LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Putney

I'm tempted with these, but although I can find lots of positive reviews, they're mostly from people going clipless for the first time ( like me ), so I was wondering if experience and having something to compare against might change the perspective a bit.

For an 8 mile commute twice a day, plus other similar riding.

I've tried loads of shoes on at various branches of Evans, and frankly, none of them seem to fit me very well, so I'm tempted to take a punt on these while they're cheap :-

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-m1-mtb-shoes/

I guess these are the "obvious" peddles, I've seen a few recommendations for egg beaters ( so I guess the cleats will fit? ), but I guess the SPD's are more common?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shimano-PD-M520-SPD-Clipless-MTB-Pedals-Blk-Cleats-NEW-/390206042309?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item5ada17b0c5

[ed!it - corrected spelling in title, but can't be bothered to go through rest of thread Smile

]

ed! · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:05 pm Subject:

Egg Beaters are from Crank Brothers, I believe, and take a different cleat (the bit you stick on your shoe), to SPDs. I believe Pamela has these, or similar.

MTB shoes are my choice of cycling footwear at the moment, as the cleats are recessed into the sole so I can walk around in them (which I do) without looking like a duck Smile

I have the SPD pedals that you've linked to and happy with them.

The downside that people say to them is that over a long ride, they can be a bit uncomfortable due to the small surface area of the pedal. However, if you have a shoe with a relatively hard sole, the weight is dispersed more, so not really noticable.

What size shoe are you? Happy for you to try my shoes (Sidi size 44) and bike out?

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Putney

Yeah size 44/45, but I think I'd prefer to fall over in private Embarassed

For the peddles it's more of a technical issue for pros and cons, but I can't find a sensible comparison online ( might just be poor google-fu on the subject? ).

I'm not expecting there to be much in it for me to be honest, I'd just rather confirm that before, rather than after, ordering them...

The worse I've seen stated about the 520s and similar is that they can be awkward when muddy... but I don't really plan on getting them muddy...

And the for the egg beaters, that, due to the small size, they can be hard to align with the cleats ( just practise I guess ), and similarly that they're hard to peddle without clipping in to, e.g. to get across a junction ( ignoring the candy types with the extra platform ), though on the plus side, they have four sides to clip in to, and are lighter.

ed! · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:27 pm Subject:

There will be pros and cons with all types of pedals, and it's all based on what you need to use it for.

With SPDs, and I assume all other clipless pedals, you can adjust the tension on the release springs...so have them loose to start off with, until you get used to them.

I remember falling over twice when I got mine, and once by freak accident.

Been alright since then. A lot of the time, it's anticipating when you'll need to unclip, e.g. approaching traffic lights, and doing it ahead of time. You also need to remember that when you come to a stop, that you lean on the side that's unclipped Smile

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Putney

Well I've managed it once in my toe clips anyway ( landed on my non-metal elbow ), I'm not sure if that means I have some experience to start with, or if I'm totally doomed to failure Laughing

But yeah, I guess it's the practicality of those pros and cons that I'm after, in a commuting type situation.

I know I'll get annoyed when I can't the feckers to clip in ( +1 to egg beaters ), but it'd also be useful to be able to peddle a bit peddle prior to clipping in ( +1 to something with a larger platform ).

I presume I'd be OK to just swap for some SPD cleats to ride to the Brox if there was ever a need ( I'm assuming the egg beater cleats fit the SPD shoes ).

matty · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:59 pm Subject:

Barrie, check out speed play "frogs", loads of float (saves your knees), double sided clip in, easy exit... The cleats fit (just) on some off road shoes, allowing you to walk not waddle.. and they're big enough to provide a nice big platform to push on, not like the egg beaters..

I've ridden these on my fixed wheel for my commute for years and love them... they're user service-able, they've even got a grease port...

Having ridden off-road style clipless pedals since they became current in the early 90's, Spud's, Time, blah... i've found speed play is by far the best product for my knees and traffic clip-in commuting insecurities..

just thought id add my 2pence worth

Smile

Pamela · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:15 pm Subject:

Ok, so my Cranks Bros were mentioned so here are my thoughts.....

Can't remember if they are candys or smarties - they are eggbeaters with a bit of a platform round them. I bought them for my commute bike so I had the option to wear the right shoes with them or the option to wear any old pair of shoes and still be able to pedal comfortably.
Most of the time I ride clipped in and find them really easy to get in and out, but sometimes in tricky traffic I find it handy to be able to ride with one foot clipped in and the other not which is easy enough to do in these. I should point out I have the cleats on mtb shoes so I'm not sure how easy this would be in carbon soled shoes.

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Putney

I'll def get MTB style shoes.

Almost certainly the ones linked to as I just can't seem to find any that really fit how want, so might as well get some cheap ones online and take it from there.

Speedplay frog peddles seem a bit too pricey for me at the moment Sad

( £75 buy now on ebay... ).

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1380 Location: Putney

For the Candys ( and Smarties? ) does the platform spin around the egg beater part?

I've seen some comments suggesting that they're two sided, and some that they're still four sided...

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4108

I'd just go with SPDs. Simple, plenty of float, cheap, work very well.

Howard · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 336 Location: W2 now init.

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4108

p.s. if you're worried about getting hot foot, or the small platform size of MTB style cleats, then don't be. Just get quality shoes with a hard carbon sole, and don't tighten them too much.

Pamela · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 9:30 pm Subject:

Christophe · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 1652

I must say that for commuting, I can't see the point of being clipped in as you need to unclip/re-clip so many times. Due to knee pains, I've even gone as far as putting flat pedals on my road bike. Pain gone instantly, and forever I hope. Unfortunately that was only a week after I got myself some Scott Pro road shoes (size 44 in anyone is interested), they're a narrow fit I found.

matty · Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:34 pm Subject: