OK....so I think i'm finally going to take the plunge and buy some shoes/pedals for clipless riding. As always I like to stop by the forum for advice. I am currently riding a Steamroller w/ MKS GR9 pedals and typically wear my chucks for the flat sole. I have a short (33 mile) ride coming up and figured that shoes/pedals would be the way to go and may be a bit easier on my feet. I'm worried about the breaking since I can normally lock out the back tire fine w/ my MKS but would i become unclipped by forcing the pedals backwards like that?

Second part of my question is on pedal types... Speedplay, Look, SPDs, Crankbros?..any suggestions from those who have street ridden theirs (fixed) is welcome.

Thanks !

I use Look style pedals on my road bike but I don't think I would recommend them for fixed use. The shoes/cleats are extremely clunky and virtually impossible to walk in. Also, because of the way the clip mechanism works, I think you could potentially slide out the back if you were executing a skid. Again, I can't be sure because I haven't used them on fix, but it seem that since the opening mechanism is in the back of the pedal, it could be sketch

P.S.- I love them for road biking, though. They are the most comfortable pedal/shoe combo I have ever used because they offer a large flat surface/cleat for your shoe to press down on

I have skidded and backpedalled on SPDs and Crank Bros Speedplay pedals with no issues.

I'm partial to Crank Bros. Candies. I haven't had a whole lot of good results using egg-beaters on my FG, so I'd stay away from those. I just like crank bros because I don't like dealing with spring tension. But if you want more control over how you get in and out, I'd definitely go with some SPD's.

You definitely want MTB shoes and pedals, not road. I prefer Crank Bros over SPDs because I like the float that they offer and their lack of a wall before clicking out. I haven't had a chance to try them, but I've always imagined that Time pedals would be my choice (I don't want to try them, because I can't afford to get a set for each of my bikes...). Also, I've never clipped out using either Crank Bros or SPDs.

time atac + a decent shoe

/thread

Personally, I found Shimano SPDs to work best, tightened down to the max.

My feet flew outta my ATACs when I tried them, so they went back on the MTB, where I love the float & ability to clip in/out easily.

I don't understand how the atacs could fail like this. Doesn't the mechanism tighten when you pull up? I don't use the atacs, so I'm genuinely curious; this is how eggbeaters and their derivatives work, and they've never failed me unless my cleats were worn. Unless you twist out, this sort of design seems pretty much ideal for fixed.

I also say SPD's. I am building up a Steamer right now and will be using SPD's.

SPD or bust!

SPD's with Bontrager casual shoes.no clik,claking around

I like my SPDs and am happy with them. I don't skid but I can resist very hard on them and the couple skip stops I've done for ****s and giggles they haven't come unclipped despite the tension being only set to about mid level. I would think that if you keep your feet straight you wouldn't have a problem with these.

That said, most people who've tried both seem to prefer time ATAC and if you're into skidding I can see most of the arguments about ATAC being superior making a lot of sense.

I'm guessing it may have a combo of both: a bit of a twist & some older cleats.

I have SPDs and have only clipped out once when I didn't ask, but I was kinda laying on my side and sliding across a breezeway. So I was pretty happy that I clipped out. My next set will be Crank Bro Candies. They're stylish and I like how they work.

One thing I suggest is ride with your clipless a bit before that 33 mile ride. Not so much on how to get in and out cause that's obvious, but calibrating your cleat so your feet don't ache mid-way through the ride.

All - thanks for the advice, I'm going to check out the SPDs, CrankBro Candies, and ATACS at my LBS and see if i can test ride. not sure if they do that sort of thing, otherwise i'll try to bum a ride off some friends to try them out. I'll let you know how it goes, worst case scenario is i'm still in clips for the ride, but i appreciate the expert advice. Cheers, kj

I was going to get some M520's for my Steamroller, but the LBS didn't have them in stock at the time. They're cheap, and looked alright, but I managed to get some Atac's off ebay for about the same price, and from all I've read/seen they seem to be exactly the kind of pedal I want.