Finally went clipless
 

I made the change over to a clipless pedal system on my Felt bike. I picked up a set of Shimano 105 PD-5610 pedals and Specialized BG Sport Road Shoes. The first LBS I went to carried Shimano shoes and they were very narrow since I have wide feet. I went to a Specialized dealer and I still had to get one size larger (12) than I wear in normal shoes.

I set the clip tension to a very loose setting to get used to things. During my first few rides I kept telling myself in my head "heels out....heels out". So far so good. Yesterday when I got home and was walking around in my kitchen I swear when I was going to come to a stop walking I was thinking about unclipping. I do have to look everytime to see where my pedal is to see if I need to flip it around to clip back in. I only unclip on my left side at stops, so it takes just a few seconds.

My first trial run on the pedals and shoes was on a short little loop in my neighborhood which I time. I was able to beat my all time best time on my first run.

I think I have been converted to clipless pedals now. I think I will put some Shimano PD-R540 pedals on the Jamis.

I am looking to make the change over as well. I bought my first road bike a couple of months ago and I really need to get rid of these toe clips. I went by my LBS today and I'm stuck on which route I should go: SPD/MTB shoes or SPD-SL/Road shoes. I've heard the advantages and disadvantages of both systems for road bikes but I'm still just not sure on which system I should get. I really don't see myself walking too much on the shoes, but at the same time, I'd like to know I can walk some distance in case of an emergency.

As a beginner rider, would it even really matter? I don't plan on competing any time soon. Which pushes me towards the MTB shoes. But will I be sacrificing comfort? UGH! :twitchy:

Hello congrats on going clipless. but if you went 'clipless' what did you adjust? what are you clipping to and unclipping from? *giggle*

OH I found doublesided pedals negate the need to look down. I just step on them and pedal away then clip in after I am rolling

Way to go! :thumb:

My advice to you fwiw is to get a pair or walkable spd shoes. To me, that's a better rounded all purpose type shoe.

On my looks (Old style carbon) They are one sided but I don't need to look down. I know one side is heavier so I automatically know I need to flip it over. I got used to it.

:roflmao2: Never heard that one before.. ;)

Pick the shoes you want. If you can't decide on shoes, some pedal systems will let you use either MTB or road shoes, and/or you can get casual SPD-compatible shoes for futzing around and extra-stiff MTB SPD shoes for long, fast rides. Two noticeably different pairs of shoes plus one pedal makes for quite a bit of versatility.

Please be sure to let us know when you have your first fall.

Yay, another clipless newbie! (Although, I'm road newbie too.)

I went with mountain bike shoes because I tend to walk around a lot in them and have to carry my bike upstairs and through a maze of sidewalks before I can even ride. Plus, if I decide to go clipless on my mountain bike, I figured it would be easier.

I also ended up buying Specialized shoes and was told they run small. Had to get a size 9. Wow...

As far as getting used to them, it didn't take me long at all. They seem so easy and I can't imagine riding without them now.

Are there any road pedals that are double sided? (I gathered it was only road) and more specifically in the look compatible (triangle-layout)...

Sorry to hijack your thread joe

Chris

Speedplays are double-sided. I have a set of Frogs on my MTB, and love them.

For my road bike, I really do prefer road pedals. I tried initially with a pair of Shimano SPDs, but switching to SPD-SLs felt a lot better.

V.

I will be sure to let you guys know when I do fall. I have been reading about others falling for so long that I have been so careful not to.

I will admit that I made the mistake of getting pedals first and then had to shop around for shoes second which really limited my choices. I think I may be looking at a walkable shoe this time around. I look about as graceful as Verbal Kint walking in my road shoes with cleats.

Last night I rode my Jamis with the old toe clip pedals and they just felt really awkward after putting some miles in clipless pedals.

Chris, you are not hijacking the thread. The more info that the thread can provide on clipless pedals the better.

I have the same pedals, nice choice :)

Interesting on the Shimano shoes though. I have US11.5 4E feet and usually have to buy NewBalance because they consistently have wide widths in pretty much everything they sell. However, I got a pair of Shimano SH-R131s shoes in 47 and they fit like a charm. Are your feet freakishly wider than mine?! :)

So I actually used my MTB shoes (Shimano M160) to commute yesterday on my MTB with Eggbeaters (long story, bikes missing pedals, bikes getting worked on, etc).

I almost fell multiple times. If you're going to get SPD shoes to walk around in, be sure not to get high end MTB race shoes. Not only does the really stiff sole make walking uncomfortable, those spikes on the front are extremely slippery (and can't be removed without a special tool).

I felt safer in my road shoes.

I too am limited to NewBalance shoes due to them carrying wider widths. I don't think that my feet are freakishly wide (who knows maybe they are), but the Shimanos seemed a bit constricting compared to the Specialized in the same sizes.

I also just went clipless (on friday) - On the recomendation of the shop, I got the speedplay light action pedals and I love them as my first set. They're double sided (I've put about 100 miles on them so far and I can get in and out first try every time without looking at this point) and they release fairly easily- I've had a couple near crashes and have been able to unclip by sheer wrenching force to avoid falling on my ass. The tension on them seems just about right to me.

That being said, I am 6', 145lbs. I'm sure if you were a heavier rider, these pedals would probably not stand up to the forces you put on them as well as they do for someone like me.

Once I get serious I'll probably upgrade to a more hardcore pedal system, but as of right now these are perfect for longer rides where comfort and ease of entry/exit are more important than weight and adjustability.

<-- also got the PD5610s and diff shoes (BG Pro Road)... definitely loving them, helps you be more efficient and deliver more power per stroke.

I actually didn't adjust the tension at all when I got mine, they clip in and out safely without being loose. We all fall a few times while getting the hang of it, myself included. I have a replacement buckle for my left shoe on order because I fell on it... and while it still works, it cannot hold the belt as tightly as it used to before I fell on it :)

I just switched over as well. Unclipping is just like pulling your feet out of the toe clips, so it's already normal for me. I'm in the habit of taking my right foot off of the pedal while I am slowing down, before I stop. I honestly don't think that I will ever fall over because of being clipped in. Someday I may have to eat my words, but I doubt it.

One foot off the pedal and....what??? I'm starting to tip the other way......here it comes! :D

It's happened to me. :o Of course we're normally smart enough to lean and steer the correct way but sometimes shlt happens, ya know?

Well I never did it with toe clips, so I'm hoping that I never do it with spd pedals. I always lean to the right and I always start with my left foot.

Double-sided, Look/SPD-SL/Time RXS pedals? Haven't heard of any...

Closest you'll get, at least with easy-to-find pedals, will be either Speedplay or Crank Brothers with their three-hole cleat. You'll at least be able to use a road shoe with their cleats even though the pedal designs are totally different.

Pfft.. Whatever. Just tell us about it so we can laugh at you like we laugh at everyone else's falling stories. ;)

Been there! Left foot down, everything else went right. Caught myself just in time, but still got banged, bumped, and bruised by the bike. It was the ego that hurt worst of all.

Never Fallen!
 

I started riding clipless in the June. I read about everyone's experience here with clipless pedals and read a post by someone who had NEVER fallen. I decided to be just like that guy too. I guess, just like him, I'd be a liar if I say I have never fallen to date.

My favorite fall was the day I fell twice in about 30 minutes. The first time I got a little scraped up and hurt my hand. So I continued my ride one-handed for the most part to get back home. The second fall, about 30 minutes later, I broke the cleat on my shoe and then had to ride back to my LBS with one foot and one hand. Upon entering his store and seeing my hand, knees, shoe, etc. pronounced "you are bad for my business!"

I never fell while I was riding, but that starting and stopping thing...

Been riding SPD pedals. Yesterday, I upgraded to Ultegra pedals and Specialized Carbon Pro road shoes. Fell twice while still in the driveway. Problem was getting the second foot clipped - I couldn't get it done in time before I lost forward momentum. Smooth soles and pedals don't help, either. I finally got out the trainer and set that up for about half an hour to practice.