"Kvin Stephens" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<
[email protected]>...
> I am thinking of getting some new pedals that clip into matching shoes, I understand that there
> are two types ( Look and something else?). My main fear is being unable to get my feet clipped
> into or out of the pedals easily and getting creamed by a lorry at a roundabout. Is one sort
> easier to use than the other, or would i be better sticking with the current muzzle type pedals
> for safety
I would encourage you to go clipless. I returned to cycling after 20 years last August. I bought a
bike for about £260 and got clipless pedals and shoes at Christmas for £80 in total. The difference
it makes really is worth 1/3rd of bike's price. When I last rode bikes in my teens/early 20's I used
toeclips, but I decided to go clipless this time round after reading reports of them in cycling
newsgroups. I'm a leisure cyclist and have only done about 500 miles at an average speed of about 13
mph since buying the bike. The difference between the feel of a trainer on a plastic platform pedal
and a stiff cycling shoe on a clipless pedal is astonishing. Even for my low-speed, low-mileage
usage I believe clipless pedals are worthwhile.
I suggest you gather information on the various major systems - SPD, Look, and Time. Work out what
the pros/cons of each system are and how these correlate to your needs (e.g. whether it's possible
to walk comfortably in the cleated shoes). You can get a lot of information using Google Groups to
search this newsgroup and others. A single discussion, like this, probably won't cover all the
issues. Also, have a look at the on-line retailers' pictures of the pedals to find out what people
are talking about.
Each system has its advocates and detractors. Some people complain of "hot-spots" and numbness with
certain systems and others assert that a system has caused them knee pain. Some complain that their
shoes are prone to pulling out of the bindings with some systems. Then there's aspects like
"float", double-sided vs. single-sided pedals, multi-release vs. single-release cleats (maybe an
SPD-only thing), ability to walk in the shoes, etc... You'll soon find a good list of keywords to
pump into Google.
I chose Shimano SPDs - the M424 pedal and the M037 shoe. The pedal has bindings on both sides and
incorporates a plastic cage. Shimano shoes have a reputation for narrowness. My cycling shoe is size
45, where I normally take a 44. My walking boots are also 45, but I can fit thick socks inside them,
which I can't with the Shimano shoe. I opted for the model of pedal after doing on-line research, as
suggested above. The shoe was simply the first I found that fitted well.
I set the release tension on the binding to the lowest before fitting the pedals to the bike (and
it's a fiddly job even then). I'll increase the tension if my shoes pull out while riding (no, I
don't ever stand up to pedal). I rode them and spent some time adjusting the seat height and
position of cleat on the shoe sole to get comfortable. I've also practised clipping into and out
of the bindings. However I suspect that any fall caused by failure to unclip will be the result
of a lapse in concentration some time after I've got well used to the pedals. Years ago, after
living and riding in Austria for a couple of months I pulled out of a car park on my motorbike.
The local townsfolk appeared to take a great interest in this foreign-registered machine,
watching me as I rode along a lakeside. Then I saw the line of traffic approaching on the same
side of the road as me...
Mr. Chilliwack
