so i have been searching bike forums and google and have came to the conclusion that i want to go clipless. now my budget is around $150, i can go over but i want to keep it around there if possible. i usually cruise around town but also go on longer rides, recently the beach about 65 miles away. i like the speedplay design and double sided entry but the price is a little high. crank brothers seem to be quite popular also.

would it be better for me to get some zeros or light action with cheap shoes like https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_202362

or should i opt for more expensive shoes and get crank brother or some SDP-SLs like this https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...1_10000_202363

im looking for an opinion from people who have tried some of these pedals and know from personal experience. i am also open to other suggestions like maybe some mtb pedals or something. thanks.

PS. i dont need to walk in the shoes, i can carry extra shoes. also "float" i have never tried clipless so i have no idea if i will like it or not, how can i tell if im going to need "float" thanks again

I'd like to qualify my feedback with the fact that I have only used Speedplay pedals due to having problems with one knee. I have the X5 Cromoly on my Redline 925 commuter and I love it. I love the reassuring 'clunkd' sound from clipping the pedals on with my Adidas road shoe. The light action and zeros are similar, from what I know.

As you might already know, the Speedplay road pedal cleats stick out a lot and you walk like a duck when you are off the bike. So, if you plan to cruise around town, that may not be the best option. For long distance cycling, when you are on the bike for a while before getting off they would be great. But then again, the previous problem of walking around once off the bike holds.

The compromise might be Speedplay frogs with a mountain bike shoe with deep treads. I have Speedplay Frogs on my touring bike and wear Northwave MTB shoes (forgot the model-touring with Goretex). They are working fine after 7000 touring kms with plenty of time off the bike and walking around.

Good luck with your decision!

time atac's! I love mine

Time Atac Aliums were the other pedals I considered. You could save some money on the pedals for better shoes.

thanks guys ill look up the time atacs. also i forgot to mention i always have my trusty Jansport on my back with tools, food, extra clothes etc. so carrying extra shoes will not be a problem. so if i cant walk in the shoes im fine.

I've tried just about every pedal mentioned around here.

The R540 is a good pedal...a GREAT set of pedals for $40. Hell, I didn't know they were that cheap now. The white is a nice new touch.



You should really try on cycling shoes before you buy them. I can't stress that enough. If you find something that both Nashbar and Performance bike carry, Performance will match the nashbar.com or performancebike.com prices in the store as they are all the same company.

MTB pedals are made for quick entry and to shed mud. The shoes allow for walking/running through the woods as in MTB and Cyclocross racing. Road shoes will be much stiffer and more comfortable for longer rides. The pedals will have better float systems. So, for short rides and on/of riding and walking, MTB pedals are better. For longer rides where you are on the bike for the majority of the time, Road pedals are better. When you do equal amounts of each...it's a toss up. But, I'd prefer the road systems.

carleton are you recommending that i get the shimano pedals for 40 and invest in some nicer road shoes? are the R540s easily clipped in and out even for someone who has never tried clipless? i also like the look of the white because i have a white bike too =D

Yes. That is a great value for a really good pedal. That pedal is just hand-me-down mold from the old dura-ace PD-7750 pedal that was designed for Lance Armstrong about 6-7 years ago. The R540 is made of different materials so it's heavier.



You can adjust the spring tension of the pedal making them easy or hard to clip in and out of. That's the hole in the plastic part. An allen wrench goes there to adjust.

Yes, get some nicer shoes. But, again, try them on first. Shoe size and fit is very important and vary among manufacturers. Cycling shoes are important like running shoes...especially if you intend to ride/run and significant distance.

Hey carleton, I heard about people recommending the new 105 pedals because it has a metal plate in the middle, which they claim it lasts longer. I have a set of older ultegra pedals, and it has the plastic body. Will that ever wear out? If it does, what happens when it does, and is it replaceable?

Yeah, that plastic bit in the middle keeps the pedals snug to the shoes. But it does wear out over time when you twist to get out of the pedal. But it takes a looooong time for this to happen. It's replaceable but getting harder to find. This is why they made the metal plate which lasts longer.

if you're worried about durability, buy from REI, they have a good pedal selection and lifetime warranty

Really? That's awesome. I didn't know that. I'm a member, too.

alright cool thanks! your answers really helped me out. im happy to have found someone who has tried multiple pedal systems and not just some simple reviews. im going to head to the lbs tomorrow to check out some shoes.

REI will take anything for a return, even if you ruin it yourself

REI = Return Everything Incorporated

Definitely try shoes on before you buy. Go with what's comfortable. I have weird feet, it's tough for me to find shoes that fit, so I ended up with some cheaper mountain shoes, but they are super comfortable and that's all it comes down to. I would trade comfort for a few grams any day. That would be my only advice.

do u guys have a "returns" section to browse? the "flagship" store here does... i get a lot of really nice stuff that "idiots" returned for supah cheep

last time i was there, i saw a shirt with an iron burn mark and stains.. return tag said "iron burn"
LOL?!

I don't actually have an REI membership but my lady friend does... so I don't actually shop there very much.

Another friend told me that one time he went to the REI Garage Sale and got a really nice hiking backpack for like $50 because the previous owner's dog chewed off one of the straps. He said he just ordered a replacement part from the manufacturer and it was still pretty cheap.

Performance Bike has a pretty awesome return policy from what I understand too. I haven't had to use it myself yet. I need to take my Profile aero cage jams in cause I broke a cage off.

I've bought bike computers and a nice GShock watch for really cheap in their member sales.

I like the versatility of using a single pair of shoes that I can walk in on multiple bikes... that said, my fixie has performance brand spds, one of my road bikes has 15 year old road spds, my folder has the 'campus' pedal-- platform on one side, spd on the other. My mountain bike also has shimano spds. My other road bike has Looks, with different shoes. I have ridden the spds with performance brand shoes for the last couple of years. Before that, I had a pair of shimano shoes that lasted about 7 years, and before that a pair of specialized (I really like those-- but they stopped making them). At any point in time, I never had more than about $100 in pedal/shoe combinations.

When I started riding clipless, it was Looks for the road bike-- that was the only brand available at the time. When shimano came out with spds, it was spds on the mountian bike. I have friends who love eggbeaters, but I couldn't see replacing all the pedals I had with something new, so I have stuck with the Look/spd combination.

train safe-

Go with mountain bike shoes and pedals. It's so nice to be able to walk and if you ever get into an altercation you will be able to run or stand your ground.

You can return anything as long as you haven't made it look like crap

Go with SPD style pedals (or similar cleats) and you can rock a pair of normal looking shoes

https://www.dzrshoes.com/product/gmt-8/

I personally like my Crank Bros. Egg Beater pedals. 4-sided step in makes clipping in easier. You really can't use them without your shoes, though. You can get their basic model for around $40, and I think they look pretty sleek on the bike.