advice sought re: clip-on shoes & pedals

[oberlaenderm]

Hi! I recently switched from a hybrid to a road bike and like the faster speeds I'm getting. However, fellow riders have told me that switching from my regular pedals (w/o toe clips) to the clip-on shoes would really help maximize my performance.

I'd like some advice on what kind of shoes I ought to look at and what kind of pedals to go with them. I've been told that mountain bike shoes might be a good start, since that way I could walk on them in an emergency. There are many cross roads on the Trail I ride in my congested Florida county, so ease of slipping in and out of the pedals is a must. I also occasionally experience numbness in my feet when riding longer distances and would like to address that with the right kind of shoe. Last, but not least, I don't want to spend a mint.

Any advice on the kind of shoe and pedals you reccomend, and also places to buy them at a discount online (after I try them in a bike shop) would be welcome. Thanks! Michaela

 

[MidBunchLurker]

MTB shoes sound like a good call. First find what fits you, then shop around for prices.

For pedals you won't go wrong with any of the cheaper Shimano MTB pedals, or even something like the VP104 or similar.

HTH

 

[oberlaenderm]

Thanks! What about going with and STS or some other system that's compatible with lots of different types of shoes? Any thoughts on that?

 

[stubacca]

I use Shimano SPD pedals on both of my bikes (M515 on my commuter and M536 on my MTB), with a pair of Specialized Sport MTB shoes. Most of my riding is either MTB trails or local paths/roads, so the ease of exit has been great. I've read reviews that the Shimano pedals can be hard to release from in muddy conditions, but I don't ride in that much mud and have never had a problem. Certainly not a problem you'll have on a road bike

The SPD cleats will fit most shoes pretty well - most MTB shoes will accept all the MTB cleats (Shimano, Time, Crank Brothers etc), so if you buy a set of pedals and don't like them you can also try a different brand. Shop around and make sure you buy a comfortable pair of shoes - they'll last a long time so you want them to fit right! Shouldn't cost you a fortune - I think I paid $50 for my shoes and $40 for the M536 pedals (the M515s came on the MTB).

Check out MTB Review - Pedal Reviews for user's reviews and prices paid for most of the MTB pedals on the market.

 

[oberlaenderm]

Wow! Thanks for all of the advice. I'm glad to hear that I won't have to necessarily spend a fortune to break into this addition to my bike.

And no, I won't be venturing off-road on this bike -- but then the Pinellas Trail is pretty evenly paved road for some 34 miles -- a former railroad track area, I believe.

Can you tell a real difference in performance by switching to clip-on pedals (versus regular pedals w/o clips)? Are there any different pedaling techniques that I ought to know about? i.e. pulling on the upswing or something like that?