Picking out Pedals!!

[Elphaba]

With anticipation that my Avail Inspire will arrive at the LBS via UPS later this afternoon, I am going in at lunch time to pick out pedals and potentially shoes so everything can be ready to put on the bike when it comes it. I could be riding it this evening!! Yikes! I have a great rapport with the sales guy down there, so I know he won't steer me wrong, still somehow feel a little baffled by the potential options.

Any suggestions?

L

[indysteel]

Just a few initial questions: How important is it that you are able to easily walk around in your cycling shoes? Do you have any knee issues? Do you have a budget in mind for the pedals and shoes? Have you used clipless pedals before?

[Elphaba]

Just a few initial questions: How important is it that you are able to easily walk around in your cycling shoes?

I'm not really sure. For now, when I ride I leave home and come back, not a lot of extra walking around. I am going to do my first charity ride in November, so I don't know if I will be able to get to my car and change shoes or not after the ride.

Do you have any knee issues?

Nope!

Do you have a budget in mind for the pedals and shoes?

Under $100? More important a solid entry level option.

Have you used clipless pedals before?

Nope!

[indysteel]

A lot of people start off with SPD pedals. They allow you to walk normally and a lot of the shoes that are compatible look more like hiking/tennis shoes. The pedals themselves (there are various models) are pretty cheap, as are some of the compatible shoes. The downside to SPDS for some is that the pedals hold your knees in a fixed position. For that reason, it's important that they're set up correctly. One of the other downsides for some is that SPD compatible shoes are often not quite as stiff as road shoes. That's bothersome to some.

There are a handful of other options that allow for easy walking but also offer float. Speedplay Frogs come to mind. They offer unlimited float (meaning your knee has a full range of movement) and I know of at least a couple of people on TE who really like them.

That leaves a bunch of road options. It seems like the two most common ones are Speedplay and Keo Look (or Look style) pedas. I have the latter. There's a learning curve with them, but with the tension set low, they're pretty easy to get in and out of. They hold up well, and provide for float (how much depends on which cleat you get). Plus, the cleats now come with a bit of rubber on them, which makes stoppind and walking a bit easier. I like SIDI road shoes myself, too (they're the only cycling shoes that really fit me), which makes the Keos a better choice for me. But a lot of road shoes aren't cheap and it can sometimes be hard to find a pair that fits.

So, my advice is to start with the shoes. Find a pair that fits. You don't want them too tight (because your foot may swell) but your heal should stay put in them. The shoes may dictate what kind of pedal is available to you, since not every pedal is compatible for every shoe.

But in the end, if the shoe fits and you give yourself a chance to learn how to use the pedals and to feel comfortable, you're good to go. Don't get analysis paralysis with it!

[Elphaba]

Thanks Mary Anne,

I am off armed with lots of info! I will let you know what I come up with.

L

[Owlie]

I agree with Indy. Find shoes that fit and meet your needs, then base your pedal types on what's compatible. They'll be snugger than athletic shoes, but you do want some room in them. I've been wearing a Specialized mountain shoe with SPDs. I like the ability to walk in them, but I have a feeling that Sidis or Louis Garneau would fit me better--my Spec shoes are too big in the heel. And I want a stiffer shoe. I'm switching to a true road pedal next time around, either Speedplays or Look-style.

[indysteel]

LOL. "Mary Anne" is the writer I'm quoting in my signature line. You're not the first person who has called me Mary Anne though; I wonder if theres' a way to make that clearer.

[luvmyguys]

If I might insert a newb question here - what is float and why is it important?

(Thank you!)

[Catrin]

If I might insert a newb question here - what is float and why is it important?

(Thank you!)

The simplest way I can think to explain float is that it is about how much freedom your ankle and knee have to move around once you are attached to your bike. For some, low, or no, float is good and works for them - the knee/foot doesn't move around much while pedaling. For those who need more float, of which I am one, having more float allows my ankle and knee to be where they want/need to be but I still get the advantages from clipping in. Indeed platform pedals on the road causes me knee pain, (but not on my mountain bike), and pedals with less float equally cause me knee pain.

Some pedals have adjustable float, others don't. You will find fans here of pretty much every pedal out there My personal favorite are Speedplay Frogs, a mountain bike pedal with a lot of float that I moved to after discovering that SPD pedals didn't have enough float for me and I wanted to stick with mtb pedals.