Dual-sided Pedals
 

Hi all,

I am really starting to get serious about this whole biking for fitness thing but I also want to be able to cover some distance, too. I'm looking at getting some double sided pedals for my hybrid (Trek 7.5 FX) and wanted to get everyone's take.

I plan to ride 5 times a week or so, but not always long distances (<10) so I'm thinking sometimes I'll clip in and other times I'll just wear my tennis shoes. I've never ridden with clipless pedals so this is an experiment as much as anything.

Would something like this suffice... ?

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont...-.pd_road.html

Also, what type of shoes does everyone recommend for someone looking to ride about 15-20 miles on a hybrid? What are other improvements that could be done to help me ride longer/farther (other than just riding regularly)?

As a side note, I've been 74 miles in the last 9 days and coupled with a new diet I feel great!!! I'm even down a few lbs!

Thanks in advance,

Adam B Hicks

I've looked at those pedals in the past for the exact same reason...what I determined was that my MTB shoes, which are quite comfortable and easy to walk in, make it so I don't mind putting them on everytime I ride. As far as shoes are concerned, typically a stiffer sole is preferred to transfer power to the pedal.

Those pedals will work great for the purpose you have in mind. MTB shoes would work well.

I"ve had a variety of shimano SPD pedals on mine and my wife's bikes. No complaints. Both mtn and road for convenience.

I've got the PB knockoff version of those (called Boulevard). For what you and I have in mind I like them quite a bit. When I first put them on, replacing a set of flat pedals with toe straps, I found that I had to raise my seat just a smidge to get my fit right again. I normally ride with the cleat side so that's how I set up my seat. When I try to ride with tennis shoes it seems like my seat is just a touch higher than it should be. So there's a bit of a difference in the extent to which your leg will straighten out (due to the thickness of the cleat and mechanism on the pedal). At least that's what I percieve. It modest though and you get used to it quickly. Over all it's worth it to be able to use cleats when training, but also take the bike to the grocery store.

I've got these on my Trek 7.3FX (these are the A530's, right?) and they work great. I have some PI SPD shoes, but have also used the platform side when needed. Work great for my commute.

I actually just got these pedals today. My first set of clipless to go with my new Trek 2.3. I got a pair of "inbetween" Garneau shoes that are not mountain shoes, but not racing shoes. I can bike to work, and not completely fall on my face when walking into my company. I'll eventually get a pair of "racing shoes" for longer weekend rides, but I figured this was good for now.

Basically, they had this pair, and a pair that was $10 less that didn't have "dual sides" and were actually heavier. Seemed like a win-win situation.

I purchased similar pedals from Forte:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._1104537_-1___

They work well but the only issue is one side is heavy than the other so they always flop over if my foot isn't on them all the time. Not sure if that's a problem with the Shimano pedals.

I have these exact pedals on my road bike and I use my MTB shoes and they work great. My original thought was I could use my street shoes if I didn't like the clip less side or if I just wanted to go on a quick ride in the neighborhood. I haven't used the platform side yet but it's nice to know its there if I just wanted a short ride. Well built pedals for that kind of money.

I've purchased my latest bike in over a decade and a road bike, where the last one I had was when I was a kid, decades ago. I've never used clipless and got the dual sided pedal thinking the same thing you guys mention. It's good to be able to use clipless shoes sometimes and other times just use regular shoes. Unfortunately, what I've found is that with the clipless shoes, I need to raise the seat just a bit compared to regular shoes.

Now I wish I would have just got a low cost set of platform pedals and a nicer set of clipless. I normally ride with the clipless. I guess if you're actually on each 50%, this is a good option. I think for me, I'll be 80-90% in clipless.

If you have to raise the seat one in ten rides, you made the right call. You're probably using street shoes for short rides, so a short seat won't be much a of a deal.

I honestly think it would be easier to buy another bike than switching pedals all the time.

So far so good. The pedals don't turn "heavy side down." Not yet at least.

I considered the road touring Shimanos, and ended up with the MB-324s (http://bit.ly/oUaPRm) , just because it's what my LBS carried when I went in. I was on a tight budget, and they were recommended, and I never had a single problem with them. Rode a hybrid as well (Giant Dash) and found these quite easy to clip in and out of. Even did a century on that bike with those pedals and was never disappointed! They're certainly on the heavier side, but I also am not a speed queen, so a little extra weight from the pedals didn't really bother me.

I wear Pearl Izumi mtb SPD shoes kinda like these - http://bit.ly/lt59iW - again, not the lightest shoe around I'm sure, but they feel great, are easy to walk around in, fit snug and also fit my price range. I think the men's version look pretty cool too.

Good luck!

I use the same pedals and shoes on my hybrid as Zombo, and the Shimano touring pedals on my road bike. I LOVE the Pearl Izumi shoes- super comfy and easy to walk in, so their good for commuting or riding to store. The do have the clackity-clack from the cleats, but not as pronounced as the road shoes. I also have a pair of Specialized road shoes which I also like a lot- they're comfortable and have nice stiff plastic soles. I hate riding without my cyclinc shoes- I can totally tell the difference, and my feet are often sore when I don't wear them.

I like the dual sided pedals because I do a lot of riding in heavy traffic, and I like to be able to clip or unclip as needed (and as I feel safe).

The only thing I don't like about the Shimano touring pedals is that they can be slippery on the platform side. I find there's less traction than you might be expecting when you go to plant your foot on the pedal, so be careful your foot doesn't slide off the pedal when riding.

While I do like the Shimano pedals for commuting, I think I am going to actually swap them out for some Looks, and just get better at unclipping.

It should be a good pedal but I had a bad experience with that kind of cleat.

As I was climbing once, the pedal (which was a double sided clipless pedal just like that) Unclipped and I crashed because of it, I still have a pretty nice scar from touching the Big ring with my calf.

But that's a personal experience, doesn't mean this will ever happen to you or anyone.

Did you feel it was an actual pedal defect vs an accidental ankle twist or loose setting??

I have Shimano M520s and A530s on mountain and road respectively. No problems with either under moderate use. I had some old Performance Team Forte's that were fine but heavy and tended to get loose every now and then, but did the job for the price.

I ran similar pedals and was very happy with them. The only reason I'm not running them now is because I wanted to try a road pedal after getting numb toes. I think the wider cleat that spreads the force over a larger area has help that. It was either that or the fact that my road shoes had a stiffer sole, or both.

I did come uncliped once with the MTB pedals. It was on a hill climb and stood up to sprint up (it was a really short, but steep hill). I cranked really hard and popped out. Luckily it was on the upstroke and I easily recovered without any issues.

I've been having the same problem with numb toes. Do you think a wider cleat will help?