|
rbent Forum
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl General Category >> Technical >> Clipless Pedals https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1226443247 Message started by freakflyer9999 on Nov 11th, 2008, 4:40pm |
|
Title: Clipless Pedals Post by freakflyer9999 on Nov 11th, 2008, 4:40pm This past weekend I purchased my first pair of cycling shoes and cycling pedals. I've already ridden a few miles with them to get used to clipping and unclipping. Probably practiced 4 or 5 dozen times at various speeds. Only one fall and that was before I even left the driveway. The cleats are installed centered on the shoe left to right and just slightly behind (1/4") the front most position. So how do I go about determining the best position for the cleat for me? Just trial and error or is there a more scientific method? |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Nov 11th, 2008, 8:43pm Most recumbent riders seem to prefer the cleat as far back on the shoe as it will go. When I bought my Sidi's, though, I discovered the cleats could be moved quite a bit further back than on my Shimano sandals I had gotten so used to, so I moved the Sidi's cleats enough forward to match the Shimano's. You may have to do some experimentation, though, to see what you like best. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 11th, 2008, 8:50pm freakflyer9999 wrote:
Last time I bought shoes at RBM, they tried to put me on their "spin bike" to set the cleats, despite my protestations that I was a recumbent rider... So I let 'em do it, and they were just WRONG, WRONG, WRONG... I'd go with the typical 'bent recommendation, start with 'em centered, and as far back as possible, then adjust from there. I doubt you'll have much of an adjustment to make left and right, but everybody's different. That's why "knee saver" pedal extensions exist.... in case you need your feet spaced out further. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by jcsadowski on Nov 11th, 2008, 9:48pm It is not as Critical when the pedals have "float". meaning the shoe will turn 15 degrees. I almost blew my knee because I 'thought' my new SPDs had float. I switched back to my 'red' looks and the pain went away. I talked to Rhonda at RBM and she fixed me up with the correct pedals. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Nov 11th, 2008, 9:58pm jcsadowski wrote:
That's a good point to mention. Zero float, like some pedals have, including mtb spd's, don't bother some people, but cause serious knee pain for others. The Bebops (http://www.beboppedals.com/) I use have 20 degrees of float. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by freakflyer9999 on Nov 12th, 2008, 11:00am Bud_Bent wrote:
That's a good point to mention. Zero float, like some pedals have, including mtb spd's, don't bother some people, but cause serious knee pain for others. The Bebops (http://www.beboppedals.com/) I use have 20 degrees of float.[/quote] The Sunlite pedals that I bought have Zero float. I purchased them because they were in-stock, inexpensive and had a platform on one side. I wanted the option of using the platform side when needed or if I had major difficulty with clipping in/out. It is also the same pedal that the shop owner uses on his Ice trike. I am looking at some Crank Brothers Egg Beaters pedals on Ebay. They have a choice of 15 or 20 degrees float dependent upon how the cleats are installed. The reviews I've read indicate that they are the easiest to clip in and out of. Does anyone here use these pedals? Is float usually in just one direction or is it in both directions? I think that my left foot needs to turn my heel in towards the bike. I have moved the cleats back as far as possible on the shoe. This is about an inch behind where I had them previously located. Hopefully, I can give this a try this afternoon, but I'm babysitting the granddaughter today so I may have to wait. An earlier post mentioned pedal extenders. What is the general guideline for pedal positioning? Shoulder width, slightly wider, slightly narrower? Being moderately large and having larger thighs, my legs naturally spread wider than a thinner person's might. Of course, I'm trying to correct this issue by losing more weight. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by irodguy on Nov 12th, 2008, 2:20pm I personally dumped all my SPDs a while back the lack of float just about killed my knee. I am using Crank Brothers Mallets on all my bikes. The Mallet gives you the platform but still locks in basically to an eggbeater in the middle of the platform. Crank Brothers have several pedals like this but I like the Mallet since there is a wide platform for start up spinning. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by freakflyer9999 on Nov 12th, 2008, 3:55pm irodguy wrote:
I found some Crank Brothers Mallets on Ebay for about $60. I'm going to give what I have a fair try, but will look again at the Mallets if I decide that I need a different set of pedals. Are they pretty easy to clip in/out? I noticed on the Crank Brothers website that their pedals have 6 degrees of float but a choice of 15 to 20 degrees for exit. I guess that I'm a little unclear what the difference is. Is float just totally loose without any pressure and the other 9-11 degrees have spring tension? |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by evblazer on Nov 12th, 2008, 5:27pm According to some sites there is the 6 degrees of free float and then there is spring tension fighting you till you release. I personally found them to be a bit stiff with the float like there was always a bit of tension but it could be just how I set them up or having used all the float already based on my foot/cleat/pedal angles and such. I had bebops which have alot of float but it just seemed to be too much float, or too great a release angle, for me to reliably get out of easily and they didnt' quite fit solidly on my sandals or shoes. I really liked sandals too :'( Oh well back to my road shoes. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by freakflyer9999 on Nov 13th, 2008, 5:35pm Well I finally got to try the pedals with the cleats moved all the way back as several have suggested. Seemed to work much better at giving me full power with each stroke on the hills. Felt more comfortable too. Only did 7 miles, but the knees felt fine. I do think that I could stand to put on pedal extenders. I did feel like my feet and legs/thighs were being scrunched in. Had one "near" incident. I unclipped the left foot at a stop sign, but didn't unclip the right. No problem, right. Wrong, I fell to the right. Fortunately, the right foot came out as I fell and I caught myself. :-[ If the weather is half way decent, I'll hopefully get to the Trinity Trails on Sunday afternoon. My goal is to do 30+ miles with the new pedals to give them a good tryout. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by aikigreg on Nov 13th, 2008, 5:42pm If you decide to go the to TT Sunday, give me a call and my wife and I will probably go with you. We live in an apartment that backs up to the trail near the 377 endpoint. We can bike around and grab some lunch. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by kingjason on Feb 5th, 2009, 3:10pm Hmmm never even thought about my SPD's not having float. So whats the going favorite right now. I dont wanna get my cycling collection going to far and have to change pedals on 5 bikes later. I have not really ever had SPD issues but then again I have had knee problems since 17 and just figured a little pain was acceptable. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Feb 5th, 2009, 8:08pm You'll find lots of different opinions about which pedal is best. I think the Bebops are hard to beat for recumbents. They fit mtb shoes, but the cleat surrounds the pedal, and thus spreads out the pressure on your foot almost as good as road pedals and cleats. And the Bebops have lots of float. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by freakflyer9999 on Feb 9th, 2009, 5:27pm I now have about 100-150 miles on my Crank Brothers Smarty pedals. They are easy to clip in and out. I set the cleats as far back on the shoe as they will go, however, I still get hot foot pretty bad on my left foot. Today, when the hotfoot set in, I unclipped and pedaled with the arch of my foot directly over the center of the pedal. This definitely did the trick, but of course I was unclipped. I've seen some homemade cleat extenders for the 2 bolt cleats and Speedplay has an extender for their 4 bolt cleat. Does anyone know of a production cleat extender for the 2 bolt cleats or know someone with a machine shop willing to make a pair for a reasonable price? |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by season on Feb 18th, 2009, 1:56pm I'm new to bents and clipless pedals. I just bought a Bacchetta strada and I love it. I'm going to get clipless pedals. I'm leaning towards the Bebop; but, I'm concerned with the compatibility with shoes. What is the best cycle shop to get help selecting a first pair of shoes and pedals? |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Feb 18th, 2009, 2:12pm season wrote:
I'm not sure that any shop around here knows enough about recumbents to recommend shoes for one. There are really just two main styles of cycling shoes: road shoes and mtb shoes. Road shoes have mainly hard, smooth soles, and are tough to walk in with cleats installed on them. Mtb shoes have the hard sole covered with a softer one, with a recess where the cleats go, so they're easier to walk in. For spreading out pedaling stresses on your foot, the road shoe systems are better. That said, recumbent riders, especially high racer riders, tend to favor the mtb shoes, because you don't get your feet down as solidly as you do with a lower bike, making it too easy to have zero speed fall overs. Even with a lower recumbent, because you're sitting, there's not as much weight on your feet when sitting still, so it's still easy to lose traction and fall. That's not to say that all recumbent riders use mtb shoes; some do manage road shoes ok and like them better, but if you're just starting out on a recumbent, I recommend starting with mtb shoes. If you buy mtb shoes, you will need to get compatible pedals and cleats. Bebops work. So do Eggbeater, spd's, and others. Bebop cleats do require some trimming of the sole on many mtb shoes, for clearance. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by AustinSkater on Feb 18th, 2009, 2:21pm season wrote:
Read what Bud has to say, what he says makes a lot of sense. That being said, if you're going to go with road shoes, get Sidi - pure and simple. The main reason, the heal plate on most road shoes cannot be replaced, with Sidi shoes it can be. That's where the traction point is when I stop and plant a foot. I am on Speedplay pedals, and have just ordered new Sidi Pro Carbon shoes, to replace the ones that I've had for over 10 years. /Disclaimer, I come from the DF world, and am very used to putting my foot in it (ooops, I mean down on slick surfaces). |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Feb 18th, 2009, 2:26pm AustinSkater wrote:
I think the Sidi mtb shoes are excellent, too. I do enjoy my Shimano sandals in the summer, too, but for long rides, my Sidi Dominators are what I wear. They're not just the most comfortable cycling shoes I own, they're the most comfortable shoes I own, period. Of course, everyone's feet are different, so only time and experimenting will tell for sure what you like best. Edit: I should add that Sidi's, like many European shoes, run very narrow. My wide feet require the Sidi Mega's which are wider than their standard shoes. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by season on Feb 18th, 2009, 3:15pm Excellent advice. Who sells sidi mega? I have huge feet. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by season on Feb 18th, 2009, 3:49pm Plano Cycling sells them. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Bud_Bent on Feb 18th, 2009, 8:26pm Internet geek that I am, I bought mine online. |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by AustinSkater on Feb 19th, 2009, 8:40am Bud_Bent wrote:
Speaking of buying online, Backcountry.com has the Sidi Genius on sale for 50% off (specific sizes, the rest are $100 off). This is a good road shoe, but with Sidi it does help to know your size in advance. http://www.backcountry.com/store/SID0011/Sidi-Genius-5-Bike-Shoe-Mens.html?CMP_ID=ODAT_HPFP5001&mv_pc=1002 |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Opus the Poet on Feb 19th, 2009, 3:22pm Since I no longer manage an Italian restaurant that requires me to eat one entre or medium pizza per shift (Best. Job. Ever.) my weight has come down as well as my shoe size. (I guess all that extra weight was squishing my feet out longer and wider and now I have an arch you could drive a truck under) I used to wear 10 1/2 D or E, now I wear 8 1/2 B, or a 42.5 narrow in Sidi bike shoes [smiley=shrug.gif] Moral: buy your bike shoes where you can try them on. And don't just try them on and go buy the same size/style on the Internet, either. Buy at the brick and mortar store that let you try them on. [smiley=deadhorse3.gif] |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Hurricane Dan on Feb 23rd, 2009, 8:35am Wow. This is turning into an expensive hobby. The prospect of clipless pedals has always been daunting to me so I was looking around and found this really good faq: http://www.chainreaction.com/pedalfaq.htm with the following quote: "You will, in very slow motion, and nearly always with people around to see it happen, fall over." Which is apparently okay, because, as they later say... "It's almost impossible to come up with a truly original way to embarrass yourself on a bike." LOL. That makes me feel better! So if all the pressure it tied to a specific location on the foot, that doesn't hurt after a while? Do they take getting used to besides the actual clipping in/out business? |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by evblazer on Feb 23rd, 2009, 8:49am The sole of most bicycle shoes are much stiffer compared to most non cycling shoes. Then there are of course different kinds of cycling shoes. This looked like a pretty decent comparison http://www.bicycleapparel.com/shoes.html |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by AustinSkater on Feb 23rd, 2009, 9:28am Hurricane Dan wrote:
I always recommend that when you first go clipless either spend time with your bike on a trainer, or on a soft grass field, learning exactly how to clip in and out. I ride on Speedplay pedals (lollipops) and they are some of the easiest pedals to learn, but they do have a very small contact point. I would not recommend them for anyone who isn't using carbon soled shoes (and those are expensive). |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by Ric_Clark on Aug 8th, 2010, 8:37pm I have an ICE trike, and was wondering about the best type/make shoe I should be wearing? Any suggestions/recommendations??? [smiley=thumbup.gif] |
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by aikigreg on Aug 9th, 2010, 1:04am Sounds trite, but the one that fits your feet the best and you feel most comfortable in. But it's hard to go wrong with SIDI. Ric_Clark wrote:
|
|
Title: Re: Clipless Pedals Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Aug 9th, 2010, 5:56pm Ric_Clark wrote:
The type or make rarely is dependent upon the bike, as such -- what works on an ICE works on any trike or other bike, it just depends on 1) what "clipless" attachment system you choose, and what your shoe budget is... You should be able to find either sandals or MTB shoes that work great for well under $100. What's important on a trike is to BE clipped in, both so your feet don't slip off at a hard bump and so you can take advantage of the 'circular' pedaling motion (i.e., both push and pull). Go to a local shop and have your feet measured, and try some on. However, if you need "wide" shoes, avoid Performance, they never stock wide sizes. I'm with Bud's comments above, MTB shoes are just better to walk in, when you have to walk... |
|
rbent Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.1! YaBB © 2000-2005. All Rights Reserved. |