So yesterday I walked into my lbs to pick up some lights and chain lube, and mentioned I needed new pedals and that the efficiency of clipless appealed to me. At the moment I have clips and straps which have mostly served me well, but I have noticed that when trying to generate power on the up stroke there is quite a bit of "float" between my shoe and the top of the cage/straps even when rather snugly adjusted. I also dig the appeal of generating power on the back stroke of the pedal.

So my questions are 3:

-From a fitness/mechanical standpoint with clipless do I still need to be very cognizant of spinning the full rotation of the cranks, or would the pedal/foot connection sort of take care of that and naturally adjust my body to it?

-What cleats/pedals/shoes are most recommended? This is for a 6-7 mi commute to work and running errands, so changing shoes at work is a ok. Having to lug a second pair to run to the grocery/liquor store not so much (i.e. I hope to be able to walk at least moderate amounts)? LBS guy said spd and either shimano pd-m520 or eggbeaters Candy X for what thats worth. I've seen Time ATACS mentioned as well.

-How is it riding in an urban setting? Part of my commute is downtown. Will the start stop on clipless with a fixed be a pain? I can't trackstand but hope to learn eventually, but assuming my clutzy nature prevents it ever happening? Most posters seemed to say its okay, and my own experience (OMG I CAN'T GET INTO MY CLIPS/STRAPS WHILE ITS MOVING ON MY FIXED F*CK HALP...oh wait its easy) tells me not to stress.

I guess mostly I feel like I need to experience it for myself to judge, the same as I needed to experience fixed to say whether I'd like it or not, but your input/responses to this stale question that I have searched would be appreciated.

One humble bike enthusiast to the next,

oneeyedhobbit

Personally my favorite clipless pedals I have ever owned have been my Look Keo Sprints, however I havent and probably won't put them on my fixed gear. I enjoy them because they offer excellent power transfer and they're light. I use those pedals with shimano's tri spd's theyre carbon-soled so they arent good for walking so normally if I am wearing a bike shirt ill put some flip flops in my rear pockets and lock the shoes to my bike. If I didn't do this I would probably get MTN bike shoes and pedals as they are more like sneakers with cleats and are absolutely fine to walk in. That's my bit of rambling, but definitely get the clipless they improve your riding so much. As for the trackstanding I am absolutely terrible at it, so I just unclip and rest one foot on the ground(on my fixed gear I have some shimano pedals that on one side are platforms and the other is clipless so when I start I have a base to pedal with before I clip in so its not too slow to not trackstand with them) Hope this helps some!

A little bit, but makes it easier

All seem pretty good

mountain bike pedals (what your mechanic suggested) are two sided and easy to clip into. clipping out becomes second nature

i like... very much

Yeah, clipping in while moving isn't any harder than getting into your cages/straps while moving.

1) Can't really answer this; I've only ridden clipless.
2) Shimano SPD m520 - great beginner clipless setup. Mountain >> road for walking (for example, I don't use extra shoes for grocery runs, only have a pair at work for the dress code).
3) m520s are double-sided, so I would venture a guess that it would actually be easier to clip in than having to flip the cages.

I don't trackstand, and starting and stopping is fine for me in my urban environment.

don't stress. stopping and starting with clipless is actually easier than messing around with straps.

the only real drawback you will find is when your cleats start to wear out and you suddenly pull out of your pedals -- very alarming when riding fixed where up-pull is important. make sure to give your cleats a look over every now and then and replace them when they start to wear significantly. don't wait for them to fail.

Shimano M324 had clip on one side and plain pedal on the other. I got 'em so I could ride clipless or in sandals.

Yeah, I'm pretty confident that it will be all gravy. Going with the Shimano's. Would have them already but they were out of the shoes I wanted in my size (Mavic Cruise). Any similarly priced shoes I should be looking into though?

P.S. Since I didn't get to try it today, how does clipping in/out actually work, from a mechanics point of view? Straight in to clip in, twist to clip out?

Edit: How should cycling shoes fit actually? I normally run about 10.5, but opted to try the equivalent to the 11s/10s. The 10s felt generally ok and sized well, but seemed to be pushing really tight on the sides of my toes (think pushing in against my little toe et cet.). Not unbearably so but not exactly hella comfy. The 11s were super comfy but lots of space between toes/end of shoe, so guessing the 10.5 will do the trick, just not sure if I should be reevaluating how I expect these guys to fit.

Definitely buying local, for all the reasons mentioned carleton and because I love my local bike shop. I only ask for shoe recommendations because they only showed me https://thehubbikecoop.org/product/sh...es-43664-1.htm and the previously mentioned Mavic Cruize--in part I'm sure because I said I wanted comfy to walk in and preferably sub-$80 for my first pair.

Sorry. I deleted my post after re-reading yours.

I think they should fit snugly with room for your feet to expand a bit during longer rides. Also depends on the type of socks you wear. I say use cycling socks. They are more expensive, but last MUCH longer. Running socks are the same thing. I think they are cheaper, too. Just get the ones with no padding.

I have the 520 SPD's on my SS/Fixie, and entry level Pearl shoes.....love it as a SS but I'm not comfy with the set up as a Fixed....might just be me

and yet you only ever ride clipless, right? about 100% of the people i've talked to who bought dual-sided or large-platformed pedals so they could ride them without cleats never do.

Yes... About 100% of the time I'm clicked in.

i ride clipless as platforms often when riding with the lady or kids at my summer camp job.

lacks sufficient "urban cred" for inclusion in the ssfg forum. response is discarded and will not be counted in future statistics.

Keen casual clip-less cycling shoe:
https://www.rei.com/product/796898?pr...:referralID=NA

Shimano PD-M324 pedals:
https://www.rei.com/product/668198

This covers it.

I made the change to clipless from straps and can't be happier. I am a faster rider now and do feel like I gained the extra power during a full pedal stroke. Starting and stopping is easy, the SPD pedals are large enough that you can start pedaling and clip in with ease. Even if you don't clip in on the first go there is enough pedal to keep moving forward without any issues.

SPD shoes are pretty easy to walk in and don't make to much noise from the cleat. So running errands with them is not an issue.

I did this with my LOOK pedals but it always created pressure on my foot. My new Shimano pedals can be ridden comfortably as platforms

I agree that everyone should try clipless eventually, but what types of clips/straps do you have right now? With the cost of the shoes, pedals, cleats, etc., you could just get a really nice clip/strap setup. I'm lucky enough to have both. Believe me, quality straps make all the difference. I'm not saying don't go clipless; I'm saying consider all the options before you plop down a wad of cash. Happy riding!

But the OP seems particularly interested in efficiency, in which case clipless wins hands-down. A really nice clip setup can easily cost even more than clipless, especially if the OP is going for efficiency, which means you still need to invest in proper shoes. I agree clips have their place, but based on the OP's stated wishes, I'd say this isn't it.

ill cherish the day north phillys got no more clout!

I use both clipless (Look) and toeclips/straps/slotted cleats. Most of my riding is with toeclips/straps/slotted cleats. It takes a little while to get accustomed to it, but functionally there is little difference between clipless and toeclips/straps/slotted cleats.

get some mtb spds in teh ditch bin at your local bike coop/shop and be done with it

I agree. But most here aren't familiar with slotted cleats. And even more don't actually tighten their straps snugly.

fully agreed when it comes to pedalling, but i submit there's a dramatic difference in ease of getting into and out of a cleated system. back in ye olde days i took at least a teeter-over fall a month because i couldn't pop the strap fast enough. ugh.

plus, if you're a vegetarian (which i assume mr. thompson is, given his avatar) finding non-leather cleat shoes is probably impossible.