Question on Pedals and Shoes

[QuantFail]

Hello,

Me again. This forum has been really helpful on providing well thought out advice, so thank you. I am still uncertain on my new bike, and I don’t want to rush it. Since I’ll be keeping my pedals/shoes for a very long time (bike to bike), I decided to purchase them first while I continue to research various bikes. Shoes I can see that the factor to consider would be comfort. However, what about pedals? Is there anything higher end pedals provide besides the brand name? Anything proprietary out there? Thanks.

Topic

[bluerider]

I am a huge fan of Crank Brother’s Egg Beaters. The make abour 4 different levels based on bearing vs bushing and materials (ie weight). Just buy what you can afford. I just bought a new set of Egg Beater 3s and love them.

[KS1G]

I prefer SPD for commuting (easier to walk in shoes, pedals clip in both sides); Eggbeaters would work well, too. I discovered a few years ago that Shimano SPD and the Performance/Forte brand SPD-equivalent are almost cross-compatible. I forget which combination of cleats and pedals worked in both, however 😡

[creadinger]

I second the SPDs. They’re the only pedals I’ve ever used though, so I can’t compare them to others. They’re really good for walking around off the bike because the cleat is usually recessed. You won’t see SPDs in a pro road race, but they’re functional and are pretty durable.

I was interested in trying out the Speedplay Frogs at one point, but I never got around to buying anything.

[dasgeh]

I used Deltas for a while. I used SPDs for a few months. Now I have Eggbeaters, which are very similar to, but somehow different than, SPDs.

Deltas were great for racing — better stability, easier to position in EXACTLY the right way, harder to clip out of.

SPDs and eggbeaters are better for commuting — set it up once and they don’t move, the clips fit into the sole of the shoe, so you can walk on normal ground without issues, easy to clip out.

I believe SPDs/eggbeaters are cheaper.

[Tim Kelley]

I like Look Keo pedals!

[jabberwocky]

I run Time MTB pedals on all my bikes (aside from the downhill and dirt jumpers, which run flats). I’ve previously run Shimano SPDs; I prefer Times, but the Shimanos are ok too. Pedals are kinda personal. Everyone has their preferences. The truth is that they are all good, it just depends on what you want.

[elcee]

A good LBS can really help out here. You could try different makes on a bike trainer, which is much safer than being on the open road.

I myself like SPDs, because I like to walk during my bike rides. All my bikes, whether road or trail, have SPDs, which makes it easy to get on any bike. There are 2 kinds of SPD cleats, one that releases in multiple directions, and another that only releases laterally. The release tension is quite adjustable, and there’s enough float for me. Cons: (1) some people have complained about hot spots because it’s a small cleat, though I never experienced it and (2) bike snobs poo-poo such things on a road bike.

From 2nd-hand experience:

Speedplays – Pros: very low profile, and double sided. Cons: float has very little friction, so it feels like you’re on ice while pedaling?

SPD-SL – Pros: the choice of the roadie, and very popular (so you can ride your buddy’s bike). Cons: slippery, bulky, cleat wears down if you walk on it too much.

[off2ride]

Your pedal purchase should be determined by your weight, riding style and the terrain that you ride in day in and day out. When I used to race, I chose the Speedplay X pedals because it gave me a flawless start (meaning that I didn’t have to look down to engage my cleats to the pedals because it was double sided) nice cornering clearance in crits and lightweight. That was in 1993 I believe. To this day I still use those pedals. I’m 142 lbs so the spindle is thick enough for my weight. The fatter the spindle, the heavier the rider it can accommodate. So make sure it can take your weight first then go for the other features. Buena suerte.

[DCAKen]

I have ridden with SPDs for over a decade, but decided to give Egg Beaters when they came installed on my new commuter bike. I was quickly sold on the new pedals…they didn’t leave me with the same numb spot that I had gotten used to with the SPDs.

[QuantFail]

I bought the Shimana SPD SL pedals and Shimano SH R300 shoes. I checked out the eggbeater and the manager told me that the beaters don’t have as much surface space as the SPD, so it’s less force, and thus slower…etc. Gave me a bunch of other factoids, most of it went over my head, so I just trusted his experience.

Picking up my bike tomorrow afternoon in Arlington, taking off from work a few hours early, and should be ready to ride! Pretty excited about putting on all my stuff and riding.

By the way, does anyone know where I can find some tights (pants not shorts) with butt padding? I could only find shorts, and I feel kind of uncomfortable riding around in speedo shorts. I don’t want to wear baggy pants, so I am going to opt out for tights, but all the pants don’t have butt pads.

[off2ride]

Pretty common item that local bike shops keep on hand. Look for tights that have a lot of panels (stitched sections) and a thick cushy chamois. The more the panels, the more durable and comfortable it is.

[KLizotte]

REI is a good source for cycling clothes. If you want tights, best start looking quick since stores will be cleaning out their inventory in preparation for summer clothes.

[vvill]

I’ve only ever used SPDs and Crank Bros before. Both are fine but I prefer Crank Bros for the 4-sided entry which lets me clip in very fast. I have Crank Bros Candy pedals on 3 bikes.

[bluerider]

I don’t know that I buy the LBS manager surface area agreement. Sounds like voodoo to me but enjoy your SPD purchase. I’ll stick with my less powerful pedals. Let us know how things go.

[jtcallahan]

I can’t debate the performance benefits of having more contact area, but having more surface is sure a confidence booster if you are on your pedals unclipped.

@bluerider 14913 wrote:

I don’t know that I buy the LBS manager surface area agreement. Sounds like voodoo to me but enjoy your SPD purchase. I’ll stick with my less powerful pedals. Let us know how things go.

[Author]

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