Clip-in pedals

[Ki3r]

I'm still fairly new to cycling, but am thinking of getting some clip in pedals and shoes, but I have no idea what I'm looking at really.

Firstly, are they worth the money? I'm guessing yes as they use them in races. At the moment I'm only doing 10/15 mile rides, but I want to increase.

Secondly, what brands are worth looking at? And thirdly, does anyone know of anywhere in Dorset (ideally Poole/Bournemouth) that will allow me to try some on?

Thanks .

PS the bike is a Giant Defy if that makes a difference.

[SystemParanoia]

I use cheap decathlon clips + shoes on my roadbike.

been fine for nearly 10k miles of abuse so far.

roadie snobs would turn their nose up at my setup, but im clipped in for £20. i'd rather spend the savings down the pub lol

[TwistingMyMelon]

Yes I would , you work different and more muscles than without .

If you like/want to improve climbing then they are loads better and more efficient

Plus you have more control of the bike

[Ki3r]

Forgot to ask, how easy are they to get in and out of? I don't want to end up on the floor that often.

[TwistingMyMelon]

You get used to it, different pedals vary

Took me about 20 mins to get the hang of it at first

You will one day ..fall over though ...

[anonymous-user]

You can adjust the tension on Shimano SPD-SLs, thats the only type I have ever used, so they are fairly easy to get out of in a hurry if you slacken them right off.

Use the yellow cleats to begin with, then maybe try the blue cleats. Yellow allow 6 deg of movement (float) before releasing, blue offer 2 deg, red are zero and should be avoided unless you have a friendly chiropractor. The Pedals dont come with cleats.

I used DHB R1 shoes and 105 pedals for years, easily under £100 for the lot.

[SystemParanoia]

Ive been running these for nearly 10k on my roadie. - 25mile rides each time

not a single problem. the difficulty to unclip can also be adjusted.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-mountain-bike-pedal...

Edited by SystemParanoia on Wednesday 22 April 20:48

[Barchettaman]

Shimano A530 pedals and a sleek MTB shoe.

You'll be able to walk around without slipping on the cleat and falling on your 'arris.

If you don't like the clip-in shoes you can still use the pedal with normal shoes.

If you want to use the road bike with trainers for a fast pub run, you can.

Win-win-win all the way.

Review here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/...

[S10GTA]

Get yourself to primera for any bike related stuff in your area.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Blimey you cant really go wrong with those Decathlon pedals, proper cheap! You can then work out if you like being clipped in

[markd135]

what kind of riding - commuting or just road riding? Do you use your bike for anything other than specific road rides (like going to the pub)? If not, then you might want to just leap in with some spd-sl or look pedals. personally I prefer Look (I use Keo and Keo carbon) on my bikes and they're great.
If you need more flexibility then go for a MTB sype shoe and spd-sl's then you can walk around in them more easily - i.e. go into the pub or shop or whatever. oh and before you buy - make sure you buy compatible shoes...my first pair of bike shoes were 2 hole (MTB) and I had 3 hole cleats (road)

[richardxjr]

markd135 said:

what kind of riding - commuting or just road riding? Do you use your bike for anything other than specific road rides (like going to the pub)? If not, then you might want to just leap in with some spd-sl or look pedals. personally I prefer Look (I use Keo and Keo carbon) on my bikes and they're great.
If you need more flexibility then go for a MTB sype shoe and spd-sl's then you can walk around in them more easily - i.e. go into the pub or shop or whatever. oh and before you buy - make sure you buy compatible shoes...my first pair of bike shoes were 2 hole (MTB) and I had 3 hole cleats (road)

Good advice but I've corrected that rather important bit!

Decathlon's are Shimano SPD compatible, which is good, they also do good value shoes (and all manor of other stuff) think there's a store in Southampton.

But, if you only intend to ride road, straight to SLs.