Going clipless....

[Zen]

Buy your pedals and cleats online, no problem but shoes are another story. The same size can feel different depending on the brand. There may be a seam in an odd place. Any number of things could make them the wrong shoe for you. Don't buy shoes online if you're not prepared to make many trips to the PO to return them (and pay postage).

[RolliePollie]

I'm all for doing as much as I can all by myself! I would say: You can do it!!!

Thanks to all the great info on this forum, I was able to change out my pedals without any problem. And I even used a regular adjustable wrench. Putting the cleats on the shoes was super easy and I've adjusted them a few times to get them placed just where I want. You can do a search and find lots of threads about how to get pedals on and off, different types of pedal/cleat systems, etc.

I would definitely recommend shopping around for shoes and trying several pairs on. My feet are not very happy with the shoes I picked out, although they were comfortable when I tried them on at the store. If I was doing the shoe part over again, I would consider some of the more expensive brands (like Sidi's), which come highly recommended in many TE discussion threads! Oh, and you might want to make sure the bolt pattern on the sole is compatible with your cleats. I think they make adaptors for most cleat systems, but it would probably be worth it to check first.

Good luck! I was totally freaked out about going clipless but now I love it!

[mimitabby]

my DH bought Sidi's and he loves them, but they have left a nasty callous at the top of his foot; where the foot meets the leg. So, even the best that money can buy is not necessarily the best. i agree, you need to try shoes on. And shipping rates just went up, making that LBS more attractive than ever.

[KnottedYet]

My LBS will match online prices. You say you have LBS issues, can you find a better LBS and see if they'll match prices?

I like the whole "buy locally" thing...

[Zen]

I like my Sidis. At first I thought my LBS guy just saw me and got $$ signs in his eyes but he described them as being a step in between mountain shoes and road shoes. They have a wider platform and some flexibility. I'm starting to think he knows what he's talking about

They were only $100.00

Oh, and that spot with the callous? I had that issue too. Stuck some moleskin on the tongue of the shoe, no problems.

[Kano]

My LBS will match online prices. You say you have LBS issues, can you find a better LBS and see if they'll match prices?

I like the whole "buy locally" thing...

Knotted, me too: Bike shops sell bikes, but their bread and butter is all the STUFF we buy after we buy the bikes! If we don't buy the STUFF from them, eventually, we won't have our LBSs when we need them!

Our pedals came from another LBS than our bikes. The "pedal shop" isn't a bad shop, just the other one seems to do a better job of many things for US!

Karen in Boise