This thread isn't about whether I should or not but more about which type would be best for me if I decide to do so.

First - Most of my riding is a short 2 mile commute in heavy rush hour city traffic to work. A fall could be fatal so easily unclippable is my highest priority. However, I do plan on doing longer rides and it can be very hilly around here.

I am not worried about having to walk around in the riding shoes - for work I change immediately upon arrival and I don't commute other places. Any other riding I do is for pleasure.

My LBS recommends these to start with since I would also have a platform for if I didn't want to clip in:


Downside I see to it - might be harder to clip into than a pure clipless pedal since the pedal might not rest in the natural position needed to clip into it.

The pedal I am considering:



Downside - no platform to use in heavy traffic until I get used to unclipping although it looks like you could use regular shoes if you really needed to. If I had to use platforms due to insecurity in traffic I'd probably swap back to my platform pedals.

Other pedals to consider:


^ I don't know anything about how easy it is to unclip from these but they look very easy to clip into although I don't really know. Downside - always have to use riding shoes.



^ my well-to-do hardcore bicycle friend uses these. I don't know anything about them other than they seem to be expensive. another downside - always need riding shoes.


Anyway, looking for thoughts as to plus's and minuses of the different types I've shown. Also for what you might recommend for someone who has never used clipless pedals before.

You don't always need riding shoes with the 105s or the speedplays. It helps a lot, but isn't required. You can use your regular shoes.

I use
[h=1]Shimano PD-M324 SPD Dual Platform Pedal[/h]and the 105s. You can adjust the tension and I have the tension being pretty low. With the M324s they automatically rotate to the SPD side so if I were to use the other wise then I have to flip them myself.

Edit: Once I started wearing clipless shoes I always wear them now, even for my 2 mile commute. Go with shoes with a recessed cleat though. You can always upgrade to a road shoe (and use your SPDs with them too; I did until I with with the SPD-SLs).

ahh another thing to consider - with my feet in the natural position the toes ends of my feet stick out quite a bit.. If I put my heels together and look down at my feet they are V shaped. Something that holds my feet parallel to the bike would probably hurt my knees.

Also I have duck feet - extra wide. I have a hard time finding shoes that fit.

Ahh that's good info. Some reviews I read on dual pedals said they rested with the platform side up. The speedplays look like they would hurt with regular shoes.

As far as knees are considered you want something with float then. When I was using my road shoes with SPDs I was getting knee pain--I also have duck feet--but that was solved with the SPD-SLs. You want a pedal with 6+ degrees of float.

2 miles and you want clipless?

It would be FATAL if you screw up and you want clipless?

Rethink your priorities.

I will occasionally ride my Speedplay Zeros with regular shoes just fine. The nice thing about them is that they're 2-sided (don't have to flip the pedal over) and (with the Zero model only) you can adjust the float to suit your needs.

Even though I replied earlier, this is still something to consider. Someone here in Albuquerque died because a dump trunk ran him over when he fell. I would suggest get the platforms and use them in safe areas until you are pretty sure about riding them in heavy traffic. I've never fallen when coming to a stop light at a busy intersection, but I have nearly falled in other (safe) instances.

If the 2 miles commute was the ONLY riding I do I wouldn't even consider clipless. I specifically am not looking to turn this thread into whether or not to go clipless. I've read a dozen other threads about the pros/cons of clipless on this forum and they all turned into pissing matches. I haven't decided for sure to do it, but I expect I eventually will.

I'm asking that if I do go clipless which ones would be best for me.

From what I've read the speedplays can have a lot of float which would be good for my pigeon feet but they are also hella expensive.

I have duck feet and I was using the SPDs with recessed cleats and I was fine. For some reason though, when I went to the road shoes then it started hurting. That's why I went with SPD-SLs.

What is the technical difference between SPD and SPD-SL?

edit: ok, i see the spd are the smaller 2 hole cleats and the spd-sl are the larger 3 bolt cleat.

Spd-sl allows more float than spd?

You should try Shimano's PD-M424.


https://bike.shimano.com/publish/cont..._mountain.html


They also similar pedals with an aluminum cage. Both sides have a platform with their SPD clip-less system in the center. You get the choice of clip-less or street shoes, without swapping pedals. They have some float and you have some adjustability in how you align the cleat on the bottom of the shoe.


For what it's worth, I loathed the pedals that have a platform on one side and the clip-less on the other. The right side seemed to always be down.

I hadn't seen those before and they look quite interesting. Any downsides? How are they for clipping in and out?

edit: they are inexpensive too! However, does the cage make them harder to clip in/out?

I use Specialized mountain shoes, which do have tread so that you don't walk on the cleat. The clip-less on the pedal has a spring that holds the front edge of the binding up to catch the cleat when you clip in. If you step on them with regular shoes, the binding rotates down to give you a level pedal. I've ridden in flip-flops with no less ease than on a regular platform. I haven't had any problems with getting them to release or having them release early. There are two types of Shimano SPD cleats, regular and multi-release. Multi-release will let go if you pull them hard, so they might be an option to keep in mind if you're worried about needing to get out of the bindings fast.

I was reading about the multi release cleats on amazon and am pretty sure I'd get those if I go with SPD.

Multi-release may be best to start with, but aren't good for all situations. They're bad if you're putting down more power because you can pull out of them easier. I wouldn't use them on a track or if you're in a hurry (late for work). FYI, most SPD pedals come with regular cleats. You'd probably need to purchase multi-release separately. Regulars are black, multi-release are grey...if memory serves me well...

Eggbeaters, Eggbeater, Eggbeaters. ====> https://crankbrothers.com/pedals_eggbeater1.php

They are a very good pedal to start with. Once you get use to them, explore with other type of pedals if you want. I've always recommended Eggbeaters to friends that are afraid of going clipless, but still want to. Once they use them, they love them.

They are very easy to clip on to and that's because it's a four-sided pedal. No other pedal is like that. If you put you're weight on the pedal or if you slide your foot forward onto the pedal, you clip in easily. The best part about them though is how easy they are to unclip. If you happen to forget you're clipped in and you start to fall, just shake you're foot a little and you'll unclip. I would say 9-out-10 times, you'll be able to save yourself from a fall once you adapt to using them.

They also have some pretty good float. You have the option of 15 or 20 degree float. Start with 15 when you first use them. It'll allow you to unclip faster.

Also, they are a MTB pedals, so it's preferable if you buy a mountain bike shoe. Even better, is there's MTB shoes that look like regular shoes.

I'd recommend you start with the 'Eggbeater 1'. It's the most affordable of them all. They have others pedals(Candy, Mallet) with platforms, but to start with, Eggbeaters are the best.

Maybes my lbs will let me experiment with the different types.

I wouldn't recommend any Look-type (incl. SPD-SL) pedals for you at this point, I would go with something that's a little easier to click in to by feel, like the Speedplays or SPD/MTB pedals. I started off with SPD-SLs in NYC traffic. I didn't die, but it was a pain in the ass. Even after I got used to them, I still had miscues now any then. Switching to Speedplays was an instant relief.

Just FYI - you will fall - everyone does. Practice a ton where it would not be fatal if you fall before you venture out where a fall is fatal.

For what it is worth, I went an spd MTB recessed style simply because it was not over the top fashion type design , in fact they do not look like bike shoes at all. In fact , I was on a group ride once that I should consider getting bike shoes. To me that was the perfect compliment.

Yes almost everybody who uses clipless pedals falls over. And it may be a selection bias (maybe most people do die when they fall, but since they are dead, they never come back to the forum to let us know they died), but I haven't heard of any fatalities because of it.

I'm pretty sure that most bicycle fatalities don't have anything to do with whether or not the rider is clipped in. Given that, everybody who's commuting by bike should just stay home.

speedplay lite actions are what I ride (road)

dual sided entry makes it easier to clip in.

Ive never had an issue clipping out.

speedplay makes a clip-on platform for when you want to ride in sneakers
https://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?f...me.merchandise

with all that said, I think mountain systems may be a little easier for a first timer
I have time atacs on my mtb, very wide clip, dual sided, clears mud efficiently.

The platform on 105's are plenty wide enough to use without a shoe for quick jaunts. I do it all the time.

Not everyone - 76.7% of cyclists will fall. That was established via indepth study by umd right here in the 41, in 2009 or so .
OP - eggbeaters may be a good option for your needs