So after a nasty experience with toe clips (not 100% their fault, but meh) from which my face is still healing, slowly, I'm going clipless. toe clips are just too much of a hassle to me, and I find that they're either too loose, and you can still come free (as happened to me, although I still don't exactly understand it) and get little power increase, or they are too tight and annoying in a place with plenty of lights. plus flicking them over to get in is just annoying as ****.

Anyway, with regards to clipless, I was talking to a guy at one of my LBSs yesterday about which pedals and stuff, spds, eggbeaters, so on, and he said "I used to ride SPDs fixed for a long time, it was fine, they're a good pedal. I mean I did do a skid one time and slid the back out, and lost a pedal, fell off and broke my arm... that's something that won't happen with clips." All in all a bit unnerving, not enough to turn me off clipless (lacking powersliding skills, or the incentive to learn) but I thought I'd sus out how often this happens to people.

so, just vote away, and if you've got something to add, like regarding brands and their different retention or whatever, chuck it down.

guy sounds like a tardcart. get candy bros. or time pedals and be done with it.

Ive been using time atac xs for a year now, brakeless fixed. Never had an accidental clip out unless doing a very sloppy whip skid where I rotated my ankle to the point of exiting normally. I managed to recover and continued. I used to use SPD's and had a few pull outs while skidding due to older springs and worn cleats. I dont think SPD's are as durable as ATACs. Stay on top of replacing cleats when they are getting worn and you should be fine. I hate riding with clip/strap set ups now, it feels to sloppy. Also a few times being able to quick kick out of clipless has saved me from taking a spill.

i used my ultegra SPD SLs for a while, then switched to SPD M540s because i wanted MTB shoes. i ****ing love 'em.

word to the wise on egg beaters. when i used them, a year ago or so, the cleats didn't last long. i raced bmx at the time and i had a few times when i hit the take off of the first jump when the clips came out.

but that was with walking with them and the cleat hit when i walked.

but that was a year ago. so some changes may have been made since then.

yeah I'll be rocking MTB shoes, shimano M075s or M122s I can get on the cheap, so they'll probably be the go. Think I'll end up with eggbeaters, the ATACs look nice, but even the alium ones are getting costly

When I started with SPDs, I noticed my cleats wore out really fast and caused random disconnects with the pedals.

Now I'm on Looks, cleats seem to last longer and haven't unclipped on accident yet.

User error causes fail.

Why do so many people prefer the candys over the eggbeaters? I would have thought with the 4 sided entry and clip in mechanism on the eggbeaters you wouldn't be failing to clip in and needing a platform much

Check out this thread, amongst others, in commuting regarding clipless pedals with walkable cleats (atac, bebop, speedplay, crank "they broke again" bros, shamino + clones, etc.)

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/401343-clipless-pedal-spd-bebop-vs-rest.html

i have some time aliums that i've not had a problem with yet... if you're going to run clipless though its probably just smart to run a brake too... foot skids are tough with cycling shoes on...

also those time pedals (z-something) with the platform/double sided entry might be a good idea too.. i've been thinking of switching up to those just because if you did clip out you'd at least have something to resist against that you wouldn't slip off of unclipped.


edit: noticed the speedplay recomendation... they wont pull out ever but theres no resistance on the float. i have some and opted for the times just because fishtailing on a skid made it easy for the speedplays to unclip pop out. I think they're definitely better for mtb.

really? i find skidding easier with clipless than toe straps.

not having a platform for road riding SUCKS. you get hot spots on your feet after 40 miles or less.

What we say around here is, when you're getting used to cleats, that you can expect to take three falls, usually of the Arte Johnson variety (stop, fall over in slow motion).

After that you should be good to go.

A word of praise for Speedplay Frogs. As mountain bike cleats, you have real traction when you a) walk around on pavement, or b) put your foot down at the traffic light. The cleats last years, as opposed to say, Look cleats which lasted me about six months (or one Cycle Oregon).

The pedals are dual-sided and have that ineffable quality of "stomp and go" and "getmeouttathisthing", which make them truly mindless. You're locked in when you want to be locked in, and you come out when you need to come out. The few times I've fallen while cleated into my Frogs, my feet just...magically...came out as I was going down: no knee or ankle issues (just the requisite road rash).

Don't blame the equipment, blame the rider. I have been riding clipless for 28 years, never had a had misshape. You have to learn how to not strap in to tight and know how get out.

having read that other post and some other things I'm leaning towards the time atacs... what's people opinions of the aliums? are they just heavier or are they actually more prone to failure? They still cost more than the cheapest breed of crankbros, but the eggbeaters don't have much to them...

I havn't had any problems, they look to me the same design as a lot of the rest of their line, just with chromoly parts instead of more expensive bits.

I ride LOOKs and have had no problems.

If by speedplays you are regarding the frogs. The frogs are a bit on the sucky side with mtbing as well. If you get speedplays, make sure you get one of the pedals from the zero or x series, it will require getting roadshoes though, which they are stiffer, but during the wintermonths if you ride outside, you can put shoe covers on IE booties over the roadshoes and your feet will stay warm and dry. Plus walkability isn't as bad as some people make it to be. Cleat covers can be had when you are off the bike so the cleats won't wear as quickly.

I'm on speedplay zero track editions, before that it was speedplay frogs.

That is my experience so far. After about 30 miles my feet really start to feel it, although it may be my shoes as well. I think that I'll probably get some Look style pedals to resolve hot spot issue and because I have never felt 100% confident about sprinting out of the saddle with my eggbeaters.

I do like them a lot for riding around town and they seem to hold up to skidding just fine.

um... you dont strap in to clipless pedals, you strap into toe clips.

assuming I won't fall out when I don't want to what about getting out when I do want to? The times seem to cop some flak for locking you in a little TOO tight...

it's the break in period. you'll get used to it... probably what will happen is when you try to get out you'll twist, it'll resist, you'll fall/torque your foot harder and unclip. you get used to it and having used them for awhile i can say it's not too tight, its how it should be. if i got any other pedal i'd want it to be as tight as the times are.

what set-ups are you guys running? I find I can go 50+ miles with my spd m520s and cheapo forte mtb shoes with no problems, maybe I just got lucky.

Looks on 1 bike, SPD on the other. SPD will disengage by pulling straight up *if* adjusted loose.
On the otherhand, neigher disconnects unexpectedly if adjusted correctly.

I did have an interesting experience a week ago. Drafting, looked over my shoulder getting ready to merge left when the guy I was drafting swerved left on me while I was looking away. Caught my wheel causing me to start to fall to the left while going about 18 MPH. I was able to instinctively unclip, get my foot on the ground and push off to restablize so i didn't fall. This was on my Looks. So, with experience, they come undone quickly on command, but hold otherwise.