Going clipless

[cc]

Hey all,

I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the next six months, and
am trying to decide on the best pedal / cleat system, ideally such that I
don't need two pairs of shoes.

My current ride is a well-weathered Rockhopper Pro from a few years back. It
came with clipless - not sure which variety, as they're in storage - but I
threw on platforms. I've always ridden platforms (I'd ridden primarily BMX
before the RH), and did a lot of mixed city/trail rides where they made
sense (before I moved to the Bay Area, where we've trails aplenty within
riding distance).

I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up, something in the just sub
1K range, but I'm almost certain that I'll get a Stumpie elite disc in the
next few weeks. I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want one), or if anyone
uses these for road bikes.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
****cc

 

[bomba]

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, cc wrote:

> I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
> clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want one), or if anyone
> uses these for road bikes.
>
> Suggestions?

The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are basic
Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.

--
a.m-b FAQ: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/ambfaq.htm

a.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

 

[Jonesy]

bomba <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, cc wrote:
>
> > I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> > concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
> > clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want one), or if anyone
> > uses these for road bikes.
> >
> > Suggestions?
>
> The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are basic
> Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.

I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
Converse All-Stars.)
--
Jonesy

 

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>, cc <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hey all,
>
>I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the next six months, and
>am trying to decide on the best pedal / cleat system, ideally such that I
>don't need two pairs of shoes.
>
>
>I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up, something in the just sub
>1K range, but I'm almost certain that I'll get a Stumpie elite disc in the
>next few weeks. I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
>concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
>clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want one), or if anyone
>uses these for road bikes.
>

_ Eggbeaters make great road pedals. The most recent US pro
cycling champion uses them.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=road/2004/giro04/tech/bikes_climbing

As long as you use a reasonably stiff shoe they are
fine on the road. For mountain biking I would look at
either the Candy or Mallet, depending on how much you
want to ride unclipped.

_ Booker C. Bense

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[John Harlow]

> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
> to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
> wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> Converse All-Stars.)

I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.

She was having a rough time getting used to clipless (Times), so I got her
these so she can wear regular shoes on technical rides. She is a LOT
happier with having a choice but is having a difficult time clipping in and
out reliably. The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no problems with
the Times (except for *having* to use them).

How long did you find they needed to "break in"?

 

[Monique Y. Mudama]

On 2004-06-08, John Harlow penned:
>
> I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.

I could have sworn slavery was illegal ...

--
monique

 

[cc]

>
> I could have sworn slavery was illegal ...
>
> --
> monique

Well, you know what they say: what you do in your own home . . .


****cc

 

[cc]

> >
> > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are basic
> > Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.
>
> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
> to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
> wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> Converse All-Stars.)
> --

So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or those with softer
soles?

***cc

 

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>,
John Harlow <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
>> to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
>> wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
>> Converse All-Stars.)
>
>I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.
>
>She was having a rough time getting used to clipless (Times), so I got her
>these so she can wear regular shoes on technical rides. She is a LOT
>happier with having a choice but is having a difficult time clipping in and
>out reliably. The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no problems with
>the Times (except for *having* to use them).
>
>How long did you find they needed to "break in"?
>

_ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB shoes
and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread depth. My older worn
shoes are much easier to clip in/out than the newer ones. Have
you tried using the little shim for under the cleat?

_ Another thing to try is lubing the coil springs on the outside
of the pedal. I'm not sure if that's really needed or not, but
it seemed to help. You can make the cleats much easier to pop
in/out by a little "simulated wear" a file, but that will reduce
the life of the cleats. When new you can only get out by
twisting, but after some wear you can pull them straight out
like you can with very loosely set SPD's.

_ Booker C. Bense


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[Bill Wheeler]

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, "cc" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hey all,

Hey back

[snip]

By all means go clipless. Currently there are tons of hyped up
clipless systems. My advice is to keep it as simple as possible.
SPD's work absolutely fine and you can get a pair of simple shimano's
that will do the trick for less than $70 bucks not including shoes.

Do some research and keep it simple.

Peace,
Bill

The mind serves properly as a window glass rather
than as a reflector, that is, the mind should give
an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]

 

[Jonesy]

"cc" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > >
> > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are basic
> > > Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.
> >
> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
> > to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
> > wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> > Converse All-Stars.)
> > --
>
> So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or those with softer
> soles?

The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm wearing lugged
hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there. If I'm wearing my
All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I wouldn't want to pedal all day
in the All-Stars. But they do work for quick in-town trips. Even for
dragging a kid in a bike trailer down the paved bike trail.

Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater part.
There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.
--
Jonesy

 

[Jonesy]

"John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
> > to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
> > wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> > Converse All-Stars.)
>
> I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.
>
> She was having a rough time getting used to clipless (Times), so I got her
> these so she can wear regular shoes on technical rides. She is a LOT
> happier with having a choice but is having a difficult time clipping in and
> out reliably. The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no problems with
> the Times (except for *having* to use them).
>
> How long did you find they needed to "break in"?

Well, that's kind of a funny story. I had SPDs to start with,
adjusted so loose that I could just yank out. But I still fell over a
lot, because I forgot I had clipped in. Or I'd get clipped in without
realizing it. So, I went with the Mallets to go platform for a while
until I could get some shoes that didn't squeeze the life out of my
feet. (What's with those Italians and their narrow-ass feet?) After I
got some wide shoes, I went onto the lawn, and practiced clipping in
and out. I also lubed the spring, and PAMmed my cleats. After about
50-100 engagement-disengagement cycles, the system finally started to
feel good. Now, is that because I taught myself what to do, or is
that because the mechanism loosened up a little? I'm guessing both.

Take your wife to a park with a bike stretch of grass. Tell her to
get into and out of the pedals a bunch of times, so it becomes a
natural motion. Heck, even when I'm in my hiking boots, I still
rotate my heel before I step off the pedals!

Good luck to you and her.
--
Jonesy

 

[Jonesy]

Booker C. Bense <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >
> >How long did you find they needed to "break in"?
> >
>
> _ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB shoes
> and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread depth. My older worn
> shoes are much easier to clip in/out than the newer ones. Have
> you tried using the little shim for under the cleat?

Hmmm, now I wish I would have tried that. I should install the shim
just for the heck of it, to see if it makes any difference. The lugs
on my shoes still hang up every now and again.
--
Jonesy

 

[John Harlow]

> _ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB shoes
> and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread depth. My older worn
> shoes are much easier to clip in/out than the newer ones. Have
> you tried using the little shim for under the cleat?

I actually had to use both sets for her shoes. With them, I can easily clip
them in by hand, and they *just* rest on the flats.

> _ Another thing to try is lubing the coil springs on the outside
> of the pedal. I'm not sure if that's really needed or not, but
> it seemed to help. You can make the cleats much easier to pop
> in/out by a little "simulated wear" a file, but that will reduce
> the life of the cleats. When new you can only get out by
> twisting, but after some wear you can pull them straight out
> like you can with very loosely set SPD's.


Thanks, underscore Booker. I'll try the lube and tell her, unlike me, they
get better with time (do Times get better with themselves?)

 

[John Harlow]

> Take your wife to a park with a bike stretch of grass. Tell her to
> get into and out of the pedals a bunch of times, so it becomes a
> natural motion. Heck, even when I'm in my hiking boots, I still
> rotate my heel before I step off the pedals!

Will do. I'm sure she will get accustomed to them; it's good to know others
had a bit of an adjustment period as well. Just mentioning this will likely
help a good amount.

> Good luck to you and her.

Thanks!

 

[cc]

> > > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are
basic
> > > > Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.
> > >
> > > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
> > > to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
> > > wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> > > Converse All-Stars.)
> > > --
> >
> > So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or those with
softer
> > soles?
>
> The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm wearing lugged
> hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there. If I'm wearing my
> All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I wouldn't want to pedal all day
> in the All-Stars. But they do work for quick in-town trips. Even for
> dragging a kid in a bike trailer down the paved bike trail.
>
> Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater part.
> There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.
> --
> Jonesy

$$. Thanks.

**cc

 

[Steve + Laura]

I just put Shimano 324's on both my bikes. I'm relatively new to
clipless pedals and they work pretty well. Take a look at the reviews on
mtbr.com.

Steve.

cc wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the next six months, and
> am trying to decide on the best pedal / cleat system, ideally such that I
> don't need two pairs of shoes.
>
> My current ride is a well-weathered Rockhopper Pro from a few years back. It
> came with clipless - not sure which variety, as they're in storage - but I
> threw on platforms. I've always ridden platforms (I'd ridden primarily BMX
> before the RH), and did a lot of mixed city/trail rides where they made
> sense (before I moved to the Bay Area, where we've trails aplenty within
> riding distance).
>
> I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up, something in the just sub
> 1K range, but I'm almost certain that I'll get a Stumpie elite disc in the
> next few weeks. I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
> clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want one), or if anyone
> uses these for road bikes.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> ****cc
>
>

 

[John Morgan]

Jonesy wrote:

> "cc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> > >
>> > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms, which are
>> > > basic Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round them.
>> >
>> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have turned out
>> > to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent platforms (if you are
>> > wearing shoes that don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
>> > Converse All-Stars.)
>> > --
>>
>> So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or those with
>> softer soles?
>
> The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm wearing lugged
> hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there. If I'm wearing my
> All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I wouldn't want to pedal all day
> in the All-Stars. But they do work for quick in-town trips. Even for
> dragging a kid in a bike trailer down the paved bike trail.
>
> Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater part.
> There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.

One time I drove 45 minutes to a trail and realized I had forgotten my
cycling shoes when I got there. I did the ride in my soft Vans, and by the
end of the ride my arches were aching. Luckily the ride wasn't too
technical, and my friend wasn't very fast.

John M