Going clipless

[corvidae8]

I have decided that I am to start riding with clipless pedals. I was for some recommendations for pedal and shoes.
Thanks

[skboogiemonster]

for pedals, you cant beat crank bros in my opinion. i like the candy sl.

[bitchslapmadman]

i have bashed and trashed my shimano 959's for over 3 years. They are dead quiet and smooth and there are no worn out parts yet.
all i can add is use NO TENSION to begin for the first month.

[beachbike]

......and its usually when your stopping to say hi to someone, or there is a car of girls(or guys,depending on whos readin) beside you.

All i can say is....practice. Sit on your bike inside and clip in clip out clip in clip out. For as much as you can. It will build muscle memory and smothe out the ruff edges on the cleat.

Oh and you will still fall.......i've been riding clipless for years and i fell the other day stopping to say hi. :D

[fuz]

i second the vote for crank bros.
just learn to trackstand, and you won't have to worry about falling when sayin hi :)

[markie]

I second a vote for shimano because they have adjustable tension, you can set them up so they are very easy to get out of whilst you are learning.

[myron]

I recently moved to Crank Brothers Egg Beaters and I really like them. With old style spd's I hated most all the Welgo varients. The best of the spd's I've used are the Ritchey models. They have a super large inboard bearing compared to the wellgo things. So far my Shimano spd's are durable,but clipping in/out seems more finicky than most models.One thing is for sure, once you run clippless you will never go back to flats. People worry about getting unclipped in rough terrain, but to be honest I really don't feel in control on a rough or technical section without being clipped in.

[mimbresman]

I've only used various versions of Shimano. I am satified with them. I still have a set of the 1st generation version, the M737's, on my Bridgestone road bike.
On the Merlin I have the M959's. They are bomber. I've had them on there for a few years without any problems.
Recently I bought M535's for the Litespeed, just because that is what the LBS had at the time. I like them. The cleats are the compatable to the 959, so I can use the same shoes for both bikes. Something to keep in mind.

[brown group]

-no matter how you hit them with your foot they're always ready to engage.

-never build up crud

-light

[LeeMcGough]

"One thing is for sure, once you run clippless you will never go back to flats. People worry about getting unclipped in rough terrain, but to be honest I really don't feel in control on a rough or technical section without being clipped in". I guess I'm just abnormal then. I rode flats for a couple of years, then switched to spd's then crank bros., and now I'm back to flats. I just found that at least half of the time, I only had one foot clipped in, and spent more time unclipping or clipping back in than I ever did actually taking advantage of the pedalling efficiency of clipless. But I am one of those types of riders that needs to stick a leg out to the side when my bike gets all tippy. I don't dab, I just use it as an counterbalance. I run HUGE pins in my flats, so there's no lack of traction there, regardless of how muddy or icy it is outside. For the record though, my shin (only the right one, strangely ) took a beating right after the switch from egg-beaters to flats, until I put the monster pins in the flats. If you do decide to run clipless, I would say eggbeaters for sure though. SPDs seem to clog to easily, speedplay frogs feel like riding around with a couple of ice cubes underfoot. Just don't bother with the combo pedals, they are a waste of time. You end up with a useless, slippery platform combined with a heavy clipless that is difficult to engage/disengage from.

[rockrider]

I have been using Candies and Egg Beaters for the last four years and I recommend them to everyone. Easy to get in, easy to get out, doesn't clog with mud, light, durable and rebuildable (not that I have) and the greasing systems is nice too. Another nice thing, in the event of a trip over the bars I have always been able to release, makes the landing a bit easier.
The only problem is you may have to modify the sole of your shoe to avoid clearance issues, I ran into this with my first pair.

[Spatafore]

One thing is for sure, once you run clippless you will never go back to flats. People worry about getting unclipped in rough terrain, but to be honest I really don't feel in control on a rough or technical section without being clipped in.

I don't know... I like riding with and without clipless. They both have their advantages. Although it is nice being clipped in on the trail, I also enjoy taking the flats out from time to time. It's really nice when you want to do some exploring on foot in the woods and prefer more of a hiking boot. Flats are also easier on pub crawls.:D

[LeeMcGough]

"Flats are also easier on pub crawls." Definitely. Those cleats can be damn slippery on hard surfaces, particularly once you have a couple of drinks down. Plus, if you ride flats, it doesn't sound like you are wearing tap shoes when walking.

[Jay13]

I ride Crank Bros Mallets. No problems in or out, period. I've broken a couple pairs, and CB customer service rocks too, athough in general they are an extemely reliable pedal. I ride trail, freeride and downhill and use them exclusively.

As for advantages, riding clippless in general is far superior to flats for any trail riding application, power and torque wise. The whole fear of not unclipping when you need to is not a real concern. You won't fall when you stop if you are paying attention, and if you're not, you deserve to fall. The only time where flats could ever be advantagous is for dirt jumping IMO. (Okay, and pub crawling...)

[SNP]

I went clipless a year ago. Went with the Shimano 540 with Multi Release cleats. Been real happy with the pedal. Works well in mud also.

For the beginner and those who like their knees healthy the multi cleats are great. Most systems only allow you to exit in one direction. With the multi cleat you have 5 directions to exit. Meaning in a panic your feet will pop out. I discovered that on a number of occasions. I have never had my feet pop out during normal/technical riding.

In a year, I have only done the dreaded "tip over on bike while clipped in" maneuver once. That was the first day I rode clipless.

[jerman]

Gotta throw my $.02 for Crank Brothers. I run eggbeaters on my Rush, Candys on my 1FG, and I am putting Mallets on my KM 29er. I love 'em. Have tried Shimano and found them to be sketchy at times. Tried Times, they are not bad but Eggbeaters beat them hands down.

[peatbog]

I have some Shimano M324 pedals on the bike I ride to work. They are SPD on one side and standard face (or whatever you call them) on the other side. Probably wouldn’t be the best thing for racing because you sometimes have to fool around getting the right side up, but they are handy in that I can ride without clipping in while in stop-and-go traffic, but can use the SPD the rest of the (non-traffic) ride. Handy also in that I can hop on without bike shoes and ride away. Maybe something to consider depending on how and where you ride.

[bigpedaler]

3 1/2 years on spd's, the last 1+ on 520's; adjustable tension is sweet, pedals are reliable.

for lighter weight folks, candys can work well.

right now, and for the forseeable, i'm on times. slightly better retention than the spd, but no adjustment. mud clearing is better w/ time, too.

[Shkenblke]

I got Crank Bros. Mallets for my first pair of clipless pedals ever. Wanted the larger platform since they are my first pair plus I have bigger feat. Absolutely love them. They have just enough float to keep me attached but still make me feel like I have plenty of freedom. There are multiple ways to clip in or out. My dad's bike has the shimano's and I have tried them out and don't like them as much. While it is nice to be able to adjust the tension, I don't like not being able to clip in or out more then one way. Also, with crank bros pedals you can change up your release angle by switching around the cleats so you do have some adjustments you can make. My next pair of pedals will definitely be another set from the 'Bros.

[Shkenblke]

Forgot to mention this, If you have bad knees the Crank Bros. are great. They don't force you into an uncomfortable position while clipped in, and the motions to clip out do not require torqueing your knees much either.

[myron]

Crank brothers at Price Point for $29.95 (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15724-240_CRBSP6-4-Specials-77-Top-10-Deals/Crank-Brothers-Smarty-Pedals.htm)

[tryandgetme]

hell. I was about to buy a new set of bearings for mine for that. if only they had a canadian outlet.

[sjsielen]

I run the crank brothers mallets on my trailbike and the cranks brothers eggbeaters on my commuter. i have run shimano 545s in the past but will never go back after riding my cb's. dont get me wrong the 545s worked great when clean - when mud got in them - forget it. i put about 7000 miles on my mallets (used to have them on my commuter) before the needed any work and have beat the heck out of my eggbeater sl's. eventually i needed to replace the bushings and bearings in both pairs, which not only is it incredibly easy to do, but it is also covered under warranty. i called up crank brothers when i started noticing that my pedals were not spinning smoothly. they said send them in, and they would rebuild them under their 2-year warranty. i said i wouldnt mind doing the work, so they mailed me 4 sets of bushings and bearings free of charge. upon opening one of the mallets, i noticed some wear on the spindle- which was probably due to the fact that they had been ridden through a wisconsin winter. and its not really the snow that had any affect on them - it was all the salt from the roads. so i mailed in the mallets and rebuilt the beaters my self. when i got the mallets back from the "pedal spa" - there was a card included indicating that they not only replaced the spindles in both pedals, but also, the wings (the part that hugs the cleat), the springs, the bushings, the bearings, and the nuts - everything but the body (platform) of the pedal and the attached traction plates. how is that for customer service.