recommend a pedal for a clipless noob

[Sandy]

Dans le message de news:[email protected],
[email protected] <[email protected]> a
réfléchi, et puis a déclaré :
> Art Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> I am shopping around for some RT-51's, because I have waffle
>>> stompers and want to go with the smooth soles.
>
>> These guys seem to have them in most szes:
>
> http://penncycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=15762
>
> http://penncycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=15633
>
>> From my experience with the similar Shimano T092 shoes, they tend to
>> run a size small. I had to exchange a size 47 for 48.
>
> I'm not sure hw shoe widths vary with size, but with SPD pedals,
> riding a larger shoe with a bit of extra toe clearance doesn't bother
> the pedal fit and can acommodate a wider foot. I find being able to
> walk in doors without leaving waffle stomper debris or scrtching
> hardwood floors is worth using smooth soled shoes. I'v been doing
> that for a lot of years with success.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yxfwd3
>
> Jobst Brandt

The OP stated that his heel is narrow, and as that is paramount in fitting
cycling shoes, the issue of width across the front is irrelevant to his
concern.
--
Bonne route !

Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sat, 10 May 2008 13:31:31, [email protected] wrote:
>
> I'd suggest to the Original Poster that he just buy cheap Shimano SPD
> pedals or some off-brand, but cleat-compatible ones. Some of the
> cheapest off-brands look very similar to SPD, but don't have cleats
> that work with SPD pedals.

This is excellent advice. I suspect that the stiffest MTB shoes are
stiff enough for some pretty competent road racing (they're stiff enough
for MTB and CXers; if there really was a performance disadvantage, I
think you'd see a few XC racers experimenting with Look pedals; Tinker
Juarez used to do that, but he now rides Crank Brothers (albeit
Quattros).

> I personally use Time ATAC's on all my bikes (road, MTB, touring).
> ATACs and Eggbeaters have an advantage over SPD in that they are
> better at dealing with mud, but there is a distinct disadvantage to
> going with pedals that have non-SPD cleats. If you ever take a
> spinning class, most places have pedals that can accept SPD cleats.
> Also, if you are test riding bikes, virtually any store can install a
> pair of SPD-compatible pedals for you.
>
> I get around these issues by putting SPD cleats on a pair of "retired"
> shoes, but am inconvenienced if I forget to bring them along.

The traditional response is to bring a set of pedals and a pedal wrench.

Similar to your approach, I use Egg Beaters on all my bikes. The only
reason for that was because I really like cyclocross; otherwise I would
have standardized on SPDs.

As it is, I hear some of the top-end SPDs are pretty good at mud
clearance these days.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

 

[Alan Hoyle]

On Mon, 12 May 2008 22:42:54, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:

>> I get around these issues by putting SPD cleats on a pair of "retired"
>> shoes, but am inconvenienced if I forget to bring them along.

> The traditional response is to bring a set of pedals and a pedal wrench.

That's what I've done for impromptu test rides bike store (not that
I'm in the market for more bikes these days). Spinning classes are
another story. I don't think most gyms would look too kindly on
people disassembling their equipment.

> Similar to your approach, I use Egg Beaters on all my bikes. The only
> reason for that was because I really like cyclocross; otherwise I would
> have standardized on SPDs.

> As it is, I hear some of the top-end SPDs are pretty good at mud
> clearance these days.

The only reason I'm using ATACs is that I got a good deal on my first
pair. My first clipless pedals were the SPD-compatible WTB Stealth,
and those ended up being unreliable. They were great at first and I
liked being able to adjust things for a new-to-clipless rider. After
a few months of use the adjustments wouldn't stay set, the plastic
cracked on one pedal, and it became difficult to unclip at times. I
replaced them at least once, and the second pair started exhibiting
the same problems.

I suspect if I'd seen a pair of Shimano-brand SPD pedals on that same
clearance table, I would be riding those instead. Or EggBeaters if
they were there.

Eggbeaters are nice in that they also have a "road pedal" in the
Quattro, which is compatible with regular Eggbeater cleats, but more
importantly, they have a road-shoe compatible "pontoon" cleat that
makes them slightly more walkable.

I have a pair of Sidi road shoes, and they're nigh unusable with the
ATACs. It is hard to line up the cleats with the springs, as the
hard, smooth outsole means if you miss, your foot just slides off the
pedal. I only tried this on one or two rides before I gave up on the
non-walkable shoes.

-alan

--
Alan Hoyle - [email protected] - http://www.alanhoyle.com/

 

[[email protected]]

On May 13, 9:27 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

> The traditional response is to not do spin classes.

Like everything else, the experience varies widely. Having an
instructor who is not "an idiot" (screaming though a loud microphone
when she already has Ethel Merman vocal chops, for instance, and over
blasting craprock music to boot) really helps, IME.

Some really cute girls go to Spin. Sometimes they need help with their
bike adjustments and stuff, too.

Buy a pair of Spin shoes with SPD capability. Could be the sandals,
whatever. I just found a pair of "new" (five rides according to the
former owner, must have been short rides, too) Dominators
(Dominatrixes?) on local Craigslist for my other half. $40 was asking
price. They're red, so they don't get mixed up with the SPD-SL shoes
on the way to the gym... --D-y

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Sun, 11 May 2008 22:04:54 +0000, jobst.brandt wrote:

> Nate Nagel wrote:
>
>>>> Shimano has SPD shoes designed for triathletes that have smooth
>>>> rubber soles and are so walkable that I wore them to and at work for
>>>> many years as well as on long tours where walking indoors on
>>>> hotel/motel floors is common. I use the old 737 pedals and am glad
>>>> that my cleats give no float with them, being neither pigeon-toed nor
>>>> duck-footed.
>
>>> The Shimano SH-51 "single release" SPD cleat has a specified 4° of
>>> float, which is of course much less than say a Speedplay Frog®. As
>>> for being pigeon-toed or duck-footed, most shoes allow for
>>> considerable variation in the direction the SPD cleat is mounted, and
>>> some trial and error may be required in getting this right with new
>>> shoes (when replacing worn cleats, the indentation left by the
>>> serrations on the top of the cleat makes alignment of the new cleat
>>> easy).
>
>> F/U: based on the comments in this thread and the facts that REI had a
>> sale on through today and Dubya apparently got around to sending me my
>> "stimulus" money yesterday, I went down there and bought myself a set
>> of the second cheapest SPD pedals (the cheapest ones that have
>> replaceable bearings.) After looking at Shimano's web site and
>> examples of the various pedals in the store, it doesn't look like
>> there's a whole lot of difference between the M540s (the ones I bought)
>> and the more expensive ones other than a very slight weight difference
>> and a big increase in price - am I about right here?

Yes.

The more expensive ones supposedly clear mud better but no SPD pedal
clears mud well. If that's a concern get Eggbeaters or Times.

The real Shimano ones do work more smoothly than the knockoffs too. The
midrange SPDs are one of the best values in biking.

>> I tried on some
>> shoes and immediately nixed the idea of using the Shimano "touring"
>> shoes because I found that the two Shimano shoes that I did try on were
>> both too narrow for my duck-like toes and had heel cups that were too
>> big. I did get some cheap Pearl Izumi MTB shoes that fit me perfectly,
>> they were on sale for $60 so I figured WTF.
>
> When you say MTB shoes, I visualize shoes with knobby tires that track
> dirt into any place you walk after crossing a wet surface, especially a
> soft one. They aren't called waffle-stompers for nothing. That's why I
> suggested the Shimano smooth rubber soled shoes.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yxfwd3

Those are nice shoes, unfortunately not for sale anywhere. Bike shops
only sell "road" or "mountain" shoes. You can either be Lance Armstrong
or Ned Overend, but not plain old guy riding around.

Nashbar blew out the RT50 for $50 a couple of months ago. I tried to get
a pair but my size were all gone. Grab yours now, before Shimano
discontinues them in favor of gimmickier models.

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Sun, 11 May 2008 18:26:03 -0400, Nate Nagel wrote:

> based on
> the three different pairs of Shimano shoes that I tried on at REI, they
> just wouldn't have fit me. Too narrow in the front, and there was
> something hard in there that was cramping my pinkie toe, while my heel was
> slopping all around in the back. I figured that having to be careful
> about knocking the mud out was better than fighting with shoes that just
> don't fit my odd-shaped feet.

You're not alone -- I've found the same thing with all the Shimano shoes
I've tried, and heard the same complaints from others.

I didn't care because they were good enough for me for around town. For
longer rides I'd use my Sidis (which are terrible for walking around in).

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Sat, 10 May 2008 18:21:16 -0700, Michael Press wrote:

> In article
> <1171e645-bcea-4de3-9fba-19edd278e087@f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
> Art Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Nate Nagel wrote:
>> > Hi all,
>> >
>> > I'm thinking about making the leap to clipless (I've got some fresh
>> > rat trap scars on the back of my leg, because I don't have either good
>> > pedals or good shoes at the moment) but am not sure what I should try
>> > first.
>> >
>> > Most people are telling me to go SPD, but the guy at the LBS closest
>> > to my house tells me I really want Looks for more float (makes sense.)
>> >  
>> >
>> >
>> I would recomment dual-sided SPD pedals such as the PD-M520. It has
>> enough float
>
> The PD-M520 is good. I run its more expensive sibling PD-M540, for no
> particular reason.
> Drooling for the XTR PD-M970.
>
> First pedal to earn XTR status
>
> Our lightest MTB SPD pedal ever
>
> Flourine [sic] coated binding claws allow easy entry and release
>
>> I started out with Look pedals in the early '90s when they were the only
>> think around, and used them untill a few years ago. If you do any amount
>> of walking, an SPD pedal with a recessed cleat is a better choice. The
>> Look pedals make you walk like a duck, and the plastic cleats wear
>> quickly and tend to slip when you put a foot down.
>>
>> As for a shoe, I'd recommend the Shimano RT-51 because it has a good
>> stiff sole which will eliminate "hot spots" due to cleat pressure on
>> your foot.
>>
>> See:
>> http://bike.shimano.com/publish/con.../shoes/road/product.-code-SH-RT51.-type-.html
>
> I am shopping around for some RT-51's, because I have waffle stompers
> and want to go with the smooth soles.

I don't know what the other differences might be, but the new one is too
garish, with the shiny silver color and the brand name too prominent.
The older one was a more subdued black and gray that didn't scream "bike
shoe" if you were wearing it around town.

If you find the RT50s on sale somewhere let me know.

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Sat, 10 May 2008 19:15:22 -0700, landotter wrote:

> On May 10, 6:10 pm, Nate Nagel <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Art Harris wrote:
>> > Nate Nagel wrote:
>>
>> >>I haven't seen anything like the shoes you recommend above in any of
>> >>the local stores, but that seems like it would meet my needs
>> >>(walkable, but not a MTB shoe. I guess the keyword I should be using
>> >>would be "touring?")
>>
>> > Yes, I can't understand why Shimano doesn't promote their SPD
>> > Touring shoes more. I use the now discontinued T092's. Recently
>> > Nashbar was selling the similar RT-50's (which seems to have been
>> > replaced by the RT-51). These shoes aren't as clunky as MTB shoes,
>> > and are great for road riding and walking. Good luck.
>>
>> > Art Harris
>>
>> hmm. don't seem to be much of anywhere to buy them based on a quick
>> google - most of the hits are European. There also appears to be a
>> more expensive RT-80, which I guess is an option as well. Do Shimano
>> shoe sizes tend to be consistent across different product lines? Looks
>> like I'd have to be fitted for a MTB or road shoe and then order the
>> touring shoes online.
>
> The only big diff between the touring shoes and the mtb shoes are some
> notches cut out of the nominal soles. Just get something and ride. More
> important is that you got enough toe wiggle room. I got narrow feet and
> can rock about any shoe as long as the heel cup is decent. I'm riding
> cheeeep Exustar mtb shoes I picked up last fall at Nash for peanuts.
> Flexier than my old road boards for sure, but walkable. Rode them sixty
> miles today without thinking about my feet one second. Start cheap is my
> theory, then see if your feet call for support or help. They might not.
> If you ride hard and fast, they might scream for some nicer kit,
> personally, mine are tough enough to not really care enough as long as
> they're restrained and not scrunched up too much. Yeah, I've ridden much
> finer kit--but this is cycling, not running, so as long as it's pretty
> decent, it's good enough.

I'll go along with this. You can indeed find MTB shoes on sale really
cheap almost all the time. Most are not as waffle-stomperish as Jobst
suggests. They're no worse than the running or hiking style shoes many
of us wear all the time.

IME though the "casual" style MTB shoes are ****, and fall apart in short
order.

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Tue, 13 May 2008 02:42:54 +0000, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

> As it is, I hear some of the top-end SPDs are pretty good at mud clearance
> these days.

Better than usual but nowhere near as good as Eggbeaters or Times.

Matt O.

 

[landotter]

On May 14, 12:58 pm, Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:

> IME though the "casual" style MTB shoes are ****, and fall apart in short
> order.


Oh, right--I mean more like the "race" type MTB shoes, which are more
or less a road shoe with a slightly flexy walkable sole with a couple
notches taken out. Mine I wouldn't want to hike in, but good enough to
amble into a store. Indeed, I'm not a fan of more sneakery stuff.

 

[N8N]

On May 14, 1:47 pm, Matt O'Toole <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sat, 10 May 2008 18:21:16 -0700, Michael Press wrote:
> > In article
> > <1171e645-bcea-4de3-9fba-19edd278e...@f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
> >  Art Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Nate Nagel wrote:
> >> > Hi all,
>
> >> > I'm thinking about making the leap to clipless (I've got some fresh
> >> > rat trap scars on the back of my leg, because I don't have either good
> >> > pedals or good shoes at the moment) but am not sure what I should try
> >> > first.
>
> >> > Most people are telling me to go SPD, but the guy at the LBS closest
> >> > to my house tells me I really want Looks for more float (makes sense.)
> >> >  
>
> >> I would recomment dual-sided SPD pedals such as the PD-M520. It has
> >> enough float
>
> > The PD-M520 is good. I run its more expensive sibling PD-M540, for no
> > particular reason.
> > Drooling for the XTR PD-M970.
>
> > First pedal to earn XTR status
>
> > Our lightest MTB SPD pedal ever
>
> > Flourine [sic] coated binding claws allow easy entry and release
>
> >> I started out with Look pedals in the early '90s when they were the only
> >> think around, and used them untill a few years ago. If you do any amount
> >> of walking, an SPD pedal with a recessed cleat is a better choice. The
> >> Look pedals make you walk like a duck, and the plastic cleats wear
> >> quickly and tend to slip when you put a foot down.
>
> >> As for a shoe, I'd recommend the Shimano RT-51 because it has a good
> >> stiff sole which will eliminate "hot spots" due to cleat pressure on
> >> your foot.
>
> >> See:
> >>http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/prod...
>
> > I am shopping around for some RT-51's, because I have waffle stompers
> > and want to go with the smooth soles.
>
> I don't know what the other differences might be, but the new one is too
> garish, with the shiny silver color and the brand name too prominent.
> The older one was a more subdued black and gray that didn't scream "bike
> shoe" if you were wearing it around town.  
>
> If you find the RT50s on sale somewhere let me know.
>
> Matt O.

Nashbar still has 'em, but not in my size.

nate

 

[Gig Miller]

After using Time pedals for years, then Look Keo's, I've finally made
the switch to Speedplay Zero pedals. I had always heard people rave
about them, and now I'm one too. With the Look Keo pedals, I always
felt like I was about to come out of them on steep climbs. After going
down last November in a minor crash, which cracked the carbon Keo, I
took the plunge and bought the Zeros. They are very stable and easy on
the knees. With respect to walking in them, just buy the Coffee covers
and carry them with you.....no big deal.

Greg

On May 10, 10:01 am, Nate Nagel <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm thinking about making the leap to clipless (I've got some fresh rat
> trap scars on the back of my leg, because I don't have either good
> pedals or good shoes at the moment) but am not sure what I should try first.
>
> Most people are telling me to go SPD, but the guy at the LBS closest to
> my house tells me I really want Looks for more float (makes sense.) I
> don't think he's trying to make a sale because he's got a bucket full of
> used pedals of both types, and he doesn't sell shoes at all. I was
> hoping to be able to walk in whatever shoes I ended up getting but that
> seems to not be an option for either? Also, what about the new SPD-SL?
>
> Also, any recommendations on shoes? I've just been wearing some old
> soccer shoes on platforms and I can tell they're not stiff enough, my
> toes feel a little weird after about 10 miles or so.
>
> I'm not looking for "the best" just something that will work well,
> although I don't mind spending money if there's a real value in spending
> more.
>
> Most of my riding will be on roads, FWIW...
>
> nate
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel