Going clipless....

[gnat23]

Could someone fill me in on the various pedal terms: clipless, cleats? What are these exactly?
What do I look for? What exactly do I need? I've been told that my pedals aren't compatible.
This is not at the top of my list (more urgent things like getting family's bikes fixed up) but I'd like to get an idea of how much it is going to cost.
I think I want clipless because it is easier to walk around a bit in the shoes.

There are a few levels of how attached you are to your bike:
- None at all. Flat pedals that you just pushpushpush. Can use any shoes. Drawbacks are that your feet are not secured, can slip around, come off. You're only pushing down on the pedals, and you're less likely to be using the ball of your foot, or the powerhouse, to efficiently transfer power to the bike.

- Some. Flat pedals with clips. Clips are a piece of plastic that curl up around the top of the pedal and usually have a nylon webbing strap that you slip your foot through. These help you get a little "pull" on the upside of your pedal stroke, but you can still use any use shoe.

- Really really. "Clipless" pedals are sort of a misnomer, because the clip that's missing is the one listed above with the toe-cage. Clipless works by having a special pedal with a spring and an latch of some sort, then there's the cleat which matches that pedal which attaches directly to your shoe. The cleat and the pedal fit together like a keyed-puzzle piece, which is why yours are probably "not compatible". Benefits are that you really get the full power of your pedal stroke, because you can push, pull, kick, mash, or do whatever to your foot, and it all goes into the bike. The shoes that usually allow for the cleat attachment also tend to be designed for biking: they're stiffer through the sole, don't have dangling laces, and tend to be more aerodynamic and sleek. When you twist your knee and ankle out, the cleat and pedal disengage so you can get off the bike. Drawbacks are that you need special shoes (tho the mountain bike shoes tend to be easier to walk in than the road shoes), special pedals, and can take a lot of practice to get the feel of the in/out. However, once people go clipless, they rarely go back to regular pedals!

Hope that helps... If money is a concern, I say wait until you feel that you're ready to make the commitment to the clipless system, then research what it is that you're after and what features you really want/need. It looks like between shoes and pedals, you're looking at around $100-$300 depending on the fanciness.

-- gnat!

[Melalvai]

Gnat, thanks, that makes things much more clear. So clips = toe straps, and clipless = cleats?
Are there different kinds of cleats? I've heard people talk about different kinds such that one kind you can walk in the shoe, and another kind the cleat sticks way out and you can't walk in it?

[BikeDutchess]

Here is a nice link that may help answer some of your questions:
http://binghamcyclery.com/page.cfm?PageID=192

[gnat23]

This one took me forever to figure out!

Road biking shoes are great on the bike, but not so great for walking. The bottom of the shoe is smooth and sleek, and the cleat sticks out of the bottom, forcing your toes up towards your head. You'll see the "penguin walk" at the cafe as people clomp around in these. But once you're clicked into the pedal, they ride like a dream!

Mountain biking shoes and pedals seems to be a good compromise between biking (even on road bikes) and walking. The shoes have way more tread and bumps on them, so the cleat can sit up inside the sole a ways. Like putting a secret weapon inside a platform shoe! There might still be some clicking and crunching on a walk, but they're far less dangerous on linoleum.

Either way, it's not really recommended that you walk too far on the cleats. Cleats are dependent on their ability to click into the springs on the pedals, and wearing them down by walking can interfere with both getting in and out reliably.

There are as many types of pedals and cleats as there are brands of bikes and everyone has different preferences and needs. When you're ready to make the move to clipless, that whole decision process is a discussion for another day!

-- gnat! (who just got her SIDI shoes and oh my goodness do the Italians know how to make shoes or WHAT!)

[Geonz]

I'd use this as a way to find a bike shop to Develop a Relationship with. Of course, sometimes it just depends on who's working what hours, but I'd go in and say I was ready to go clipless (and maybe that I had a question or two) and see how they are at helping you with the process. If they point to the stock and say "there's the stuff" - welp, you might as well go online. I'd go to a couple shops on general principle, if that's an option.
If you already have LBS issues... I'd go online ... but maybe see if there's a shop with an online store that will "talk" to you.

[Scarlet]

LIke others have said , once you go clipless you wont go back and I agree with one who says mountain bike shoes are much easier to walk on.
i think we have the same bike as I have just noticed your avatar!!!! cool
I went clipless on my hybrid and have just changed the pedals to my new dolce its is brill and i love it xxx
i also did a cycle aong the River Nile and took my pedals with me to go on the bike I used there as I felt i could not do without them,
I have mountain bike shoes by specialized and they really helped with not having numb or tingling toes too.
I have to say I fell off a couple of times when I first clipped in as i wanted to see if i could unclip in an emergency (I coudnt) so i had to practice and then realised you can have the spd pedals a bit looser to let you out easier.
i do recommend unclipping one side as you approach a junction just to be ready until you get used to them
sorry if you already know all this but I would have loved some help and advice when I first used them but I did not have access to this brill forum

good luck and just go for it

Scarlet x

[mimitabby]

Besides the fact that road shoes are a few grams lighter; why would anyone wear them instead of the MTB ones which you can walk in? I bought a pair of road shoes early on and even a walk across a driveway (asphalt) was terrifying because they were so slippery.
Unless you are on a track for racing, why would you buy these shoes?

Thanks, I' m just curious.

[michelem]

mimitabby,

This is the suggestion I got from the bike fit (on the fit bike) I had done recently:

"Consider road shoe with aline footbeds and larger 3-bolt cleat (instead of spd mtb style) to minimize Q-angle and foot rock."

Q-angle is the angle between the quadriceps muscle (primarily the rectus femoris) and the patellar tendon and affects the knee. I may consider this after I get more proficient at riding clipless and get myself a road bike, but for now I like my Pearl Izumi Vagabonds that I got for $29! I walk my bike through scary traffic crossings and they are easy to walk in even though they have very stiff soles.

[teigyr]

I can only speak for myself but I prefer LOOK pedals. I have never been able to find mtn bike shoes that will accept LOOK cleats. I suppose even if I found them, the cleats would still be difficult to walk in

I don't know if there is a better pedal/cleat combo out there. What I like about what I have is that it just seems so solid and there is more pedal space than my spd's had.

My bike shoes (Specialized Torch) have built-up rubber parts on the heel and toe so I can walk in them ok. My spin class shoes (Diadora with SPDs but they are road shoes) are scary slippery.

[gnat23]

Unless you are on a track for racing, why would you buy these shoes?

I had a road bike, assumed I needed road bike pedals and shoes, and I didn't know any better. They sure do look sleek and nice, and all the sales pitch about being grams and grams lighter snagged me.

I kept hearing about everyone who LOOOVED their clipless stuff, and I felt bad because I hated it! I hated the shoes (even though they were the perfect shade of pink), I hated the pedals (some Shimano racing type, like the grade just under what Lance used), and hated the fact that I had to use every single Superman bandaid I owned on my shins because I couldn't start on an uphill as my cleat wouldn't catch, the rest was too slippery, and I'd make contact with some part of my bike that had teeth.

I have learned the error of my ways. Road bike, road shorts, MOUNTAIN shoes!

-- gnat!

[KnottedYet]

I'm right there with you!

Love my Speedplay Frogs and Specialized Taho MOUNTAIN shoes! I was really lucky in that I was hanging around some women with various types of clipless/cleated pedals and road and mountain shoes. After seeing someone demo her Speedplay Frogs (no moving parts! nothing to adjust! no little bits to jam or break!) I was hooked. Another women had feet like mine and loved her Tahos.

It was so helpful to see equipment and shoes being used in real life, and not just a salesman showing them to me in an LBS.

[Zen]

Because they have a wider area to clip in, a minor power transfer advantage. Minor to me anyway. And because they're stiffer I think it is supposed to give you better form in the pedal stroke.

Knot sold me on the Speedplay Frogs, I'm putting the cleats on right now!

[KnottedYet]

Today, Frogs... tomorrow, Brooks saddle!

Congrats on the Frogs! I hope you like them!