Understanding pedals

jsmoke · 12 Jul 2018 at 12:00

So you have flat pedals, the old pedals with clips and clipless.

Within clipless you have two or three different standards I think, SPD, Shimano and another.

And then you possibly have two bolt, three bolt of even four bolt cleats.

So for an entry level standard pedal/cleat set what am I looking for. Is it three bolt SPD pedals/cleats?

TheMightyTen · 12 Jul 2018 at 12:26

Don't confuse Shimano SPD (2 bolt cleat for mountain bikers also popular with commuters and tourers) with Shimano SPD SL (3 bolt cleat for road bikes)

https://guides.wiggle.co.uk/cycling-pedals-and-cleats-buying-guide-0

Cleats are a personal preference the only real way to experience is to try. Many beginners, though, do start with the Shimano 2 bolt cleat SPD system as it's generally double sided pedals and less intimidating at first.

jsmoke · 12 Jul 2018 at 12:43

So are these SPD SL 3 bolt pedal/cleats?

If so it's not entirely obvious to me from the picture that a 3 bolt triangular cleat would clip into these.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.RSP-Cliple...tmzG_LaAQGLvihtYcKtjczBKQhGKuUv0aAixHEALw_wcB

TheMightyTen · 12 Jul 2018 at 13:00

jsmoke said:
So are these SPD SL 3 bolt pedal/cleats?

If so it's not entirely obvious to me from the picture that a 3 bolt triangular cleat would clip into these.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.RSP-Cliple...tmzG_LaAQGLvihtYcKtjczBKQhGKuUv0aAixHEALw_wcB

Perhaps the bit where it says:

Look Arc compatible cleats

might contain a whopping clue

Look Delta cleats tend to fit the older Arc pedal system. I wouldn't use an Arc system these days personally but some of the old boys at my cycling club still do.

jsmoke · 12 Jul 2018 at 14:48

Could you recommend a pair of shoes/cleats/pedals then.

Bear · 13 Jul 2018 at 05:15

As said already, many start out on SPDs as you can get double sided pedals and also you can walk fine on SPD shoes as the cleat is recessed, they last a lot longer as they are metal and naturally have greater float (how much you can twist your foot side to side with out disengaging your foot)

A road shoe has the cleat sitting proud on the sole of the shoe so you walk on the cleat and as they are plastic, it wears them out. The pedals are single sided and the cleats come with different degrees of float.

You have to decide which one you prefer and go on from there. I use both systems on different bikes and cant say I have a preference over one or the other.

Begbie · 13 Jul 2018 at 05:54

jsmoke said:
Could you recommend a pair of shoes/cleats/pedals then.

'Riding road bike?

If so just go SPD-SL. I went straight in, and had no issue after riding flats for years on a mtb.

Also budget?

I just got some new Shimano RP501s and they are pretty nice.

Conanius · 23 Jul 2018 at 12:16

I got some Shimano shoes and Crank Bros Egg Beater pedals when I first got clip in pedals.

I'm really happy with them. Very easy to get on and pop out of.

Martynt74 · 23 Jul 2018 at 13:03

What's the main benefit to clip-in pedals? I presume it evens out your power as you can work on both the up stroke and the down stroke.

From a quantitative measure though what are we talking?

Armageus · 23 Jul 2018 at 15:34

Marvt74 said:
What's the main benefit to clip-in pedals? I presume it evens out your power as you can work on both the up stroke and the down stroke.

As well as that it also means your foot is always in the same/optimum position (assuming your cleats are in the right place on your shoes), and prevents your feet slipping off when pedalling at a high rpm, or under high load e.g. when climbing.

Personally I use Shimano M520 SPD on my road bike - have lasted 9 years with no maintenance, easy to engage/release, and no issue with walking in my shoes if required.

DanF · 23 Jul 2018 at 17:57

Marvt74 said:
What's the main benefit to clip-in pedals? I presume it evens out your power as you can work on both the up stroke and the down stroke.

From a quantitative measure though what are we talking?

SPD SL shoes tend to be much stiffer than flat pedal shoes or SPD shoes. It's possible to get very stiff SPD shoes but most have a bit more flex. The stiffer the sole of the shoe the less work your feet and calf muscles have to do on each pedal stroke.

using normal trainers on flat pedals is kinda like doing squats on the balls of your feet, no heal allowed to be used. Gets pretty tiring after a few hours cycling.

FishFluff · 24 Jul 2018 at 21:30

Armageus said:
Personally I use Shimano M520 SPD on my road bike - have lasted 9 years with no maintenance, easy to engage/release, and no issue with walking in my shoes if required.

This is what I would go for if you want to try clipless. Cheap, reliable and they work absolutely fine. I'm only upgrading from mine due to getting power meter pedals otherwise I'd have stuck with them. I've tried SPD SL and I honestly can't tell the difference.