This is probably a silly question but I'm looking to get my first set of clipless pedals and shoes. Do the cleats come with the shoes or pedals? Or do you have to buy them separately? Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a relative beginner? Thanks

The cleats come with the pedals. I like the Speedplay pedals as you can enter from both sides, and there is no need to flip the pedal in the middle of an intersection after a red light.

pedal.

shimano spd-sl. i like. i've had no problem getting into and out of them and they feel comfortable to me.

I have to agree with Coasting here. I tried Keo...didn't like it as much.

Moved on to SPD-SL. I love them easy to clip in and out, once you get the hang of it you don't have to look down at all.

Shimano SPD pedals come with cleats. This is also a good beginner pedal,
but you can find a lot of experienced cyclists using this setup. You can wear
real road shoes(SIDI,etc.) or casual/mountainbike shoes that you can walk
on normally. You may have to try a few to get a feel of which one works for
you.

Cleats come with the pedals as others have mentioned and there's a good variety of brands making them so check out offerings by Look Keo, Speedplay, Time, and Shimano which tend to be the most common. They have their strengths and weaknesses so it all depends on what you're looking for in a pedal.

I'm also ready to make the switch to clipless pedals.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the different kinds you listed? Are you buying them online or locally?
I live in an area with very few bike shops that have very little stock and choice.

My bike is a Giant WS Avail...it came with Smartie pedals and cleats in a addition to a regular pedal but I haven't put them on, was wanting to get more info on the different kinds before I decided.

I think you should try out the Smartie pedals since you already have them. I think they would be a good match for Lake winter cycling boots.

Another thing to be aware of is whether the shoes are compatible with the pedals, some shoes don't have bolt holes for some cleat bolt patterns.

There is a competing thread with the same basic topic as yours OP
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Shoes-question

I'll post what I posted over there, but it sounds like you've gotten good advice already.


This link looks like a good general explanation of pedal options
https://bicycleworldandfitness.com/bu...dals-pg189.htm

Cycling shoes and cleats are quite comfortable, although a bit awkward at first. Don't be disheartened if you tip over once or twice; it happens to most of us

A recommendation that I would pass on from my bike shop is to get a pedal called speedplays. They are double sided, meaning it is much easier to clip into. Most other pedals (shimano, look) are single sided and take a bit more concentration to clip into. Nether type is better than the other, its all up to your preference.

Some other advice I'll throw in is to look into a pair or two of cycling socks. They tend to be thinner and more comfortable on the bike than regular or running socks. However, if you're trying to save $$ cycling socks are not absolutely necessary.

I have a fairly cheap shoe/pedal set up.
These are my pedals - https://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=NP07533
Cleats came with this pedal set
These are my shoes - https://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=F0076
--> They took a bit to get used to (comfort) but now they feel just fine.

One last thing to consider is that you may want to look into a mountain bike shoe/pedal set up. MTB shoes and the cleats that go on them are much easier to walk in. Personally I'd stick with the road set up out of the vanity of being a roadie

Seems to me the easiest pedals for beginners would be speedplays or something with one of the Crank Brothers models (I've no experience with Shimanos). I started with Crank Bros Candys or Smartys - I forget which one exactly - (and still use Mallets on my mtb) and eventually switched to Look Keos, which are somewhat more of a pain to clip in and out of, but I find them much more comfortable and since I'm rarely unclipping anyway, no big deal.