pedal questions

[jkemp9]

First off, I am a beginner and need any help that I can get.

For a while, I rode an old schwinn road bike with cyclocross tires and rims. About 2 weeks ago I bought a Specialized Allez and I love it. It came with plastic pedals with toe clips and straps, very cheap. I am looking into getting clipless pedals and am a little overwhelmed by the variety. So... I was hoping to get advice about what pedals to get based on my needs. First, I'm about 6'2"/230 lbs so I guess I need something pretty strong. Second, I have a bad knee, it dislocates most commonly when it's bent and twisting. This is my main worry. I think I need something that I wouldn't come out of all the time but I need easy entry and exit. I don't know much about float but I have noticed that that varies among different pedals. I also want to keep the price of shoes and cleats at or under $200.

I have been looking at speedplay pedals and like them.

Any thoughts?

 

[WIGGUM1]

I am not an expert, but I would ask you what type of riding you do. The type of riding (i.e. high performance, around town, commute, leisure) will determine the type of shoe you get. All decent clipless pedals are adjustable in terms of the release tension. I would suggest one of two things: 1) buy used if the pedals are not that important, they will all support your weight or 2) buy from a franchise bike shop with a good return policy. This way you can return it if it doesnt meet your needs. good luck

 

[jkemp9]

While I won't be doing any racing any time soon, I am riding for fitness and enjoyment. There is a group that does 30 mile rides twice a week that I would like to ride with. So I won't be doing any riding that is too extreme, no tri's or anything, but I am definitely riding more than just the average commute.

 

[John M]

While I won't be doing any racing any time soon, I am riding for fitness and enjoyment. There is a group that does 30 mile rides twice a week that I would like to ride with. So I won't be doing any riding that is too extreme, no tri's or anything, but I am definitely riding more than just the average commute.

Used speedplays for years and liked them. Recently I switched to Crank brothers on all of my bikes because I can ride the same pedals with either road shoes or MTB shoes. It is the only brand that I am aware of for which the same cleats can attach to all of their pedals. This allows me to use a walkable shoe for my commutes or when doing leisurely rides with my family and also to use my stiffer/lighter road shoes when training or racing.

The float isn't as much as speedplay, but is enough. Also the cleats are easier to keep clean than speedplays. This distance between the pedal spindle and the shoe sole is a bit more with the Crank bros, but is not a problem for me.