I need to add clipless pedals to my road bike. I haven't been able to find a comparison of the different systems out there - Shimano, Look, Time, etc.....has anyone seen a comparison of pluses and minuses of each?
You are best to go to your local bike store (one which you likle and trust) and get their input. With the internet, you can get any pedal system you want from around the globe but it may come down to choosing the 3-4 versions you can purchase locally and get service for.
I use speedplay but they are tough to get into, although they allow the foot to twist a little which is said to be good for minimizing stress on the knee, allow greater cornering clearance (never an issue unless you are a total speed maniac and need to pedal through sharp corners, which is always dangerous) . My wife uses look and shimano (they are both pretty similar) and has no problems with either. But those tend to have a fixed foot position, but she is fine with that, and they are probably easier to get into. They are slightly heavier than the speedplay, you cant enter from top and bottom (one side entry only), etc.
Cost and your riding experience level also factor in, along with type of riding intended.
Might be easier to pick your price point and go from there. If you do spinning, you might want spd style so you dont have to swap shoes over, etc. A lot of considerations are just practical because not one pedal system is better that any other for all things.
Someone gave me clipless pedals and shoes. Shoes too small. I hope to get the shoes end of month and have a month to practice before the ride. I've heard they really add to the efficiency and I like that idea fine.
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They are amazing. I had them on my mountain bike before I got my Madone 4.5 and they added a lot of speed and I found that I am using less energy, my Garmin says so too! On the road bike they're a dream, I'm averaging 26+km/h compared with 18km/h on my mountain bike. SICK!
I picked up some Looks. My friend got Shimano. They both seem fantastic (and very similar). They are also easy to "click out" of....can't believe I didn't get them sooner. All those hesitating for the fear of falling over clicked in....get over it!
the Shimano spd sl and Look are very similiar. The Shimano SPD are their older tech and used for mountain biking. THe SPD's are easy to get in and out of but have a narrow contact point which some say leads to hot spots on your foot, while the look and SPD SL are wider with wider to distribute the load.
Some shoes take both, some only one. Check. For me I am probably going to move to SPD SL for my road bike and stick with the SPD's for my mountain/commuter bike as the shoes are much easier to walk in.
So..i now have a set of clipless pedals and just picked up the shoes, Shimano.
Tuesday, I'm going riding. I'm in the apartment trying to practice getting in and out of the things. Getting out seems easy but how the heck does one get into them the first try every time? I'm envisioning a humiliating series of falls all the way from Hamilton to Brantford. Any advice, any at all, is appreciated.
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Don't be worried about getting into them first try, you get better with practice. Even after a couple of years I don't get in first time every time. But I've never fallen trying to clip in. If you don't clip in focus on getting some momentum - particularly when crossing an intersection.
Most falls happen when stopping and forgetting to unclip. This usually happens in front of a group of people to maximize embarrassment. Try not to break a fall by sticking your hand out - that's a good way to break a wrist.
"most falls happen when you're in a group to maximize embarrassment" is very true. Or, if you ride alone, when you fall, a good 4 people suddenly appear on the trail just as you tumble. Then they ask if you're alright and there's blood all over and you grin, "Oh, i'm fine, thanks." Only to wish you'd accepted the help just as they're out of sight.
I seem to be able to get out of them. SPD I think it says of the system. Someone said, "Don't panic and remember, you only have to get one foot out, really." I'll go practice in a park a few times tomorrow and curse that there are no secondary streets on way to the trail, again.
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Never Give Up; Never Surrender! Strength in Numbers. Livestrong!
