dlschwarz

I just ordered a complete 09 LHT. It should be in soon, but without pedals. Could someone make a recommendation based on experience?

Thanks!

Solomander

I have Bebop pedals, which I really like. Small platform, lots of float. If you combine them with mountain bike shoes, the cleats are very walkable. Very low maintainence. The company seems to have gone belly up, but they are still widely available. My second choice would be Speedplay Frogs. They have all of the same advantages of Bebops and I don't think that Speedplay is going anywhere. I don't know if the cleats that come with either of these pedals can be accomodated by Shimano or Keen sandals.

Good Luck,

Joel

dlschwarz

Thanks Joel! I'll take a look

roadfix

I like eggbeaters. I've got them on 4 bikes, including my LHT.

dlschwarz

Ok, thanks Roadfix.

valygrl

I like the Speedplay Frogs, work fine w/Shimano sandals, easy to clip in/out, cleats are reasonably walkable, but do tend to break after about 3-5000 miles and require an occasional shot of chain lube if they get gritty.

BikeArkansas

I have eggbeaters from Crank Brothers. Work very well. I also find then easy to clip in, such as on inclines or at stop lights. Work well when dirty and muddy. Walking is almost like they are not there when used with touring bike shoes. Been using them two years. Now have them on my 2008 Surly LHT.

dlschwarz

Thanks Valygrl

knobster

For touring, one of the best pedals I've found is the campus type pedals. Shimano PDM324 and the Welgo C002 pedals have a SPD interface on one side and a platform on the other. What's nice about these is when you need to run down the road for something and don't feel like putting your cycling shoes on, you can ride in normal shoes.

El Pelon

If you like a lot of float, the Bebops (as noted above) can't be beaten. They will outlast the Speedplays by years. However, they ARE hard to find . . . the company did indeed go under.

If you can do without a lot of float, look at Look. IMHO, they make the best pedal systems on the market.

Cave

I went from platforms (wellgo) with plastic clips to Time ATAC clipless with Lake MTB shoes on the tourer; I have platforms (ancient French) and metal toeclips on the fixie.

Some observations:
- Even with competition-level MTB shoes, there is still a bit of pressure from small pedals after hours in the saddle. Manageable, but because I can't move my foot around I notice it more.
- I like my cleats further back on long rides and further forward on faster rides. You can't adjust on-the-go, or move your foot around.
- Plastic toe clips are way, way inferior to metal ones. If you decide against clipless, spend a bit extra to get good metal toeclips.
- It is annoying not having a platform sometimes, as I use the bike for commuting / shopping / local transport as well as touring (at least I used to - not riding much these days). You can get plastic platforms that clip onto SPD pedals but I haven't seen them for any other system. They're OK but not great; a temporary solution.

If all you are doing is cycling in cycling gear, look for the "best" clipless system.
If you are riding around the block as well as around the country, think about a double-sided system (like the Shimano 324s above) or platforms + clips.
If you can't decide, go for 324s and after 6 months if you don't like them you can get something that addresses the problems you have with them. They don't cost too much.

dlschwarz

Knobster;

Makes sense about the campus/SPD pedal combo. I never thought about that. I'm not always going to be riding 8 hrs. a day. Thanks!

dlschwarz

Cave, my LBS also recommended the TIME ATAC's, Thanks for the input....I'm reconsidering just clipless

kuan

I have Crank Bros Smarty pedals on mine. I started with the Crank Brothers system and I've stayed with them since. They're on all my bikes.

fantom1 

Crank Bros. Candy/ Eggbeaters.

They have the least possibility for malfunction I think, and are readily available. Plus they're dirt cheap for how lightweight they are.

pasopia

Eggbeater candys are my favorite.

Shimagnolo

I believe they are back in business. Some digging around turned up that they were apparently sued by Speedplay, but Speedplay lost the suit.

https://urbanvelo.org/bebop-pedals-first-impressions/

Dellphinus

I used PowerGrips for 4 years before going clipless. They were fine for long (117 mile longest) rides, and for climbing. You lose a little pulling through on the the bottom of the stroke, but these things should be looked at if you use your bike as Cave described above- they are great for just jumping on the bike and going, in whatever shoes you have on. Someone/somewhere described PowerGrips as the most under-rated cycling accessory out there- I agree...

dlschwarz

Alot of choices out there. Wish I could try some out before purchasing.

Thanks everyone

Louis

Congratulations.

I'm almost convinced a new LHT is in my very near future. What color did you order, and approximately how long is the wait going to be?

Longfemur

Either a nice wide MKS Touring pedal with a good quality metal toe clip or half-clip, or a mountain bike pedal and shoe combination you can walk in. I've always gone back to Shimano SPD, personally. I've tried many of the others, but I always go back. For real touring, the only non-road SPD pedal I like is the M324. Why? Well, although it can be useful to have a side which is just an ordinary pedal for ordinary shoes, the main reason is that on the clipless side, this pedal seems to provide a bit wider support platform for the shoe/cleat combination. Spoon-sized off-road pedals can be murder to your feet on long, continuous rides. You can compensate somewhat for this by buying a very expensive shoe with a very stiff sole, but then, that kind of defeats the purpose of the whole thing being walkable, doesn't it? With the M324's, if and when you do get hotfoot or numbness, you can just decide to pedal freely on the other side, any time you want to. But, it all depends on what you mean by touring, I guess.

I don't really tour long distances now due to medical problems (I kind of limit myself to 30-40 miles or so), but if I did, I would take off the clipless pedals I use for my more urban/suburban riding, and put on touring pedals such as the MKS with toe clips. The less reliance on mechanical complexity, the better. And a tourer isn't into a speed contest or a time trial, so there's really no need to squeeze out all the juice from the performance lemon.

Hofweber

I agree with longfemur on this 100%. Having at least the option of a platform side is very important. I had the skinny plastic platforms that go on one side of the SPD pedals and used that 5 out of the 6 days on my last tour. The one day I used my clipless side I developed knee pain that lasted the rest of the trip. I plan on getting some MKS Grip Kings or some M324s. Just having a comfortable shoe and a platform is all you need.

LetDiceFly

The Shimano A530 is their newest design of campus type pedals. I have had mine for a few months and I am very happy with them. The shape makes clipless entry very efficient.

Avoid the Performance Bike Forte Campus pedals, they are substandard quality and many people have had problems with them.

cyccommute 

Shimano M520. Two sided mountain bike pedals. Cheap (~$50), rugged, tough and work better than less expensive knock-offs. They're the only thing I use on 4 different bikes from mountain to road. No futzing to find the side that you can clip into.

staehpj1

I agree that this is a great pedal to tour in. I can ride my bike a few hundred yards in town or to the shower with them while wearing Crocs and that is the extent of the riding I do on tour without my bike shoes.

The pedals with a cage on one side and an spd on the other are great for commuting and errand running where you might wear nonibike shoes, but I never felt the need on tour. I have a pair of campus pedals on my folding bike and love them in that application, but on tour I like spd on both sides.

My daughter used campus pedals on the TA and said that they were OK but on hind sight she would have preferred spd on both sides. She loves the campus pedals for commuting and general campus riding though.