Help with going clipless?
 

I just recently got a new bike, a Trek Émonda ALR 5 Disc. I have always used toe clips on my old bike, and have a cheap used set on it right now which my shop gave me to use till I get cycling shoes and new pedals. Corona is kind of getting in the way, but mostly with shoes. The owner (who sold the bike to me) said that he should help me find pedals and shoes (based on his experience) that suit my needs. That is great, but of course, they want me to buy from them. Is it really that involved? I have a 10% discount on merchandise coming because of a bike sale. I lost a bit of confidence in them lately and am considering giving up the 10% to buy elsewhere, maybe even from advice here. Can anyone guide me in selecting at least pedals suitable for my use? My wife has a stationary bike that she uses cleated cycling shoes on, and she said she is using SPD style cleats, as they are kind of standard. Is that true? That is about all that I know. I suppose that this might not be sufficient information for someone to help me in making a selection, so, if there is something specific that must be known about how I cycle, please ask away.

Thanks,

Danny

my advice.. though I don't know the limit on what you can buy to get the 10%, is to spend it on stuff that isn't allowed to be advertised at prices under MAP. That might, for example, be Bontrager saddles, or Garmin stuff..? If the discount applies to eg. Speedplay pedals (typically never sales on these), that would be great and would suggest some Light Actions.

I just really don't know what I should be buying, that is the problem. A lot has happened since I was actively cycling long ago.

Danny

Then for now.. just go out and bike. And it'll come to you what you think or find out you might be wishing for. Eg. a Cycling computer that tells you your speed and shows you a map? Clipless pedals and shoes? A lock for your bike? Extra tubes and some stuff to fix a flat?

Buy shoes in person. You need to be sure the fit is right. Get an entry level clipless pedal.

Your bigger decision is which pedal system, and all of them are viable. If you plan to do any walking in your bike shoes, get SPD.

Personally you can't go wrong with Shimano. Your bike is Shimano 105 so it stays in the family. Basically there are two types of pedals SPD and SPD-SL. The first are more for mountain biking, commuting and general cycling. This is because the cleat is recessed into the shoe that allows you to walk comfortably. They use two a two bolt design to hold the cleat.

The second type is SPD-SL which typically has a stiffer sole and an external cleat that makes walking difficult. The benefits are a bigger contact area on the pedal and they are generally stiffer and more efficient. Here I recommend Ultegra SPD-SL. Inexpensive but works well. This type of shoe and cleat use a three bolt design.

Next there are others Egg Beaters, Speedplay, Look and others. There are benefits to these pedals and each one is unique.

Purchase shoes to match the pedals, three hole vs two hole.

Again I do recommend Shimano because they are the number one pedal sold, you can find cleats anywhere and generally just good.

Spd (aka mountain cleats) compatible shoes have, somewhat, walkable soles. The cleats are metal and are recessed into the sole, but most stick “just” the right amount to scrape when walking. Road shoes on the other hand have a smooth sole and rubber/hard plastic cleats stick out too much making walking for anything longer than driveway-to-front door problematic, especially on smooth surfaces. Some road pedal/cleat users carry cleat covers to minimize slippage and cleat wear due to the above.

spd cleats have smaller contact with the shoes causing “hot spots” for some, though with a stiff sole, I don’t believe it is a problem. Road pedals have a larger contact surface and said to be better for power transfer, but again I don’t know if anyone but elite athletes would benefit from power transfer differences between the two.

Those are the pros and cons of both pedal systems. For most, it’s a personal choice coupled with ones riding habits. If you will be riding without much walking, you may want to think about road pedals, for anything else mtb pedals/cleats might be more utilitarian. In the meantime, just enjoy your riding.

One point on shoes with cleats - installing the cleats is easy, positioning them right is important.

You can find lots of YouTube videos around doing this, but if you are looking at buying shoes from a bike shop ask them if they will do a cleat fitting for you if you buy the shoes from them. Needs to be a bike shop you do have confidence in - many bike shops are clueless around fitting other than having the top tube and seat height line up against your legs/hips. Even if they charge for a shoe fitting, once you have it dialed in on your shoes you'll be able to transfer the same alignment to any shoes you buy in the future pretty easily.

I did trail and error positioning when I first went clipless and thought I had it dialed in pretty well. Three years ago I bought a new bike that came with a discounted fitting and the fitter (who wasn't a bike shop salesperson or mechanic - he was a sports physical therapist who did fittings in the shop in the evenings after work) moved my cleats back in the shoe all the way. (he also raised my seat almost 3/4 of an inch and took out the tilt down. On longs ride after that, I was impressed on how much better my knees felt.

I started with SPD (two hole cleats, like your wife's spin bike) and use those for over 10 years. When they were still usable (Shimano) I bought a pair of SPD-SL (three hole cleats) shoes and tried those out. I liked the connection to the pedal much better but walking in them is a pain and if you walk too much the plastic cleats wear out and they aren't cheap. I now have SPD on one bike (what today would be called a gravel bike) where I am more likely to be doing walking and SPD-SL on my road bike I use on long rides or just exercise rides where I won't be doing much walking. And I still use the original Shimano SPD leather lace up SPD shoes when I do indoor spin classes in the winter!

Everybody,
Thanks for the help. I went to my shop today a bit more prepared than I would have. We all agreed on the SPD-SL pedals for my need. IF I have them and ever expect walking, I may have my wife carry a set of shoes for me in her on bike bag. They steered me to the PD-R7000 pedals, not the Ultegra previously recommemded. I guess those would have been better, BUT the shop person and I were both in agreement that as a component, they are line with the rest of what is on my bike, as my bike is Shimano 105 and so are these pedals. I just can't get the shoes. They are not doing shoe sales while Corona is an issue. I should be able to get good help with the cleats as I have a free fitting due me with the purchase of my bike. Their web site states "We have methodology certifications from 4 different schools, and are the ONLY store in the region to fully evaluate riding application, anatomical measurement, full pedal power output and angular balance, as well as pressure mapping"

Thanks,
Danny

So you got the pedals but no shoes? Makes the bike pretty hard to ride, no? Seems backwards also, that in a time where sales have to be struggling, to be told that's the reason nothing is on sale.

They gave me a set of pedals with toe clips so that I can ride the bike till I get pedals and shoes. I mentioned that.

Danny

I’ve carried flip flops on my bike so I can walk on sand at the beach, but I really like mtb pedals w/ mtb shoes w/ recessed spd cleats

I guess that I will hopefully soon find out how they work for me, never having had experience with going clipless. I guess, once I use them, never having used another to compare it to, I won't have any issue. One thing I know for sure is that the cheap pedals I have with clips I do not like. I am anxious to get rid of them. The ones I have on my Peugeot are much better and are not really a liability.

Danny

Danny

SPD shoes with a grippy rubber sole is the only thing I'll ever use. I like to be able to walk confidently when off the bike, whether it be road, mtb or commuting. I can't think of a single advantage of SPD-SL over SPD, other than weight, maybe. Also get shoes with the BOA tightening system. Being able to make micro adjustments while riding is so nice. I have these and wouldn't trade them for anything else (except in the winter when the GoreTex shoes get used): https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/b...-shoe/p/13673/

you have an advantage because you’ve used conventional pedal clips. anyone who drives a manual transmission car also has an advantage. the toughest transition is for ppl who are jumping from flat pedals & shoes w/ no retention. you have to plan ahead & look down the road at wutz coming up, a bit more so than usual. I like to keep light tension on the cleats so even if I forget I’m connected, when I want to remove a foot, they release anyway

I'll just share that I use SPD cleats so that I can walk, and even drive if necessary. I'm probably one of the few that do, I'm not sure how much performance one would gain from the SPD-SL system. Many SPD-SL shoes have companion models with SPD cleats, so you can still get lightweight, stiff shoes designed for road use. Shimano also makes the single-sided PD-A600 SPD pedal specifically for road use, so it doesn't have the extra weight associated with MTBs. I ride this setup on my CAAD12/Utlegra and it works great.

Looks like you already made your decision. I would have recommended to get the dual-sided SPD ones (PD-EH500 I believe) instead of the SPD-SLs.

SPDs are not ''more standard'' than SPD-SLs, but they are certainly more user friendly. You can walk with SPD cleats as opposed to SPD-SLs where you look like a pengouin.

I use SPD-SL because they are better for road/race use and I don't do much city rides. If I had a commuter bike or if I would ride often in the city, I would use dual sided SPDs ones because of their versatility.

Correct, as I saw it. When I was working with my shop on which to buy, they agreed that I would not have much difficulty in switching over, and since I am also used to flipping pedals with toe clips, using the SPD-SL would be no issue. I have also never bought anything but a manual transmission :)

Danny

I think Shimano SPD-SLs will be fine for you. Their cleats are more durable than Look Keo cleats, and much easier to walk with as well. With original keo cleats (non “grip” type) I use cleat covers, which adds grip and protects the cleats for the short walks to-from water stops etc.

I also don't really do city or commuter rides. I think that no matter which I had chosen, someone else, or myself would have good reasons why I should have gone the other way. That is the nature of things.

Danny

fuggedaboutit you’re golden

You made a fine choice. Don't know why the grief you are getting for choosing SPL over SPD. Pedals, shoes are just commodities, if you hate the SPL you can always go back and purchase SPD's. You can sell what you have. Sometimes it is just trial and error. Like you I purchased my pedals first as they were on sale (Dura Ace). The shoes came at least a month later until I could really look for something that was perfect. I was lucky to go to a bike show where there were hundreds of different shoes to choose from all under one roof.

When you have the shoes, start practicing in a parking lot until you get the hang of it. Have fun on your bike.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Danny

Just depends. If you have been around the biking culture long enough you know pretty much your need.

Pedals and shoes are very subjective of course.

I am a Time Expresso pedal guy and like the iClic setup. As to shoes, not as picky but whatever I choose need the ratchet click to get that precise tension on my feet. That said, I currently have Vitoria shoes.

I just bought a pair of Specialized Torch 2.0 shoes. Shoes were hard to find right now, thankfully, even though these were about my only choice if I wanted shoes now, they fit. I took to SPD-SL cleats like a Duck takes to water.

Danny