Seriously, my head hurts - so many things to learn!

[spotlightmama]

Every time I think I learn something about cycling, it opens up 10 more questions, lol.

My biggest issue lately has been shoes. My bike came with clipless pedals, so I figured I needed clipless road shoes. I bought a pair of SIDI road shoes on eBay...but I don't have cleats (I had no idea the pedals are supposed to have hardware). I asked the guy at my LBS today what type of cleats I need and he said he doesn't even know what kind of pedal is on my bike. It's apparently some kind of older clipless kind?? So now I guess I need new pedals.

Now I have these road shoes, so I guess I need SPD-SL pedals. I wish I would have known, because after reading through some of the posts, I kind of wish I had gone for MTB pedals (don't know how I'm going to walk in these road shoes).

So that means more $$$ - it just keeps creeping up!

Okay, sorry - that ended up quite ranty. I'm just really so confused and none of the people I talk to at the LBS ride road bikes, so they aren't really a ton of help.

[Fujichants]

My sidi's fit two types of cleats. The SPD ones, and the bigger, bulkier ones from Look. Perhaps you can check the bottom of your shoe and see if both options work? I know that some online bike stores sell the Look Keo Elle pedals with the new cleats from Look, they have rubber pads to make walking easier. Here's the link: http://www.westernbikeworks.com/prod...il.asp?p=LOEL8

[Zen]

Don't go throwing good money after bad.
Have you ridden clipless before?
Throw some cheap platform pedals on there, ride in sneaks for a while and do some homework.



.

[SouthernBelle]

Sounds like the LBS guy is just trying to sell you something. Find out what kind of pedals they are and buy the cleats for them.

If need be, post a picture of them and somebody here could tell you.

[spotlightmama]

What's sad is that I *am* trying to do my homework, lol. It's just that there are so many things I don't know that I don't know. I thought I only needed clipless road shoes with cleats - I had no idea there was supposed to be hardware with the pedals. No one says - "the best choice is to get X shoes with Y pedals and so you will need the following things..." There are so many possible combinations! Like I said, every time I think I have figured out what I need, I find out I need to research 10 more things, lol.

So I was looking over the pedal and I'm wondering if maybe they are SPD-R pedals. It looks like they have have two bolts - and that would make sense why he said they were an outdated style. I'll try to get a pic up later.

So now do I get pedals to go with the road shoes I just bought or try to sell off the road shoes and get a whole new pedal/shoe system?? Oi, my head!

[mimitabby]

outdated? If they're SPD's old or new, they ought to work just fine.
A lot of road bike riders have MTB shoes, for that very reason, we need to walk in them.
YOu're getting an education; in the future, when you're in doubt ASK before you buy. We're here to help!