1st Clipless pedals

[Philthy]

Hi all, I'm interested in getting my 1st set of clipless pedals. I'm rather new to this concept etc.
I do a bit of light mountain biking & a fair amount of gravel/dirt tracks at the mo I do a paltry
50-75 miles a week (Pah beginner
, but I'm trying to fit more in.
I've been looking into the Shimano M515XC or the M536XC as they're both relatively cheap
25-35quid & have the SPD style clip, which if I've got it right alow for the cleats to sit
futher into the sole so it's easier to walk in the shoes?? . Also if anyone has a reccomendation
for a cheap shoe to go with these, feel free to mention it. I'm grateful for any reccomendations
or advice regarding this as like I said it's a bit new to me. Thanks Phil

PS Anyone bought from chainreaction online before, anygood?

 

[Peter Clinch]

philthy wrote:

> I've been looking into the Shimano M515XC or the M536XC as they're both relatively cheap
> 25-35quid & have the SPD style clip, which if I've got it right alow for the cleats to sit
> futher into the sole so it's easier to walk in the shoes?? .

As long as you don't get roadie clipless pedals like Look or SPD-R you should be able to walk around
in the shoes okay. There are various pedals available that aren't actually your genuine SPuDs but
they'll have similar cleats which will fit a SPuD compatible shoe. Some of these will be cheaper,
some more expensive (Time ATACs, for example, which I use and prefer for various reasons). But in
short, any SPuD compatible system should probably be okay and after a little practice you'll wonder
why you didn't take the plunge a while back.

> Also if anyone has a reccomendation for a cheap shoe to go with these, feel free to mention it.

> PS Anyone bought from chainreaction online before, anygood?

I won't recommend a shoe. I will recommend you try on any in person up against alternatives before
you buy. All manufacturers base their shoes on different lasts, and it's how well the last conforms
to the shape of your particular feet that will determine how well they fit. A shoe may have lots of
wonderful features at a bargain price and have been forged by the Right Hand of God but if it
doesn't fit you well it'll probably be ****... Thus, I would avoid buying the shoes online.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Peter Rollason]

I brought welgos (£25) from geoffrey butler cycles. These are quite large like a normal pedal and
are flat on one side with an SPD on the other - these is great if you aren't that confident, as you
can pedal on the flat part when for example you are pulling away at traffic lights or an island.

I brought shimano r072 shoes about £50 - these have been a good shoe for me.

any info let me know.

Pete.

"philthy" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi all, I'm interested in getting my 1st set of clipless pedals. I'm rather
new
> to this concept etc. I do a bit of light mountain biking & a fair amount
of
> gravel/dirt tracks at the mo I do a paltry 50-75 miles a week (Pah
beginner
> , but I'm trying to fit more in.
> I've been looking into the Shimano M515XC or the M536XC as they're
both
> relatively cheap 25-35quid & have the SPD style clip, which if I've got it right alow for the
> cleats to sit futher into the sole so it's easier to
walk
> in the shoes?? . Also if anyone has a reccomendation for a cheap shoe to
go
> with these, feel free to mention it. I'm grateful for any reccomendations or advice regarding this
> as like I
said
> it's a bit new to me. Thanks Phil
>
> PS Anyone bought from chainreaction online before, anygood?

 

[Wideboythin]

> I'm grateful for any reccomendations or advice regarding this as like I
said
> it's a bit new to me. Thanks

I would agree that cheap SPDs are a good start, and get shoes with recessed cleat areas. I've used
Specialized shoes, they have a great fit (slightly wider than other cycle shoes) but they don't seem
to be all that good for carefully positioning the cleats, as you can't rotate their angle, only
their back/forward position.

Definately try on the shoes first.

WBT

 

[Tony Raven]

In news:[email protected], WideboyThin
<[email protected]> typed:
>
> I would agree that cheap SPDs are a good start, and get shoes with recessed cleat areas.

I would disagree. Stick with a brand - Shimano or Time. The cheap ones do not always release or clip
well and that can lead to lots of problems if you are just getting started, particularly with long
term confidence. Likewise shoes. I have found Shimano shoes and Northwave shoes always engage and
release well. Others you can end up cutting bits of the sole away that are jamming on the pedal and
inhibiting entry or exit. There are other combinations that work but its hit and miss whereas I've
never had a Shimano or Northwave shoe give problems with a Shimano pedal.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

 

[Pete Biggs]

philthy wrote:

> PS Anyone bought from chainreaction online before, anygood?

Yes, low prices with free postage, quick despatch.

It seems they don't have such a good rep for wheel building but that's another story.

~PB

 

[Alex Graham]

My one and only pair of spud shoes are '02 specialized mountain sport (they are 35 quid on wiggle i
think). I use them for road cycling and have found them to excellent, good with shimano cleats and
pedals and extremely weather resistant and rugged. I expected the blue suede effect to last five
minutes... but i didnt!

quite a bit of angle adjustment i found...

--

-Alex

----------------------------------
[email protected]

http://alexpg.ath.cx:3353/cycling.php http://www.westerleycycling.org.uk
----------------------------------

 

[Pete Biggs]

> As long as you don't get roadie clipless pedals like Look or SPD-R

or roadie shoes with no recesses

> you should be able to walk around in the shoes okay.

~PB

 

[Orienteer]

I've just changed to clipless for the first time, after 50 years of cycling.

I bought Crank Brothers egg beaters, and Specialised Sonoma shoes, in which the cleats are recesssed
so don't hamper walking.

Advantage of egg beaters is that you can enter on any of the four 'sides', and they have only one
moving part (for the cleat to connect to). If you do any off-road riding, they are much less prone
to clogging with mud than other systems.

There are various models of the pedals up to all titanium (£300), but I got the base model for just
£50 from www.cyclexpress.co.uk (they seem to be £55 now, but that's still less than elsewhere).

Best to buy the shoes in person; I got slightly oversized ones so I can wear thick socks in winter,
or Dry Porelles in the rain.

Haven't suffered the inevitable tumble - yet! Certainly seem to improve pedalling performance.

 

[James Hodson]

On Tue, 6 May 2003 15:39:10 +0100, "philthy" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I'm interested in getting my 1st set of clipless pedals. I'm rather new
> to this concept etc. I do a bit of light mountain biking & a fair amount of
> gravel/dirt tracks at the mo I do a paltry 50-75 miles a week (Pah beginner
>, but I'm trying to fit more in.

> I've been looking into the Shimano M515XC or the M536XC as they're both relatively cheap 25-35quid
> & have the SPD style clip, which if I've got it right alow for the cleats to sit futher into the
> sole so it's easier to walk in the shoes?? . Also if anyone has a reccomendation for a cheap shoe
> to go with these, feel free to mention it. I'm grateful for any reccomendations or advice
> regarding this as like I said it's a bit new to me.

Hi Phil

I bought a set of M515's pedals (don't know about the XC bit) several years ago along with a pair
of M036 shoes, both of which are by Shimano. The pedals cost about £30 and the shoes were about
£50. The cleats are set into the sole of the shoe so normal walking is just as if you were
wearing trainers.

It's only been during the last few weeks that I've noticed that the right side pedal on my MTB (OK,
pseudo MTB) was not providing the clunk-click every trip action I'd been used to. It clicks in just
fine but occasionally clunks a bit when riding. BTW, I only ever unclip my left foot in emergencies
or when dismounting. I always unclip my right foot when approaching traffic lights, and the like.
The right foot is used far, far more than the left. (No doubt Guy would put forward a political
reason for this!!)

I also own a road bike which is about one year old. This bike also has Shimano SPD pedals and the
clunk-click every trip action on those is fine with both feet.

So, it's my guess that the right side pedal on my MTB is finally wearing out. To be extra-truthful,
the cleat on my right shoe does tip and tap on hard flooring.

However, three or four years use with my £30 M515's pedals is very good value, IMO. The shoes will
last a while yet. I'll buy some new shoes when I start doing a 100 meter slide down the
supermarket aisles.

James

--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Dscf0632.jpg

 

[Philthy]

Thanks for the advice everyone, looks like I'll buy the pedals online as they're cheaper & visit my
local Bike Shed for the shoes. Thanks a lot you're a nice bunch :¬) Phil

 

[Philthy]

<SNIP INFO>
> James
>
> --
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Dscf0632.jpg

Thanks just the info I was after. Phil

 

[Peter]

"Peter Rollason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I brought welgos (£25) from geoffrey butler cycles. These are quite large like a normal pedal
> and are flat on one side with an SPD on the other - these is great if you aren't that
> confident, as you can pedal on the flat part when for example you are pulling away at traffic
> lights or an island.

I started with a set of one sided SPD pedals (Shimano 324 I think) but I got fed up with them after
about 2 weeks when I wanted to be clipped in all the time and I'd have to faff about turning the
pedal the right way up each time I moved off so I could clip in. So I moved on very quickly to the
536 pedals, which have just enough of a cage to put your foot on without clipping in if you really
need to, by placing your foot further forward on the pedal. I would recommend going straight to
these pedals, the 515 would be a bit trickier for a first SPD pedal as you have no choice but to
clip in. Note that there are 2 types of Shimano cleat, single and multi-release. The multi-release
ones (part number ends in 55 I think) pull out at any angle, much better for starting out IMO, saved
me from loads of painful crashes at the start.

>
> I brought shimano r072 shoes about £50 - these have been a good shoe for me.
>
> any info let me know.
>
> Pete.
>
>
>
>
> "philthy" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Hi all, I'm interested in getting my 1st set of clipless pedals. I'm rather
> new
> > to this concept etc. I do a bit of light mountain biking & a fair amount
> of
> > gravel/dirt tracks at the mo I do a paltry 50-75 miles a week (Pah
> beginner
> > , but I'm trying to fit more in.
> > I've been looking into the Shimano M515XC or the M536XC as they're
> both
> > relatively cheap 25-35quid & have the SPD style clip, which if I've got it right alow for the
> > cleats to sit futher into the sole so it's easier to
> walk
> > in the shoes?? . Also if anyone has a reccomendation for a cheap shoe to
> go
> > with these, feel free to mention it. I'm grateful for any reccomendations or advice regarding
> > this as like I
> said
> > it's a bit new to me. Thanks Phil
> >
> > PS Anyone bought from chainreaction online before, anygood?
> >

 

[Wideboythin]

> > I would agree that cheap SPDs are a good start, and get shoes with recessed cleat areas.
>
> I would disagree. Stick with a brand - Shimano or Time. The cheap ones
do
> not always release or clip well and that can lead to lots of problems if
you
> are just getting started, particularly with long term confidence.
Likewise

The original posted mentioned low end Shimano clipless pedals, with which i was agreeing.

WBT