Which pedals?

[beancounterbeth]

I have been lurking on here for a while. My husband and I started riding last March as a way to have a hobby together. We both loved it instantly and since then he has really picked up the pace. A couple of months ago, upon his insisting, I put clipless pedals on my bike. A co-worker gave me speedplay zeros that he didn't care for. He said that they give him hot spots. Well after several rides and several falls I have decided that I hate the stupid things. For whateve reason my right foot sticks and I have trouble getting it unclipped.

I know the theory of unclip with one foot, the same foot, every time but there have been a couple of times where that just wasn't possible and over I went. One time I was coming up to a stop and right before the intersection the path took a sharp right. Well, that caused the bike to go right no matter what I did and there was no getting that foot out, even though I tried in advance of the stop.

So, I'm on the hunt for different pedals and I'm hoping for some advice. My co-worker who is an amazing cyclist suggested Shimano SPD 105's. My husband uses Looks and wants to get me those. I'm just so confused at this point.

I just want pedals that I know, know, know that I can get out of at any point in time without having to yank my foot 3-4 times to make it happen.

So frustrated.

[TsPoet]

I'm afraid you are going to get lots of different answers!
I switched from SPD to eggbeaters a few years ago. I love the eggbeaters, they have a lot of float (let your foot wander a bit) and are easy to get in/out of. They (Crankbrothers) also have several different pedals, some with platforms some without. I have both plain 'ole eggbeaters and Candies - I preferr the eggbeaters, they are easier to get out of.
I also personally prefer MTB style over road, they are usually easier to get in/out of and the shoes are more comfortable.
Regardless of what you get, spend an evening watching some stupid TV show and either leaning against the wall or in a trainer sitting on your bike and mindlessly clipping in...out...in....out - it takes time but after awhile you don't even think about it any more.
http://www.goclipless.com/2006/01/crank_brothers_.html

[Flybye]

Do your pedals have a tension adjustment on them (kind of like how you would adjust the tension on a ski binding)?
The tension might be too tight for you to unclip with ease.

I have shimano spd cleats
Shimano SH-11 SPD-SL Cleat
http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='2995-04'


and shimano spd pedals
http://bike-discount.de/bilder/small...al_schwarz.jpg

I unclip easily and effortlessly. I have issues with my right foot due to an urelated-to-cycling tendon injury. I have never had a hotspot with this cleat and pedal combination because the pressure to the foot is spread out over a larger surface area.

I got this set up at my lbs and just provided the links so that you could have a picture of what this pedal/cleat combination looks like. Another reason that I selected this pedal is that I wanted to be able to run a quick errand here and there without putting on my shoes that clip in to the pedals. I can wear any old shoe with these pedals for short trips without clipping in. I love them.

Good luck in your quest!

[rij73]

Just want to chime in that SPD is very different from SPD-SL! Shimano 105's and the Shimano's that Flybye mentions are SPD-SL. That is a road-style pedal and cleat that takes road shoes. SPD pedals are mountain-bike style and are very different. Many shoes can take one type or the other but not both. So, if you'd like to keep your shoes, be careful about that.

[slmdunc]

I use CrankBrothers eggbeaters on both my bikes (road and mountain) and I love them. Easy in and out.

My SO has recently purchased Speedplay Frogs, based on some recommendations here on TE, because she was having knee pain issues, and needed maximum float. She said they are so easy to clip out of, that she's a little worried about accidentally becoming unclipped! However, she thinks she will like them, once she becomes used to them. We have yet to go on a significant ride to say for sure, so the jury is out.

Good luck on your hunt.

[Kristi]

I use LOOK Classic. I'm new to riding and very new to clipless. These are adjustable so we have them set pretty loose so I can get out easily. I've only fell once and that was my own fault. I'm still nervous about riding in traffick with my pedals, but I'm sure my confidence will come.

I'd say anything that you can adjust so you feel comfortable will work. That was what sold me on these.

[sgtiger]

My vote is for the Frogs. I like the float which lets me change my foot position a bit while riding and I find them easy to unclip form. Before the Frogs, I had Time pedals (earlier version of these) for a number of years. They're pretty good but not my favorite. And when I first went clipless I tried the low-end Shimano with the cleat on one side and flat on the other. I like the concept of that but I didn't like the fact that my foot was fixed in place. When they were new they were kinda hard to unclip from, but with some adjustments and the corners rounding off some (after a few weeks of use); they got easier to unclip. I've heard good things about Eggbeaters and the other pedals that Crank Bros make.

[Grog]

I'm not sure what this "theory of always unclipping the same foot" is, but I don't recommend it.

You should be able to unclip both feet. There are many situations, in real-life traffic, where you may need to unclip your "not-so-sweet" leg.

Practice both...

Good luck with the pedals. I've found that mountain SPDs (recessed cleats) are the easiest to unclilp of, when at their light-tension setting.

[slmdunc]

I'm not sure what this "theory of always unclipping the same foot" is, but I don't recommend it.

You should be able to unclip both feet. There are many situations, in real-life traffic, where you may need to unclip your "not-so-sweet" leg.

Practice both...

I concur.

I've never heard of unclipping one foot only as a theory of practice - I've only heard of it as a bad habit of people new to clipless pedal systems.

When I started using clipless, I had to consciously remind myself to practice unclipping my left foot, because I naturally was inclined to unclip the right. Well, naturally, I fell over on the left on a few occasions! I then moved on to unclipping BOTH feet every time I came to a stop sign, out of a fear or falling... and finally, I learned to gauge the situation, and unclip the correct side accordingly.

The good news? I rarely have to think about it anymore! Whew!

Don't worry! You'll figure it out!

[Tuckervill]

I unclip on both sides depending on the situation. But what I also do is, as I'm stopping, get off the saddle, move my weight towards the bars, and put the unclipped foot on the ground beside the front wheel and about a 12-18 inches away from it. This gives me a nice 3-point stance and makes it almost impossible to fall over to the clipped-in side. It also gives my body a little more clearance on the standover because the bike is leaning 15 degrees or so.

If you put your foot down too close to the bike, you are more likely to fall over, so lean the bike and put that foot as far out as is comfortable.

Karen

[oxysback]

Add one more vote for Crank Brothers Eggbeaters. No moving parts...easy in/out...and a lot of float. Don't be decieved by their size. The mountain pedals are very sturdy!

[Tuckervill]

Oh, and my vote is for Speedplay Frogs. Very loose and it doesn't make any loud clicking noise when you clip in. I love them.

I use mine with shoes designed for spinning. They have laces, and only ONE Velcro strap. Other cyclists think they're funny looking. I don't care.

Karen

[emily_in_nc]

Speedplay X-2s (road pedals). Pros - easy clip-in and clip-out, free float Cons - slippery; sometimes my foot slips on the pedal when I am trying to clip in quickly, like starting from a stoplight at an intersection.

Speedplay Zeros (road pedals). Pros - Great feeling when clipped in, can set for exactly the amount of float you need. Cons - For me, very hard to clip into. Finally sold them as I just couldn't clip into them quickly and reliably enough.

Eggbeaters Candies (mountain pedals). Pros - Very easy to clip out of, right amount of float for me (not too much, not too little). Cons - Had a hard time clipping in my second foot on a rooty single-track trail.

Speedplay Frogs (road pedals). Pros - Very easy to clip into and out of. Lots of float. Cons - Possible to clip out accidentally if you get sloppy with your pedaling. But that's forcing me to clean up my pedaling style. These are my VERY FAVORITE pedals! I still have the X-2s on my road bike but plan to change to Frogs on that as well one of these days. I have Frogs on my mountain bike and wouldn't go back to Eggbeaters.

Emily

[Jo-n-NY]

Frogs for me also.

I like that there is no tension to unclip. Just turn the foot and lift. I also do not have to think about it anymore.

Emily, when you say road do you mean mtn shoes on the road bike? I didn't think frogs could go on road shoes.

Thanks
~JoAnn

[KnottedYet]

Love my Frogs, too!