From a guy for the gals...

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Just bought my bike and had to take off the "cage" from the pedals as it just wasn't working for me (a lot of start/stop when riding around the city). Once I put a few miles on the bike and am sure i am coordinated enough,I am going to invest in clipless. BTW: hitting 30 in september (ouch!) Ouch to 30? You still are a kid. Wait until you at least hit 40 before you say ouch. No doubt you still will be cycling though, it's really addictive! I only began cycling last October or November and I'm 42.

Ouch to 30? You still are a kid. Wait until you at least hit 40 before you say ouch. No doubt you still will be cycling though, it's really addictive! I only began cycling last October or November and I'm 42.

Me too. 42 in a few weeks time! I don't feel no ouch ... in fact I feel better about myself now than I have ever done! I got a wave from a particularly gorgeous guy driving past in a car this morning ... ;)

I would love to invest in a shoe and pedal combo, but they can be quite expensive, I believe and what if they aren't right, there is all that hassle with returning them, etc.

Any particular combos to be recommended?

Me too. 42 in a few weeks time! I don't feel no ouch ... in fact I feel better about myself now than I have ever done! I got a wave from a particularly gorgeous guy driving past in a car this morning ... ;)

I would love to invest in a shoe and pedal combo, but they can be quite expensive, I believe and what if they aren't right, there is all that hassle with returning them, etc.

Any particular combos to be recommended? I have Speedplay Zeros and Body Geometry cleats. I'm far from wealthy but felt I owed it to myself to do something nice for me for once. Get yourself cleats and new pedals, the kids ate yesterday. By the way, I totally agree with you on the first one. I haven't felt this physically great in my entire life!
I also am catching lots of double takes but don't really get a big thrill from them. It's a real bummer not having a good man to share my life with. I guess that may come eventually. I didn't lose 80-100 lbs and get this toned overnight. I just hope I don't have to wait until I'm a cycling grandma taking my teeth out and putting them in a cup at night to meet someone, yuck! Imagine it if you can " come over here and give me a great big kiss!" ~ eew!!

I have Speedplay Zeros and Body Geometry cleats. I'm far from wealthy but felt I owed it to myself to do something nice for me for once. Get yourself cleats and new pedals, the kids ate yesterday. By the way, I totally agree with you on the first one. I haven't felt this physically great in my entire life!
I also am catching lots of double takes but don't really get a big thrill from them. It's a real bummer not having a good man to share my life with. I guess that may come eventually. I didn't lose 80-100 lbs and get this toned overnight. I just hope I don't have to wait until I'm a cycling grandma taking my teeth out and putting them in a cup at night to meet someone, yuck! Imagine it if you can " come over here and give me a great big kiss!" ~ eew!! PS When you get your cleats & pedals you might want to ride close to home where there isn't much traffic. They take a little getting used to chao!

I have Speedplay Zeros and Body Geometry cleats. I'm far from wealthy but felt I owed it to myself to do something nice for me for once. Get yourself cleats and new pedals, the kids ate yesterday. By the way, I totally agree with you on the first one. I haven't felt this physically great in my entire life!
I also am catching lots of double takes but don't really get a big thrill from them. It's a real bummer not having a good man to share my life with. I guess that may come eventually. I didn't lose 80-100 lbs and get this toned overnight. I just hope I don't have to wait until I'm a cycling grandma taking my teeth out and putting them in a cup at night to meet someone, yuck! Imagine it if you can " come over here and give me a great big kiss!" ~ eew!!No wonder you were so offended at the ''chick'' comment not having a man and all.

"It would be very much the same if they were Monolos and a mini skirt...Very much different if they were yet another pair of birkenstocks"

Actually, Manolos do have a version with SPD attachments...

"He want's to meet a girl who cycles and uses clipless pedals. He's 23 yrs old. "

I find this statement very strange and extremely puzzling.. if not alarming... What does clipless pedals have to do anything with a girl? I get the impression that it's a turn-on of some sort if a chic uses clipless pedals, that it makes her more attractive? Kinds like a fetish of his???

Personally, I use toe-clips with dual-straps on my crit-bike, toe-clips with single-straps on my road-bike and clipless pedals on my track bike. These clipless pedals really aren't pedals as there's no platform, just a bare-spindle with an outer-cover that spins. Then the shoe has a wrap-around cleat that grips around the spindle; the lighest pedals I could find at 75gm each, but they're not the easiest ones to get into and out of, thus I only use them on my track bike.

As for the road-bikes with toe-clips & straps, I've always gotten off quickly in a crit faster than most guys with clipless; partly because of the two-step motion of flip/toe-in instead of the three-step motion required by clipless of flip/toe-in/heel-down. The third motion of reaching down and tightening the straps I do later once the pack gets up to speed and into formation (BTW- being on the edge next to the kerb on the start is the secret).

I guess my comparable fetish to the TheDL's fascination with chics and clipless pedals is that I find women with guns to be highly erotic... ;)