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So what KIND of pedals???
- Thread starter ski diva
- Start date
veggielasagna
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hey,
For my road bike I have used Look and Shimano pedals. I'm currently riding the Shimano Ultegras. I like the Shimanos because there is a bit of float (believe it's 6 degrees). The Look pedals had 9 degrees; in retrospect it was too much "play" side to side. The Shimanos make my foot actually feel like its clamped onto the pedal. In other words, I'm transferring maximum power through the entire pedal stroke. They have a fairly large platform compared to come others which helps some with forefoot numbness. Or, if you forget your shoes you can go the sneaker route since there is a decent amoutn of surface area to rest your foot upon. That last one's just piece of mind for me. They look pretty nice too...shiny silver : ) See below.
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=24075&item=50-6895&slitrk=search&slisearch=true
-veggielasagna
For my road bike I have used Look and Shimano pedals. I'm currently riding the Shimano Ultegras. I like the Shimanos because there is a bit of float (believe it's 6 degrees). The Look pedals had 9 degrees; in retrospect it was too much "play" side to side. The Shimanos make my foot actually feel like its clamped onto the pedal. In other words, I'm transferring maximum power through the entire pedal stroke. They have a fairly large platform compared to come others which helps some with forefoot numbness. Or, if you forget your shoes you can go the sneaker route since there is a decent amoutn of surface area to rest your foot upon. That last one's just piece of mind for me. They look pretty nice too...shiny silver : ) See below.
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=24075&item=50-6895&slitrk=search&slisearch=true
-veggielasagna
vanhoskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I haven't raced in a while, and quite frankly, I haven't ridden much in awhile, so I'm a little out of the loop as far as all the new cycling gear goes, but I'll try to share what I know: The "egg beater" pedals are also clipless; they just let you clip in anywhere...there aren't any "sides". They look like......an egg beater!!! 
A normal clipless road pedal usually has only one side for entry, while a mountain bike pedal can be clipped in from both sides.
If you are new to clipless pedals, I would go with a traditional clipless pedal that has a fairly large platform....they are more comfortable because they support more of the weight of your foot. I've used Look pedals for 15 years and have always loved them. A stellar pedal, and the new ones are super-easy to clip in and out of. I believe the "egg-beater" style pedals are have a smaller platform area, and that would take some getting used to.
What type you choose also depends on what kind of shoes you want...do you want to be able to walk fairly normally, or do you not care if you walk like a duck? If it's the former, then you'll need a mountain bike or touring shoe with a recessed cleat, which works with mountain bike pedals. If it's the latter, then it's a road shoe. Road pedals (like Look), remember, have the larger platform.
Also, some pedals offer a ton of "float" - allowing your foot to rotate left or right of its long axis. A little bit of float is nice, and allows your foot to rotate naturally as you go through your pedal stroke, but too much float can cause knee problems and a very slippery feel underfoot as you pedal..not very confidence-inspiring. (Speedplay "frog" pedals).
When I raced on the track, I used a pair of Look pedals with VERY little float so my foot was locked in one position. Hard efforts are more difficult with ones foot moving around.
When you buy pedals, I strongly recommend purchasing them at a bike shop and having a technician fit you as you sit on the bike and pedal. Each person needs their cleats adjusted differently, and there also may be differences between your left and right foot. Mark the outline of the cleat on the sole of your shoe once you have it adjusted perfectly, so when you need to replace the cleats, you'll know the correct position. Incorrectly adjusted cleats can cause knee pain! Not good for us skiers!
Now, that's probably more than you wanted to know!
Good luck!
A normal clipless road pedal usually has only one side for entry, while a mountain bike pedal can be clipped in from both sides. If you are new to clipless pedals, I would go with a traditional clipless pedal that has a fairly large platform....they are more comfortable because they support more of the weight of your foot. I've used Look pedals for 15 years and have always loved them. A stellar pedal, and the new ones are super-easy to clip in and out of. I believe the "egg-beater" style pedals are have a smaller platform area, and that would take some getting used to.
What type you choose also depends on what kind of shoes you want...do you want to be able to walk fairly normally, or do you not care if you walk like a duck? If it's the former, then you'll need a mountain bike or touring shoe with a recessed cleat, which works with mountain bike pedals. If it's the latter, then it's a road shoe. Road pedals (like Look), remember, have the larger platform.
Also, some pedals offer a ton of "float" - allowing your foot to rotate left or right of its long axis. A little bit of float is nice, and allows your foot to rotate naturally as you go through your pedal stroke, but too much float can cause knee problems and a very slippery feel underfoot as you pedal..not very confidence-inspiring. (Speedplay "frog" pedals).
When I raced on the track, I used a pair of Look pedals with VERY little float so my foot was locked in one position. Hard efforts are more difficult with ones foot moving around.
When you buy pedals, I strongly recommend purchasing them at a bike shop and having a technician fit you as you sit on the bike and pedal. Each person needs their cleats adjusted differently, and there also may be differences between your left and right foot. Mark the outline of the cleat on the sole of your shoe once you have it adjusted perfectly, so when you need to replace the cleats, you'll know the correct position. Incorrectly adjusted cleats can cause knee pain! Not good for us skiers!
Now, that's probably more than you wanted to know!
Good luck!
vanhoskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Veggielasagna - NICE CERVELO!!!!! Sweeeeeeeeet!!!
itri
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah, what she said! I have Look pedals on my road bike and I've been very happy with them so far. The guy at my bike shop probably spent a good hour at least tweaking the fit of my bike and had me take my shoes off at least 3 or 4 times to adjust the cleat.
I bought a second pair of shoes for spin class at a different shop and the woman just put the cleats on without doing any kind of adjustments. I started having knee pain in spin class and eventually I realized that my foot was turned inward when I was clipped in...the cleat was totally crooked. I got that adjusted and the knee pain improved immediately!
I've always understood more float = better for bad knees. Because it's not locking your knee into a strict pattern and lets it move more freely. If you're perfectly aligned and your knees naturally move in straight lines it's probably totally irrelevant, but I know my knees feel much better in pedals with a lot of float - which is part of why I like my crank brothers pedals. I don't use eggbeaters, but I use Mallets and Candy's - which are eggbeaters with a platform around them.
Regardless you need to set up the cleats properly and get a good pair of shoes for pedaling efficiency.
itri
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ditto that...I was thinking there was something off about that when I read it earlier but it didn't completely click. My physical therapist actually recommended increasing the amount of float in my pedals if possible to help with my knee pain.
Acrophobia
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hey now, I adore my Speedplay Frogs. Extremely intuitive locking and release mechanism. There's no spring, so no resistance to release. Lots of float, but if someone's coming from platform pedals, that won't seem unnatural.
geargrrl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
expanding definition... clipless actually means you clip-in with some sort of release mechanism, the name comes from "toe clips' with straps that we all use to use.
So, there are lots of clipless systems, as mentioned, depending on whether you go road or mountain: SPD, Speedplay, Eggbeaters, crankbrothers, Looks, just to name a few.
The name clipless is actually very confusing to newcomers to the sprot because it is the exact opposite.
hth
gg
So, there are lots of clipless systems, as mentioned, depending on whether you go road or mountain: SPD, Speedplay, Eggbeaters, crankbrothers, Looks, just to name a few.
The name clipless is actually very confusing to newcomers to the sprot because it is the exact opposite.
hth
gg
vanhoskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think it depends on the individual. I had terrible problems (pain) using pedals with too much float. My coach (also a PT) had me reduce the amount of float I had on them. On the track, I used to use Look's black cleats for less/no float...it's simply too dangerous to sprint without ones foot locked in completely, and efficiency is lost in the sprint when the foot rotates....most track racers still use old-style toe clips and 4 leather straps per foot for this reason.
Beyond that, it's personal preference. For a recreational rider, it's simply going with the pedal they are most comfortable with. What is comfortable for one person may not work for another. That's why there are so many choices out there!
skiso
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
For years I used Shimano 105's with road shoes and last year switched to Speedplay Frogs and Sidi mountain shoes when I got a new road bike. The Frogs are lightweight and provide good support under the shoe. They have a comfortable float, and are easy to get into and out of, especially in a hurry.
A big eye opener was switching to mountain shoes for the road bike. It challenged the traditionalist in me but it makes riding easier and safer - and I realized that most of my road bike friends had been on mountain shoes for several years. The stiffness of the shoe is very important for the smaller mountain pedal platform and the Sidi's are great for that.
I ride only outside but my friends in spin classes use the more common Shimano SPD mountain set up so they can use their shoes at the gym.
A big eye opener was switching to mountain shoes for the road bike. It challenged the traditionalist in me but it makes riding easier and safer - and I realized that most of my road bike friends had been on mountain shoes for several years. The stiffness of the shoe is very important for the smaller mountain pedal platform and the Sidi's are great for that.
I ride only outside but my friends in spin classes use the more common Shimano SPD mountain set up so they can use their shoes at the gym.
itri
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think it depends on the individual. I had terrible problems (pain) using pedals with too much float. My coach (also a PT) had me reduce the amount of float I had on them. On the track, I used to use Look's black cleats for less/no float...it's simply too dangerous to sprint without ones foot locked in completely, and efficiency is lost in the sprint when the foot rotates....most track racers still use old-style toe clips and 4 leather straps per foot for this reason.
Beyond that, it's personal preference. For a recreational rider, it's simply going with the pedal they are most comfortable with. What is comfortable for one person may not work for another. That's why there are so many choices out there!
Interesting! I'm still pretty much a newbie to this cycling thing...still learning stuff!
I just own a separate pair of shoes for spin classes and then other shoes for riding on a real bike with Crank Brothers cleats.
I'd break it down further into the various shoes I have for different types of riding, but I'm starting to feel like Imelda Marcos...
A quiver of shoes...........makes perfect sense
I'd offer input on pedals, but I think the ladies before me have said most everything you need to know.
A quiver of shoes...........makes perfect sense
I'd offer input on pedals, but I think the ladies before me have said most everything you need to know.
Hey, when you have a quiver of bikes, you need a quiver of shoes, right??
Shoes for the spin bike, very hard soled Sidis for XC riding (efficient pedaling but hard to walk in on techy trails or slickrock), rubber soled clipless shoes that are more protective and easier to walk in for techy trails where I want to be clipped in, sticky rubber soled shoes for flat pedals, and then the old pairs that I just haven't gotten rid of...
vanhoskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I love it!
I used to have a pile of shoes for my bike stable, too. Now that I paired down my bikes to 2, I just have a pair of Sidi road shoes and a pair of Carmac mtn. bike shoes. And both pair are at least 5 years old; they just last forever.
veggielasagna
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think it depends on the individual. I had terrible problems (pain) using pedals with too much float. My coach (also a PT) had me reduce the amount of float I had on them. On the track, I used to use Look's black cleats for less/no float...it's simply too dangerous to sprint without ones foot locked in completely, and efficiency is lost in the sprint when the foot rotates....most track racers still use old-style toe clips and 4 leather straps per foot for this reason.
Beyond that, it's personal preference. For a recreational rider, it's simply going with the pedal they are most comfortable with. What is comfortable for one person may not work for another. That's why there are so many choices out there!
I totally agree with everything vanhoskier has stated above. As a matter of fact for the first time ever on the bike today I had pain in the left knee. I attribute it to messed up IT Bands considering it came out of no where. Bike fit is hard to get tuned in perfectly, its a game of trial and error. However its not always the bike that is causing problems.
Pedals are like skis, you like some and hate others. Just because they look good on paper doesn't mean you're compatible out on the road. Go with what your instinct tells you to buy. You'll have a pretty good idea after one pair what you want/don't want in a set of pedals.
-veggielasagna
