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Message started by larry on Sep 17^th, 2009, 8:43pm

Title: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by larry on Sep 17^th, 2009, 8:43pm

Here's a Q from the resident newbie. Just to refresh your memories, I use a Sun EZ-1 SX as a commuter vehicle 5.5 miles one way in Arlington.The pedals on the Sun EZ-1 are the same kind that were on my starter bike when I was 5 in Kansas City, 1958....Just flat old pedals. Now, my commute involves much stop and go and slow motion angling around on sidewalks. I have to be able to get my feet off the pedals and onto the ground at a moments notice, and be able to start up again numerous times in the space of a 45 minute trip. Does it make sense for me to use some kind of shoe and pedal combo that enables me to pull on the backswing as I pedal, or is that only for the guys who are doing the long uninterrupted bike rides ? Mine are always chopped up negotiating traffic, pedestrians, etc. Any advice would be appreciated. [smiley=notworthy.gif]

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by AustinSkater on Sep 17^th, 2009, 9:34pm

In my opinion, clipless pedals are always a good thing. With the type of riding that you are doing your best bet would probably be a mtn bike pedal/cleat setup. Mtn bike shoes are easier to walk on, and are usually very quick to unclip. You can get pedals that clip on one side, and have a platform on the other, this way you can not clip in if you're in an area where you want to be able to drop a foot with no worry at all.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by goatstick on Sep 17^th, 2009, 9:40pm

Amen and Absolutely! I can't imagine riding a recumbent very far without cleated pedals. I use Shimano A520 SPD road pedals for my highracer and A530 combo SPD/platform pedal for the LWB and trike. The A520 is a little easier to get into as it tends to end up in the correct position for pedal insertion (almost always) more often than the A530. You loosen the spring tension on the pedal trap as far as it will go and you can clip and unclip almost as easily as putting your shoe on and off a platform pedal - with some practice and a shoe that tends to guide the pedal correctly. For shoes I use Sidi Dominator 5 Megas as they are ultra wide for my wide foot and they act like road shoes but with mtn bike plastic cleats that grab the road better when I stop and are easy to walk in. Great for commuting and in stop/start traffic.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by Killer Bee on Sep 17^th, 2009, 9:48pm

As a side note, there's an entrant in this years TT's(500 solo division) from Denmark who recently completed the Last Chance 1,200k, that rides with platform pedals. [smiley=chinscratch.gif] No truth to the rumor that he wears wooden clogs as his cycling shoes. [smiley=smiley.gif]

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by Kwijybow on Sep 17^th, 2009, 9:55pm

I ride all winter to work on my recumbent on flat pedals and regular shoes. Keeps my feet toasty warm. Always have to look for a good reason to switch back. So its not required by any means. I would say it does help on rides longer than 50 miles though. Although I've done 250 mile rides with flat pedals.

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by diannalightning on Sep 18^th, 2009, 9:23am

I rode my EZ-1 without clipless pedals for 2 years. I still ride my Rans V-Rex without clipless pedals and did RAGBRAI on the Rans this year with no problems. I want to be able to get my foot down during traffic quickly and I'm not that quick in clipless. My DF has clipless as does my trike. Try both and see what is the most comfortable for you.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Sep 18^th, 2009, 9:52am

No real reason to use clipless attachment on an EZ-1 for such a short distance... Your feet are plenty low enough that you're not fighting gravity significantly keeping them on the pedals, and your need to put your feet down randomly and quickly is certainly valid. I started on an EZ-1 with platforms, as did my wife and stepson -- not a problem.

As others have said (and I agree), where clipless helps you is in climbing, and in longer distance rides. Unless you start doing longer rides on a regular basis with the bike, and get 100% used to using clipless all the time, there's really not much reason to switch.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by Opus the Poet on Sep 18^th, 2009, 11:49pm

I rode multiple century and double metrics on my Stratus with platforms and "regular" shoes, and a couple hundred miles on an EZ-1 with platforms without any problems aside from a lack of fitness from not riding a bike in a while. I'm trying some toe clips without straps (I think they're called "mini clips") on a set of modified platforms (the "ghetto pedals") to see how they work.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by larry on Sep 19^th, 2009, 10:35pm

Thanks, Friends. This was really helpful input. Voice of Experience really has impact! [smiley=dankk2.gif]

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by aikigreg on Sep 21^st, 2009, 10:02am

A lot of folks like powergrips http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/ as well. I've never tried em, but some people go on and on about them.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by Kwijybow on Sep 21^st, 2009, 10:07am

I tried power grips for awhile and found them a bit fiddly to get into, and not enough improvement over flat pedals to worry with. Sooo I have some somewhere if you want to try em.

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: pedals, clips, cleats?
Post by goatstick on Sep 21^st, 2009, 10:44am

I ran Power Grips on my trike for a couple of years. For me, they are to much trouble to get in and out of for a recumbent bike. I ran them on the trike to try to get around the problem with my broken feet and they did pretty well until I developed enough power using regular shoes that my arches started hurting. I dropped them when I figured out how to move the cleats back on some mtn bike shoes that had adequately rigid soles.

I commuted pretty much every day for years on several different types of bikes and when you do that, you develop the understanding that your bike is a commodity, that you chew things up and they have to be replaced. It's an expense but a really cheap one compared to a motor vehicle. Pretty much *anything* that makes life substantially easier for commuting is most likely worth doing, and using clipless pedals was one of the most advantageous things I did, whether is was my road bike, the trike, a mtn bike or the recumbent bike.

They make life far easier to do hard/fast accellerations in heavy start/stop traffic, they provide for more power/speed when cruising because that's primarily using pull muscles, and on bikes that have potential heelstrike, it makes life far easier to do very tight turns in poor road conditions. Sure, you can do without out them, but I'd rather run 120psi tires at 60psi than do without clipless pedals.
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