what shoe/pedal combination?

[indysteel]

I have Keo Sprints--a platform pedal system--on my bike and like them quite a bit. I went from SPDs to those and, admittedly, they took a little getting used to. It helped tremendously to loosen the tension on the pedals so that it was easier to clip in and out. The first weekend I had them, I remember being pretty frustrated. The action needed to push down on the pedal and clip in just didn't seem intuitive. The guys at the LBS took a somewhat frazzled call from me that first weekend and assured me that it would get easier. True to their word, it now seems like second nature to me, and it never occurs to me that they're "one sided." Every once in a while, I find myself looking down to clip in but as a general rule I can easily do it by feel. I would also note say that they became easier to use after I had a professional fitting done on my bike. My saddle was moved back quite a bit and that put my leg and foot behind the pedal a bit more.

Just a few other notes. Walking in the cleats is possible, but you have to be careful on smooth surfaces like tile. They make cleat covers for them though. If I know I'm going to be walking a lot on a given day, I bring them along. The cleats eventually wear out and have to be replaced. They're not terribly expensive, but I haven't found it terribly easy to get them exactly where I want them. My fitter placed my cleats as part of my fitting so I just go back to him now when I need new cleats. With Keos, there are three different cleats from which to choose. One provides some float, one that provides a lot of float and one that provides zero float. I suppose you could mix and match if your knees required it.

[rabidgirl]

Thanks all for your inputs. I'm leaning towards the speedplay simply because they are two sided. I swerve around enough just drinking water. Looking down to clip in could be even more hazardous.

One of my biggest concerns is being able to get out fast enough... I am used to my SPDs, and learning how to get in & out of them was a painful process. Let's just say that I don't recommend first time clip-in pedal users do their trial runs on an unknown mountain trail far away from home for a group event. It wasn't pretty.

[OakLeaf]

I haven't found it terribly easy to get them exactly where I want them.

It's been many, many years since I replaced my last pair of cleats. But what I did that time was draw on the soles of my shoes, all the way around the old cleats, with a Sharpie. Who's going to look at it anyway? That's provided you're not changing pedals of course.