clipless pedals?

ok.. so i'm considering making the jump but i've got some questions, of course.

1) do they make you faster or just more efficient or is that one and the same?

2) are there "styles" of pedals? there's such a difference in looks between speedplay frogs from eggbeaters from looks/time pedals?? are they just different philosophies of efficiency or something? or is one style for recreational riders vs racers? or.. whatever?

3) shoes. ok i know shoes probably have to fit the pedal style but within shoes of that pedal style are they all bout the same? is it just color diff?

tks. i just want to make a somewhat informed decision.

Hi,
There is tons of info online about getting into clipless. I'm certainly no expert, but here are some answers to your immediate questions:

1) They do make you more efficient and faster - they allow you to transfer power through the upstroke of each leg, and so you get more out of every revolution. (The reason I'm re-dedicating myself to learning clipless, after flaking out once before, is that I did a long charity ride without them, and everybody dusted me.) Also, you can get a smoother spin as opposed to "mashing."

2) Yes, many styles. Also many prices. People will have a lot of different advice here. The advice I have received, and am taking for now, is to start out on Shimano SPD-style with multidirectional release cleats, and set the tension extremely low so that I can unclip easily. The multidirectional cleat is key to getting out more easily - there are many angles that will release your foot. However, there will be a downside to getting out so easily - also increases the risk of unclipping accidentally. Another reason I'm choosing Shimano is that I got the MTB kind that has a plastic resin cage around it for a larger platform - if I need to temporarily go back to not using the clipless, I can do so easily. I am viewing this as my beginner pedal, and I can definitely see myself upgrading to a better clipless pedal in the future. Both my LBS and tons of folks recommend Speedplay, and many say that's fine for beginners as well. It's considerably more expensive, however, so I'm more comfortable starting out with the Shimano first.

3) The differences among styles that seem most important to me as a beginner are the following:

One-sided or two-sided pedals: My first failed attempt was on one-sided Look pedals that came with my old road bike. I think two is the way to go for beginners.

Multidirectional release or not. If it's a single direction release, this means you must move your heel outward to release. Multidirectional, there are other directions that will release. As mentioned earlier, there is a tradeoff here, but when you're just getting started, you want to get out easily!

Float: How much your foot can rotate while still staying clipped in. More float is gentler on your knees, because if your foot is stuck in one position, your knee will get the pressure if your foot wants to twist. High degree of float is the reason Speedplays are so popular.

Recessed cleats or not: Many road pedals have cleats that stick out of the soles of your shoes, and they get beat up if you walk on them. Some cleats are so large that you really can't walk on them. Many MTB-style pedals have cleats that are recessed in the sole of your shoe. So this choice comes down to how important it is for you to be able to walk normally while wearing cleats.

Well, that's my perspective as someone who has tried clipless before, failed, suffered the consequences, and is now going back into it better informed!

Forgot to mention another advantage of starting with a clipless pedal that has a larger platform - you don't worry so much about making contact with the pedal when you're trying to clip in. With the kind I bought that has a plastic cage around the metal clipless pedal, even if you miss, you can still get started pedaling easily, then you can click in while you're riding.

Quote:

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Float: How much your foot can rotate while still staying clipped in. More float is gentler on your knees, because if your foot is stuck in one position, your knee will get the pressure if your foot wants to twist. High degree of float is the reason Speedplays are so popular.

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I have a question about this. Does a higher degree of float make it harder to unclip?

While you're still learning, high degree of float makes it "harder" to unclip, in the sense that moving your heel outward is not a natural motion (yet). More float means that you have to rotate more before the cleat will release.

But once you're used to the unclipping motion, it shouldn't be more difficult.

In general, high float is more popular for road, because rides tend to be longer, your body positioning is relatively stable, and you want to give your knee/foot positioning the flexibility to shift around a bit. Low float is more popular for MTB, because you're often out of your seat and jumping over things, and you want your feet to be more glued to the pedals.

a good LBS will let you play with the components for the different types of clipless pedals, so you can see how each works. I also talked to a few different clipless riders and they showed me how their pedals worked.

Became enamoured of the Speedplay Frogs, and am very happy with them.

found this link:

http://www.bicyclesouth.com/clipless.htm

I by FAR am no expert on anything about bicycling (except I am getting pretty good at falling it seems), but I say go clipless and don't look back.

Yeh, it takes alot of getting used to. Especially if you are timid like me. I have ZERO confidence and it shows, but being clipped in definately makes me more efficient of a rider. I am able to utilize different muscles if I want. I am able to make any numbness my toes might get go away without removing my foot from the pedal (before I would have to shake my foot out to ease the numbness). My feet don't slip off the pedal anymore when I go "fast" (I use that term loosely) which helps me maintain my speed instead of losing it.

I have regular Shimano clipless pedals that came with my bike. I got the Shimano mountain shoes versus the road shoes because for me, I want the ability to walk in the shoes without having to carry a pair to change into when I am not riding. They make a slight "click" noise when the cleat hits pavement but its not terribly annoying. And they look normal enough. In my experience, they are very true to size.

oh, and as far as unclipping goes: My better half suggested unclipping one side (the left, as the right side has the chain and derailers, etc, and can cause more damage on a fall); and not the other. Then dismount from the unclipped side. Once you have stopped you can unclip the other side.

Thought it sounded hokey at first, but it works! I have not fallen since using this method. Now I just hope that if I need to stop suddenly, I have enough sense to remember to unclip!