Stupid Question - Pedals and shoes

[Tom_Spotley_When]

Quick question from a road bike newbie;

I’m told I need some clip in pedals.

I’ve got some shoes in my shopping basket. How do I figure out what else I need?

Pedals and cleats As I understand it.
Which go with which?
Any to avoid or aim for?

[halo34]

So you need shoes - the cleats are then attached/bolted to the shoes.

You choose the pedal and the cleats based on what system you want to try (e.g. SPD).

The cleats on the shoes then clip into your pedals when you cycle.

I have never gone wrong with SPD personally - I am not sure if some shoes will accept all systems etc.

EDIT - some places might do a pedal and cleat combo

HTH

[David_M]

In basic terms the choices are shoes that you can also walk in (MTB, shops, commuting), in which case you probably want SPDs, or if you are only training/racing on a roadbike and therefore walking is not important then you want SPD-SL.

The above names are shimano pedals - the most common and very good and very cheap but there are many alternatives.

SPDs - the cleat uses two bolts side by side and the mount is recessed into the sole. Pedals are usually double-sided.
SPD-SLs - the cleat uses three bolts in a delta formation and sits proud of the sole. Pedals are only single sided.

[halo34]

David_M said:

In basic terms the choices are shoes that you can also walk in (MTB, shops, commuting), in which case you probably want SPDs, or if you are only training/racing on a roadbike and therefore walking is not important then you want SPD-SL.

The above names are shimano pedals - the most common and very good and very cheap but there are many alternatives.

SPDs - the cleat uses two bolts side by side and the mount is recessed into the sole. Pedals are usually double-sided.
SPD-SLs - the cleat uses three bolts in a delta formation and sits proud of the sole. Pedals are only single sided.

Good point and forgot the SPD differences - I as a roadie use SPD-SLs now (not SPD) so walking isnt going to happen. No experience with the alternatives myself.

[Tom_Spotley_When]

Great thanks guys.

If I was to buy these:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520-pedals/

And these https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-sl-cleats-2/

Then I’d be on the right track?

[Your Dad]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

Great thanks guys.

If I was to buy these:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520-pedals/

And these https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-sl-cleats-2/

Then I’d be on the right track?

No, stop!

Read the description in the pedals - there's a link to the cleats you need - https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-mtb-cleats/

Now tell us what shoes you're buying, they need to have 2-bolt cleat fittings.

Do you want road bike shoes (walk like a penguin) or will you be using MTB style shoes that take a recessed cleat (no walk like a penguin)?

The pedals you've linked use cleats that fit to 2-bolt shoes, more commonly used on MTB shoes.

Edited by Your Dad on Tuesday 12th May 16:27

[Tom_Spotley_When]

These shoes (mainly because they have my size in stock and they’re silver)

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gaerne-record-road-shoes/...

Does it matter that they’re MTB not road bike?
Thanks in advance for all the help!

[The Mad Monk]

https://guides.wiggle.co.uk/cycling-pedals-and-cle...

I bought MTB Shimano shoes; MTB pedals with clips/cleats one side and non clipped the other side, and then cleats to suit.

That way, you can walk in the shoes without being crippled, and the pedals have clips/cleats provision one side, and the other side is just an ordinary pedal, so you can pop down to the shops if you want without having to put on all the special gear.

[AndrewT1275]

Those are road shoes and you can clearly see the three holes in the sole for a three bolt cleat.

If you are dead set on those shoes you need a different pedal.

My personal preference is SPD (ie 2 bolt) as it makes walking far easier and the perfornance trade off for me is zero.

[Your Dad]

The shoes you have selected are not compatible with the pedals you have selected.

Road shoes - generally 3bolt

MTB shoes - generally 2bolt

The pedals you have selected need 2bolt shoes. You need to choose different pedals - these will work with the shoes and cleats you've already found - https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-rs500-spd-sl-r...

[BlackTails]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

These shoes (mainly because they have my size in stock and they’re silver)

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gaerne-record-road-shoes/...

Does it matter that they’re MTB not road bike?
Thanks in advance for all the help!

Those are road shoes.

Road shoes vs MTB shoes: road generally weigh less, have more mesh (ventilation) and have a three bolt pattern on the sole.

Pedals and cleats usually get sold together. Cleats are sold on their own because cleats wear out and have to be replaced.

When pairing shoes with pedals/cleats, make sure the bolt pattern that your cleat uses matches the pattern of the holes on the shoes. That's about it really.

For road use, there's potentially a lot of choice (most of which comes down to bearings and weight), but you won't go far wrong with these: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-rs500-spd-sl-r... . Cleats included.

I'd consider these, because cleats are slippery as fresh st on a smooth surface: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essential-cleat-...

[J886ATV]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

These shoes (mainly because they have my size in stock and they’re silver)

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gaerne-record-road-shoes/...

Does it matter that they’re MTB not road bike?
Thanks in advance for all the help!

If you're set on those shows - you need these pedals (or similar) https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
(cleats in the box)

If you want these pedals https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520-pedals/ (ditto cleats in the box)
You need shoes like these with 2 bolts on the bottom https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-troika-mtb-shoe/

[AndrewT1275]

Have a look at this recent thread as well.

As someone above said, a hybrid pedal is a good option.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Tom_Spotley_When]

J886ATV said:

If you're set on those shows - you need these pedals (or similar) https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
(cleats in the box)

If you want these pedals https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520-pedals/ (ditto cleats in the box)
You need shoes like these with 2 bolts on the bottom https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-troika-mtb-shoe/

Thanks for the help. I’m only set on those shoes because they’re in budget (and they’re silver).

What I wasn’t anticipating was shoes and pedals costing half the price of the gumtree bike!

[Dont walk]

If you've only just picked up a bike I'd forget about buying cycling shoes for now and just ride in trainers. Once you've ridden a bit more and decided that you enjoy it (or not) then you can look at changing pedals and shoes.

Also if you buy the pedals new they will come with the appropriate cleat so just a case of matching the pedals to the shoes.

i'd recommend double sided mtb pedals and shoes for a beginner as they are much easier to get to grips with than road shoes.