Going clipless...

CK61938

CK61938

CK61938

Soldato
Joined
31 Jan 2009
Posts
3,219
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Me again...Lol.

I changed my pedals the other week to ones with toe clips and straps. But given my big feet and how wide they are, the straps were too small. So I took them and I am just riding with the clips. It does with my movement and I seem to be getting faster (I even raised my seat post by about an inch and got a new gel saddle, not to mention using energy gels of late, so a damn good combo!).

But I do want to move to clipless and a friend of mine is suggesting that I do. Obviously, I don't want to spend too much (would probably want to spend around £60-£70 in total for shoes and pedals).

So, please hit me with your suggestions! :)
 
Why on earth would you start with SPD and move to SPD-SL? :confused: Just go with one of them and stick with it.

Most roadies prefer SPD-SL (or equivalent) so unless you plan to do a fair bit of walking in your cycling shoes then it's probably worth going with that option. I say this as a complete SPD fanboi.
 
CK61938 said:
Quite a selection here. Can I ask, being a noob, what does SPD mean and what's the difference between that and an SPD-SL?
Click to expand...

SPD is mountain bike/touring type. You can walk in the shoe, with the two sided pedal dead easy to clip in and out. Cleats last a long time. Cleats are small so get a bit of a hotspot on your foot.
SL are road bike type, usually glass fibre sole or carbon, single sided, stiff shoe, very comfy over long distance, but can't walk in shoe, and bit tricky getting in, and can't pedal on your arch of your foot (to keep speed up so don't fall over) whilst you're clipping in. Slippy shoes so easy to slip your foot off the pedal if you don't get it right. Large cleat so very stiff, no flex so comfy over longer rides. Plastic cleat so they don't last as long. Will damage shoes and cleat if you walk a lot in them

I'd start off with SPD.
Some roadies do use SPD.

I prefer those A series SPD over the dual sided SPD. The cage supports your shoe, whilst still being SPD shoe.
On the roadie I use 105 SL pedals but on commuter bike I use those A series SPD.

Really depends on you, what riding you're doing, whether you feel safer with SPD or SL
 
hornetstinger said:
SPD is mountain bike/touring type. You can walk in the shoe, with the two sided pedal dead easy to clip in and out. Cleats last a long time. Cleats are small so get a bit of a hotspot on your foot.
SL are road bike type, usually glass fibre sole or carbon, single sided, stiff shoe, very comfy over long distance, but can't walk in shoe, and bit tricky getting in, and can't pedal on your arch of your foot (to keep speed up so don't fall over) whilst you're clipping in. Slippy shoes so easy to slip your foot off the pedal if you don't get it right. Large cleat so very stiff, no flex so comfy over longer rides. Plastic cleat so they don't last as long. Will damage shoes and cleat if you walk a lot in them

I'd start off with SPD.
Some roadies do use SPD.

I prefer those A series SPD over the dual sided SPD. The cage supports your shoe, whilst still being SPD shoe.
On the roadie I use 105 SL pedals but on commuter bike I use those A series SPD.

Really depends on you, what riding you're doing, whether you feel safer with SPD or SL
Click to expand...


Very informative, thank you! I think I will go for regular SPD and see how things progress from there. :)
 
Also whether you get SPD or SPD-SL there is a allen bolt which adjusts the tension, so when you fit them rest against the wall and practice getting in out of the clips, and learning how to flip your foot into the cleat so can do it without thinking.

By adjusting the bolt tension, it increases/decreases how easy or hard it is to get into and getting out of the cleat. If you're popping out whilst riding then up the tension, If you're twisting your foot and can't get out decrease the tension.

The two sided SPD are dead easy, the A series bit more tricky just need to flip the pedal with toe and push in with a single movement.
Always unclip early you don't want to go upto traffic lights, brake to a full stop then forget you're stil in the pedal.

I always unclip the left foot, with right pedal at 1 o clock, keeping right foot clipped. So when I pull away, I pedal with right foot that gives forward momentum time to clip in with left foot.

Also unclip early when arriving phone, that has happened to myself and couple of riders as you're so used to pulling up to the driveway you may forget to unclip.
 
It's a bit easier to set off from the lights at speed but that's really it in terms of SPD advantages unless you plan to walk in the shoes a lot. I'd just go SPD-SL if I were you as it doesn't sound like the one real advantage of SPD over SL really matters to you.
 
CK61938 said:
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will have a shop around. Might go to the likes of Evans or Sports Direct to try on some shoes so I have an idea on what size I need to get (I'm a size 11/12). :)
Click to expand...

Order online - most online places like Wiggle/CRC/Simga etc give you 30/60/90 days to return stuff. I should know - I currently have 4 pairs of shoes in my house seeing which ones I like better!

Can't go far wrong with these for the price - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-r10-road-cycling-shoe/ to start with
 
hornetstinger said:
By adjusting the bolt tension, it increases/decreases how easy or hard it is to get into and getting out of the cleat. If you're popping out whilst riding then up the tension, If you're twisting your foot and can't get out decrease the tension.
Click to expand...

I made this mistake when I got my first pedals, I was just practising getting in and out and I didn't loosen the tension before I got on the first time and got stuck in the pedals leaning against a wall....

I used some M424's as my first set, there a double sided MTB pedal with a cage around them so you still have something to pedal with if you don't want to wear cycling shoes for whatever reason.
 
booyaka said:
Order online - most online places like Wiggle/CRC/Simga etc give you 30/60/90 days to return stuff. I should know - I currently have 4 pairs of shoes in my house seeing which ones I like better!

Can't go far wrong with these for the price - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-r10-road-cycling-shoe/ to start with
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea. I should probably adopt that myself. My girlfriend does it a lot with stuff she buys from Next and other places for clothing and such.
 
hornetstinger said:
Got to be taking the mick

https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/G...gclid=CIKW69-yxdICFU4z0wodtJcN-A&gclsrc=aw.ds
Click to expand...

Only one way to respond to that...

zhqPo-rFdEcLEbLZbdJ22WB5HUaGwUOCgaLSR8EQVamVIORs3JcDVU5rEkJBMxZGICvMb46JYdlVK_D2ZQgnuD-BtPIYqKxHuzNYMps758tM_J0mKYJRUFtVC13XqMPcBFX-qeFtAodJVNI1z37sXMt-KqHKzkyh7Otdjc9JIrk4X82TXQe2uBNc-gaO_03pHzu_zSB8dnkieUEfMRSikp4ueS9J-pAabcrIvykfcdZh19WXVTFYmnpbvPTDf3BVsoezB4YdHwQxZAnE4-WhJ6ryiBVu3xaFZbuMLVRjeB6emMwRs5ZWhnPIxUZDJd9eAxPlObPLgp5BEAh5U0o4v9T2su_1KRoNnMBAsdiUo2HFqte5onLkrKPY3Qe9yIjYwsiUrf_D7SePivfp6FlN89xyLo9GNUMM6mphcMvZ80tmmtToPcYZZoDwjOx5iP5ESVx1ACq2LWdUQ_1mv2dvGsHLD2cGlEs5IwnH5r59AE2CYslY2GYEl-QNquDGuxInncokId138jlMt4kec4O51u4ZthAP64aekb1u3mFFnJeKG97NQ59_qPvwLYcPxP5SdUr5D-SrhmGbYUSP0dFsnDebKl3EXcwhnFSvDXIvXQrO87VHQYJDhQ=w720-h715-no
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom