pedals and shoes

[Sam Barlow]

I've been looking at upgrading from my toeclips for some time to make my 22
mile commute that bit easier. I was thinking of getting a set of

Shimano M520 pedals (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008792)
Shimano R073 Shoes (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300005163)

I was hoping for some advice as to whether these products would suit my
needs and what sort of prices i should be paying. So far on the web i have
found the pedals for £22 and the shoes for £50. However I was thinking my
LBS may provide a discount if i was to buy both together.

Any help on what/where to buy from would be greatly appreciated,

Sam B


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[Peter Clinch]

Sam Barlow wrote:

> Shimano M520 pedals (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008792)
> Shimano R073 Shoes (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300005163)

> Any help on what/where to buy from would be greatly appreciated,

The shoes you want to buy in person if at all possible, rather than mail
order, because shoes are all about fit. My gf uses Shimano shoes and is
very happy with them, so is that a recommendation? Not to me, because I
have very different shaped feet and I find their shoes far too narrow.
The only way to be sure what will fit best is to try it on. This is far
more important than saving a few quid as it will affect comfort and
efficiency of every single pedal stroke you make. Try on every shoe
that might fit the bill and compare comfort.

Beyond that, the ones you've selected above are serious road shoes that
don't recess the cleat at all. No problem on the bike, but bloody
awkward to walk anywhere in, which reduces the utility of the bike
considerably in some situations. If you're getting a purist road shoe,
might as well get a purist road pedal and get the most out of a clipless
system for pedalling, though personally I prefer a setup where I can get
off the bike and walk places without tottering about on cleats and no
sole grip. MTB or tour shoes generally have a useful sole unit and a
cleat recess so they work like Normal Shoes when you dismount. You
can't use road cleat systems like SPD-R or Looks with these, but normal
SPD cleats will fit fine, as will most other MTB/general purpose
clipless system cleats.

As for pedals themselves, you shouldn't be able to go too far wrong.
Having said that I rather prefer Time ATACs or Aliums as a general
purpose pedal, as I find the engagement more positive and you also get
quite a bit more effective float. OTOH, they cost more, and SPuDs still
work okay. If you do decide on a purist road setup then Looks seem to
be the favoured flavour, though SPD-R get used plenty enough (seemed to
work okay for Lance in Le Tour...).

Pete.
--
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Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[davek]

Sam Barlow wrote:
> Shimano R073 Shoes

I've got those shoes and I'm pretty happy with them, though they're the
only pair of cycling specific shoes I've ever owned so I can't say
whether they are better or worse than anything else. They're relatively
heavy compared to serious roadie shoes but that shouldn't be an issue if
your main use is commuting.

They do measure up quite narrow so you might want a size or two larger
than your normal size, but like Pete says, best try them on in the shop
if possible.

Aside from that, they are comfortable enough and suit my needs fine.
They won't keep your feet warm or dry, though, so you'll also want to
get some overshoes if you are planning on riding in winter.
Alternatively, MTB type shoes will offer more in the way of
weather-proofing.

d.

 

[John Burns]

I upgrade to Shimano SPD shoes and pedals last month.

I like them on long journeys and they're surprisingly easy to get used
to if the tension on the springs isbacked off about half way.

A bit annoying in traffic, deciding wether you're going to unclip / stop
or not. If I did a LOT of town cycling I might prefer normal pedals, but
the longer you spend in them the more you'll get used to them.

I find them very comfortable in all but one regard. The sole has too
little cushioning on very long distance rides. Nice thick socks are a
must.

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix?
Email: [email protected], John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html

 

[Call me Bob]

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 12:40:58 +0000 (UTC), "Sam Barlow"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Shimano M520 pedals (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008792)
>
>I was hoping for some advice as to whether these products would suit my
>needs and what sort of prices i should be paying. So far on the web i have
>found the pedals for £22

Pedals £19.94 with free post and packing from CycleXpress:

http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/

Dealt with them several times, nice people, swift delivery.
--

"Bob"

'The people have spoken, the bastards'

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.

 

[Peter B]

"John Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I upgrade to Shimano SPD shoes and pedals last month.
> A bit annoying in traffic, deciding wether you're going to unclip / stop
> or not. If I did a LOT of town cycling I might prefer normal pedals, but
> the longer you spend in them the more you'll get used to them.

Give 'em time John, I've used 'em for many years and unclipping is second
nature, no conscious thought required.

Pete

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Sam Barlow
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I've been looking at upgrading from my toeclips for some time to make
> my 22 mile commute that bit easier. I was thinking of getting a set of
>
> Shimano M520 pedals (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008792)
> Shimano R073 Shoes (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300005163)
>
> I was hoping for some advice as to whether these products would suit
> my needs and what sort of prices i should be paying. So far on the web
> i have found the pedals for £22 and the shoes for £50. However I was
> thinking my LBS may provide a discount if i was to buy both together.

Do try on the shoes before you buy. Shimano used to use a very narrow
last, and riding in shoes which don't fit can get excruciating.
Otherwise, go for it - you'll never regret it.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
"This young man has not the faintest idea how socialists think and does
not begin to understand the mentality of the party he has been elected
to lead. He is quite simply a liberal"
-- Ken Coates MEP (Lab) of Tony Blair

 

[JBB]

"John Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I upgrade to Shimano SPD shoes and pedals last month.
>
> I like them on long journeys and they're surprisingly easy to get used
> to if the tension on the springs isbacked off about half way.
>
> A bit annoying in traffic, deciding wether you're going to unclip / stop
> or not. If I did a LOT of town cycling I might prefer normal pedals, but
> the longer you spend in them the more you'll get used to them.
>
> I find them very comfortable in all but one regard. The sole has too
> little cushioning on very long distance rides. Nice thick socks are a
> must.
>
> --
> Who needs a life when you've got Unix?
> Email: [email protected], John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
> Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
> Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html

I use Time atacs and very light shoes (bargain Nike Ligure) - 3 reasons;
more float plus a wider platform to spread the load plus a rigid sole- again
to spresd the load. I can happilly cycle for miles with this combination.

HTH
Julia

 

[Chris Davies]

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 15:22:41 +0100, John Burns <[email protected]>
wrote:

> I upgrade to Shimano SPD shoes and pedals last month.
>
> I like them on long journeys and they're surprisingly easy to get used
> to if the tension on the springs isbacked off about half way.
>
> A bit annoying in traffic, deciding wether you're going to unclip / stop
> or not. If I did a LOT of town cycling I might prefer normal pedals, but
> the longer you spend in them the more you'll get used to them.
>
> I find them very comfortable in all but one regard. The sole has too
> little cushioning on very long distance rides. Nice thick socks are a
> must.
>

The shoes will become second nature soon. Too late for you, but it helps
to spend half an hour clipping and unclipping them while watching the TV
leaning against the wall before you go out for your first ride with them.
You need to be able to clip/unclip without looking down at your feet or
the pedals, 'cause you can't always look down while riding.

Riding with open pedals scares me a bit nowadays - I lift my foot up to
pull away at lights and the pedal stays where it is. Disconcerting, to say
the least.

Chris
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