Shoes....

I hope this isn't a silly question, but I've been wondering about shoes. I do use Shimano mountain shoes for spinning class. As a total novice who is still working on the "not falling over" skill, I obviously won't be putting clipless pedals on my new bike until at least sometime this summer. I did buy some knickers, a smartwool base shirt, and a thermal jacket and gloves with my bike so I can take advantage of sunny winter days for practice. I need practice. Lots of it :)

I asked them to remove the floopy straps/toe clips from my pedals, the straps were causing problems even though I wasn't trying to use them. Would it cause a problem to wear my Shimanos when I am practicing even though they aren't clipless pedals? Though the cleats are recessed and I can walk in the shoes, I wonder if the cleats might cause a problem for the pedals. Perhaps not - it seemed a good question to ask. Thanks!

You might want to consider getting "campus" pedals, with SPD on one side and regular platform pedals on the other side. I use those for my commuting bike and they are great. Shimano makes them; last time I checked they were about $60.

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Originally Posted by tulip

You might want to consider getting "campus" pedals, with SPD on one side and regular platform pedals on the other side. I use those for my commuting bike and they are great. Shimano makes them; last time I checked they were about $60.

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That is what we have on our spinning bikes - that might be a safer alternative. The current pedals on my bike have a lot of open spaces, so part of me wonders if the cleats on my SPD shoes might get caught in the holes. I am assuming that pedals are easily switched out?

yep, I've got those too and they are really handy.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

That is what we have on our spinning bikes - that might be a safer alternative. The current pedals on my bike have a lot of open spaces, so part of me wonders if the cleats on my SPD shoes might get caught in the holes. I am assuming that pedals are easily switched out?

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You need a pedal wrench, and you want them tightened enough but not over-tightened. There's a Left and Right pedal--the little L and R are on the part you screw into the crank arm. You can do it yourself, or you can have your bike shop do it for you. I don't have any problems with the holes in the pedals. They are great pedals, as Papaver has attested to (Belgians are very trustworthy, I think ;))

Just be careful with those Campus pedals.. they tend to flip over because one side is weighted with the cleat. So, if you are kicking the pedal over to flip it to the flat side, you might accidently clip in! I don't think it could happen very easily, though. I have these pedals on my hybrid (though I barely ever ride on the flat side) and my mountain bike, where I do frequently rest at least one foot on the flat side.