Better pedals and shoes without going for cleats

[DanB7290]

I've been riding a road bike for about a year now and I absolutely love it. I'm getting better at it, and the size of my rides are increasing all the time. Although there's one bit which needs addressing, the pedals and shoes I'm using.

I have a Specialized Allez, great bike, but since I got it all I've used are the cheap "pound shop" plastic pedals that came with it, and worn my usual gym trainers, which were £25 from Sports Direct. Not exactly in keeping with the rest of the gear I wear (I learned quickly that the more expensive bib shorts are indeed worth it!), and it's time for an upgrade I think.

The only problem is, with the stopping and starting on my route, plus with me not having the greatest balance in the world, I don't think proper cycling shoes with cleats on are a good idea. I will end up falling over a lot. But the trainers I'm wearing now look too big and cumbersome; they're not quite as massive as say, Vans, but definitely a bit on the bigger side. Then there's the pedals, massive plastic pound shop specials probably aren't the greatest thing either.

So, any suggestions?

[MOBB]

My wife isn't keen on cleats, she uses standard pedals with cages and wears mountain bike shoes with rigid soles.

The other option for a newbie is double sided pedals, one with cleats and one without, using SPD cleats which are easier to clip in and out of - they are more for mountain bikes really but work fine on road bikes. Or you can just use the non-cleat side https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimano-PD-M324-SPD-Pedal...

Your speed will increase as soon as you get a pair of proper shoes, moreso if you clip in. Big difference, bendy shoes loses a lot of power.

Edited by MOBB on Tuesday 7th April 14:19

[Mark83]

Are you dead set against clipless pedals? Yes, you will probably has a few comedy 0mph falls, everyone does, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. You'll be so much more efficient on the bike. How often do you actually stop on your rides or go slow enough to unbalance? It's fairly quiet where I live and can start and finish my ride without unclipping. I've also commuted around London with clipless pedals and flicking your ankle to unclip becomes second nature. I now commute on a Brompton around London and I can feel how inefficient my pedalling is.

[hyperblue]

MOBB said:

The other option for a newbie is double sided pedals, one with cleats and one without, using SPD cleats which are easier to clip in and out of - they are more for mountain bikes really but work fine on road bikes.

I did this with a pair of touring shoes (which allow you to almost walk normally) when i first started road biking, since I only had 1 bike and often would use it for running errands town as well going for as a proper ride. Allows you to get used to using cleats, but gives a good flat surface on the other side of the pedal for pedalling around town either in normal shoes or your SPD shoes.

Also bear in mind that you will not fail to unclip as much as you might be expecting, providing you pay good attention to what's going on with traffic/road configuration ahead of you.

[GT72]

Mark83 said:

Yes, you will probably has a few comedy 0mph falls, everyone does, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

and it doesn't hurt as much as you'd think. We've all done it. In reality it's not about balance it's about memory and training yourself to removed you foot in the correct manner each time.

However, if dead set against it then FiveTens are the way forward. They're mountain bike shoes designed for flat pedals. The levels of grip provided by them is astonishing. I've used all sorts of shoes for mountain biking and nothing compares other than clipless.

A pair of these https://www.adidas.co.uk/five-ten-mountain-bike-fr...

with some semi decent MTB flat pedal should improve grip , such as these https://www.tredz.co.uk/.DMR-V12-Magnesium-Pedals_...

You'll probably look quite odd on a roadbike with them and they're definitely not as good as spd's, but it's certainly the best combination i can think of.

[jimmy156]

I would recommend some MTB cleats, and (as another poster has suggested) a set of double sided pedals that you can clip into on one side or use flat soles on the other.

I have these: https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/s...

The cleats they came with can be released by moving your heal in any direction. I has never ridden a bike with cleats before and i was expecting it to be tricky. I am sure at some point in the future I will make an ass of my self, but so far I have never managed to not clip out. Even when I have forgotten until I have literally come to a stop, they unclip so easily you can still get out of them in time!

[David_M]

Mark83 said:

Are you dead set against clipless pedals? Yes, you will probably has a few comedy 0mph falls, everyone does, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. You'll be so much more efficient on the bike. How often do you actually stop on your rides or go slow enough to unbalance? It's fairly quiet where I live and can start and finish my ride without unclipping. I've also commuted around London with clipless pedals and flicking your ankle to unclip becomes second nature. I now commute on a Brompton around London and I can feel how inefficient my pedalling is.

Same point as Mark really. You might not like the idea but they really are easy to use and once you are used to them you won't want to ride without them.

For anything other than "training" road rides - ie commuting, pootling around, wanting to be able to walk normally off the bike, slightly off-road etc etc then double-sided spd pedals are probably best and are cheap as chips (look at Decathlon for cheap-but-decent shoes). You can also get pedals that are spd clip on one side and flat on the other, which are useful if you are unsure or sometimes use the bike for v short ride to town/friends.

[2Btoo]

David_M said:

Mark83 said:

Are you dead set against clipless pedals? Yes, you will probably has a few comedy 0mph falls, everyone does, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. You'll be so much more efficient on the bike. How often do you actually stop on your rides or go slow enough to unbalance? It's fairly quiet where I live and can start and finish my ride without unclipping. I've also commuted around London with clipless pedals and flicking your ankle to unclip becomes second nature. I now commute on a Brompton around London and I can feel how inefficient my pedalling is.

Same point as Mark really. You might not like the idea but they really are easy to use and once you are used to them you won't want to ride without them.

I'll go with this as well. I don't do much more than commute and pootle on my bike but cleats were a huge step forward a couple of years ago. I pedalled with cages for a long while and so was used to having to remove my feet from something when I stopped and hence have yet to have a 0mph fall.

The only downside is that the pedals are a real pain to walk in. If you go anywhere that you are likely to stay (office/workplace/pub) then taking a spare pair of shoes is not a bad idea.

[towser44]

I started with SPD-SL clipless pedals as soon as I got my first road bike 9 years ago now. Practice in the garden just clipping in and out before venturing out and then away you go. Had 1 fall off when I forgot I had them on, but soon becomes second nature :-)

[2Btoo]

towser44 said:

I started with SPD-SL clipless pedals as soon as I got my first road bike 9 years ago now. Practice in the garden just clipping in and out before venturing out and then away you go. Had 1 fall off when I forgot I had them on, but soon becomes second nature :-)

True, that.

I genuinely can't understand clipless pedals. I can pull as hard as I like on an upstroke and they won't let go but even the slightest pull when I want to get out and they release immediately. I tell myself that it's not witchcraft, rather that I have trained my ankles to flick when they need to!

[Donbot]

I think I started a similar thread about 6 years ago. The replies twisted my arm into going clipless. 6 years later and I haven't fallen off. (Watch me fall over tomorrow )

[AceKid]

I can agree with all the above comments, i use my Boardman gravel bike for commuting and jumping on to the shops, out with the kids etc, so its got crank brothers double shot pedals on it. Means i can wear my mtb shoes for commuting etc or get away with chucking on trainers to cycle to the shops etc.
They are a great alternative to shimano and i find the crank bros cleats are easier to clip in than spd's,

[FazerBoy]

GT72 said:

However, if dead set against it then FiveTens are the way forward. They're mountain bike shoes designed for flat pedals. The levels of grip provided by them is astonishing. I've used all sorts of shoes for mountain biking and nothing compares other than clipless.

A pair of these https://www.adidas.co.uk/five-ten-mountain-bike-fr...

Thanks for this advice - I’ve just ordered a pair.

[benny.c]

In addition to SPDs, Shimano do the Click’r system which is supposed to be much easier to clip in and out of. It’s aimed at “the newcomer to step-in pedals” so could be worth a shot.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/technologies/compon...

https://road.cc/content/review/69035-shimano-click...

Edited by benny.c on Tuesday 7th April 19:16

[ScotHill]

If you really don't want cleats (and I'm not going to go there, that's a whole 'nother thread...) then you could try some indoor/astroturf football boots. They tend to be fairy slim, rather than big chunky trainers, and have a textured sole without being studded. I got some from Sports Direct for £20 and they've been great, along with some £15ish pedals from the LBS. My feet don't slip, I can push over the top of the pedal stroke, I can pull back at the bottom, I can sprint at 120 rpm, what's not to like.

[untakenname]

Time Atac cleats/pedals are far more easier to ride with than shimano's offroad range and the cleats are compatible with mtb type shoes.
I use Time Atac DH pedals and shimano mtb shoes, you can walk about in them fine as the cleats recessed and come off the pedals really easily.

They make some pedals designed for starters/commuters

Time said:

LINK is our newest pedal built for commuters, bike paths and urban cyclists. It features a flat platform, perfect for almost any casual ride giving you the freedom to bike and walk in the comfort of your favorite shoes. On the other side, we've included the ATAC system with lets you clip in with your favorite cycling shoe, giving you extra pedaling efficiency when you find yourself on longer two-wheeled (or faster) trips.

https://www.time-sport.com/int-en/t2gr018-0000tu.h...

[Brads67]

Learn to use SPD's.

Once you get used to them you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

Oh, and avoid Sports Direct. That entire company should be burned out of existence.

[lufbramatt]

benny.c said:

In addition to SPDs, Shimano do the Click’r system which is supposed to be much easier to clip in and out of. It’s aimed at “the newcomer to step-in pedals” so could be worth a shot.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/technologies/compon...

https://road.cc/content/review/69035-shimano-click...

Edited by benny.c on Tuesday 7th April 19:16

The clickR pedals are good, my wife uses them without any issues. She's got double sided ones (easier to engage) but they have a cage so you can use them with normal shoes if you need to without it being dangerous. Pair them with some casual MTB shoes that look like trainers and you can walk around fine in them and no-one would know you had cleats on.

[mike80]

I had SPD pedals for a couple of years, and some cheap shoes from Decathlon.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc-100-spd-road-cyclin...

Never had any problems with them, and never fell off! Being double sided they were easy to clip in to.

I only got SPD-SL because my wife bought me some fancy shoes for my birthday! Not sure there is a massive performance difference to be honest.

[DanB7290]

Thanks everyone, it sounds like I may need to try these double sided pedals, and it'll be a case of getting used to them. I guess I could get used to them, after all there was a time I thought I'd keep falling off a road bike that wasn't flat bar, now I wouldn't go near a flat bar bike!

Will look into it and see what I can find, although it's being done on a budget!