; it should be mean ease of use.

I think I started with the M540, but it was either that or the M520. It was much better (for me) than jumping straight into an SPD-SL system.

I just used the cleats that came with the pedals and adjusted the pedals to make it easier to clip out, just make sure to adjust both sides!

Shimano M520 with SH-56 cleats as they are multi release, so a bit easier for a beginner.

I have the 520's, they are pretty easy to clip and un clip
use them on my mountain bike, for some reason on my road bike, with extended rides the small
footprint of these cleats bothers my feet, all the pressure is in a small area, had to switch over to the spd's
they spread out the load on my feet and don't bother me as much, but they are a real pain to clip in to

Not to be that guy but...... Unless you have some sort of limitation, I think you are making this way too complicated. I have ridden spd, spd-sl, look and speedplay. They all work basically the same way for exiting the pedal. It really isn't that hard to do. Slow down, twist out your heel before you come to a complete stop and then put your foot down. Starting is slightly different from system to system but you still engage one side while stopped, push/pedal forward then engage the other side in the appropriate manner. From my experience, the main reasons to choose 1 system over another are either float and/or whether you need recessed cleats. Ease of exit/entry is more related to a little practice and some brief forethought.

had my 1st ride last night.

been using Lake MTB shoes which have a pretty smooth bottom with my 1/2 clips & other flat pedals. MTB shoes have a recessed hole for the cleat so you can walk around easily even with the cleat attached

it was good using a pedal that had a flat side so I could unclip in advance of busy intersections & ride on the flat side. maybe when I get more experienced I won't need that & can go with a double sided pedal

since I've been using 1/2 clips for at least 10 years, switching foot retention system didn't seem like that big a deal for me last night

I got these MTB shoes cuz I wanted a legit cycling shoe. they work great w/o cleats & seem to be good now with cleats. from the side they look like they have really knobby bottoms but they aren't that severe.
Lake Cycling 2015 Men's MX100 Mountain Bike Shoes (Black/Grey - 48)

I got these pedals with a used bike a long time ago
Shimano PD-M530 MTB SPD Pedals

I got these multi release cleats cuz I read they were easier to clip in & out with. & judging by last night, that seems to be true
Shimano SM-SH56 SPD Cleat Set

I see these pedals on my wish list. Another BFer suggested them some time ago saying they had a flat side & were easy to clip in & out of
Shimano PD-T421 Click'R Pedals

good luck & have fun!

BTW "float" I think, is your ability to wiggle your foot (heel back & forth) while clipped it. meaning, my feet didn't feel like they were locked in a parallel line with the bike. I felt I could angle my foot a little & so it was more comfortable than I was expecting

I have ridden Speedplay pedals for 20 years or so. Compared to the SPD pedals I rode only a couple of times, they are by far easier to clip in and out of. On group rides, when we start from a stop it takes a few seconds for everyone else to clip in and get going. It is worth mentioning that with Speedplays you don't actually clip in, you simply pedal (they are double sided) and the pedals engage. So I am always sitting up ready to go waiting for the group to clip in and get going.
Downsides: Cost and walkability.