The move into manhood

[coldbrews]

Newbie with a pedal question here. I'm looking to make the move into clip in pedals, but need to know which would be the best choice. The easiest to get in and out of in a pinch, so I dont drag the bike down with me if I eat it. Ive been putting this off for a while but everyone says its the way to go..........I have an 05 Giant Reign 3.

[Pain Freak]

Mountain bikers LIE.

[scorns]

I just made the switch from flats to the Crank Bros Mallet C and so far so good. I mean I have fallen over in a parking lot twice but after one fully loop ride and a climb up snow summit I feel really comfortable on them. My 2 cents

[SAR_boats]

I have been very happy with my Crank Brothers Candys

[gurp13]

Shimano or Shimano style SPD type pedals work pretty good for me. You can adjust the tension and make them super loose. But, just so you know, you're still going to fall over at some point. It just happens until you train your foot to move to the side to release the clip. Oddly though, every time I've crashed, my feet have come out. As far as I remember. But, there have been a couple times where I stalled on a climb and my feet stayed in the pedals. I fell over like a big goof. Nice bruises on my hips.

The Shimanos, unlike the Crank brothers, have adjustable tension so you can set them all the way loose and it's much easier to get your feet out. Then, you can tighten them up as you get better at releasing them.

I have three pair of the Shimano pedals. You can get a decent pair for $50 just about anywhere. I bought the less expensive ones for my mountain bike because my Stumpjumper has long cranks and a low bottom bracket and I have a bad habit of bashing my pedals. I bought the more expensive, lighter pedals for my road bike. But, functionally, they're the same.

Hope that helps!

[xhuskr]

I've been using the SPD style for years and like them. The key for me was to get the multi-release cleat. It does not come with any shoe (to my knowledge), but worth the $20

[SAR_boats]

If you want I have a pair of older shimano spd pedals you can have for $5. They work good they are just beat up. They are m-515s

[mazer75]

I am forcing myself to learn how to ride technical stuff with Shimano SPDs. It's tough, and I crashed like 15 times today at Aliso, but the benefit for climbing makes them worth it. I am using some cheapo Spesh Taho shoes, which are nice because they aren't as stiff so they're easier to hike in.

The tension adjust on the Shimanos are pretty nice. Never tried Crank Bros style though.

[guero]

Originally Posted by SAR_boats

I have been very happy with my Crank Brothers Candys

me too.

times work well also.

shimano spd just didnt really do it for me. i would either have them too loose, or too tight, or something would get stuck in the pedal causing my cleat to stick in the pedal, resulting in a few cow tips here an there, no bueno.

[Sharky]

Careful about the shoe you choose. Been using Specialized Body Geometry shoes (Taho most recent). For some time been having a knee problem riding just blew it off as an old running injury and rode through the pain normally starts at the 10 mile mark. ( became more intense 2 weeks ago so cut back riding) A friend had mentioned this a few days back and got the complete explanation running into her at Marshall Cyn. yesterday. She mentioned both her and her BF had developed and solved the same problem. She went to a friend who was a professional trainer who explained she was seeing this occur in her pro athletes using the specialized Body Geometry shoes as we were. Discovered the shoe was made at a canter to cause you to use the outer muscles of the leg. The popliteus muscle which runs along the back of the knee was in turn becoming weakened along the inner side of the leg. It was creating pain on the opposite side of the knee (outer). Tried to correct this by using the insoles which in turn just created another problem. After changing the shoes on them the pain went away as it also did for my friends. So I'm doing the same today since everything she mentioned matched my symptoms exactly. Let ya know if it makes a difference but something to think about??
BTW my shimano SPD 959's and 540's have been working great for me.

[Schecky]

I love them eggbeaters. Easy to use, suitable for all bikes and durable. SPDs did not work for me.

[0gravity]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Shimano or Shimano style SPD type pedals work pretty good for me. You can adjust the tension and make them super loose. The Shimanos, unlike the Crank brothers, have adjustable tension so you can set them all the way loose and it's much easier to get your feet out. Then, you can tighten them up as you get better at releasing them.

I agree. Everyone does love their eggbeaters (Crank bros, candy etc), but SPD is a better pedal to start with for the reasons explained above.

[Geronimo]

Everyone knows clipless pedals are a fad. Buy some speedplay drilliums.

[coldbrews]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I just got back from seeing Chuck Lidell get knocked out. Are all of the above mentioned pedals ok to be used when jumping? I'm not talking about anything big either.

[SAR_boats]

Yes, all of the aforementioned pedals can be used while jumping.

[coldbrews]

Thanks everyone. I'm going out today to pick up some pedals and shoes.

[roadkillross]

sharky did u try moving the cleat around under you?? if ur having knee pain, the most common thing is the angle of th shoe with the pedal, just try adjusting the cleat more straight

[Pho'dUp]

Crank Bros or Time Atacs won't do you wrong. I love Crank Bros pedals myself. They have lots of "float" so they're easy on the knees. Their local (Laguna) to OC and have excellent customer service. Simple design, you'll never have to worry about them getting fouled with dirt/mud and they will always disengage. Dirt/mud will foul and cause SPDs to lock up. I've had to rebuild one of my CB pedals but it was really really simple. Go Crank Bros and forget worrying about your pedals.

[genusmtbkr5]

I use Crank Bros. eggbeaters on 2 of my bikes, Candy C on my SS and Time Atac on my crossbike. As far as Crank Bros, you can put the cleat with the 2 dots on the right shoe for easier dismount and when you get better at clipping out, switch it to the left shoe. The angle in which it releases is greater with the dots on the left than on the right. I used to use SPD but like guero said, the tension has to be just right. Also, like Sharkey states, shoes are important. Get good shoes and you may have to spend more to get the ones that feel right. Go cheap and that's what you'll get. I bought a pair of shoes that were about $50.00 on sale and they hurt my feet after only a 15 mile ride. Then I went out and paid $130.00(after my discount) and without any break-in period rode it for 37 miles, no sweat. These are the shoes I'll be wearing for the Traverse.